Amanda S. Svensson is the Chief Media and Marketing Data Officer at the Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Office, leading the Media and Marketing Data team in the Government Communication Service (GCS).
Amanda is passionate about driving best-practice in digital marketing policy and technology, working cross-functionally with a focus on transparency, brand safety and transformation for Her Majesty’s Government’s multi-million pound media buying contract. Combining vision with a strong drive for implementation and partnership work, both internally and externally, she leads the development of industry-leading standards for the Government, which is one of the UK’s top-five largest advertisers. She also leads the development of data strategy, data-driven platforms and initiatives to improve insights, effectiveness and value-for-money for Government Communications.
Previously, Amanda joined the Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Office Communications as the Chief Data Scientist, spearheading the data science function delivering high-value innovative tools, analysis, methodology, and insights. Highlights include developing the first analytics skills model for GCS; developing novel and robust social media monitoring capability with strong processes ensuring accuracy, privacy and ethics; and building tools such as an online mapping platform for government communication professionals with an intuitive user interface to bring statistics to life for local insights.
Amanda has a PhD and Masters in Biophysics from the Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain; and a Master of Physics from the University of Lund, Sweden. Amanda’s research spanned neuroscience, statistics and ethology while studying the dynamics of spontaneous sleep-wake behaviour, using technologies such as genetics, electrophysiology and development of analysis tools. During her thesis Amanda developed an open source analysis software for the sleep research community named FlySiesta, to analyse fruit fly sleep patterns through statistical modelling of fine-scale dynamics, and remains a passionate champion for open science.
During her time in academia, Amanda continued to develop her coding and data science skills through online courses and project work. She also undertook several pro bono tech activities including participating in several data-for-good hackathons and launching SociSalud Madrid, an online platform for finding health and social care providers for disadvantaged and marginalised populations.
As a tech leader, Amanda is involved in a number of networks to share best practice including the Chief Data Officer (CDO) Hub, Science to Data Science (S2DS) network, and Lesbians Who Tech. Amanda has also led a series of talks on data and technology-enabled insights as part of ‘Civil Service Live’, delivered across the UK. Alongside this she avidly champions analytics and technology skills both inside and outside her role.
