Why a Career in Data & Analytics Has Been So Rewarding
By Elisa Koch, Head of Data and Analytics, AFL
I can’t quite believe I’m closing out my 23rd year working in Data & Analytics. Let’s just say I started my data career when I was six years old…
Even more surprising than the number itself is this: after more than two decades, I’m just as passionate about this profession today as I was when I first started. Not everyone is lucky enough to find a career that continues to challenge, energise and inspire them over that length of time, and I’m incredibly grateful that I did.
Over the years, my career in data has taken me across countries, companies, industries, and vastly different levels of data maturity. I’ve worked in environments where data was a competitive advantage, and others where the journey was only just beginning. While the contexts have been very different, there are a few common threads that explain why working in Data & Analytics has been so consistently rewarding for me.
1. It’s Technical, Strategic and Creative
Data & Analytics is one of the few disciplines that sits at the intersection of deep technical skill, business strategy, and creativity.
Yes, there are highly technical roles - data engineers, data scientists, platform specialists - and the technical craft really matters. But the best data professionals I’ve worked with understand something critical: every piece of work ultimately needs to connect back to a business outcome or strategic priority. Writing elegant code or building sophisticated models means very little if it doesn’t move the needle.
Equally important is the creative side of data. Getting the business engaged, excited, and confident in data products is often about how insights are presented and visualised. For the past six years, I’ve been lucky enough to work with an exceptional data visualisation expert. She is truly an artist - data just happens to be her medium. That creativity turns numbers into clarity and insights into action.
2. Data Is an Enabler for Every Function
One of the most rewarding aspects of working in data is that we enable everyone else to do their jobs better.
Data & Analytics doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It supports finance, marketing, operations, technology, product, strategy - every function across an organisation. That’s why training and upskilling are such a fundamental part of a data professional’s role.
We don’t fish for the business.
We teach others how to fish.
Helping teams build confidence in data, ask better questions, and make more informed decisions creates impact that extends far beyond any single dashboard or model. Watching that capability grow is deeply satisfying.
3. We Are Storytellers at Heart
At its core, Data & Analytics is about storytelling.
Data professionals are storytellers - we just use data as our language. Turning complexity into clarity, and insight into narrative, is one of the most powerful skills any professional can develop, regardless of role or seniority.
Strong storytelling is what bridges the gap between analysis and action. It’s how insights land, decisions get made and change actually happens. Data teams practise this craft every single day.
4. Data & Analytics People Are Special
Finally, it’s the people.
Data & Analytics professionals tend to be deeply curious. They ask questions. They challenge assumptions. They don’t accept “this is how we’ve always done it” as a sufficient answer. Many were high achievers early on, but what truly makes them smart is their relentless curiosity and desire to understand why.
They also genuinely love helping others. One of the greatest joys in this field is delivering that “gold nugget” insight - the one that sparks an “a-ha” moment and changes how someone sees a problem. That moment never gets old.
After 23 years, I can confidently say that Data & Analytics has given me intellectual challenge, creative expression, meaningful impact, and the opportunity to work with incredible people. If you’re early in your career and considering this field - or even contemplating a pivot - I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Here’s to many more years of curiosity, storytelling, and turning data into impact.
About the Author
Elisa has twenty years of experience as a Data & Analytics leader in both the US and Australia. She has worked in industries spanning finance, FMCG, retail, consulting, and technology at companies including Citigroup, Avon Products, Quantium, LinkedIn, Myer and now at the AFL.
Elisa has undergraduate degrees in Finance and Accounting from New York University and an MBA from both Columbia University and London Business School.
Elisa is passionate about leading businesses to be more data driven and sees herself as an objective advisor to the business. In every business including the AFL, Elisa believes data is one of its most important, and often undervalued, assets. In her role as a Data & Insights leader, Elisa strives to maximise the value and role of data in decision-making at all levels of the business.