Acxiom values and promotes inclusivity and recognises the importance of gender diversity in the data science and analytics industry. Women in Data is a movement that provides a platform for female and gender diverse data professionals to share their knowledge and experiences, encouraging representation in the field. Acxiom is partnering with Women in Data to support their mission, showcase successful women in the industry, and encourage more girls, women, and gender diverse individuals to pursue STEM careers. The partnership aligns with Acxiom’s commitment to empowering women associates and promoting equity and awareness.
In the next 5 years, Acxiom predicts a more balanced climate towards data use, which will result in a period of data use growth. UK policymakers are shifting away from the era of opt-in and moving on to accountability-based data use. The draft DPDI Bill introduces a significant change for the marketing and advertising sector, as it offers clarity that the legal ground “legitimate interest,” an alternative way of using data to consent that puts more responsibilities on the organisation, can be used for marketing data processing. The proposed Bill also requires the ICO to consider the economic impact in making their decisions. The result may be a more intensive dialogue between the regulator and organisations using data, which may help in improving constructive collaboration in the coming years that can result in a more effective data protection regime.
Apart from the draft Bill, there are many privacy-friendly initiatives are popping up, globally. The advent of cloud computing is making data-protecting Trusted Third Party (TTP) constructions more accessible, also to smaller organisations, through clean room facilitated data exchange. Privacy Enhancement Technology (PET) is making a major comeback as we search for solutions that can pseudonymise or anonymise personal data.
The sum of these developments will result in an upswing of innovation using data.
Acxiom partners with the world’s leading brands to create customer intelligence, enabling data-driven marketing experiences that generate value for people and for brands. The experts in identity, the ethical use of data, cloud-first customer data management, and analytics solutions, Acxiom makes the complex marketing ecosystem work, applying customer intelligence wherever brands and customers meet. By helping brands genuinely understand people, Acxiom enables experiences so relevant and respectful, people are willing to explore new brands and stay loyal to those they love.
For more than 50 years, Acxiom has improved clients’ customer acquisition, growth, and retention. With locations in the US, UK, China, Poland, and Germany, Acxiom is a registered trademark of Acxiom LLC and is part of The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (IPG). For more information, visit Acxiom.com.
Expertise: Working with my clients to realise their data’s full potential and what that means for their customers experience with them
Education: Engineering and Management at Brunel University London
Social media: LinkedIn
I joined Acxiom in 2010 as an Account Director, having spent the previous 8 years in digital agencies and mobile marketing. Taking the opportunity to join Acxiom was a no brainer to me, I could see how data was the fabric of everything that was happening in the digital world, and I wanted to be somewhere that understood it, somewhere where I could learn and grow. And boy did I learn and still am.
Acxiom’s drive has always been to treat data and clients both ethically and openly. We thrive in talking about how we can improve data compliance and improve our clients’ customer experiences. At Acxiom we are a team, our diversity is what makes us so unique and gives us a skill set to bring new ideas and radical approaches to our clients’ problems.
I have worked at Acxiom for coming up to 13 years. YET I have spent only 3.5 years full time, 3 years on Maternity and 6.5 years “Part time”. I am so proud to work for a company that support woman, and men, in the “Juggle” that is parenthood and careers. Our Women’s Lead forum offers an inspirational place for all our colleagues to listen and participate in workshops and presentations.
Expertise: With more than 20 years’ experience in the field of marketing intelligence, and as a former Chief Analyst, Sachiko combines theoretical and practical experience of the marketing and advertisement industries to manage Acxiom’s European government affairs and compliance. She also provides national and European level advice to clients and colleagues on data protection and privacy matters and contributes articles to trade magazines and academic journals.
Education: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at University of Boston; Doctor of Philosophy at University of Derby; in 2020, Sachiko received the DataIQ Professor Derek Holder Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding contribution to and exceptional leadership in the data industry.
Social media: LinkedIn
Acxiom and its parent company IPG are passionate about promoting equity and diversity. Coming from a country that is consistently scoring low on international gender equality rankings, this organisational culture inspires me, and that prompted me to become active in Acxiom’s WomenLEAD community.
