The world’s leading publication for data science, AI, and ML professionals.

Chatting with a Data Expert From Google, Christina Stathopoulos!

A Googler, Adjunct Professor, Guest Lecturer at ISDI, public speaker, and thought leader!

Image provided by Christina
Image provided by Christina

Introduction

The same way that I write articles to share my advice and opinions for others to learn from, I personally like to reach out to others to hear about their story, advice, and wisdom to learn from them as well!

Christina Stathopoulos is actually one of the first few people that recognized my writing and shared one of my articles back in March! Since then, she has selflessly provided me with guidance and support around my career and data analytics in general.

And so, I thought it would be extremely valuable to give Christina an opportunity to share some of her experiences and wisdom with the rest of you!

If you want to learn more about Google, Data Science, data science AT Google, or some invaluable career advice, keep reading.

With that said, I introduce to you a Googler, Adjunct Professor at IE Business School, guest lecturer, public speaker, and thought leader, Christina!


1. To learn a little bit more about you, how did you go from civil engineering to data analytics? What sparked the change?

I followed an unconventional journey to get to where I am today, a winding path that led me from the US to Spain, through multiple degrees and varying industry experience.

It is a long story but I will try to summarize it.

I grew up with a love for mathematics and statistics, so initially began my Bachelor’s studies in Civil Engineering at North Carolina State University. I quickly realized it wasn’t for me though and changed to an interdisciplinary field called Science, Technology, and Society with a focus on Statistics.

Upon completion of my Bachelor’s in 2012, I moved abroad from the US to Madrid, Spain with the intention of staying just 1 year. My inspiration for moving was to get the chance to live in another country, learn a new language, and travel the world before settling into my professional career. I never left though and it has now been over 8 years! Thus far, in my 8 years living abroad, I have developed a strong career in data analytics while also completing both my Masters in Business Analytics and Big Data and an Executive MBA, becoming fluent in Spanish and traveling through more than 50 countries for both business and leisure.

I have kept myself quite busy and although my journey along the way has varied – I spent my first 3 years in Spain working as a Business English consultant, far from my statistics studies – I found a way to connect every experience and learned skill back to my development as a data analytics professional and thought leader.

I am now an Analytical Consultant at Google, Adjunct Professor at IE Business School, Guest Lecturer at ISDI, and an active public speaker and thought leader supporting data analytics, emerging technologies, and women in tech.


2. I’m sure many people are wondering, what is your favorite part about working at Google?

There are many benefits to working at Google so this is a tough question!

Pre-pandemic, one of my favorite things was the in-office perks like the delicious free meals and ping pong. But since the pandemic hit and we moved remote, these perks have become replaced with the chance to make the most of working from home.

Besides in-office perks, one of the best things about working at Google is being surrounded by such self-motivated, innovative, and clever colleagues. I am surrounded by great ideas and a fast-moving work environment, and in that sense, constantly pushed to my own full potential and challenged to think outside of the box to find solutions to complex tasks.


3. Through your consulting experience and implementing several complex data projects, what is the biggest need that businesses have today from a data analytics perspective?

In my opinion, one of the biggest needs that businesses have today is making sense of the data and technology landscape and then connecting it to the business side.

We lack enough skilled communicators and project managers who can connect the business side to current technological advancements and bring an idea or a product to life. These same communicators are the ones who would have to ‘sell’ a technical idea up to the C-level, which requires a rare combination of skills in the market today.

Furthermore, businesses are being swamped in data and pressured to find the value within it. Data scientists and data engineers have become the most important asset for a company to have today, and I believe will become even more so.


4. What is your favorite statistical concept and why?

I have 2 favorite statistical concepts, 2 theorems that form the core of statistical analysis: the Central Limit Theorem and the Law of Large Numbers.

Although we are moving into a more ‘big data’ world where for the first time, we find ourselves in scenarios where we actually have the full population data at hand, we are still limited and encounter many situations where we are not able to feasibly collect or analyze so much data at once.

These theorems are still very relevant and the assumptions they allow us to make mean we can safely perform many statistical techniques, extrapolating results from a sample to give a solid estimate for the entire population.


5. What data-related concept do you think is the most important to know inside out?

I wouldn’t necessarily say a concept, I would say one data-related language is essential for anyone wanting to work hands-on in the field, and that language is SQL or Structured Query Language.

If you want to work in the data world then you need to know SQL inside out. It is THE programming language for databases, used by database administrators, analysts, and data scientists alike to define and manipulate data in relational databases.

We hear a lot of hype about languages like Python and R, which are also very important, but neither is as prominently used as SQL, which has been in high demand for almost half a century now.


6. Lastly, do you have any advice for those that are getting into statistics and/or data science?

There are a couple of pieces of advice that I always give to those wanting to succeed in this field.

The first is to not underestimate the power of networking. You can attend local events, connect with others in your field, and most importantly, use LinkedIn to build a strong community and your own brand.

Another point is to get into the habit of continuous learning early on. The world of data and technology is rapidly changing, so you have to always stay up-to-date with the latest trends. You can update your knowledge regularly by taking online courses, getting hands-on practice in Kaggle competitions, pursuing new degrees or bootcamps, following the content of thought leaders, and reading the latest news in the field.

My favorite source for news is the Emerging Tech Brew, a part of the Morning Brew, an email newsletter that covers the latest and most relevant global news pieces.

Lastly, and connecting back to continuous learning, read books! I have hosted the #bookaweekchallenge on LinkedIn for years with the aim of encouraging others to get off of their screens and pick up good habits like reading books. There are many great books out there on data science. Some of my favorite non-technical ones include Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz and Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neil.


Thanks for Reading!

I hope you enjoyed my chat with Christina! It was a really big privilege to be able to chat with someone who’s wearing several hats at the same time. It’s interesting to see how non-linear her career path was, and yet, it all seemed to connect so well.

If you want to learn more about her #bookaweekchallenge, check out her LinkedIn.

As always, thanks for reading and I wish you the best in your endeavors.

Not sure what to read next? I’ve picked another article for you:

Interviewing StatQuest’s Founder and CEO, Josh Starmer!

Terence Shin


Related Articles