In this episode of Databricks Diaries, Daniel Thornton sits down with Andreea Moldovan, Associate Director of Data Science at Sage Publishing, for a candid and wide-ranging conversation about what it actually takes to lead data science and AI in the real world.

Andreea's journey is anything but conventional — starting as a social scientist in Romania, she went on to complete a PhD funded by the Wellcome Trust, before moving through the Financial Conduct Authority, a specialist insurance company, and a price reporting agency, to ultimately find her home in academic publishing.

In this episode, they explore:

• Why a background in social science is one of the most underrated assets in data science and AI
• How to quantify and communicate uncertainty to non-technical stakeholders without losing their trust
• The mindset shift from individual contributor to data science leader — and why it's harder than it looks
• What "outcome-first" thinking really means in practice when building AI solutions
• How generative AI is changing the shape of data science roles — and why the fundamentals haven't changed as much as people think
• The one constant in a decade of working in data science: change

Whether you're an aspiring data leader, a seasoned practitioner, or simply curious about the human side of AI, this is a conversation packed with honest reflections, hard-won lessons, and a refreshing dose of realism about what the next few years hold.