Heather Walker, global head of data science, analytics and visualisation, Specsavers

What has been your career path to date?

My commercial career has focused on customer behavioural data science, building machine learning models and artificial intelligence (AI) systems from data on how customers behave, what they are interested in and what motivates them. My last role prior to Specsavers was lead data scientist at Wiggle CRC, the cycle and triathlon online retailer. I developed Wiggle’s data science strategy and built AI systems to support personalisation in marketing. Prior to that, I worked as a senior data scientist in the customer analytics team at Carnival Cruises UK, where (among other things) I was the data science lead for the marketing effectiveness programme and built the customer loyalty forecast AI system.

My educational background is in Physics, with a PhD in Astrophysics. My first role out of university was the transition point for me from physics into more commercial data science. I worked for a company that used the physics of mobile phone signals (not wildly different to the physics of telescopes) and AI systems to analyse people’s behaviour in shopping centres. It turns out customer behaviour is far more interesting than electrons!