Data-Pop Alliance (DPA) is pleased to announce Nicolas de Cordes as our new Director of Operations and Marketing. Nicolas brings extensive experience in leveraging data for development and driving positive social impact. With deep expertise in the telecom industry, data services innovation, governance, and multi-party management, he excels in implementing transformative strategies that foster sustainable growth. Passionate about innovation through design thinking and strategic implementation, Nicolas has a proven track record in both startups and corporations, blending technical expertise with strong business acumen to lead diverse teams successfully.
At DPA, Nicolas will oversee operational and marketing strategies, advancing our mission to use data for informed decision-making and sustainable development worldwide. Regarding his new role, Nicolas said:
“Joining Data-Pop Alliance feels like a natural next step in my career. I’ve always believed in the power of data not just to create competitive advantages in business, but to address societal challenges, particularly poverty, disease, climate change, and natural disasters. I’m thrilled to be part of an organization that shares this vision and is committed to making it a reality. By bringing data-driven insights and design thinking to the humanitarian sector—and more importantly, to local populations in need—we can develop new solutions that truly help people."
Before joining DPA, Nicolas was the Chief Commercial Officer at Upp.com, a broadband company acquired by Virgin Media O2. There, in addition to his role as CCO, he led initiatives integrating social and environmental impact into the company’s core business, aiming to use fiber technology to help coastal communities mitigate climate change effects. Prior to that, as Vice President of Marketing Anticipation at Orange Group, he spearheaded Data for Development initiatives in Ivory Coast and Senegal, gaining deep insights into digitalization’s societal impact. He also transformed the telecom business model in Africa by shifting from premium to mass marketing strategies.
Nicolas played a key role in developing OPAL (Open Algorithms) since its inception in 2017 as an ethical approach to using data to address social issues. OPAL’s framework features a privacy-safe architecture and governance system, ensuring individual data remains anonymous while enabling social impact. Initially piloted with MIT Media Lab, Imperial College London, Orange, the World Economic Forum, and Data-Pop Alliance, OPAL has been adopted by various organizations to tackle diverse challenges. For example, DPA is currently using the framework in the OPAL for Humanitarian Action (OPAL4HA) project to predict and respond to flooding in Senegal. This project employs privacy-preserving algorithms and local governance structures to extract valuable insights from sensitive datasets. (To learn more about this work, supported by the WFP Innovation Accelerator, click here.)
Beyond his corporate roles, Nicolas served on the UN Secretary-General’s Independent Expert Advisory Group on the “Data Revolution for Development,” co-authoring the influential 2014 paper “A World That Counts,” which emphasizes data’s role in sustainable development and addresses data inequality. He has contributed to global development discussions through advisory positions on the World Economic Forum’s Council on “The Future of Humanitarian System” and the “Data-Driven Development” Council. Nicolas also served as a board member of PARIS21 at the OECD.
Nicolas is also involved in academia; he currently teaches in London as an Associate Lecturer at Central Saint Martins (UAL/CSM), one of the world’s top design universities, in the MA Design for Industry 5.0 program, which focuses on designing for society and the planet.
Throughout his career, Nicolas has been interviewed and cited extensively, promoting the projects and ideas he champions. He co-authored notable publications like “On the privacy-conscientious use of mobile phone data” (Nature, 2018) and “Mobile phone data for informing public health actions across the COVID-19 pandemic life cycle” (Science, 2020). He also authored articles such as “How can data be used for good?” for the World Economic Forum, exploring data’s transformative power, and “It’s time to scale up” on Telefónica Tech’s blog, discussing the urgency of scaling data initiatives for social and environmental impact.
Nicolas holds a degree from École Polytechnique of Brussels and is a recognized thought leader in Big Data, IoT, and 3D printing. He co-founded Digital Forming, a UK-based startup specializing in co-design and 3D printing. He is fluent in English, French, and Dutch.
Outside of work, Nicolas applies his design thinking and creativity to hands-on projects like welding, sculpting, and painting. He is a certified meditation teacher through Yoga Alliance and regularly practices mindfulness. Nicolas is a happily married father of three and a dog owner. Originally from Brussels, Belgium, he recently relocated near Dublin, Ireland.
Nicolas’ career has consistently focused on using data and strategic thinking to tackle global challenges—a mission that closely aligns with DPA’s objectives. We are confident that his knowledge and expertise will strengthen our work in developing scalable solutions to humanitarian challenges, particularly those related to climate-induced crises. Welcome, Nicolas!
