2017 — My Year in Review
A lot happened over 2017 — both professionally and personally. Like many others I’ve been reflecting on what went well, what could have been better and the many lessons I’ve learned along the way. Here’s my top 5 highlights from the past year.
--
(1) I continued to build a great team in Intercom — adding 4 new folks over 2017 — bringing the Product Analytics & Data Science team to 8 in total. We focused a lot on Foundations this year and made great strides in areas like Experimentation, Transformations, our Data Platform & Pipelines. I have grown a lot as a leader and a people manager. I have made mistakes and learned so much along the way. I’m loving every minute of my journey in Intercom and l’m excited about what 2018 has in store for my team and I.
(2) I founded HER+Data, a community for women who work with and love data, to connect, share experiences, inspire one another and talk data. The community is now > 200 women in Ireland and throughout the year we’ve hosted 5 events where amazing data women shared their inspiring career stories. Feedback from the community has been really positive. In addition a really successful Manchester chapter of HER+Data was created by the wonderful Rachael Ainsworth 🙌 I’m looking forward to working with Rachael and others in 2018 to take this community even further.
(3) I made lots of wonderful memories and shared amazing experiences with my family and friends — ballets, musicals, plays, spa days, trips to SF and Barcelona, wine tasting, escape rooms, festivals, beautiful restaurants, birthday parties, staycations, cooking, crafts, farms, parks, and picnics. As someone striving to be a great mother and have a big career, there’s always more to do in terms of work/life balance. I’m going to continue to prioritize family and friends in 2018 so I can make more of these lasting memories.
(4) In July I stood on the stage of the Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin and gave a talk on the Human Side of Data Science to the most wonderful audience at InspireFest. To say that InspireFest is the most inspirational conference I’ve ever attended is a gross understatement. I’ve never heard talks from so many amazing people — fearless women in particular ❤️ Speaking at the conference was both exhilarating and terrifying all at once. Definitely an experience I’m proud of and one of those moments to remember forever.
(5) Finally, I bought a house! A house that just so happens to be my great, great grandparents house ❤️ I didn’t know this when I originally viewed it. I knew that family lived close by many years ago but I had no idea how close! It had such a lovely feel to it when Paul and I first viewed it — we immediately fell in love. Renovations are currently under way and I cannot wait for Paul, Rose and I to settle in and make this a family home for many happy years to come.
To wrap it up there is lots to look back on fondly and proudly in 2017. For now I’m going to get back to spending the last day of 2017 with my two favorite people over a wonderful roast duck dinner.
Wishing you all a very happy & prosperous 2018. Here’s to making more great memories 🙌