WomenLEAD, a Business Resource Group, promotes gender awareness and equity within our organisation and beyond. The group has executive sponsors no less than Acxiom’s CEO, CFO and Chief People Officer.
On average, the group organises 10 events a year, varying from book clubs, panel discussions, mentorship training to facilitating virtual summer camps for underprivileged girls. Having attracted more than a quarter of our employees (of all genders!) as members, the impact of this vibrant community is tremendous. In the US, it led to Acxiom being named one of the best workplaces for Women.
A by-product of being active at WomenLEAD is that of getting to know colleagues from different departments and different countries.
Most recently, I was part of a working group that organised International Women’s Day events. Working on event promotion, inviting speakers, and sorting out the logistics, also in the United States, brought together colleagues from IT, sales, marketing and privacy departments; people whom I would have otherwise never met.
Participants had different skills. Some are excellent project managers, some have impressive attention to detail, some are very creative etc. Working with time zone differences meant some people needed to get up and join video conferences at 5 AM! The event had over 1.000 attendees and we received much positive feedback.
Expertise: Having started my career in sales I moved to marketing in 2008 and now have 15 cumulative years at Acxiom. Now heading up the marketing team for EMEA and APAC since 2021 I have spent the last two years building a great multi-disciplinary team covering all aspects of marketing from PR and social through to events and account-based marketing. I’m really invested in people, their development and success and to create an environment for innovation and creativity whilst having some fun along the way.
Education: BSc DipM Honours in Psychology with Occupational Psychology (University of Hull); Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing (CIM); Diploma in Digital Marketing (CIM); Mini-MBA in Marketing (with Mark Ritson at Marketing Week. Currently studying the Mini-MBA in Brand Management (with Mark Ritson)
Social media: LinkedIn
Family is a key part of my life, so I have two full time jobs with work and two teenagers, not to mention the dog! In between all that I love keeping healthy and fit with workouts in the park and running with the dog. It’s a great time to forget everyday stresses and refresh the mind and body. I have an eclectic taste in theatre and reading and am always open to seeing or reading something new.
Why did I join Acxiom: Having started my career in sales I moved to marketing in 2008 and now have 15 cumulative years at Acxiom. Now heading up the marketing team for EMEA and APAC since 2021 I have spent the last two years building a great multi-disciplinary team covering all aspects of marketing from PR and social through to product, events, website, and account-based marketing. I’m really invested in people, their development and success and to create an environment for innovation and creativity whilst having some fun along the way. A happy team is a productive one!
What do I like most about Acxiom? Definitely the people! It’s also a very inclusive and supportive culture and people are provided the opportunities to learn, grow and be creative from entering innovation competitions via a scheme called The Engine or recognising individuals and / or teams at a company wide awards event. There is a large contingent of employees who have returned to Acxiom after exploring other opportunities fondly called “the Boomerang Club” of which I am a member. This is proof enough that it’s a great place to work
Expertise: Customer Data Platforms, GDPR, Business Analysis
Education: IT Engineering, India
Social media: LinkedIn
My journey with Acxiom began in 2016 when I joined their Professional Services division as an Expert Business Analyst. The best thing about working for Acxiom is the incredible diversity and the sense of belonging.
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to explore different roles and domains, and I consider myself fortunate to have started my career in the data industry, particularly in the early days of the Customer Data Platforms’ rise to prominence. Talk about perfect timing! While my computer science degree has come in handy, I believe that my creative thinking and communication skills truly set me apart in my role. It’s all about bringing fresh ideas to the table and effectively conveying them to make things happen for our clients.
Outside the office, you’ll find me knee-deep in gardening. I’ve got a whole bunch of indoor plants that bring so much life and joy to my space. And guess what? I recently picked up a new hobby: swimming! It’s been such an exhilarating experience, almost like being a kid again learning to ride a bike for the first time.
