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Jordan’s fascination with technology began early, watching her dad take apart computers at home. That curiosity carried into high school, where she worked on a marketing analysis project for family friends, discovering a love for data and patterns. She initially studied physics at university before switching to economics, finding her passion through statistics courses that revealed the power of turning raw numbers into meaningful insights. After gaining experience as a systems analyst, Jordan pursued an MSc in Business Analytics in Galway, deepening her interest in the intersection of data and business. She has since built a career in business intelligence and currently works as a Tech Enablement and Automation Senior Analyst for Flutter.
Are there any tech solutions, either fringe or not yet invented, that you personally or professionally would like to see become mainstream?
As someone who works in business intelligence and reporting, I don’t love it when Excel becomes the default solution for everything. It’s frustrating when I’m asked to import an Excel sheet into a visualisation tool only to have it spit it back out as another Excel table.
I’m excited about tools like Retool, which let you build internal apps for things like user input. Instead of filling out an Excel sheet, users input data into an app, which gets stored in a database. That’s so much better for analysis and visualisation. Using a database is always preferable to using a local file; it’s more streamlined and avoids version control issues.
You grew up and worked in the U.S. and are now working in Europe. Do you see a big difference in terms of regulation between the U.S. and Europe?
Definitely. When I went to school in Galway, learning about GDPR really shook me. We didn’t have anything like that in the States, no real data protection. There’s no “right to be forgotten,” and you can’t just say, “I want to see all the data you have on me.” Maybe some companies allow it, but it’s not a legal requirement.
It is significantly different to have regulations like GDPR in place. I think sometimes they’re taken for granted – clicking “accept all cookies” on every website can be annoying. However, when I consider the alternative, I’m glad it exists. Growing up and working in the U.S. has given me a stark contrast to how I live now.
Do you have concerns about where your data is going?
I do think about it, and it does concern me. We have seen companies collect as much data as possible and use it unethically. The Cambridge Analytica scandal during the 2016 U.S. election, and likely Brexit as well, demonstrated how data could be leveraged for social engineering.
What is your opinion on AI, tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and Copilot? Do you use them?
I do, but I’m very conscientious about it. There’s the environmental impact, and the data aspect; whatever you put in could be used for future training. I generally use it for vague questions, like brainstorming the best way to approach something. But ideally, I go to a team member for that.
I don’t use ChatGPT heavily, but it’s convenient. I like using it for planning vacations; it’s like having a massive database at your fingertips. But relying on it too much means losing the skill of doing your own research or weighing different opinions. Doing your own digging can lead to new questions, which is part of the learning process.
With the rise of fake news and deepfakes, it is concerning what can be done with people’s voices and faces without their consent. Whose responsibility do you think it is to police that?
Ideally, I would like the responsibility to lie with the companies creating these tools. But ultimately, I think it’s the government’s responsibility to protect its people.
That puts too much burden on the individual. So, it really falls to the government to step in, create regulations, and make sure this technology doesn’t fall into the wrong hands or get used for harmful purposes.
Do you think regulation can ever keep pace with the rapid advancements in technology? And if not, how do we fix that?
I don’t think it currently can. But I think if governments were willing to step into business processes and say, “Hold on, let’s slow down and really assess the potential consequences of this technology,” then we might be able to catch up.
The issue is that businesses are driven by the need for constant growth and return for stakeholders. That often means pushing new products or features to market without fully understanding the consequences. And if identifying risks slows that down, they’re more likely to just move forward anyway. We have seen that happen over and over again.
Do you think there is an emerging technology that will become especially prominent in the next few years?
AI, of course. AI, combined with facial recognition, is already a significant technology and will continue to grow. I also believe that cyber policy and data policy will become increasingly critical. Some places, such as the U.S., might be slower to adopt these changes, but Europe has been leading the way, albeit not yet at the level we need.
Do you think energy usage and sustainability are front-of-mind concerns in tech today?
I think Gen Z, especially those younger than me, really have that top of mind. They’re considering energy use, rare mineral mining, and the waste from frequent tech upgrades, among other factors. But for people in leadership or working in tech now, I’m not sure it’s front and centre. It’s not something we see in our everyday lives, especially if you live in a place of privilege.
Still, it will catch up with us, whether it’s from resource depletion or pollution. For younger generations, I do think it’s a real consideration. They’re more likely to choose a slower, more energy-conscious approach, like using Google instead of ChatGPT, because they care about the impact.
From a business perspective, should sustainability have a bigger place in tech strategy or regulation?
Absolutely. Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it’s also a huge opportunity. Where there’s a problem, there’s space for innovation. We could improve tech to make it more sustainable.
Are there any voices or perspectives missing in the tech world right now?
Definitely. It’s great to see more women in tech, but we need more, especially women of colour and other minorities. We hear too much from tech billionaires. I would rather hear from people who are underprivileged or marginalised in the tech world. Right now, money drives the conversation, and that doesn’t benefit everyone.
Ideally, social good should be driving the tech conversation. Tech has always been seen as a way to improve lives, but it hasn’t delivered on that utopian promise. We still have hunger, homelessness, and inequality.
What do you think the general perception of the tech industry is right now?
It depends on who you ask. Some people idealise the industry and see it as full of opportunity. Others see the damage to people and the environment. I still think tech can do a lot of good. It moves fast, which means there’s room for real change. However, as in any industry, there are individuals who are content with the status quo and others who strive for improvement.
What are the positives and negatives of technology for your generation?
I think it’s really interesting that our era is often called the “information age.” We have unprecedented access to information thanks to technology, but that also means we have unprecedented access to misinformation and disinformation. Because of that, we need to be much more critical.
It’s ironic that we have all this information at our fingertips, including information about how to be critical thinkers, and yet sometimes we don’t apply it. It’s easy to fall into the trap of just accepting what an AI or a search engine tells us without questioning it.
We also lose a lot of human interaction. We are not always seeking out experts or diverse perspectives because we think we have already got the answer from this one omnipotent source.
What is the Future of Tech?
There’s a big opportunity to create strong regulation and policy. If we let tech move ahead without it, we are doing future generations a disservice. Yes, money and competition drive many decisions, but there are already individuals and companies taking risks to use technology for good.
