Katherine Lyall is an Associate Data Visualisation Engineer at the company, currently working in the Data Visualisation team. With years of experience in various areas of Customer Services, including Billings, Alterations, Commission, and Agency Management, Katherine has developed a solid grasp of business processes and the data available. This extensive background enables her to effectively discuss requirements with stakeholders, as she understands the context in which the data should be used and is aware of potential pitfalls. Katherine is also developing her skills in SQL, Tableau, and Power BI, further enhancing her ability to create insightful and impactful data visualisations. Her expertise in data visualisation, combined with her comprehensive understanding of business processes, makes her a valuable asset to the team.

Pam Aitken, Head of Data Management at Royal London, has over 25 years of experience across financial services, energy, media, pharmaceuticals, and the public sector. Pam started her career in data analysis before moving into business analysis and spent almost 20 years as a Freelance Contractor. Specialising in regulatory programs around 14 years ago, Pam has since built a reputation as a trusted Data Management and Data Governance Consultant.

She has steered major regulatory initiatives for some of the UK’s biggest financial institutions, ensuring compliance with various regulations, particularly BCBS 239 and GDPR. Pam is known for her ability to translate complex data challenges into clear, actionable strategies, working seamlessly with stakeholders at all levels.

Beyond her career, Pam is a proud mum of two, with a love for live music, ceilidhs, and figure skating. She has more enthusiasm than talent for her interests, but like everything else, she gives it a go. Pam firmly believes; 1. There are no stupid questions and 2. If you don’t ask, you won’t get.

Daisy Power is a Data Analytics Degree Apprentice at Royal London, working within the Data Solutions team. Her role focuses on delivering value through data analytics and visualisations, to unlock key insights and communicate these effectively to stakeholders, facilitating data-driven decision making.

Daisy is currently pursuing a degree in Digital and Technology Solutions, specialising in Data Analytics, at Manchester Metropolitan University and is set to graduate in the summer of 2025. Throughout her time at Royal London and university, Daisy has enjoyed developing data skills utilising platforms such as Python, SQL, Power BI and Databricks. Following graduation, she aims to further hone these skills to grow her career in data analytics and obtain additional qualifications.

Having benefitted from a strong peer network herself, Daisy recognises the importance of providing support and opportunities to individuals, as well as highlighting success stories, to allow women to feel empowered to grow and develop in any direction they choose. Daisy believes that the Women in Data partnership will inspire and support other women in achieving their potential, especially those at the early stages of their careers.

Zukhrusa is an Associate Data Scientist at Royal London. She has an MSc in Data Science and Analytics and a rich background in the field. Before joining Royal London, she worked as a Data Scientist at Heathrow Airport and as a junior data analyst at Oviva, where she gained valuable experience in a fast-paced environment. Since starting her career in 2021, Zukhrusa has been focused on using machine learning and analytics to solve complex business problems. She specialises in natural language processing (NLP) and forecasting (classical methods to advanced machine learning techniques). Passionate about the future of data and AI, Zukhrusa is committed to continuous learning and growth. She is also eager to support other women to enter and thrive in the field of data science, hoping to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for women in data.

Vicky is a Data Science Engineer in the Group Data Office of Royal London, working on projects to improve colleague, customer, adviser, and employer experiences. She joined Royal London in 2017 while studying a part-time BSc in Data Science at the Open University. Her academic studies and her enthusiasm for data problem-solving earned her a position within the Data team in 2019. She is pursuing this BSc while managing work and family responsibilities and is expected to graduate in 2026 with a First.

Vicky is dedicated to developing production-ready solutions to support the work of data analysts and data scientists. Embracing new technologies, she helped launch the Data Office’s first cloud-based machine learning model. She is one of two female data engineers in the Data Office and aims to encourage more women to join this field.

When not debugging a pipeline she enjoys walking in the Scottish hills and cooking up delicious curries.

From the moment Cara Craddock-Smith got her hands on a prehistoric Amstrad computer, she was destined for a life in tech – though back then, it was more command-line based than touchscreens.  Some might say she was born a geek and honestly they wouldn’t be wrong.

At 16, Cara skipped the traditional academic route, diving straight into the working world.  A lucky break landed her a systems analyst role in a large utility company (previously known as Seeboard) and from there she never looked back.  A self taught data engineer with over 25 years in the field (not giving away the exact number), she spent years leading large scale data migration projects as a consultant, in various organisations.  One of her stand-out achievements was migrating high-value data sets for Greater Manchester Police into the Police National Database – a mission critical project where she led the full end to end delivery and implementation of the data migration project. Her expertise didn’t go unnoticed; soon after, Cumbria police headhunted her to do the same for their data.

