World

Data science is transforming the way the world works. And yet it’s no secret that there aren’t enough women pursuing a career in STEM. At Experian, we’d love to see that change.  It’s better for everyone when industries are diverse; it makes us all stronger, more creative and more effective. Part of encouraging new generations into our industry means recognising and celebrating the achievements of the female role models working in data today. That’s why we’re thrilled to sponsor this year’s Women in Data (WiD) conference, an event designed to help inspire, educate and support women in the industry.  Women like Experian’s Sarah Robertson, who recently shared her story with leading women’s publication, We Are The City, and who will be sitting on our panel session at the event. We want to have a workforce that’s as rich in diversity as the people who use our services. That’s one of the many reasons we’re so excited by WiD’s mission. Together we hope to empower and encourage women into the data science industry, supporting the next generation of data scientists who can help shape the future. You can find out more about the WiD community on our recent podcast.

Every day we work with companies doing amazing things with their data.  We are therefore delighted to be sponsoring the very first Experian ‘Data Excellence’ award at this year’s Lloyds Bank National Business Awards.  It gives us the chance to celebrate organisations for their innovative thinking and excellent use of data - an area we at Experian are very passionate about. The quality of entries for this category was high, showcasing some real-life examples of how data-driven solutions can not only deliver better outcomes for customers, but also embrace the opportunities presented by an ever-changing data landscape.  However, there could only be one winner. So, we are pleased to announce that Cleveland Police are the deserving recipient of the inaugural award for their ‘Golden Nominal’ project – an initiative which demonstrates how the power of better data can have a positive impact on policing. The project responds to the huge challenge that having vast, unquantifiable number of duplicate records was posing on delivering an efficient and appropriate response to the community.  And not only has it far surpassed targets in terms of reducing duplicates, most importantly it’s provided opportunities to serve the community better and identify those most vulnerable far more quickly. Such was its innovative nature, the project was recognised at a national level by the Home Office, who provided co-funding from its Innovation Fund – a fantastic result for them.  The award was presented by Experian’s Chief Data Officer, Jonathan Westley, to Maria Hopper from Cleveland Police at the awards ceremony in London. She said:  “We’re absolutely thrilled to be named as winners of the ‘Data Excellence’ award.  Our data initiative allowed us to solve a challenge that was hindering our ability to respond quickly and accurately to those who need it most in our community.  For us, winning this award is fantastic recognition of the critical role that data plays in delivering positive policing and keeping people safe.” To hear more from Maria, you can watch this short video. We would like to congratulate Cleveland Police on a well-deserved award win, along with all the other winners on the night. To find out more, you can visit the National Business Awards website.

The following is written by Jan Barratt, Experian. We owe everything to the millions who lost their lives in the Great War, fighting for our freedom.  Without their sacrifice, the world we know would be a very different place. This November marks a whole century since the guns finally fell silent on WW1. It’s only fitting we use this landmark anniversary to remember and celebrate everything they did for us. The Games of Remembrance 2018 is an opportunity to do exactly that. Inspired by a generation’s love of football and its ability to unify, The Games of Remembrance harnesses the power of the beautiful game to remind us all of the immense bravery and sacrifice of millions.  We’re proud to sponsor the Games and to play a small part in helping those memories live on and to commemorate the people who lost their lives in the conflict. Furthermore, we’re thrilled that this year’s celebration comes to Nottingham, a place where Sir John Peace, Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, and the late Eric Barnes built up Experian from its roots almost 50 years ago. Today, we employ more than 2,000 people across the East Midlands region. We’re proud to be sponsoring the Games of Remembrance, and we are proud to be part of the Nottingham community. We remember.

