Can you tell us about your background and what led you to pursue a career in STEM?
I have a very nontraditional background for someone working in STEM, particularly in technology, as my background is largely in humanities. I studied English literature and the history of art at university, then went on to study photography. This combined technical and creative aspects, which I really enjoyed. I liked setting up lighting and cameras for sequences, but if you simply told me to take a photo without specific direction, I’d be a bit lost.
I have a form of dyslexia that affects numeracy, so I’m not a mathematical person at all. However, I found that I loved analysing things and understanding how they fit together, whether it was paintings, artwork, stories, or literature. This led me to enjoy structuring arguments and, in my current role, crafting sales narratives—explaining ideas, how they might be implemented, and evaluating their pros and cons.
When I was about 20, I took an administrative job in a consultancy, handling office and financial accounts management. During the 2008 financial crisis, the consultancy specialised in risk technology for banks. We worked with a client whose project manager went on maternity leave earlier than expected. As a goodwill gesture, my boss offered to help me by offering me a new position, so I never went back to my old role. I spent the next ten years on client sites, mainly in banks and investment banks, dealing with credit and market risk until I joined Expleo. This experience ultimately led me into data.
What has been your biggest challenge as a woman in STEM?
What attracted you to join Expleo, and how has your experience been so far?
How has Expleo supported your professional growth and development within the STEM field?
Can you describe a particularly rewarding project or achievement you've had while working at Expleo?
With one of our clients leading in the energy sector, we’re striving to better utilise data to make energy more affordable, sustainable, and reduce theft. We embarked on an explorative project on open data to identify existing data within the energy network and determine how it can be shared and reused by various organisations without compromising consumer privacy.
We began piloting data classification to facilitate this sharing, with the goal of integrating it into the broader energy landscape over time. This will impact everything from energy costs to supply and usage. It was a rewarding to come home, look at my smart meter, and know that my work could help ease the shock of high energy bills. This was the first time in my career that I felt so connected to something that affects our daily lives. It was a truly great feeling.
How would you describe the company culture at Expleo, particularly in terms of inclusivity and support for women in STEM?
What does visibility, support and recognition mean to you at Expleo?
Here, I can see a clear path for myself to progress. Recognition plays a huge part in that. For example, I’ve worked in various roles across Expleo, and it’s brilliant to be given those opportunities and the recognition. Visibility is crucial too, seeing women in all roles across the organisation, our clients, and in the delivery work we do. Recognition means acknowledging their skills and their presence because we know they’re out there and making a difference.
How do you see your future at Expleo, and what are your career aspirations within the company?
The services I’ve worked across in transformation—whether analysis, design, or project management—represent the broader spectrum of what we mean by technology and STEM. It’s not just about developing or testing systems. There’s a lot about change culture, the psychology and empathy involved in integrating new things into organisations, whether it’s digital or data transformation. My ambition is to ensure these areas are as well valued and financially rewarding as other parts of the organisation. I aim to continue expanding Expleo’s footprint in what we do and where we do it.
What advice would you give to other women considering a career in STEM, especially those looking to join Expleo?
Don’t be put off by your perceptions of traditional routers. I’d absolutely encourage you to keep going. Try widening your sphere of influence just a bit in terms of subject matters. It’s fantastic when we have highly mathematical and scientific people who understand things in a particular way, but if you can add a touch of emotional intelligence, empathy, and an understanding of the psychology of change or the design of requirements, you’ll step slightly outside your comfort zone. Even though these areas might not traditionally be included in a STEM career path, I’m confident you’ll enjoy your roles more because you’ll have a broader understanding. Plus, the opportunities will be wider as well.
LIFE AT EXPLEO
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