Empowering female data leaders: A DataGalaxy fireside chat

In Season 5 of CDO Masterclass, DataGalaxy invited a distinguished panel of female leaders in data management – Kirsten Kerr from Society Insurance and Kimberley Hagerty from Compass.uol – to share their insights and experiences.

Together, the panel discussed the challenges women face in the data industry, such as persistent gender biases and salary gaps, and emphasized the importance of skills-based hiring to foster diversity.

The panelists also highlighted the critical role of mentorship and leadership in empowering women to advance in their careers.

These challenges are not specific to just these speakers – Many women working in data management or similar male-dominated industries face identical daily challenges.

By sharing this and similar discussions, we hope to share advice and promote a diverse group of data leaders to shape the future of big data management.

Join us in the next season of DataGalaxy’s CDO Masterclass to delve deeper into these topics and learn how to continue promoting data-driven transformation among all your teams.

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What are the biggest challenges you’ve seen women face, and where do Chief Data Officers come into the mix to address these challenges?

Season 5 of CDO Masterclass featured a panel of three women working in data management, including Kirsten Kerr: Manager of Data & Governance at Society Insurance, and Kimberley Hagerty: Chief Supply Chain Officer at Compass.uol. Thank you to both leaders for joining us for our exclusive panel discussion!

DataGalaxy: As a leader in the data space, what are the biggest challenges you’ve seen women face, and where do Chief Data Officers come into the mix to address these challenges?

Kirsten Kerr: Historically gender roles have been quite divided in data careers. Today, gender diversity is a priority, but there is still a subtle gender bias in data-based roles.

For example, worldwide, there is still a 30% salary gap between women and men in IT positions. There are still some blinders in the industry and biases on both sides, but overcoming these biases requires realizing those blinders exist and taking steps to change our known behaviors.

How can organizations ensure women are involved in a male-oriented space like the manufacturing industry?

DG: Kimberly, what’s your take on how organizations ensure women are involved in a male-oriented space like the manufacturing industry?

Kimberley Hagerty: Thankfully, I was offered my position based on the unique skills I developed and not just experience alone – That’s what the standard should be. Diversity in the workplace should come from the skills possessed by employees, not solely from the profiles your company is hiring for.

However, this can mean that sometimes women will need to extend past their comfort zones to extend their skills, but it’s worth it to be given the opportunity for a position based on skills, not just experience.

You don’t gain experience unless you are allowed to use your skills. I say this because, often we see that women may not have the same experience as men, including in the data and manufacturing space. Ensuring employees are hired based on their skills rather than experience alone will allow for more diversity and a new way of thinking about how to fill high-profile roles across the entire organization.

Why DataGalaxy?

We understand the challenges of getting your team to fully embrace a new tool.

That’s why we’ve made our data catalog user-friendly and intuitive with a simple and straightforward interface that your team can adopt in no time.

How can Chief Data Officers become mentors for women working in data?

DG: Did you have a mentor during your career, and how can Chief Data Officers become that mentor for women working in data?

KK: Women in leadership is something I’m working to grow, and ownership of work is very important for this. CDOs can create a safe space for women to become leaders, and having a mentor is very important in this process. There is also a gender gap when it comes to C-level positions, so women need to pursue these managerial positions for themselves as well.

KH: Of course, this is a male-dominated space, so the thought leadership required is about challenging the status quo and not accepting the industry as it is. Therefore, women must challenge and uncover the uncoverable. That requires being uncomfortable, but that’s how you bring change.

My advice for women looking to advance in challenging tech-leading data roles is to find people around you who are also on the same page about changing the status quo. You need a champion to expose you to how to navigate uncharted territory, then it’s up to you to perform.

CDOs should understand their roles as champions to give women the opportunity to recognize their skills and potential, even if they are an unusual or non-traditional fit.

In turn, women must also be willing to be uncomfortable in their careers and look for those uncomfortable moments to find their path forward.

What advice would you give aspiring female leaders in this tech space?

DG: What other advice would you give aspiring female leaders in this tech space?

KH: My phrase is “You have to develop duck feathers” – They protect the ducks from the rain, like “Water off a duck’s back.”

For us to fly, we have to have this mindset, you will have setbacks, and things will not go right all the time, how you learn from it and how you use it to motivate you will be your “duck feathers.” Another good one is “Do what others won’t do today, so you can do what others can’t do tomorrow.”

KK: I always say “Fake it until you make it!” You won’t always be automatically comfortable in leadership. It’s important to take ownership, show you’re interested in taking on more work, and always work above what is requested of you.

If you enjoyed this content, join us in the next season of DataGalaxy’s CDO Masterclass to further explore these topics and equip yourself with the knowledge to lead data-driven transformation!

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About the author

Jessica Sandifer

With a passion for turning data complexity into clarity, Jessica Sandifer is an experienced content manager who crafts stories that resonate across technical and business audiences. At DataGalaxy, she creates content and product marketing messages that demystify data governance and make AI-readiness actionable.