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  • Claire Thompson, Group Chief Data and Analytics Officer, L&G

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.

What stage has your organisation reached on its data maturity journey?

Like many organisations, we are maturing our data capabilities. Data is sponsored at the highest level, and we have amazing data and analytics practitioners across the group who use data to manage trillions of pounds of investments. We have modernised our data platforms using cloud capabilities, implemented real-time data streaming and continue to grow our data talent.

 

Tell us about the data and analytics resources you are responsible for

My role reports directly to the group chief financial officer and I currently have a team of around 70 people who are mainly located in Cardiff, London, and Hove. This is a multi-disciplinary team that deliver end to end data capabilities from platform delivery, data engineering and management, through to reporting, insights, and data science. We deliver innovative data solutions that drive tangible value for the group. I also collaborate with the other data teams across the organisation on various initiatives that are helping us to become an even more data driven and insight led organisation than we are today.

What challenges do you see for data in the year ahead that will have an impact on your organisation and on the industry as a whole?

It’s likely there will be an increasing focus on data ethics and the use of AI which could involve new laws or regulations. This evolving landscape is likely to challenge ways of working, however, as with all challenges, there will also be new opportunities.

 

Machine learning can be used to identify patterns, trends, and insights that would be difficult for humans to detect, given the scale and variety of data available. We can also look to implement automated, algorithmic data quality controls to deliver enhanced customer, business, and societal outcomes. What is certain is that we will all continue to increase the prevalence of applied analytics in every decision, interaction, and process.

Have you set out a vision for data? If so, what is it aiming for and does it embrace the whole organisation or just the data function?

L&G’s purpose is to improve the lives of our customers, build a better society for the long term and create value for our shareholders. Inclusive capitalism sits at the core of how we do business and aims to drive positive change over time. All data teams across the organisation are working with their business divisions to develop innovative data solutions that enable our purpose-driven organisation to make a difference.

 

Have you been able to fix the data foundations of your organisation, particularly with regard to data quality?

There are ongoing data programmes across the organisation that are improving and modernising the data foundations of L&G. We established long ago a single customer view across 10 million customers, and this sits at the heart of our analytics and customer journeys, helping to ensure continuous consistency of our customer data.

Claire Thompson
has been included in:
  • 100 Brands 2019 (EMEA)
  • 100 Brands 2023 (EMEA)

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