Continuing our series of ‘9 questions with Women in Tech,’ today’s spotlight is on Natalie Fuller, Head of Data Analytics at CAFU.
As a child, I was always curious about new technological advancements. When I was in university, I would always be coding on a computer. Consequently, this was a natural career choice. Aside from my intuitive passion for numbers and tech, my mother has been a more incredible support and inspiration for choosing a technology and data science career.
In the world of data science, one that can be lonely for a woman, particularly at the top, I have realized that my emotions and empathy coupled with my penchant for analysis and number-crunching is the very thing that sets me apart and drives me forward. Without an iota of doubt, that is my superpower in this male-heavy world of technology and data science.
The fact that there aren’t many female counterparts means that there are still greater opportunities to bring more women into this industry. Thanks to the supporting leaders, peers, and colleagues, I have always had plenty of room to grow and create a better impact through what I do.
Gender equality contributes to a close-knit community and great working culture. Having equality of both women and men in your teams means you benefit from the different points of view and approaches that come from different life experiences.
I am deeply inspired by strong, hard-working, and confident women like my mother. Not only was she a project manager at IBM during her time, but she has also been the biggest reason to direct me in a path of technology and science.
I am lucky to be working with inspiring and visionary leaders, peers, and colleagues. CAFU provides a conducive ecosystem for women in technology. It embraces a culture of diversity intersecting women and men from diverse cultural backgrounds that naturally drives the innovation and performance growth of the company.
CAFU is all about creating services and solutions that help drive the future and set customer convenience in motion. I’m passionate about making a difference in the world, making a difference in a person’s life. This is what gets me up every day.
I start my day with catching up with tech news and blogs each morning, I find I learn a lot from my peer’s experiences trying new technology. In addition to this, I always make sure to have a book on the go. My latest read was “Data Means Business” by Jason Foster & Barry Green – highly recommend for any leader in the data space.
“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.”
Aside from my CAFU app, I am a big fan of my smart watch to track my day-to-day activity and exercise. It’s really important to stay healthy and active, especially in a technology role where you spend so much time by your laptop.
Tap into your emotional rationale and intrinsic nature. It is where your power lies. Technology and innovation are in everything we do; it has become part of our lifestyle. Therefore, you will have more choices to choose from in technology and the future of work. What’s important is to connect with yourself to identify what you love at an early stage and do that with pride and confidence.
Make mistakes, make them faster, and learn from them. Learn from the best of the tech firms and entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. Embrace failure – fail fast and fail cheap – most notably, learn from the mistakes and move forward. This isn’t something to hide or conceal under a veil of facts & figures. Instead, bring it to life by wearing it on your sleeve. Don your capes and exercise your superpower – this is what will help you grow forward in your career.
