LESLEY WEST

Marketing Analyst: Data2decisions

I always wanted to be a professional athlete, I haven’t quite given up on that yet! But maths and science are in my blood. My dad and one of my sisters are physics teachers and my brother is an actuary.

Marketing analytics is a practical application of maths to quantify and understand how effective advertising is or can be. In simple terms, I work with global brands to help them understand where their advertising and media budget is going and how they could use it more effectively.

In today’s climate, marketing teams normally can’t just spend their budget and not justify where it’s going and how it’s working – that’s where I come in. Working with sales data, media spend and other variables, we can build statistical models to determine the impact advertising has on sales. The data can tell us the best channels (TV, radio or online) and when to start a campaign to get the best result. Great information for a Chief Marketing Officer to have when they ask for a bigger advertising budget.

I was always scared of water growing up. Four years ago when I moved to Australia, I learnt to swim, which kicked off a love of triathlons. I now train up to 11 times per week and have been pretty successful on the amateur triathlon circuit.

Overcoming my fear of water is something I’m proud of. But I think it’s a good metaphor for life. Don’t be afraid of the things that seem daunting or hard, especially when it comes to numbers.

If you find something you enjoy learning about, your career will take care of itself.

Celebrate what makes you different. Applying maths to a commercial problem and communicating the outcomes is part of what makes me special. How about you?