My Path to Data: Leah Cole
A blog series featuring women from Slalom — both current and alumni — on their path into data and analytics.
In the latest post in our “My Path to Data” series, we spoke with Leah Cole, a director on Slalom’s Global Systems Integration (GSI) team. Leah started her career mapping data attributes and capturing transformation requirements, and quickly discovered her love of data.
Make sure to register for the You & Data panel discussion hosted by Slalom’s Women in Data community on September 22, and stay tuned to hear from more Slalom women — current and alumni — about how they got into data.
How did you get into the data field?
By accident! I joined Slalom through a generalist program and gravitated towards integration work because it was the perfect intersection of process and efficiency — two things I love. I quickly realized that I loved rolling up my sleeves and getting deep into the weeds of data attributes and transformation logic, and the rest was history.
What do you wish you could go back and tell yourself before starting a career in data?
It’s okay to say no. Make a conscious choice to reflect on what you love doing and make career decisions that focus on those things you could do all day every day, even if it feels like that choice goes against the “traditional” path.
What made you decide to apply to or choose Slalom?
I liked the idea of being around really smart people who were experts on all kinds of different things. It felt like the options were endless when it came to what I could learn and be a part of, and that was really exciting to me. I also had just completed a class for a project management certificate and one of the electives I took was around identifying my personal core values as it relates to my workplace. I was impressed with everyone I met during the interview process and felt that Slalom’s inclusive and collaborative culture aligned to my own values.
What are some tips for those interested in a career in data? Or joining Slalom?
Find your “why.” Because there are so many different directions you can take a career in data, identify what you’re most passionate about — whether it’s a particular type of technology or a certain cause that benefits from the application of data — and get clear on what that passion means to you.
What is the Slalom core value that’s most important to you as a woman in data?
Drive connection and teamwork. I fundamentally believe that we’re all better together than on our own. To me, this means I won’t know everything, so it’s my responsibility to share what I do know with others. And for the things that I don’t know, I should never be afraid to ask questions and seek support in others.
What is your superpower?
This is a fun question! My superpower is being able to wade through a lot of noise and inputs — be it minute details or challenging conversations between different types of people with different goals — and bring everyone back together in a way that creates common understanding and creates a clear path forward.
What is the biggest thing you’ve learned from your Slalom journey?
I’ve learned that everything doesn’t have to be “perfect” and I don’t have to figure it all out on my own.
What’s your most memorable moment at Slalom?
For one of my clients, we had a major program go live over my birthday weekend. Because we deployed overnight, my Slalom team and my client team celebrated my birthday three times over 24 hours — once at midnight, again at breakfast, and a final time at lunch. My Slalom team members managed to plan birthday surprises on top of all the release planning we were managing. The client’s major milestone go-live was a success and it was my most memorable birthday to date!
Want to hear more from Leah?
Register now for Slalom’s Women in Data community panel discussion — You & Data — on September 22nd from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm ET. Whether you have 10 years of experience or are just starting your career, we hope you’ll join us to listen in on this conversation with other women in the industry.
Leah Cole discovered her love of data through systems integration after starting her career mapping data attributes and capturing transformation requirements. She’s now a leader of Slalom’s Global Systems Integration (GSI) team and is passionate about creating a hyperconnected future for her clients. Leah has helped clients build integration programs from the ground up and automated key business processes that enable sales, manufacturing, and employee experience across industries.
Slalom is a global consulting firm that helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. Learn more and reach out today.
