Ep. 136 - Data: The Most Transferable Skill

In this episode of the Women in Data Podcast, host Cecilia Oliveira chats with Julia Regan, Senior Data Manager at Monzo. Julia leads a team of 30 across Data Science, Data Analytics, and Analytics Engineering across Core Banking and Global Expansion. They dive into one of the most common and daunting transitions in a data career: managing people who have deeper technical expertise or more years of experience than you. Julia shares her personal journey into management, how she navigated imposter syndrome when stepping into leadership, and why the role of a data manager is about enabling others rather than having all the technical answers. From practical strategies for asking the right questions to protecting your team's focus and building mutual trust, this episode provides an honest and actionable roadmap for current and aspiring data leaders.

We’ve all been there: staring at our CV and wondering if it’s time to make a move. But what about that silent, exhausting "grey zone": where you aren't ready to hand in your notice today, but you realise your energy is slowly draining away? In this co-hosted episode, Karen and Cecilia pull back the curtain on the Pre-Exit Audit: the psychological shift from trying to fix a room that isn't built for you, to quietly building the door to your next chapter. Tune in as we discuss:

What if chasing your next promotion is actually holding your career back? In this episode of the Women in Data Podcast, Karen is joined by Diana Lee, Head of AI Science and Capabilities at Compare the Market, to rethink what career progression really means. Diana has built a deliberately non-linear career, moving from investment banking and academia into consulting and then data leadership. But despite her impressive career, she says she’s actually less career-focused than she used to be. The difference? She stopped measuring success by promotions, job titles and what other people thought she should want. Instead, Diana focuses on building skills that will make her more valuable over the long term — from communication and stakeholder management to problem-solving and understanding what makes her different. She also shares how to recognise when it’s time to leave a role, why your network doesn’t disappear when you change companies, and her simple framework for making career risks. If you’re ambitious but questioning whether the traditional career ladder is still right for you, this conversation will help you think differently about growth, success and your next move.

What if being “professional” is actually costing you a part of yourself that could actually make you better at your job? In this episode of the Women in Data® Podcast, Karen is joined by Izzy Becker, Manager at Kubrick Group, to explore what happens when we stop suppressing the parts of ourselves that don’t seem to fit the world of data and tech. Izzy shares her journey from ballet dancer and figure skater to data and technology consultant, and how reconnecting with dance helped her rediscover vulnerability, creativity, joy and self-expression. But this wasn’t just a personal transformation. She found that embracing those parts of herself changed how she showed up professionally — making her more creative, more experimental and better able to think laterally and challenge the status quo. Together, they explore the hidden cost of performing professionalism, why vulnerability can be a strength rather than a weakness, and how giving yourself permission to be your whole self can unlock confidence and new possibilities in your career. You’ll hear about:

Halfway through the year feels like the perfect moment to pause, reflect, and ask: What have we learned? Before taking their summer break, Karen and Cecilia look back at the conversations that have stayed with them most and the ideas that challenged their thinking throughout the first half of the year. Together, they discuss: