Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelly Leal
Hi Shelly, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Everything started when I was a little girl growing up in the warm city of Rio de Janeiro. I loved building paper cities with my brother and dreaming of creating big machines. In Brazil, we learned to value career stability as part of our safety, which led me to the path of the military. My older sister joined the Military School of Rio de Janeiro, and I admired her as she marched and led other students with her firm voice. I wanted to be strong and smart like her.
After finishing high school, I started studying for the entrance exams of the most prestigious engineering college in Brazil, the Aeronautics Technological Institute. I dreamed of using my knowledge in mathematics, wearing the blue uniform, and becoming part of a significant project to support our country. I was selected to join this college alongside ten other women in a class of 140 people. Fast forward five years, and I graduated as a computer engineer and lieutenant.
I felt excited to explore the world and share my knowledge with others, but I was also scared to be in such an important position. From the start of my career as a data analyst, I was responsible for leading teams and making impactful decisions that defined the next steps for our commanders regarding investment in military personnel and medical equipment. I learned the power of my insights while serving my country.
However, my passion for data and empowering women in tech kept growing. I decided to leave a stable career in the military to join the agile world of startups. I moved to Germany alone and started my international career at Trivago in 2022. Over the past two years, I have grown exponentially in terms of independence, setting boundaries, and project management. I am not only a woman in tech but also an immigrant, and I understand the challenges of being part of this minority group.
Every day is a challenge, and simply persisting and doing my work here shows me how resilient we can be. I hope to inspire many others with my story and remind them that each of us has a unique ability to share with the world.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Growing up in my career was not easy. I had a lot of support from my parents to study and prepare for one of the toughest college entrance exams in Brazil, for an engineering school. For over three years, I spent my days and nights studying mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Even after getting into college, I struggled with self-confidence because I wanted to maintain high scores and make my family proud.
After finishing college, I had to learn communication skills that were new to me. As an officer, it was my responsibility to make decisions for an entire data team, alongside other senior lieutenants. When I decided to leave the military, I knew I was starting to make decisions fully for myself, and for my career, and taking risks to explore the world independently. I made a vow to represent women in technology and share knowledge as much as I could, to give others the same opportunity I had to develop themselves.
I faced various challenges, including dealing with bureaucracy, moving to another city, moving to another country, getting a visa, finding an apartment, ending a relationship, and starting a new one. Now, even after two years as an immigrant working in Germany, I still have much to learn. I have grown a lot by exchanging ideas with people from all over the world about a variety of data solutions for marketing and sales opportunities.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a senior data analyst with a background in computer engineering. My focus is on designing metrics to track how well marketing and sales campaigns are doing and figuring out the best target audiences. I specialize in looking at how advertisers compete on hotel search pages and recommending the best bids. My favorite projects involve exploring user behavior, understanding how users interact with our products, and finding out why they churn or decide to buy.
I love working with data because it is so much fun! I do everything from data engineering—creating complex models—to data science, where I use my skills to make forecasts. My career started in the military in Brazil, where I created an algorithm to help the government plan its hiring budget. This tool could predict the need for specialized professionals, like doctors, in specific regions.
At Trivago, I am proud to help small hotelier businesses. Our product analytics solutions help them gain more visibility, clicks, and bookings, which makes a big difference for them.
I am known for being patient and a good listener. When working on data projects, it is important to understand the needs of different stakeholders. I work hard to find solutions that meet our business goals and make sure everyone understands the data. I am always open to feedback because I believe sharing ideas helps us all improve.
Being a woman in data and tech is something I am proud of. I want to inspire other women to follow this path, trust their expertise, and make sure their voices are heard.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
There will always be a need for data. I notice a pattern of roles evolving to include a mix of analytics, engineering, and statistics all in one. Machine learning and automated models are becoming increasingly important, especially as companies that stand out are the ones using artificial intelligence to predict market behavior. In the travel industry, I see a trend where major companies are striving to become more competitive and independent by employing their own data experts. These experts focus on identifying target audiences and setting the best price points to meet revenue goals.
The current trend is not just about acquiring customers but also about building a brand that fosters trust and loyalty. This is where data becomes crucial. Over the next five to ten years, I expect to see the development of even more sophisticated tools and models to support this work. Complex predictive analytics and advanced machine learning models will play a significant role in understanding and anticipating customer behavior.
In the hotel industry, companies will increasingly rely on data to personalize customer experiences, optimize pricing strategies, and enhance operational efficiency. Tools like Google Cloud and Power BI are already popular, and their capabilities will continue to expand, offering more powerful insights and automation.
I am also interested in exploring the future of data analytics with a focus on sustainability and return on investment, by exploring other industries such as Agtech. I find it fascinating to apply the knowledge of machine learning to make predictions that will generate personalized and trustworthy customer experiences. This will enable companies that focus on creating a healthier environment to stay ahead in a competitive market and drive long-term success.
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