Women in Data: Meet Data Science Leader Sarah Denman

The latest installment in our Q&A series with women leaders in data features Sarah Denman, vice president of data science at 84.51°. (Read our previous Q&A here.) 

Sarah Denman knows all about managing large groups of people. She leads a team of more than 50 data scientists at 84.51°, a retail data science company that supports The Kroger Co. (FYI: Her company’s name is a reference to the longitudinal location of its Cincinnati office.) She’s also the mom of six energetic kids. Over the past 16 years, Denman has worked her way across nearly all areas of the business, in roles such as data scientist, analysis director, and strategic consultant. You can follow her on LinkedIn here.

What do you love most about working with data?

I love solving problems and doing puzzles and I greatly enjoy hearing a business problem and thinking through how to use data and analytical methods to solve that problem. I currently oversee approximately 55 data scientists in my area who are all incredibly smart and gifted and interacting with them is one of the best parts of my role.

What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far?

The term “imposter syndrome” has become more popular in recent years, and I think it does a good job of describing the confidence issues that many of us have. This is a field with incredibly smart people who have very diverse skills and technology that changes very quickly, and it can be easy to start questioning your own abilities and lose confidence. I have had to learn over time that I cannot compare myself to others and that the skills that I bring to the table are valuable and necessary. Having diverse skillsets is actually a requirement for high-performing teams, so we need to appreciate and embrace that diversity. 

Best advice you’d give to other women aspiring for a leadership role in data? 

Be confident in your abilities but also be willing to continue to learn. The technical parts of this field are rapidly changing, and it can feel impossible to keep up with it at times. It’s OK to not know everything at any given point in time, but you need to remain confident in your ability to learn and be willing to continue to do so. 

Fun fact about yourself?

I am a mom of six children, ranging in age from 4 to 19. They are all very active in sports (taekwondo, lacrosse, soccer, hockey) and they keep me very busy! 

Did you know? We produced our first Women in Data Management and Governance half-day conference at Enterprise Data World 2024. Hear the live recording and join the community by signing up for our Women in Data Management and Governance newsletter.