What do you do at Meta?

I manage a team of data engineers who build the capabilities we need to make data-driven decisions and improve our products. For example, if we launch a new feature, my team processes data so we can learn whether people are getting value or if we need to make changes or fix anything.

What’s your favourite part of your job?

I get to be involved with everything that is happening with the Workplace product, as well as work with people in many different roles and from different backgrounds.

What’s been your proudest moment at Meta so far?

Learning about our vision for the metaverse, and how important our work is as part of that. I feel proud knowing that I’m working on a really key part of the ‘future of work’.

What’s your favorite Workplace feature?

Posts are an amazing way for everyone to have a voice and to get their ideas out there. With Posts, you can talk about work and learn what else is happening in the company, but also find your community.

What inspired you to pursue a career path in data engineering?

I started my career as a software engineer but always gravitated towards the data side of projects. Eventually I moved into BI (business intelligence) as a developer and worked on analytics, before we started calling that ‘data engineering’. I enjoy turning raw data into something meaningful for people and helping my team to make better decisions.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

You always have to be learning and following your interests. If you want to be good at something, you also have to love the process.

If you could pick three words to describe your team, what would they be?

Inquisitive, skillful, community.

Which three words do you think your team would use to describe you?

Experienced, empathetic, knowledgeable.

What advice would you give someone who’d like to work at Workplace?

Workplace is a business product, it’s quite different from most of our other offerings which are consumer focused. We often need to focus more on trust and quality than on constantly shipping new things.

What piece of tech can you not live without?

My Kindle!

What would we usually find you doing on the weekend?

Spending time with family - maybe at the park with the kids!

Can you recommend a good book you’ve recently read?

I recently re-read Shogun by James Clavell. I like historical fiction in general, so I would also recommend Wolf Hall as one of my all-time favorites.

What would be the coolest thing to experience in the metaverse?

I’d love to feel like I’m in the same room as my family back in Australia when we catch up! It would be a lot of fun to interact with them in the metaverse.

What do you foresee as the big trends for data engineering in 2022 and beyond?

I think there will be a continuing drive towards privacy as a fundamental part of data processing when it comes to building products. I also think there will be more of a focus on bringing data and insights to people where they really need them to make important decisions.