Speakers: Sandipa Dublish, CSL
Can you talk about your career journey? What led you to enter a role in data?
Sandipa Dublish: I've always liked numbers, analytics, analyzing things, trying to quantify aspects of different things in my everyday life, and obviously professionally, I did my undergrad in Economics and did a PhD in Advanced Analytics and got into the pharma industry. And just the amount of data that is increasingly becoming available in healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry and the advancement in tools over the years has kept this field very interesting to me. But my entry in in data was when I entered I would say the healthcare industry and started experimenting and analyzing all the real-world data that is available in the industry. And it's been a wonderful journey to date.
What’s been the most memorable moment in your career to date?
Sandipa Dublish: One of the most memorable events in my career was very early on when I was, you know, beginning out as a professional working in a small consulting organization. And I was very good in doing the work, but I didn't have the confidence and comfort in presenting. And I would usually do all the work, prepare everything, and then go to meetings with my manager and expect her to present and lead the discussions. And she asked me on a couple of occasions if I would like to be the presenter, and I would always decline. And there was one meeting where we did the same routine. I prepared everything with her, went to the meeting, sat down, expecting her to take the lead, and do the presentation. And once we settled, she basically looked at me and told the client, Sandipa will do the presentation. The good thing with what she did was because she put me on the spot, and I didn't have time to think or panic, I just did it. And I did a good presentation. And that was really a very important event in my career, because it gave me the self confidence, and it broke the the block I had or the hesitation I had about standing up and talking about the work that I had done, the work that I knew so well. So that gave me the confidence and I'm forever grateful to her for doing that to me and setting me on a good path for the future.
What advice do you have for young female data professionals striving for leadership positions in this field?
Sandipa Dublish: My advice to all young female professionals will be to speak up. To speak up means if you have done the work, you are going into meetings, you are having hallway conversations, make sure you talk about the work you're doing. And to the extent possible, try to link your work to the larger goals of the department or the organization. Because there are many people who may not be, you know, if you tell them, 'I did this project,' that may mean nothing to them. But if you say, 'I did this project which helped so and so activity or initiative,' then people understand your contribution. And they see you as somebody really driving the organization forward. So, just a general observation, a lot of data people are comfortable or they think that they should be in the background, and then the other people in the foreground are using the work to deliver things or do things. But I will say take ownership of your work, and try to be the front person also advocating for how your work is used. Then communicating that value to the relevant people.
What are some unique challenges women leaders face in this industry? What opportunities do you see for women to make an impact in data?
Sandipa Dublish: I think we're very fortunate at this stage. I think the gender differences in the field of data are not really there. I think if you're good in what you do, your gender should not come into play. But like I said, female professionals should be more proactive in terms of speaking out. Networking is one thing that is important. And I do agree that there is still, if you look at male-to-female ratio, there is more men to women. And sometimes gender can be a barrier in terms of networking. And you know, outside of the work sometimes or even at work in terms of common interest and so forth. Just be aware of that, and make a conscious effort to network with your peers and colleagues, not just regarding projects, but trying to form those friendships which go beyond work. That is an important thing to do.
How important do you think mentorship is for women pursuing leadership roles in data-related fields?
Sandipa Dublish: Mentorship is important, period. No matter what field you are in. And I would say even in life outside of careers.
Sandipa Dublish: So, absolutely yes. Seek out as many mentors as you can in your life. And within the organization, if you can find a mentor who can also be an advocate for you, so that they talk about your work, they talk about your contributions in meetings, and the people where you are not present, that will be like an icing on the cake.
