Data stewards are the operational guardians of data quality in their business departments. They ensure that the data in their domain is correct, complete, and current. They define quality rules, monitor compliance, and are the first point of contact for data quality issues.

Unlike data owners (strategic responsibility, typically at management level) and data engineers (technical implementation, IT), data stewards work directly within the business unit. They understand the business logic behind the data and can assess whether a value is not only technically valid but also factually correct. In this project, data stewards were appointed in all twelve departments and trained in a structured program.