Navigating Data and Analytics at Nordea

Marika's story is one of curiosity, confidence her own ability and courage. Marika shared insights into her professional journey, emphasising the pivotal role of curiosity and courage. Her natural curiosity has driven her and still does; to grasp the bigger picture, opening doors to countless opportunities. 

“My work journey is an evolution rather than a revolution” mentions Marika. Graduated from Industrial Engineering & Management, and started her career in data and analytics, followed by Customer Experience & Insights processes & finally Product Management within Data & Analytics. She emphasised the importance of continuous learning and the courage to jump into new challenges. Her own rule: keep 50% of your old experience and dive 50% into something new. 

Beyond her role as Head of Product Management, you'll catch her running, cross-country skiing, cycling around town or doing handicrafts like sewing her own clothes. Balancing these passions alongside her career and family, including her three-year-old son is a priority for Marika. 

The marriage of business and technology

In large organisations, data and analytics is the foundation that supports every aspect of operations, ensuring that data is organised, trusted, and easily accessible for all individuals within the organisation. At Nordea, the journey of delivering big data and analytics within a large-scale organisation is characterised by the marriage between business and technology. 

We blend business smarts with tech-savvy to enable data and analytics and deliver solutions across our organisation. Our solutions revolve around three key pillars:
 

• Data Sources: We aggregate data from disparate sources, ensuring its availability and accessibility across the organisation.
• Big Data Platform: A centralised platform facilitates the collection and processing of vast amounts of data, empowering data-driven decision-making.
• Analytics Solutions: Leveraging advanced analytics, we derive actionable insights from data, enabling personalised customer experiences and informed strategic decisions.

Our focus extends beyond data aggregation; it includes data governance, quality assurance, and the exploration of emerging technologies such as AI and ML. Basically, we need to ensure the data can be trusted, that we follow regulations and that the data is available and accessible. 

Delivering Solutions: The Nordea Approach

At Nordea, the adoption of agile methodologies has been instrumental in redefining our ways of working.  We embrace scaled agile practices which supports facilitating collaboration and alignment across teams.   

Working as a capability leader in a Scaled Agile (SAFe) setup at Nordea means working with cross-functional agile teams. Our agile release train includes teams of Product Owners, Scrum Masters, IT Analysts, Data Engineers, Quality Assurance Engineers, DevOps and Operations and they are all responsible for end-to-end delivery for various business needs, without anything in between. For example, leading a team of 9 product owners and acting as a line manager, ”my role is not to decide what my team does, rather I ensure that they are the best version of themselves” underlines Marika. Her main focus is not on what they do, but how they do it. Working in such a set-up comes with challenges and opportunities, “ I am still trying to balance what we do and how we do it” adds Marika. “The most important thing is to listen to my team’s needs, helping them grow and keeping things moving forward”.

For those aspiring to start a career in data analytics curiosity is key. Nowadays business and tech are married so if you come with a business background, you need to have a certain curiosity about technology, while developers need to cultivate a curiosity for the business. “Don’t get stuck in your own silos, and keep your ears open. This is where the opportunities are” recommends Marika. 

As Kaarina and Marika shared their stories and insights, a common thread emerged – the importance of collaboration, courage, and continuous growth. Read Kaarina’s story (ADD CTA) and deep dive into her work journey into the world Identity Management “ a place where understanding the rules before playing the game” is crucial. The celebration of women in tech on International Women's Day served as a reminder of the importance of role models and the potential that lies within each of us.