Christina Finlay, director of data and analytics, Nest Corporation (Pensions)

What has been your path to power?

I started my data journey as a consultant in Asia, helping organisations make sense of their customers and data to build their brands – from banks merging their assets in the Philippines to shampoo brands growing their customer base in China. I did a lot of social research, building empathy for consumers throughout Asia and helping FMCG companies to find opportunities to innovate. I think my curiosity about people and my empathy for others has been key in the “path to power”.

In the last six or seven years, I’ve immersed myself completely in the data world, helping organisations use their data efficiently and effectively to drive performance. I always start with listening, building on what I learned as a consultant in Asia. To me, success in data starts with understanding people, getting into their shoes to see opportunities and what they really need, and then aligning a future vision. Once you’ve done that, it makes the hard work to collect and analyse the data much less challenging as everyone sees how it will help them do their work better.