Ep.134 - The Path to Data Leadership: Skills, Challenges, and Growth Strategies for Every Career Stage
In this episode, Caroline Florence, founder of Insight Narrator, discusses the essential non-technical skills required to become a leader in data, and what they look like and evolve at every stage of one’s career. She emphasises that being a data leader is about leadership first, with transferable skills like communication, influence, and managing teams becoming even more critical in the AI era. Caroline highlights the challenge for data leaders in letting go of technical tasks to focus on vision-setting, empowering teams, and influencing across organisations.
She touches on the loneliness that can come with data leadership, stressing the importance of peer networks and community support. Caroline also introduces Women in Data’s LEAP program, designed to help future leaders develop these skills and advance authentically in their careers.
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Ep.133 - From Risk Analyst to Data Leader: Bindu's Journey and Key Career Lessons
In this episode of Women in Data, Bindu Bakrania, Head of Data Analytics for Capital Investments at Legal & General shares her journey from a risk analyst to heading an entire Data Analytics team.
She discusses the importance of strategic career moves, embracing sideways transitions, and stepping into business roles to gain a broader perspective. Bindu highlights networking, leadership development, and the importance of managing imposter syndrome. She also discusses time management and prioritisation for effective leadership. Listen to this episode for valuable insights on navigating a career in data, advocating for women in the field, and fostering a strong data culture in organizations.
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Ep.132 - Should You Stay or Walk Away? Making the Toughest Career Decision
This episode explores the tough decision of staying in or leaving a role. Karen Is joined by Marli van der Merwe and Rianna Kelly share personal experiences, discussing career growth, work environment, and well-being.
Marli, a Data Engineer, had only been in the UK for a few months when she decided to leave her role.
Rianna, a Senior Manager for Data Analytics Engineering, on the other hand decided to stay when she found herself in an organisation where uncertainty was constant.
The episode offers a structured approach to decision-making, considering non-negotiables, financial and emotional factors. It also addresses external constraints like visa status and how circumstances may affect your decisions on your career.
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Ep.131 - How Data Teams and Stakeholders Can Work Better Together
Collaboration between data teams and stakeholders isn’t always smooth. Misaligned expectations, shifting requirements, and a lack of mutual understanding can lead to frustration on both sides.
In this cohosted episode, Karen and Cecilia dive into the key challenges data teams face when working with stakeholders —and, more importantly, how to overcome them. They share practical strategies to:
Get stakeholders to bring problems, not just predefined solutions
Align expectations early and avoid last-minute changes
Build empathy and trust between technical and business teams
Tune in for actionable insights that will help you work better with stakeholders and maximise the value of data analytics!
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Ep.130 Data Protection 101: What Every Data Professional Should Know
Data privacy isn’t just for legal teams—it’s a responsibility shared by everyone working with data. In this episode, Karen sits down with Sachiko Scheuing, European Privacy and AI Governance Officer at Acxiom, to explore the crucial role privacy plays in the data industry and why it matters more than ever.
They discuss:
How data privacy differs from other roles in data and why strong communication is key
The role every data professional should play in protecting personal information
Common misconceptions, including the truth about consent and "consent fatigue"
How to handle situations where you're asked to share customer data but feel uncertain about privacy risks
The complex intersection of privacy laws and how to navigate them
How AI is impacting the field
With evolving regulations and growing concerns about data and AI ethics, this conversation is packed with practical insights to help you take responsibility for privacy in your work. Tune in to learn how you can be proactive in protecting data—and the people behind it.
Welcome to the Women in Data Podcast, where every other week your host, Karen Jean-Francois interviews some of the most inspiring women working in data. Through each episode, they share their invaluable experience and knowledge. Leaving no stone unturned, the WiD Podcast series will provide you with information on the use of data in various industries, plus helpful tips for career development. More importantly, it will enable you to become the data professional you want to be.
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