Future Leader Profile: Selina So
 

Position: Data Science Lead for the Strategic Innovation Fund programme at Innovate UK 
 
I did not follow a linear journey throughout my career. I decided that I wanted to get more involved in analytical work later, because I was excited and intrigued about the potential of the advanced analytical tools and the insights that they could achieve.
 
Education: Biomedical Science BSc; Digital Technologies MSc 
 
Completing the master’s alongside my work was a great achievement for me personally, and it helped me to better support my team on generating more knowledge from our data. 
 
Leadership philosophy: Distributed leadership, where everyone is empowered to lead and is motivated and inspired by a shared vision  
 
Leadership should encourage meaningful interactions, inspiration, inclusivity, ethics, integrity and honesty. 
 
Aims as a Future Leader: To encourage people with ethnic minority backgrounds into statistics and data science, and to share unique insights and highlight challenges that are essential for the RSS to address in its commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion 
 
This is an exciting opportunity for me to play a pivotal role in shaping a more inclusive statistical community. 
 
Vision for statistics: People of all walks of life understand how to interpret charts and graphs shown to them. This is particularly important when there is an increase in fake information spread across the internet 
 
Statistical methodologies are becoming increasingly important with the advancements of AI, it’s crucial that our work considers the perspective of those who might be overlooked and be vulnerable to AI biases.  
 
Role models: Her grandad, who lived through some of the most challenging times in Hong Kong’s history , took a leadership role in his local community and supported those who struggled  
 
My mam is also a role model. She didn’t have an easy life coming to the UK in the 70s, but she persevered to give my sibling and I the opportunities we needed to take the right decisions for our own future. She encouraged us to study a degree, the first generation to do so in our family. 
 
Childhood dream job: Doctor for a developing country or a scientist 
 
I wanted to do a job which would help people and where I could make a difference. Right now, I feel I am doing a job which is making a difference for people by being part of the Net Zero community and ensuring that energy is accessible to all. 
 
Advice for aspiring data scientists: Always learn, and learn with and from others  
 
The area of data and AI is constantly evolving, and it is important to stay informed. Having a community around you is fundamental too, as working collaboratively and transferring knowledge will ensure that methods and technologies are applied in the best possible way. 
 
Hobbies: Lego, reading murder mysteries and non-fiction, and sometimes crochet. Also eating and cooking, and trying new foods and restaurants from all over the world