What is your current role?
I lead the data community within the Cyber & Security Solutions division and help drive our data capability and development. This means I am responsible for providing technical expertise and input into our data products and capability growth. In practice, this involves leading a variety of AI and data science projects, helping design and drive forward innovative AI solutions and collaborate with other areas of business.
Why did you choose to join Leonardo?
I joined the company in 2022 as a Senior Data Scientist, having previously worked for a tech start-up in a data science and business development role. I hadn’t previously worked in Cyber or Defence, but was excited by the opportunity to work on high-impact projects that would be used across government and in the real world. I had always had an interest in Cyber Security, so it was a big draw to get to work for one of the leaders in this space. When I joined Leonardo, the data team was relatively new, so I felt my skills and diverse experience would add value in shaping its direction and outputs.
What does a typical day/week look like?
As data science has applications in many parts of Leonardo, I get the opportunity to work and collaborate with other areas of business such as the Electronics division. Typically, I will lead on data-centric projects, having a major role in the solution design, development and driving the product vision forward. Outside of this, I work with other business leads to contribute to bids and business-winning activities, and engaging with other teams such as our DevOps community to deliver solutions. As a community lead, I also spend a lot of time supporting the rest of the data community both pastorally and technically.
What do you get up to outside of work?
I like to spend my time staying active – my goal of 2025 is to be able to do a handstand, so I have been spending a lot of time in the gym training that. Otherwise, I am a massive foodie so spend my free time cooking; most recently I made my own pasta ravioli from scratch!
Would you recommend working at Leonardo and why?
I love my job here at Leonardo and think it is a fantastic place to work. Not only do you get to work on exciting projects unlike anything you would normally get to do in a standard tech job, but it’s also a joy working with the smart, driven individuals that make up the company! Leonardo has a great work/life balance with their flexible working policy and flex-time policy, which lets me get the most out of my free time too!
What has been your greatest achievement so far?
I am extremely proud of myself for succeeding in my career as a data scientist despite not studying a standard STEM degree (I did psychology). I taught myself to code whilst at university and have gone on to lead the 20-person team before the age of 30!
What are your aspirations for the future?
I would like to continue to develop as a technical expert within my field and potentially one day study for a Doctorate in novel applications of AI. I would like to deepen my knowledge of Large Language Models (LLMs) and become an expert at training language and vision models for use in secure environments.
