Finance and Data Analytics students attend talk from Cathie Ackroyd
On Monday 18 November, BSc Finance and Data Analytics students on the Database Management module alongside master’s students were invited to hear from guest speaker Cathie Ackroyd, Managing Architect at CGI.
Cathie’s talk was titled Data in the UK Government: Challenges and Successes in the Era of Sustainable Design. During which, students heard about Cathie’s vast career history and her various roles spanning HM Revenue and Customs to her current role at CGI, which is a global tech solutions company employing 95,000 staff with offices in Liverpool’s Mann Island.
Discussing her time at HMRC, Cathie went into detail about some of the projects she worked on including the enormous task of transforming data that previously existed solely on paper to a digital database.
Not only was this a huge manual job for those involved, but it also had many considerations including environmental costs and importantly that UK public data is a prime target for hackers so defence and security is essential.
Additionally, Cathie shared details about her current role at CGI where she works alongside the Disclosure and Barring Service and the Metropolitan Police to help standardise their data in addition to working with important archive data that can’t be deleted but also isn’t needed.
Students were particularly interested in hearing about the misconception that security and sustainability don’t go hand in hand, in fact, the need to be more sustainable will create more job openings in the future.
Cathie began to explain where these opportunities will lie with students once they graduate. This includes optimising data storage, using data to identify areas of waste, advocating for better sustainable practices and raising awareness to drive important conversations.
The exciting talk concluded with a Q&A session with students.
Hazel Kennedy said: “We were delighted to welcome Cathie from CGI, a global tech solutions company, to present to our students as it supports their learning in applying their knowledge and skills to a real-world setting.
“Cathie’s insights into some of the considerations, challenges and opportunities she faces in her role enhanced the students’ understanding as well as giving them an idea of what it could be like to work in this sector in future.”