Did you enjoy school?
I did, yes. I passed my 11-plus, so went to a grammar school, I loved studying and was a boffin, but I lost interest in my later years and left at 16 after achieving nine GCSEs and then started work.
What qualifications do you have?
Just my GCSEs. I didn’t do university, college, or any higher education of any kind. I worked my way up from the age of 16 as a junior and am a firm believer that if you learn your craft well, nothing can stop you from achieving your goals. Not having a degree probably pushed me harder in some ways.
Has your career path been a smooth transition, a rocky road or a combination of both?
As with a lot of people, a combination of both but more smooth than rocky I’d say. It’s all about mentality, assessing what’s in your control and whether you see that rocky path as a barrier in your way or a challenge to rise to.
What is the best career advice you can give to others?
Be yourself. Be authentic. Do what you enjoy. You’ve got to enjoy what you do, you’ve got to get out of bed for a purpose. It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be real and authentic. Trying to be perfect has hindered me in the past as it limits your mindset, stops you learning and impedes the ability to pivot much faster.
If you had to pick one mentor that had the biggest influence on you, who would it be and why?
I wouldn’t be able to pick just one, I actually have three mentors or heroes, all for very different reasons.
First, Roisin McCarthy, Founder of Women in Data. What she does for the community is phenomenal but what she does for people goes even further than that. I was lucky enough to meet Roisin at a quite difficult point in my career and immediately felt understood, I’m grateful for her support, the confidence she’s given me and how she’s inspired me ever since.
Second, Lorraine Waters, I worked with her at RBS and then HSBC. I knew nothing about data before I met her, but as well as teaching me all about data, more importantly she taught me how to be a strong leader who uplifts others through kindness and authenticity. She gave me confidence to move from associate into management and showed me that you didn’t have to “play the game” to advance and that I could be respected by being me. I learnt so much from her and still use that knowledge to this day.
Third, my mum. She taught me how to be strong, be humble, positive, kind, empathetic and selfless. My mum was so dignified, the epitome of “when they go low, we go high” years before it was trendy. She instilled in me all those good qualities I’ve brought into my career, and I’ve learnt how important they are to identify and connect with people when building your career. She taught me that.
From where do you draw inspiration?
I draw inspiration from people who are genuine, humble, non-egotistical, and who can laugh at themselves. I’ve been lucky to have had phenomenal female and male leaders throughout my career. I’m drawn to people who see me for who I am and don’t try to make me be someone I’m not.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced to date?
My biggest challenge is manoeuvring through internal politics and bureaucracy. Governance and processes are essential to every organisation but I struggle with unnecessary barriers that are driven by ego’s or self preservation.
What qualities do you feel make a good leader?
A good leader sees the whole picture, not just the part they’re paid to see. They listen to and understand different perspectives; they focus discussions on what benefits the other person in that conversation, not purely to serve themselves and they lead from the heart.
The other side to this is ensuring you are open to change. A good leader will never enforce something solely because it is the way it has always been done or put members of their team down, because they work in a different way or challenge the status quo.
From a work viewpoint, what has the last 12 months been like?
Challenging. Exciting. Frustrating. And it has grown my skills.
What would you say are the biggest tech-based challenges we face today?
Driving technical or digital innovation for no apparent reason. AI is being used so we should use AI. A new system is rolled out, so we buy into it, often without asking if it’s needed. Pushing shiny technology that’s not always necessary, and integrating it into complex organisations with legacy systems is not always the right outcome.
Another challenge is that tech and data changes aren’t aligned to business requirements. Where’s the business case? Where’s the outcome? We’re revolutionising tech without revolutionising the data, and that doesn’t always end well.
What can be done to encourage more women into the industry?
Diversity should not be treated as a tick-box exercise. Organisations need to better understand the needs of applicants related to flexible or remote working. Equity means recognising anyone’s different needs so everyone can bring their best selves.
It needs to start with recruitment; job specs need to change to better encourage more diverse applicants. Typically men will apply for a role possessing a much lower percentage of the criteria and skills listed and women will only apply if they already possess most or all of the same list.
Give us a fact about you that most other people wouldn’t know.
I’m addicted to reality TV. Every type of reality TV show, you name it, I’ve watched it.
