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Data, Diversity, and the Power of Always Learning: A Conversation with Elaine Brown

Date Posted: Tuesday, 6th May 2025

In the latest of our Women @ TRIA interview series, we're thrilled to welcome Elaine Brown, a true pioneer in the data analytics space with over 35 years of experience. Most recently serving as VP for Data Analytics at Gartner and Co-chair of their global Women at Gartner group, Elaine brings a wealth of knowledge about data governance, data literacy, and inclusive leadership.

Her career journey, from solving puzzle books under the covers as a child to leading global teams and championing diversity, offers valuable insights for anyone navigating the ever-evolving technology landscape.Join Charlotte Phillips, Women @ TRIA Lead, as she explores Elaine's perspective on the intersection of data and diversity in this fascinating conversation.

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Interview Highlights

From Puzzle Books to Data Leadership

Elaine's journey into data analytics began long before the term existed. "I trace it all the way back to school days, which was somewhere in the 80s," she shares with a smile. "My favourite subjects at school were maths and French, and I loved spending time solving problems with numbers."

Growing up in an era when Microsoft was less than 10 years old and the internet didn't exist, Elaine couldn't have predicted where her career would take her. "The job simply didn't exist," she points out. "I could never have predicted 35 years ago that I would have had the career that I've had."

This perspective informs her advice to students today: "I encourage them to do what they're passionate about. The landscape is very dynamic and changing all the time."

Beyond Technical Skills: The Human Side of Data

While technical knowledge forms the foundation of data analytics, Elaine emphasises that success in the field requires much more: "When we think about technology and data analytics, we tend to think of widgets and coding, but actually a lot of the things that we do are about teamwork, collaboration, and emotional intelligence."

This human element is where her passion for diversity and inclusion naturally intersects with her data expertise. "That diversity, equity, inclusion lens plays a really lovely part in thinking about bringing people together, creating partnership, and solving problems together."

For those who might feel intimidated by the technical aspects of data careers, Elaine offers reassurance: "Having an interest in solving problems and bringing the value of data and analytics to the business is hugely impactful, and it doesn't require massive technical knowledge – just a curiosity to always be learning about the art of the possible."

Why Data Has Become Essential for Business

Data's prominence in business strategy isn't just a trend – it's a fundamental shift in how organisations understand their customers and opportunities. Elaine illustrates this with an everyday example:

"Think about a supermarket loyalty card. Who's helping who here? There's a very symbiotic relationship. The company brings the consumer in and ensures access to the right products, which requires data. When it's going to be sunny, we want ice cream on the shelves – the retailer will sell more, and everybody's happy."

This virtuous cycle extends beyond retail into every industry. Companies can move from simply describing what happened to predicting future outcomes. "Instead of the data simply describing 'Oh hey, we sold a lot of ice cream on Saturday when it was 30 degrees,' companies get to be prescriptive: 'It's going to be 30 degrees next Monday, let's make sure we've got lots of ice cream on the shelves.'"

The Critical Importance of Data Literacy

To demonstrate why data literacy matters, Elaine conducts an impromptu word association exercise during the interview, asking Charlotte to respond to the word "Apple." When Charlotte answers "Mac," Elaine points out how even a simple word can trigger completely different associations – the technology company versus the fruit, red versus green, iPhone versus iPad.

"Even with a really simple word like 'Apple,' people can go off in lots of different ways," she explains. "That's where data literacy and creating common understanding is so fundamental to people being able to use data effectively within their organisations."

Without this foundation, businesses risk making erroneous conclusions and poor decisions. As Elaine puts it, "People make assumptions, and when you make assumptions, it's not a good place to be."

Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion

As Co-chair of the Women at Gartner group, which served over 4,000 women and allies globally, Elaine approached the role with the same problem-solving mindset she brings to data challenges. "My motivation was truly to serve others and to make sure that they had access to content and could engage with opportunities that were available and meaningful to them."

True to her data background, she applied analytics principles to the role: "We drank our own champagne because we took the feedback from different sessions and created better sessions as a result of knowing what people were telling us about their experiences."

Despite her impressive accomplishments, Elaine is refreshingly candid about experiencing self-doubt: "I don't want people to think 'Oh wow, that's amazing.' I have had lots of moments of self-doubt on this journey." What made the difference was having "a personal board of directors who believed in me, told me they believed in me, and were willing to encourage me to step outside of my comfort zone."

Embracing Growth and Learning

Throughout the conversation, Elaine returns to the theme of continuous learning and growth. Recently taking up CrossFit, she draws parallels between physical and professional development: "The coaches provide me with ongoing support to perform to my physical best. Translate that as an analogy into a work context – ongoing coaching and mentoring enables everybody to optimise performance."

This commitment to growth extends to how we frame challenges. "Failure has this negative connotation, but I love what I learned when my child was at school – FAIL: First Attempt In Learning. I'm not failing; I'm learning," she explains. "If I live a life without limits, the person I have to persuade the most is myself – my own self-talk."

Looking Forward: Data, DEI, and Being Your Best Self

As Elaine transitions her career toward coaching and mentoring, she brings together her data expertise with her passion for helping others thrive. While acknowledging the changing landscape of diversity discussions in the corporate world, she remains optimistic about individual impact.

"Every individual is an individual. As humans, we should be looking at each other as individuals and learning about each other, not putting a frame of reference or framework on things that is false."

When asked about advice for people seeking to be their best selves at work, Elaine offers a powerful closing thought: "Just be you. Everybody else is taken. Believe in yourself, invest in the things that are of value and importance to you, and do your race. Don't worry what anybody else is doing – be true to yourself and you will shine and thrive."

Continuing the Conversation

We'd like to thank Elaine Brown for sharing her insights and experiences with the Women @ TRIA community. Her unique perspective on combining data intelligence with human understanding offers valuable lessons for anyone navigating today's technology landscape.

As we continue our series of interviews with senior women in technology and data, we invite you to connect with us to share your own experiences or suggest future guests. Together, we can create more pathways for diverse voices to thrive in the tech industry.

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Watch the Interview Interview Highlights From Puzzle Books to Data Leadership Beyond Technical Skills: The Human Side of Data Why Data Has Become Essential for Business The Critical Importance of Data Literacy Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion Embracing Growth and Learning Looking Forward: Data, DEI, and Being Your Best Self Continuing the Conversation

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