The latest installment in our Q&A series with women in data features Flavia Saldanha, a consulting data engineer and data strategist at Fifth Third Bank (Read our previous Q&A here.)
Flavia Saldanha has worked in data for the past 15 years, currently serving as a data engineer consultant at Fifth Third Bank – guiding the organization’s data strategy, designing data pipelines, and building a culture of data-driven decision-making. She is also an IEEE senior member and the Cincinnati chapter lead of Women in Data, a global nonprofit with more than 70,000 members across more than 150 countries. She recalls:
“When I launched the Women in Data Cincinnati Chapter in July, I imagined a small circle of peers sharing stories and ideas. Within three months, that circle exploded into a vibrant network of more than 100 members, with data analysts, architects, scientists, and students all united by a passion for data.”
Below, we chatted with Flavia about her data journey so far. You can follow her on LinkedIn.
What inspired you to choose a career in data?
I didn’t set out to build a career in data. My plan was to pursue bioinformatics and genetic engineering. One of my first projects involved railway track monitoring, where we discovered that a single erroneous line of code was generating false track health errors. If left unresolved, those errors could have triggered real-world safety concerns, even derailments. I took on the challenge of replicating the issue, tracing the problem, and pinpointing exactly where the code had gone wrong. Solving it made me realize the true power of data not just as information, but as something that carries responsibility, safety, and trust. From then on, I knew I wanted to dedicate my career to building data systems that people could rely on with confidence.
Who is your favorite female role model?
One of my greatest role models has been Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of PepsiCo. Her journey from India to the U.S., building a global career through sheer determination and resilience, resonated with me deeply, as I made a similar move. I admire not just her accomplishments at the helm of one of the world’s largest companies, but also how candidly she spoke about the challenges of being a woman, an immigrant, and a leader balancing family and career. Watching her navigate those complexities with courage gave me inspiration to face my own challenges, and to step into leadership roles even when the path wasn’t clear.
What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far?
The biggest challenge has been the constant need to learn new domains while still delivering value in the moment. Being an enterprise data architect is not about mastering a single niche skill; it requires a breadth of knowledge across banking, regulatory reporting, cloud engineering, data governance, and AI. Each project drops you into a new problem space such as loans one day, compliance the next, marketing systems after that, and the expectation is that you can quickly absorb the nuances of the domain, connect the dots, and design a strategy that works.
Early in my career, I focused on “knowing everything.” Now I focus on asking the right questions, framing the problem, and translating experience into clear action plans. That continual cycle of learning and applying is both the hardest and the most rewarding part of my career.
Best advice you’d give to other women aspiring to work in data?
Your journey doesn’t have to be perfectly mapped out to be successful. I started with dreams in bioinformatics and discovered my passion for data by solving a single coding error with life-or-death implications. Don’t be afraid if your path zigzags and every project teaches you something that shapes your expertise. Stay curious, ask questions that others are afraid to, and seek out communities where you can both learn and contribute. Data is too big for anyone to know it all, but together, we make it meaningful.
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