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Svitlana Gavrylova, Data Management Practice Lead, UKI, Google Cloud

What has been your path to power/influence?

 

I’m a forward-looking data professional with extensive experience leading global teams and strategic projects in the data management field. I started my career while studying at the National Technical University of Ukraine, when I worked as a database developer. Consequently, I joined the global distributed database team at Morgan Stanley. I worked my way up to lead teams focusing on the service for the distributed databases, focusing on RDBMS(IBM Db2 LUW, Sybase, SQL Server etc).

After this, I held several positions in global database service teams and data engineering. I focused on leading evaluation, integration, and developing blueprints for database cloning, data masking, data profiling and encryption. I have also led PoCs, systems integration projects and established the corresponding service models, change, and risk management procedures.

 

During the MBA program at Durham University, I became fascinated with looking at different business case studies, including ones focused on solving strategic business tasks using technology and data. Therefore, I joined Google Cloud and am currently working with various companies to implement cost-effective, innovative solutions, advising on complex migrations and database upgrades to support digital transformation.

 

I provide expert counsel to organisations planning to implement the data management systems on public cloud, including advice on the cost-effective allocation of the resources, target state architecture, and risk mitigation via disaster recovery and high-availability strategies. Furthermore, I participated in the working group of the Enterprise Data Management (EDM) Council – a leading global association created to elevate the practice of data management as a business and operational priority.

What impact has the pandemic had on demand from your clients?

 

The pandemic accelerated digital transformations and the move to online business activities for many companies, highlighting the importance of near real-time data analytics supported by the scalable, efficient and reliable data architecture. Therefore, migrations and modernisation to take advantage of the serverless cloud-native data analytics offerings and cloud managed database offerings and cloud-native databases came to prominence.

Do you get a seat at your clients’ strategic discussions? If not, what will it take to get you there?

 

There are different products, architectural options and tools that can be used to store data and create data pipelines on GCP that can facilitate data movement for the client systems. Therefore, data management practices often lead strategic discussions around the modernisation of the data architectures, planning the migration projects and establishing the future directions of the development of the data ecosystems. We also participate in discussions on best practices for the creation of data pipelines, sharing “lessons learned” and considerations that need to be taken into account during the planning of the data environment redesign.

 

What are your key areas of focus for the business in 2022?

 

One of the main focuses of our data management practice this year will be inspiring so-called “10x” thinking around data projects. We will think about substantial qualitative changes in the data architecture other than focusing on just the evolutionary step changes i.e. thinking about how we can improve what we do by a factor of 10 times, rather than by 10%. Also, the focus will be on collaborations between data analytics, AI and data management teams to deliver comprehensive solutions that can meet most data demands.

 

How do you apply your leadership skills a) within your own business and b) on behalf of your clients?

  1. Within data management practice, I’m focusing on fostering collaboration with different teams within our organisation. Such cooperation is essential for delivering prompt and effective responses to customer needs and requests. I’m also focusing on leading data management practice activities and processes to improve the effectiveness of the work and facilitate the professional development of the practice members. Additionally, I’m prioritising data management practice activities around data analysis to understand our opportunities fully.
  2. We are focusing on organising knowledge sharing sessions and running workshops to gather feedback and raise awareness about our offering on behalf of the clients. We also need to promote client feedback and find needed expertise to address questions. Make sure that clients needs are recorded and put client asks before different product management teams for prioritisation.

What key skills or attributes do you consider have contributed to your success in this role?

 

One of the most needed skills in my role is actively listening to client needs and summarising requirements to come up with innovative data solutions. It is also the ability to innovate: to suggest the best possible fit and think outside of the box on ways to maximise the impact of the proposed data solutions.

 

How did you develop – and continue to develop – these skills or attributes?

 

At Google Cloud, we have programmes that support educational needs for different technical levels and skill categories. There are courses and coaching to develop leadership and soft skills. In data management practice, we try to attend various internal conferences and internal knowledge sharing sessions – to keep the technical skills at the highest standard and up-to-date with new technologies. I’m also trying to participate in external events such as conferences and talks from top experts to keep track of new industry trends. Furthermore, I’m mentoring for the Women@Cloud group and have a mentor via this programme too, which helps me get personal and career development ideas.

How do you ensure that your proposition keeps pace with your clients’ goals and requirements so that you are leading rather than lagging behind their demands?

 

We use dashboards and data analysis/reporting to ensure that we know where to focus attention and what products need to be prioritised for the knowledge share, etc. Also, we proactively seek feedback from our wider teams and customers to ensure that we know of any pain points that customers are experiencing

Svitlana Gavrylova
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  • 100 Enablers 2022 (EMEA)
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