During COVID, she made the leap from consultancy to a permanent role, finding a true sense of belonging at Royal London as a Chapter Lead Data Engineer.  Passionate about all things data, especially leading data engineering teams and mentoring others – she’s also witnessed the industry evolve from being overwhelmingly male dominated to a space where women are making waves.

Now, she’s not just building data solutions, she’s helping build a more inclusive future for women in data.

Outside of work, Cara is a proud parent who loves challenging herself with HIIT fitness classes and still brags about running the London marathon way back when. She also loves travelling and embracing the great outdoors on muddy walks with her family dog.

Education: BSc Geography

https://www.linkedin.com/in/siobhan-waldron-ab6a97270/

Talk about a squiggly career! Upon leaving university I went travelling around the world for a year, upon returning I began an exciting career in the Ministry of Defence. It was here I honed my skills for threat intelligence and the collection process. I began to understand the broader threat landscape and the actors that played their part to disrupt our way of life in the UK. 16+ years later, I needed a new challenge and discovered my skill set fit well with the cyber security world.

My role has opened many doors, opportunities, and experiences for my personal and professional growth. Currently, I am responsible for communicating cyber threats across the organisation through data collection and analysis, sustaining a community of practice and developing strategies and policies.

I have a passion for equality, diversity, and inclusion and for being a role-model for women in cyber and data.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-read-0a761936/

Expertise: Building high performing teams that maximise value extraction from data solutions

Education: TOGAF Certified Architect, Oracle Certified Associate, SCRUM Alliance Certified Product Owner.

Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of building and leading data-driven teams across various industries, all with a core focus on leveraging data to deliver tangible business value. I’m a seasoned data leader, with a strong background in data platforms, cloud technology and data strategy. In previous roles, I have led data teams at a major BPO and headed up the data architecture function at a financial services company.

At EDF UK, I have led the EDF UK Customers business migration to AWS/Snowflake and have led numerous large scale data transformation programmes. I promote a less is more tech strategy and am focussed on ROI and driving reusability wherever possible.

I’m deeply committed to driving diversity within tech, which I champion through my involvement in the EDF UK data and tech steering group. I’m fully supportive of initiatives such as early careers programmes that help develop and nurture talent. I passionately believe that the gender disparity in roles such as a tech and engineering needs to be addressed and it’s on all leaders to create a culture and environment where talent can flourish.

In the data landscape, I believe that data is more interconnected than ever and the ability to share data between producers and consumers is vital to drive innovation.  As we advance in this data marketplace era, I’m excited to continue building strategies that use technological transformation to drive real-world impact. And of course, developing talent that enable value to be extracted from data and drive an innovative data culture.

Expertise: Driving AI initiatives into operational business applications
Education: Applied Science, 25 years in data innovation

https://www.linkedin.com/in/owen-eszeki/

My adventure into the world of AI began in the mid-90s, pre-internet, as a Geographical Information Systems Analyst for the Australian Government. I quickly realized the immense value of data accuracy and cleanliness. Hungry for more challenges, I moved into the vibrant world of publishing at Lonely Planet Publications. Here, I understood the critical importance of project deliveries, cost efficiency vs. accuracy and digital publishing, witnessing the dawn of Google Maps and its transformative effect on the industry where I learnt that I would, where possible need to be at the forefront of data technology. Fuelled by my passion for exploration, I sold everything and travelled the world, eventually landing in the UK. My freelancing days were filled with diverse data projects, sharpening my skills and expanding my horizons. I found a home at Kimberly Clark Professional, where I turned raw data into actionable insights and honed my data engineering skills. This marked my first foray into data science, developing predictive churn models, stunning data visualizations, and natural language sentiment models. These experiences laid the groundwork for building digital marketing insights and eventually leading the data team. Recognizing the impact of ML and AI seven years ago, I transitioned to a small startup, honing my data and AI skills while leading projects and teams, especially in NLP. This path led me to EDF, where I initially served as a consultant before becoming a full-time member in the EDF Blue Lab incubator as an AI Lead. Today, I am at the helm, driving AI innovation to operational scale deployments. I oversee strategy, governance, and the responsible deployment of AI, working alongside my talented award-winning team. With a profound understanding of AI technologies and strong management abilities, I ensure foster innovation within my team. My commitment to responsible AI practices upholds transparency and ethical standards in every initiative and support EDF in understanding AI Governance practices building their AI strategic future. With over 25 years of experience working with data, my leadership and passion for advancing AI technologies empower EDF UK to achieve extraordinary results, enhancing sustainability and operational efficiency. I take pride in contributing to a culture of excellence and responsibility, shaping the future of energy innovation.