McKinsey & Company chief technology officer and platform officer and Zicklin School of Business alumna Jacky Wright from the graduating class of 1986, returned to campus for the “Women in Data” event – the latest fireside chat from the college’s partnership with the New York Jobs CEO Council.
Wright has a plethora of executive experiences in the field of data analytics. She formerly held chief information and digital officer roles at General Electric Co., BP and HM Revenue & Customs for the United Kingdom government. Before joining McKinsey in November 2022, Wright served as chief digital officer at Microsoft for three years.
In a sitdown interview with The Ticker, Wright spoke about her core values.
“Your mindset drives your value system, the ethos of who you are, and what’s important to you,” Wright said, emphasizing the role knowing one’s roots play in sparking grow. “Growth has been a combination of exposure, continuous learning,” Wright said. She added that career and professional development are a balance between self-awareness and the willingness to challenge oneself.
During a fireside chat with Baruch President S. David Wu, Wright discussed the importance of this balanced approach, while also acknowledging an external factor in career success: inclusion. President Wu asked her to expand on how to foster an inclusive environment. Wright said to be intentional about involving others in group settings. To emphasize this value, she struck up an anecdote, recalling a time when she was the only woman in a meeting. After struggling to speak up in a meeting room, her boss reminded her of the validity she had in being at that table.
“It’s really hard to get a word in edgewise with all these men here beating their chests and trying to one-up each other,” she recalled answering her boss after he questioned her silence during the meeting. “‘’Jacky, just know that you have a right to be at the table,” she recalled her boss saying. “Whenever you walk into that room, you have a right to be there. When we go into meetings, if you want to speak, give me a nod or a wink.’”
Wright credited that moment for teaching her the power of inclusion and that a leader’s responsibility is to “create the right environment where everyone can thrive.” Wright’s fireside chat with Wu was then followed by a panel with Cheryl Littman, CUNY’s chief data strategist, and Kendell Timmers, senior vice president of data analytics, science and insights at CNN.
The panel was moderated by Erika Carlson, senior director for data strategy at the New York Jobs CEO Council. Wright and the panelists encouraged students to consider a career in data analytics, and said that “data is the new currency in the world” and the skills learned can be transferred to other industries.
The panelists noted a shift in today’s business decision making; when decisions would have been made instinctively, with data playing a supporting role, first, data now serves as the primary instrument in modern decision making.
This shift is an attractive change for students, Wright said, because it allows them to apply their analytical skills to any field of interest due to the high level of overall demand for data-driven decisions. Wright encouraged students wanting to apply their values and curiosity to this dynamic field to find their niche in what they enjoy.
“You’ve got to figure out that north star and make sure you’re crystal clear about what’s important to you,” Wright said.
