From Data Director to Freelance Consultant, Elizabeth Hollinger, Ex-Director of Insight at Aggreko

In this episode, Adam is joined by Elizabeth Hollinger, a freelance data and technology consultant based in Scotland. The pair discuss how Elizabeth's role as Director of Insight, Data, and Applications Development at Aggreko led to her subsequent career in consulting. 

Elizabeth worked at Aggreko for almost five years and spearheaded new data analysis procedures to help drive value and enhance decision-making across the business. This involved working with various teams to understand what the company needed to grow, and we hear how she managed that cross-team involvement with initiatives including an Insight Steerco. We also learn how Elizabeth worked to build a self-service cloud-first platform for the business's data to be stored for analysis and reporting and how she sold that technology to stakeholders.

Today, Elizabeth is a freelance data and technology consultant, taking all the insight and skills she's learned over her career and using them to help businesses best utilise their data to drive insights and make better decisions. She tells us about how she found that transition into freelancing and how important her connections in her network were for staying up to date with the industry trends after returning from maternity leave.

Together, Adam and Elizabeth discuss: 

• The use of company data to solve complex international growth challenges
• Leading efficient cross-team collaboration
• Strategies for streamlining organisational processes into a modern central hub
• The move to freelance consultancy and the importance of a strong network.

The Hypercube podcast sits down with leaders in the energy and utilities sectors to explore how data analytics can help businesses make smarter decisions and accelerate business growth.

Chapter Markers

[00:35] Introduction to Elizabeth, her consultancy work, and her time at Aggreko

[04:25] Using data to solve Aggreko's complex challenges

[09:02] The logistics of effective team collaboration  

[12:20] The value of strong consulting skills

[18:07] Streamlining company data to one central hub

[24:30] Elizabeth's journey into freelance consultancy

[27:00] The importance of networking as a data technology professional

[30:16] Elizabeth on the future of AI

Useful Links

Elizabeth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-hollinger-31055234/  

Aggreko's website: https://www.aggreko.com