Anna Ashton-Scott is Head of Skills at The Data Lab Innovation Centre. Her work involves creating training & development opportunities for people from university students to CEOs to ensure they gain valuable skills for the future of work. Anna joined The Data Lab in 2019 & has worked in the higher education sector for more than 20 years, previously holding positions at the University of Glasgow, King’s College London, & the University of Edinburgh, specialising in corporate communications, knowledge exchange, partnerships, & skills development. She has an undergraduate degree in English Literature & History of Art from the University of Glasgow, & a Masters in Arts & Cultural Management from Queen Margaret University.
First career aspiration as a child?
I wanted to be a vet – I used to open up the stitching of my soft toys and mess around with the stuffing for a bit and then gently close them up again and treat them very kindly for a bit as they ‘recovered’.
Does your mum know your career is?
Not exactly, but I think she gets it – she actually went back to university in the late 90s to do a masters in IT and had a couple of jobs in that area for a number of years, so understood back then that tech was changing things and wanted to be part of it.
Big inspiration in your life?
My mum always had interesting jobs & was a single parent, so that has definitely inspired my career choices – understanding that work can open up new opportunities, introduce you to new interesting people, & that a career doesn’t need to be the same thing the whole way through, it can be wiggly and doesn’t have to be boring. I also think I learned from her that I wanted to helping others through my work and an understanding of the power of education to change lives – this has always been at the heart of what I do.
What attracted you to a career in tech?
I would say that my career is tech enabled and tech adjacent rather than actually working “in” tech. My academic qualifications are all arts & humanities subjects, but through my work in corporate communications & programme management I have overseen many digital transformation projects & have always been excited by the potential of technology to make my work more effective. My work brings me into contact with all types of organisations and I love the variety. I see my role as a translator, to help make complex ideas accessible to people who may not think they belong in those spaces. I’m really proud of the work that I have done to encourage women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds to upskill & increase their confidence in data & AI, because it’s really important to have diverse voices in tech.
Your spirit animal?
It would probably have to be a cat – they don’t care what people think, are fiercely independent, & can make sleeping on gravel look comfortable.