Felicity Splatt

Data Scientist: Quantium

I’m part of the big data revolution.

It’s all in a day’s work for me to analyse data to help clients understand business problems and build solutions. Whether it’s deciding which algorithm to use or making my code more efficient, maths is key to the technical elements of statistics and programming. It’s amazing how even quite simple quantitative skills help me communicate the size of a problem.

Growing up on a dairy farm in country Victoria, my love of maths and physics was fueled in my final years at school by female teachers. I’ve always loved using maths and logic to solve cool problems. I didn’t have a set career path, but I’ve been lucky to find new things that I was interested in and to find jobs where I can learn and grow.

My career has taken me from a PhD in experimental physics in Austria, to statistical work with the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and to the analytics team at the Australian Taxation Office working with computer scientists on machine learning. The shift to consulting means I get to apply a range of skills to clients across different industries.

Do what you love even if you can’t see an immediate application or path. Stay curious and make the most of the information around you. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people who can help you. You’ll be amazed at how generous the busiest of people can be with their time.

Helping young women in STEM find their voice and the confidence to chase their dreams drives me. And using cool techniques to solve important problems isn’t bad either. Machine learning and AI are exciting fields right now, and I’m sure they’ll be part of the future of solving business problems.