We’re committed to creating a better tomorrow for consumers, clients, our people and our communities. Experian enables life’s biggest moments and ambitions through the confident use of data. We’re unlocking the power of this data to help people access the essentials they need to fulfil their life ambitions. As the world’s largest credit bureau operator, we have an important role to play in enabling access to finance for millions of people who could otherwise be excluded from mainstream credit and services. We help people prove who they are and build a strong financial track record. Our data and analytics also gives lenders – our clients – the information they need to make fairer, faster decisions for people who are applying for credit. We deliver our purpose through our core business activities, our social innovation products and solutions, and our corporate responsibility (CR) programme. One of these initiatives is the annual One Young World competition. One Young World was founded in 2009 with the intent of bringing together young talent from around the world who are passionate about creating social change to address the most pressing issues the world faces. For the sixth year, Experian is proud to support One Young World and every year, we send five ambassadors, one from each of our regions, to attend the summit. To become a One Young World Experian ambassador, employees were asked to submit a proposal for a new product, partnership or initiative that supports our brand purpose of Creating a Better Tomorrow. The winning submissions, one from each region, were selected to become ambassadors. Over the coming months, they will work with employees across the organisation to bring their ideas to fruition. Meet the five Experian ambassadors we will be sending to the summit in October and the projects they will be driving throughout the year to create a better tomorrow. Be sure to follow @Experian on Twitter as we’ll be posting live updates from the event in October! Jessica Childs Jessica works in the Experian Marketing Services - Product Team in North America. She has worked at Experian for almost two and a half years. Last October, she went to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to help people upended by the hurricanes. This experience inspired her to think about how Experian can use data to help people who are at the highest financial risk after natural disasters. Her project is made up of two parts: preparing for a disaster and understanding the financial risks posed by natural disasters; and disaster recovery which involves providing tools and resources to be successful after a natural disaster. “I am so excited to be selected as one of Experian’s 2018 One Young World Ambassadors and to continue my work that I started almost a year ago to help victims of natural disasters who are at the highest financial risk. The amount of natural disasters continues to increase year-over-year and while there has been an incredible outpouring of volunteers and support, there is always more to be done to not only educate those at risk, but also identify victims and help mitigate the inevitable financial repercussions.” Tanya Kostadinova Tanya is part of Decision Analytics, based in Bulgaria. She has worked at Experian for a year. Early this year, Tanya participated in a giving back day, organised by the Experian CSR team in Bulgaria, to paint houses for orphaned children and children in foster care. Inspired by what she saw, her idea involves creating an application for these children to give them the best start in life. The application would include information about their labour and healthcare rights, financial advice, advice on how to find a job, and this information will be presented in simple videos and easy-to-follow quizzes. “I am very happy and excited to be working on my project. I believe this idea will increase financial education and will help these vulnerable groups of people. In this way, we will create a better tomorrow not only for them but for all of us as society.” Larissa Alfino Larissa is part of our Internal Communications team based in Brazil and has been at Experian for a year. Larissa’s project is called Open Windows, it’s a global project aimed at promoting socioeconomic empowerment for refugees by breaking down social barriers, providing essential advice and helping them to gain access to credit and social services. This information would be served through an app allied with a network of partnership with financial and social institutions for a healthy social integration. “I am honoured to have the opportunity to be part of Experian’s One Young World Ambassadors and connect with other young leaders to create a better tomorrow. Many refugees are living extremely tough lives and Open Windows would be a simple and affordable way to help financially empower them.” Laura Thomas Laura is part of our Community Involvement team in the UK&I and has worked at Experian for almost 18 months. It’s predicted that there are over 40 million people trapped in modern slavery across the globe and Laura’s idea focuses on how Experian can help find and support these people. The projects aim is to develop the Experian Modern Slavery Assistance Programme – a collection of products that could be used in partnership with anti-slavery charities to identify people being kept in slavery and help rebuild the financial identities of those freed from slavery. “I am so pleased and excited to have been selected as one of Experian’s One Young World Ambassadors for 2018. It’s an amazing feeling to be chosen and I’m eagerly anticipating all that the summit has to offer.” Jasmine Rodil Jasmine is a Product Management Associate in the Credit Services Product Management team, based in Sydney, and has worked with the company for three months. An estimated 39 million people living in India are pushed into poverty each year because of healthcare expenses (a figure that is expected to rise) and Jasmine wants to do something about it. Her vision is to create a Health and Wellness indicator to improve a person’s ability to afford and access healthcare in India. The project would involve using data to look at the patient’s journey to access healthcare and the issues they face and suggest actions to gain access to quality healthcare and health insurance. “I am not only grateful to have been selected as one of Experian’s 2018 One Young World Ambassadors but I am proud to be amongst such a talented and amazing cohort of people with the same passion as myself, to drive change.” Our Ambassadors are currently collating their top takeaways on this year’s One Young World summit in the Netherlands – we’ll be updating this blog with those insights very soon so make sure you come back to have a read about their experience.  