As a mother of two girls and a woman of colour, I believe it is crucial for my daughters to witness first-hand that they can aspire to achieve everything they desire and have it all. Balancing a fulfilling career, personal growth, and family life inspires me to constantly push boundaries and set an example of limitless possibilities.
Expertise: I began as a marketing analyst in the 90s when database marketing was growing rapidly, so this was a great fit as I love numbers and talking equally. It wasn’t a trendy job like now, but Claritas was one of the first companies in the UK to utilise lifestyle data at scale to build consumer insight and segmentation solutions, so a great place to work and learn. I’ve been with Acxiom mostly since 2004, initially helping key clients get maximum value from our data. Now I manage our UK data products, which uses all the knowledge and connections I’ve acquired to date along with best practise to ensure our products deliver what both consumers and brands require.
Education: Degree in Management Science (BSc Hons); Diploma in Direct Marketing (DipDM);
Social media: LinkedIn
I am lucky to have a large family, great friends and a gorgeous dog, all of whom I love spending time. My daughter recently finished university and is now working in marketing, so I get to be proud of the bright independent woman she has become and to enjoy more me time! I think about food for most of it and am always prepping or cooking something new, so it’s fortunate that I also like exercise. My ideal weekend or holiday is catching up with friends, being outdoors, enjoying music events, visiting new places, food, maybe a little wine and always laughing a lot.
Why did I join Acxiom: I joined Acxiom because they needed an experienced analyst on-site to help grow one of our major clients in Leeds. I was a new mum having moved back up North, the role was a great fit and Acxiom offered me flexible working, so it was perfect. My role has evolved significantly over the years, allowing me the opportunity to grow and continue working with great people, so I’ve not looked back.
What do I like most about Acxiom? Working with people whose expertise I respect and can learn from, but also enjoy working with. Acxiom’s business requires a diverse workforce in terms of skills, but also offers a supportive and flexible working environment which reflects the varied needs of its employees. I get to work with so many different people and the data industry is changing more quickly than ever, bring a younger generation into our workforce which is great and hopefully will keep us young too.
Expertise: Economic research, data and analytics
Education: PhD Economics, MSc Economics and Public Policy
Social Media details: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-paola-padilla-0a01b6142/
My interest in empirical research and data analytics began during my MSc at the University of Sheffield. While I thoroughly enjoyed every single one of my quantitative and theoretical modules, it wasn’t until I started my dissertation that I discovered an affinity for data and econometric research. In particular, this project made me realise how much I enjoyed using data and advanced quantitative techniques to analyse real-world problems and tackle unanswered research questions.
Having discovered a passion for research, I then decided to pursue a Doctoral degree in Economics, for which I was fortunate enough to receive a full scholarship at the University of Sheffield. During those three years, I used micro-level data to investigate the impact of conflict-related violence on individuals’ social preferences and risk behaviour. I also had the opportunity to work on other research projects which focused on the effect of social media on generalised trust and polarisation in the UK.
After finishing my studies, I joined the Economics and Analytics group at Ofcom in September 2022. This role has been an incredible opportunity as I have been able to apply my knowledge on challenging yet exciting issues. For example, one of my current projects involves the use of granular customer-level data to monitor key trends in the UK mobile sector. While these data will allow us to explore several avenues of research, our work has already helped informed recent publications, such as Ofcom’s future approach to mobile markets and spectrum.
Thanks to the supportive and encouraging environment within the organisation, I have also been able to develop my data analysis skills further. For instance, over the past 7 months, I have significantly improved my abilities in R, GitHub, and Databricks and have also started learning Python through DataCamp courses.
Expertise: Project and Programme Management within Data
Education: BA Economics
I began my career in Data many years ago, having taken a role as a report developer without really knowing too much about what it entailed! From there, I really caught the Data bug, realising how crucial data is to organisations, and that how it is represented and interpreted is absolutely key to decision making and outcomes which affect all of us. Fast forward 25 years (!) and having made that transition from hands on tech to leadership, I now really enjoy leading teams of Data professionals and empowering them to deliver.
