Vaida is a Data Scientist within the Travis Perkins Group’s Data Office function. Having joined us fresh out of university with a degree in Statistics, Mathematics, and Operational Research from Cardiff University, she dived deep into customer data to support strategic decision making, tactical marketing campaigns and any activities in between.
As the data and technology capabilities grew within our Group, Vaida joined the Data Management Team, moving later to the Business Intelligence & Analytics team. Keep reading to find out how Vaida is working to promote more diversity in the data space, and how you can build a successful career like her.
Travis Perkins is built on family values
At Travis Perkins, upholding family values is one of our key Values, which sets us apart from our competitors. Vaida has experienced this first-hand with us:
‘A couple of years ago I went on maternity leave and had mixed emotions about it. I was so excited for my family but at the same time I was naturally a little apprehensive about my future at the Group.
My return from maternity was followed by furlough as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, I decided to use the furlough time in a positive way. Rather than baking bread, or doing my garden up, I focused on getting back my confidence by refreshing and learning new technical skills, including SQL & Python programming languages for working with Big Data, embracing Google Cloud Platform capabilities available within our Data Lake, including understanding how AI & Machine Learning techniques can be applied to generate value for our business and spending time defining how I want my career to progress forward.’
We’re always impressed to hear how our colleagues develop their skill set whilst balancing parenthood! Donna, a Fleet Business Partner at our Keyline business is another great example of this. She was able to transition into a new role following maternity leave and ultimately learn new skills to gain a promotion.
Recognising data career aspirations within the Group
Vaida returned to work in July 2020 and in November 2020, the Business Intelligence team was moved to be part of the Data Office, reporting into Rob Barbour.
‘For me personally, this was a very much welcome change, as I felt my career aspirations were recognised by the Group. I was able to address any concerns and align my future roadmap with the Group Data Strategy that Rob and the team had put together, working with PWC and the Group Leadership Team.’
Rob truly embodies the values of our business, particularly providing colleagues with opportunities to progress their careers, and we welcome this. Within the Data Office, he focuses on supporting and enabling people with aspirations by opening doors and engaging in trailblazing activities. This includes data apprenticeships to improve data literacy and supporting HR in data role-benchmarking activities.
Connecting with Women in Data
Women in Data is a professional event and networking community, providing a platform for female and gender diverse data professionals to share their technical knowledge and experiences, and to encourage more diverse representation in the industry.
‘Rob engaged with Women in Data, and thanks to his support and encouragement, I felt that this is something I could really get involved with and be passionate about. He is a great ally, and I am looking forward to working together on the implementation of our Group Data Strategy and building an in-house Data Science capability.’
It’s great to hear how more of our colleagues are supporting our goal to become a truly inclusive employer whilst also implementing innovation.
Why is diversity in the data space important?
‘Across the UK, male analysts and scientists outnumber females 4 to 1. Large organisations, including Travis Perkins Plc, have a moral and societal obligation to ensure that the world of analytics and data science has proportional representation to ensure that customer-centric and key strategic initiatives are supported by insights that are unbiased and inclusive of the experiences of over half the population.’
We’re striving to become a truly inclusive employer, a place where everyone can be their true self. Diversity in the data space is crucial to our progress as a business, so we’re creating opportunities for all our colleagues who work hard and want to develop their skills. It’s all about doing the right thing.
How do women enhance our work in the data team?
‘Having an inclusive work culture helps to generate innovative and creative solutions. It provides a range of skills and experiences that through collaboration can solve business pain points and develop new ideas. Teams of mixed backgrounds are happier and more productive and are able to work better together with internal customers and other stakeholders.’ We couldn’t agree more.
What is your vision for us working with Women in Data moving forwards, and what can we expect to achieve with them?
The Data Landscape is changing at a rapid pace and requires data to be treated as an asset rather than a commodity. The need for digital and data skills across all levels is vital. The industry is currently facing a skills shortage in data so ensuring a focus on diversity of both talent and thought, as well as embracing data apprenticeships/literacy, are becoming essential actions to address the skills gap. Therefore, it's very important that the culture of Travis Perkins plc is committed to becoming an industry leading employer of diverse teams, where everyone feels they can belong. We want everyone to be at their best and it’s our ambition that everyone within our Group feels safe, welcome, and confident to be their authentic selves.
We see the Women in Data Partnership as a great way for our fantastic female data talent to thrive in an inclusive environment and develop into future leaders, helping remove barriers to entry and progression in STEM careers by identifying and developing high-potential talent through mentoring and degree-level apprenticeships, supporting communities, and providing networking opportunities for data professionals.
Step up the career ladder at Travis Perkins
If you’ve been inspired by Vaida’s career story, we have many exciting roles open to innovative and hardworking individuals which may interest you.
Browse our available opportunities, or find out more about what it’s like to work within the Travis Perkins Group here.
