Maddie Amos, International Director of Information Strategy, Christie’s
Maddie Amos is the International Director of Information Strategy at Christie’s, the auction house, where she has worked in a variety of roles for almost 19 years. Maddie lives in London with my husband, daughter and dog.
Her degree was in History and History of Art, and she’s worked in the Arts for over 20 years. Although her career didn’t start in data and she’d never have imagined as a graduate that this is what she would end up doing (she thought I’d own a gallery by now!), She’s so happy that this is where her career has taken her.
As part of our ongoing celebration of International Women’s Day, we sat down with senior leaders from our community to ask them how they found themselves in the world of data, and what advice they have for others.
How and Why did you get into the Data industry?
It’s been a circuitous route! Maddie’s first 9 years at Christie’s were in Business Management, at the coal-face of organising and executing auctions and managing multiple departments. In 2013 she was asked to lead the newly formed Business Intelligence team and that was her first direct step into the data world her roles have evolved from there incorporating governance, data privacy, strategy, culture, and more along the way!
What advice would you give to a college or Uni leaver considering a career in Data?
Maddie tells us not to fear it and to not think that you need to be a maths-whizz! Yes, there are roles where a background in maths and science is important but there are lots of roles out there that need project management, commercial and people skills.
How has being a female leader impacted your journey within the data industry?
To be honest, she says, she “doesn’t really ever think about the gender element” as she has always worked with strong female role models and peers both within our organisation and in the wider data community. However, she does recognise that this might not be the case for many women in what can often be a male-dominated industry.
What could be done better in the Data industry to attract more females to a career in Data?
Maddie Amos says we need to promote the idea that you don’t necessarily need traditional technical skills to develop a fascinating and fulfilling career in data. It’s frustrating that we still see job descriptions that are all about engaging with the business, changing culture, understanding business objectives, building, and leading teams, etc.. but then they ask for coding skills in the qualifications section which actually aren’t in all necessary for the role in question and will put many people, particularly women, off.
Tahanee Twist
Tahanee is an accomplished principal talent partner with us here at Orbition. With years of experience in the industry, she has developed a reputation as a skilled and trusted advisor to both clients and candidates.
In her role as principal talent partner, Tahanee is responsible for managing key client relationships and ensuring the delivery of high-quality talent solutions. She works closely with clients to understand their business needs and culture, and develops customized strategies that meet their specific requirements Read more.
