Despite ongoing progress in the tech and analytics space, women still hold less than 30% of data leadership roles, per CIO.com.
And for those who’ve made it to the top, it can often feel isolating.
While data leadership may remain a male-dominated space across the industry, a growing network of over 70 women are creating something powerful: a trusted, off-the-record space to talk candidly and support one another.
The Enterprise Data Strategy Board’s quarterly Women in Data Huddles offer a place to talk about career growth, real-world struggles, and the things you can’t say anywhere else.
As one member put it: “This call is like therapy.”
Your Protected Space for Candid Conversations
In the Women in Data Huddles (and across the Enterprise Data Strategy Board), the discussion topics come straight from the members.
Every conversation is shaped by what’s top of mind for the women in attendance. When one member told the group she was being considered for her organization’s Chief Data Officer role, she received an outpouring of encouragement.
Whether it’s overcoming imposter syndrome, empowering mentorship, or acknowledging bias, this is a space for real talk. These huddles have sparked honest conversations like:
- What does the career path look like in data leadership—and how do you move up?
- What education or training has mattered most in your career trajectory?
- Has setting boundaries between work and life gotten easier or harder?
- Are women always supporting other women in this space? (Spoiler: It’s complicated.)
- How to overcome internal doubts and external perceptions that still linger in data roles.
- What happens when nearly all your stakeholders are men—and what cultural changes women leaders want to see?
These aren’t abstract topics. They’re lived experiences, and this huddle is where members finally feel safe enough to talk about them.
The Conversation Doesn’t End When the Call Does
Not every discussion in the Women in Data Huddle is centered on gender dynamics — often members dive into the practical, day-to-day realities of leading data teams.
When a huddle surfaced questions around job descriptions and role clarity, the group didn’t just leave it there.
Their Membership Director picked up the conversation and brought it into Fast Feedback — our private, facilitated forum where members continue the conversation and share real-world examples.
Within hours, one member, a VP of Enterprise Data and Analytics, jumped in with detailed job descriptions for key roles, including: Analytics Translator, Data Engineer, Data Governance Analyst, Data Scientist, and Data Visualizer.
Four more members followed, adding their own insights and examples to help peers benchmark and refine their org structures.
This is how a single question can spark a wave of peer support — all without needing to wait for the next meeting or navigate it alone.
Connecting With Women Driving Enterprise-Wide Data Strategy
Communities are only as valuable as the people in them, and that’s what sets the Enterprise Data Strategy Board apart. Unlike other peer groups, these conversations aren’t to just anyone.
Membership is exclusive to senior data leaders at large companies — those responsible for setting enterprise-wide data strategies, building teams, and driving transformation at scale.
That’s why conversations in the Women in Data Huddles resonate so deeply. They’re shaped by women who are leading from the front, like Apurva Wadodkar, VP of Enterprise Data at Autodesk, who shared her story in our Women Leaders in Data video series.
In every conversation, whether in a women’s huddle, through Fast Feedback, or in person at the Enterprise Data Strategy Practitioner Summit, you’re surrounded by true peers who understand the stakes and are here to help.
No Agendas. Just Honest, Supportive Conversations.
As a woman leading data at the enterprise level, you’re making high-stakes decisions, sometimes in rooms where you’re the only woman at the table, navigating unspoken dynamics plus all the typical challenges of your role.
That’s what makes a peer network so powerful. They offer a rare space where you can drop the pressure, speak freely, and get honest feedback from peers who know exactly what you’re navigating because they’re living it, too.
If you’re tired of figuring it out alone, the Enterprise Data Strategy Board is where you’ll find the peers who get it.
