Delivering robust data solutions
Kate Hodge, Data & Analytics Solution Architect
Kate Hodge is a Data Architect and leads the Group Data & Analytics team. She works with people throughout the company to understand their data requirements and then works with the team to deliver them. Her team builds a range of solutions from internal reports to complex client facing systems.
QWhy is the kind of work you do at RPS important? And what does it mean to you personally?
Data is fundamental to any business and RPS is rapidly becoming a data driven consultancy. But it’s no use stored away and unused, or even sitting in plain sight if no one knows its value. I’ve gained a lot of experience of our data throughout my career at RPS from support, system admin, and software development. It's very rewarding to be able to bring all of that knowledge together to benefit the solutions we build and in turn benefit the talented people throughout the company using them.
Quick Q&A
If we asked you to choose a woman scientist/ecologist/pioneer people should know more about, who would you pick?
Definitely Ada Lovelace, who is widely considered to be the first computer programmer. I love that she was basically commissioned to translate an article from Italian to English, and did so, but added her own ‘notes’ as an appendix that was three times longer, much more detailed and contained new novel concepts!
What job did you want when you were growing up?
I did my high school work experience at a veterinary surgery - sadly there was no ‘trainee data architect’ on offer! I don’t think I was really that serious about being a vet or veterinary nurse, but it was nice spending a couple of weeks working with animals!
QWhat advice would you give to your younger self?
A few years ago I took my children to a park. There was no graffiti except written on one of the pieces of play equipment in marker pen was the message “be who you want to be”. This seemed very poignant to me, as a trans woman. I thought “the kids are right!”.
I’d like to let my younger self know that – it would have saved a lot of worrying! I think everyone should embrace this advice. Everything else will follow.
QThis year’s International Women’s Day theme is ‘Break the bias’, how will you support this?
I’m really keen to promote gender equality from a young age. My children (both boys) are growing up knowing that whilst women and girls have had limits placed on them because of their gender, they are not limited by their gender.