Maggie McGlenn, a First San Francisco Partners Data Analyst, helps our clients make sense of their data, ensuring it’s organized, accessible and valuable for their decision-making.
Joining FSFP initially as an intern, Maggie has expanded her expertise in data governance and recently earned her Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) Associate certification.
In this Meet the Team profile, Maggie shares how she got her start in data governance, what excites her about the field, the FSFP value she’s seen in action recently and even her go-to DoorDash order. Read on to get to know Maggie!
If you had to describe your FSFP role to a third-grader, how would you explain it?
I would tell them I go to meetings and work on the computer (and see if that answers their question ). If that doesn’t, I would explain that I am a data analyst, which means I help make sure companies understand the information they have so they can make decisions.
For example, imagine the long receipt you get when grocery shopping. That receipt has all sorts of information the grocery store might want to know about— like if you always buy Pop-Tarts, the store will want to keep Pop-Tarts stocked. My job is to help make sure the receipts the grocery store has are organized so they can see that third-graders really like Pop-Tarts and should always keep them stocked.
If you can’t find the data or trust it, it is useless.
What do you enjoy most about working in the data management and governance industry?
I love working to help make data more useful for real people in real-life situations. Data management and governance are essential for making data both accessible and trustworthy. If you can’t find the data or trust it, it is useless.
I find that much of the work in making data more accessible and trustworthy involves helping people within an organization communicate across different departments. I love the challenge of translating technical data needs into business language and vice versa.
My advice: Reach out to people you see doing work you are interested in and learn as much as you can.
What advice would you offer people interested in breaking into this field?
I started working at FSFP as a college intern in 2021 out of what felt like pure luck. I knew I loved data but did not know the first thing about breaking into the field. I reached out to one of my childhood bestie’s parents — one of the only people I knew working in data — and asked for an informational interview.
Now, here I am years later, getting to work with smart people, learning all sorts of new things and expanding my understanding of what it means to work in this field. My advice: Reach out to people you see doing work you are interested in and learn as much as you can.
It also doesn’t hurt to keep learning skills tailored to the field you are interested in. Since starting full time at FSFP, I have gotten my Collibra Solutions Architect and CDMP certifications. The certification processes helped me understand the language, content and structure of the data governance and management field on a deeper level.
FSFP lives by its FIRST (focus, integrity, resourcefulness, skillfulness, teamwork) values. Thinking back over the last few weeks, which values have you or others demonstrated?
Dr. Becky Lyons, my wonderful people manager, and I have been working on developing content around business cases for FSFP. Becky has been incredibly resourceful during this project, pulling information from a myriad of other projects and repurposing materials for presentations, FSFP blog posts and more.
Working from home, as we all do at FSFP, has its perks. What would you order if you could get a free lunch from DoorDash today?
I would get the vegetarian lunch special from this great little Palestinian deli not too far from where I live. It’s local, delicious and usually lasts me at least two meals.
What’s your favorite activity after hours when you’re not working with FSFP clients?
I am a big sewing enthusiast. And, luckily for me, a surprisingly high number of our employees participate in some form of fiber arts, which has been a fun way to bond.
I also run a lot, see as much live music as I can, explore the great city of Chicago and spend time with my family and friends.
We hope you enjoyed the latest installment in our Meet the Team series. Check out our other team member interviews to learn more about the talented people who make FSFP tick.
