UK grocery giant Asda supports initiative aimed at getting more girls into technology space

Asda has partnered with Girls in Data to provide workshops to over 200 girls in classrooms across West Yorkshire, with the aim of encouraging them to pursue careers in technology. 

A group of colleagues from the Asda Data Team, together with support from Girls in Data, delivered the GiD curriculum this year.

The courses are delivered in a classroom setting across schools in Yorkshire, targeted at girls and delivered in a full day. The curriculum includes: cryptography, Power Bi, Scratch Advanced and Smart Devices Group Task. 

In total, the programme reached c225 students in 2023. 

Gabriela Dobre, Programme Manager from Asda’s Data & Analytics’ team, says: “Enabling and encouraging more girls to get into technology and data is so important as these fields become increasingly vital, not just within Asda but in all businesses.”

“We are pleased to be able to support Girls in Data to deliver these workshops throughout Yorkshire educating young girls. For 2024, we already see schools from last year wanting to participate again which is a testament to the success of the Initiative.” 

Roisin McCarthy, Founder - Women in Data, says: “Women in Data are so deeply proud of our continued partnership with Asda. The commitment from the data team and the impact they have made is simply phenomenal.”

“Asda are supporting our mission in creating pathways for young women to enter and flourish in a data career.  We know this collective action will effect real change for the future generation of data professionals.”

With the partnership continuing in 2024, the ambition is to double the number of schools it reaches, increasing data awareness to young learners and connecting the local schools to the Girls in Data scheme and Asda. 

To date, those involved have delivered full day workshops to the following West Yorkshire schools: Abbey Grange CofE Academy, BBG Academy, Boston Spa, Bradford Grammar, Cardinal Heenan, Castleford Acadamy, Co-op Academy Priesthorpe, Horsforth, and The Ruth Gorse Academy. 

Chief Digital Officer

Asda has confirmed the appointment of its first Chief Digital Officer as it focuses on evolving how it uses data to improve its customer offer, part of an ambition to be the UK’s second largest grocery retailer (a position currently held by Sainsbury’s).

Matt Kelleher will join the supermarket in July from rival Morrisons, where he has held the role of Chief Information Officer.

In his new role, he will take on responsibility for Asda’s data and e-commerce functions. He will also lead all of the retailer’s technology functions once its ongoing tech transformation project ‘Future’ is complete.

He will join Asda’s executive leadership team led by co-owner Mohsin Issa.