I’m a Junior Data Scientist at TFG with a first-class honours degree in Statistical Data Science, specializing in machine learning and statistical modelling. I’m passionate about using data to bring meaning to numbers, tell compelling stories, and drive smarter decisions—especially in the dynamic world of sports, where unpredictability is part of the thrill. A black belt in Taekwondo and an avid badminton fan, I love the energy of competition and feel incredibly honoured to play a role in shaping the sporting events we enjoy today through data and technology.

With a Bachelor’s degree in Media Design, I’ve spent the majority of my career immersed in the fast-paced world of agency environments. My move to London two years ago marked the beginning of a fresh chapter in my professional path. Joining Twenty First Group as their in-house designer opened doors to a realm where my passion for sports and design intersected seamlessly. Transitioning from internal design tasks to tackling external projects, I found myself delving into the realm of data visualisation in sports like football, cricket, golf, and the list goes on. The data-rich environment sparked a newfound interest in information data design, propelling me towards this exciting field. Surrounded by like-minded colleagues at Twenty First Group, this transition has been both exhilarating and achievable. My journey into data is evergreen, and I’m excited to keep expanding my knowledge and skills in this field.

With a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Information Technology doubled with a Master’s degree in Advanced Information Technology, since a little kid I loved everything what implied the world of tehnology and computers. My career started in 2014 when I graduated University and the majority of my time was spent working for diffent players in the tech domain. When I joined Twenty First Group 4 years ago, another chapter of my professional life begun as I was immersed in the sports world working on golf projects but mainly on football ones. This opened new horizons for me as I found myself at the beginning trying to get used with so many football concepts and business logic. The transition from tech companies environment to a non traditional tech company was something very exciting for me and continue to be the same today almost 4 years later. The fact that I’m surrounded by enthusiastics colleagues and knowledgeable sports people make my everyday work easy and enjoyable. I’m looking forward for exploring new other sports and dive deeper with the help of data and tech.

Being a woman in data has been a journey of growth, resilience, and leadership. Over the past 21 years, I’ve had the opportunity to work across infrastructure, databases, and cloud technologies, leading teams in Latin America and EMEA.

My leadership journey began at Oracle, where I learned the importance of taking initiative and building strong cross-functional relationships. A pivotal moment came when Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems—an opportunity I seized to expand my network and explore new business areas. This experience deeply influenced my leadership approach, teaching me how to navigate change and foster collaboration across different functions.

What excites me most about data is its transformative impact—helping businesses unlock insights, drive innovation, and create new revenue streams. Throughout my career, I’ve learned that being bold—speaking up, leading projects, and seizing opportunities—helps you gain visibility. Helping others succeed is equally important for visibility, and investing in your network can open doors. Supporting other women through mentorship and sponsorship is essential for career advancement.

At Snowflake, I’m proud to support Women in Data, helping more women thrive in this field. My mission is to mentor the next generation of leaders, ensuring equal opportunities for all.

Bio

Marcela is a Sales Engineering Director with 21 years of experience in the tech industry, spanning infrastructure, databases, and cloud technologies. She has helped businesses from different industries and regions harness the power of data to drive innovation, efficiency, and revenue growth.

At Snowflake, Marcela co-leads GTM efforts to ensure customers maximize the value of their data, unlocking new revenue streams with speed, security, and efficiency. She has led diverse, high-performing teams across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, delivering strategic impact at a global scale.

Marcela’s leadership career began at Oracle Latin America, where she turned the acquisition of Sun Microsystems into a career-defining opportunity. She leveraged this transition to expand her network, collaborate across business units, and step into leadership, eventually leading Solution Engineering teams.

Eager to gain global experience, she pursued a Master’s in Sales and Marketing at ESIC Barcelona. Later, she returned to Oracle EMEA as a Cloud Solution Engineering Manager for Southern Europe, further cementing her leadership in the industry.

A dedicated advocate for diversity and inclusion, Marcela has led cross-functional mentorship programs, supported numerous professionals in advancing their careers, and actively participates in Women in Data panels with customers and partners. Her passion lies in coaching and developing aspiring leaders in tech, ensuring equal opportunities for all.

As an AWS-certified Machine Learning Specialist, I have a strong passion for delivering impactful data-driven solutions. In my role at Aviva, I lead key projects within the Counter fraud space, focusing on developing machine learning pipelines, automating workflows, and driving sustainable data practices that enhance efficiency and collaboration. Outside of work, I am committed to empowering others through mentorship and have founded a community that supports tech professionals in navigating their careers. 

What is it you enjoy the most working with data?

I love the thrill of uncovering hidden insights and solving complex problems through data. Working with data allows me to connect the dots between raw information and impactful business decisions, driving innovation and improving processes.

The ability to turn numbers into stories and solutions is what excites me the most!

When I was at secondary school, my dad bought me a copy of Fermat’s Last Theorem by Simon Singh. This book made me re-examine what I thought I knew – Maths can actually be fun! I can get a job solving puzzles in real life!

After graduating with a PhD in Maths, I have spent many enjoyable years working both as a post doctorate in the research sector and at various levels of data scientist in the insurance industry at Aviva. And in both roles, I was doing just that. Solving real-life puzzles that make a huge difference to stakeholders and customers. From examining the inner workings of plant-microbial interactions, to optimising the claims process at Aviva.

As a female, I’ve become quite accustomed on this journey to being a minority in the room, and having to shout that little bit louder to get my voice heard. I’ve taken on increasing leadership responsibility and am loving my current role as Principal Data Scientist, where I get to lead a team of data scientists, who all likewise love solving complex problems and seeing what they can achieve.

What is it you enjoy the most working with data?

I love how data has the power to truly revolutionise the customer experience, from enhancing our workforce to streamlining the way we do business. Technology moves so fast and this keeps me constantly engaged, as I strategise on how to harness these opportunities to stay competitive and deliver the best for our customers.

I also find great joy in inspiring others to excel in this dynamic environment and to develop their own creative solutions. As a mother of three inspirational girls, I am particularly committed to encouraging more women and girls to enter the field, ensuring they feel welcomed and valued. Promoting STEM subjects to the younger generation is a cause that is very close to my heart. Just like my dad all those years ago, I just adore planting those seeds and watching them grow.

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.