Claire Thompson, group chief data and analytics officer, L&G

Describe your career to date

I’ve worked in financial services and data analytics for over 20 years. My story started when I did an applied statistics degree at Sheffield Hallam University. The course included a year in industry which was fantastic. It gave me lots of opportunities to put what I had learnt into practice, as well gaining experience from talented and diverse professionals.

Since university, I’ve worked for a small company of 50 or so staff (supplemented with five dogs running around the office), and large corporate organisations looking to transform their data journey. I feel very lucky to love what I do and a key part of this is the variety I have enjoyed throughout my career. I have always sought opportunities to learn and love the fact that there are new and differing challenges every day.

In my current role, I’m accountable for helping to put data at the heart of our purpose, which is creating a better future for our customers and the society that we live in.

I have also been an avid supporter of Women in Data UK since it started in 2015 and, in 2019, I was selected for “Twenty in Data & Technology”, as an inspiring role model to others within the industry and to future generations.