This article is by Michele Bodda, general manager of Experian Mortgage, and co-sponsor of Experian’s PRIDE employee resource group (ERG) Like most of us in the LGBT+ community, my coming out story is more like an unfinished novel than a tightly worded chapter in a book once read and forgotten on a bookshelf. It unfolded over the years. I wasn’t always confident enough to be fully out, but I never pretended to be something I wasn’t. For me, there wasn’t a day of reckoning or a loud declaration. I arrived at this point over the years, and there were two pivotal incidents that served as catalysts for me. First, after working at Experian for several years, a male colleague stunned me when he said his feelings were hurt that I didn’t trust him enough to bring my whole self to work. I was dumbstruck by his frankness and desire to know the real me. And second, I realized I couldn’t ask my children to go through life with two moms confidently and comfortable if I wasn’t truly authentic in every aspect of my life as well. For me, coming out happens again and again. I will always need the quiet confidence to say, “I’m a mom, a daughter, a friend. I’m an executive. And yes, I am gay.” When Experian asked me to lead our company’s LGBT+ ERG, I took a moment of pause. Yes, this was a big decision, but ultimately, drawing on that confidence, it was an easy decision to make. In light of the 30th anniversary of National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, I want to assure people wondering if acknowledging diversity is significant, it is. The difficulty some of our LGBT+ colleagues face making daily decisions about where they can be fully present aren’t merely insecurities. They are the realities of being LGBT+. No federal law exists protecting the rights of employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the United States. In 28 U.S. states, employees aren’t afforded state-level protection for sexual orientation, meaning they can be fired for being lesbian, gay or bisexual, and it’s even worse for transgender members of the workforce. The fear is real for many members of the LGBT+ community – but so is the motivation to seek change and create an inclusive workforce in America. Just imagine working in America if everyone felt as safe as I do to bring their whole selves to work? The mental and emotional energy I expended hiding my whole self from my colleagues many years ago saddens me. Could I have bonded with others quicker, positively affecting team performance and achieving goals faster? Could I have helped someone else know it was OK to be fully themselves at Experian and watched them confidently come into work every day? Today, I’m not raising my voice for myself. I’m raising it on behalf of talented LGBT+ employees across the country and to tell business leaders that the economic results they’ll receive by instilling and nurturing inclusion is worth it. According to research presented at Deloitte’s IMPACT 2017 conference, organizations with inclusive cultures are six times more likely to be innovative, six times more likely to anticipate change and respond effectively, and twice as likely to meet or exceed financial targets. It’s the right thing to do. I feel fortunate to have spent the last 20 years at a company that is overt in saying it’s OK to be who you are: You are not only welcomed here, you belong here.

The following is written by Alison Sharp, Experian. Mental illness affects thousands of people in the UK, their friends, families and work colleagues. In fact, one in four of us will be affected by mental health issues at some stage of our lives. It's hard enough to experience mental health problems, without having to face the judgement, shame and isolation that often surrounds it. Today is World Mental Health Day, an opportunity for us, and others, to help raise awareness of mental health issues. However, our work to change the way people think and act about mental health problems doesn’t stop here. I am proud that our MD, Charles Butterworth, signed the Time to Change pledge last month, to help bring an end to mental health discrimination and show our commitment to supporting mental health awareness. Signing the pledge marks the beginning of a shift to make sure well-being and mental health support becomes the norm for us. I believe that the workplace should be an environment where everyone can thrive, no matter who they are. Experian joins the wide movement of more than 800 organisations that have signed the Time to Change pledge, including E.ON, British Gas, Ernst & Young, Transport for London, Royal Mail, Barclays, Shell, Pepsico, the Church of England, Sunday Mirror, Marks and Spencer, WH Smiths and many NHS trusts, universities, and local authorities. At Experian, we are dedicated to making colleagues feel more support and connected to the help we have, as and when they need it. I truly believe that mental health is something that shouldn’t be brushed off or pushed aside and I hope that if you are suffering, or know someone that is, that you have the courage to reach out for support because after all, it is OK to not be OK.

As businesses, we want to know our consumers and their habits so we can offer the best customer experience possible, whether in store or online.

The world in 2018 is defined by data. Vast quantities of information flow through our lives like threads across an elaborate tapestry. On a micro level, these threads bind the business world together. But they also come together to weave a picture of the economy that is colourful, detailed, and uniquely fascinating. At Experian, we process more than 1.5 billion records per year, making us specialists in the processing and understanding of this data - and in making sure it is used for the benefit of consumers and businesses. To share our unique perspective, we’ve created our first ever Spending Power Index. The index looks at the UK’s income and spending habits, including both a detailed view of the present, and insight into longer term trends and the nation’s changing preferences. Giving businesses the bigger picture Stepping back from day-to-day business to look at the whole economy is a chance to identify new opportunities and work out the best ways of adapting to new challenges. The insights we’re providing through the Spending Power Index are designed to fuel that process by offering a view of existing and emerging trends across all demographic segments of the UK economy. What is the Spending Power Index? We’ve defined ‘Spending Power’ as a combination of key factors: Average income growth over time Levels of spending for one demographic group when compared to another Levels of spending as a proportion of incomes These combined factors reveal a wealth of hidden information about income and spending. All these insights have been drawn from Experian’s modelled data using secondary sources such as our ‘Financial Strategy Segmentation’ (FSS) tool. The data for this comes from a range of publicly and commercially available sources, such as the edited Electoral Roll, the UK Census and permission-based market research data taken, for example, from the lifestyle questionnaires many of us complete. New insights and confirming market trends Some of the insights revealed by the index have been surprising, while others fit into social trends that are already well understood. We found some areas of significant shift, such as the movement away from owning possessions and towards spending on life experiences. But we also confirmed some new and fascinating trends such as the emergence of Generation X’s forty somethings as the biggest earners and spenders in the UK economy. Find out more by reading the full Spending Power Index report here.  

In our increasingly digital world, there’s a growing expectation among consumers to only receive personal and relevant content from brands.