Building a Governed People-Data Mesh HR & Finance Actually Trust

T. Rowe Price rebuilt its HR analytics stack around a governed Snowflake people‑data mesh that Finance actually trusts. Shannon Rutledge explains how a dual product‑and‑consulting squad moved from spreadsheet extracts to a share‑once‑consume‑anywhere model in just 15 months. Learn the architectural choices, governance controls and culture tactics that turned HR and Finance into co‑authors of workforce insight, drove self‑service adoption from 18 % to 73 %, and cut reconciliation effort by 41 %. The session unpacks decision matrices, row‑level security patterns, and the role of data partners in scaling capability.

• From HRIS extracts to a governed Snowflake people‑data mesh in 15 months.
• Decision matrix behind choosing Snowflake, zero‑copy cloning and native security.
• Raw → Domain → Product architecture and share‑once‑consume‑anywhere model.
• Row‑level security, PII masking and lineage tracking that Finance trusts.
• Data‑partner operating model, training and champion network driving adoption.
• Cross‑functional workflow linking HRBPs, Finance and GMs.
• Indexed outcome metrics and lessons ready to replicate.

• Identify when a people‑data mesh beats traditional HRIS extracts.
• Replicate a raw‑domain‑product architecture without exposing sensitive data.
• Apply row‑level security and masking patterns that satisfy Finance and audit.
• Design a data‑partner role to accelerate self‑service beyond HR.
• Co‑develop shared KPIs with Finance to fund analytics modernisation.

Shannon Rutledge

Director, People Analytics & Data Solutions · T. Rowe Price

Financial services face strict audit scrutiny and volatile labour economics. HR and Finance need reconciled, timely workforce data to control cost, plan capacity and satisfy regulators, yet legacy HRIS exports create delays, re‑work and distrust. A governed, enterprise‑grade people‑data mesh tackles these risks and unlocks faster, collaborative decisions. For firms competing on productivity and compliance, unifying people and financial data is now mission‑critical.