Five minute profile: interview with Layla Robinson

What’s your background and how does it give you additional insight to your work at RDS? 

Prior to working at RDS, I spent 20 years in related fields. I worked in public affairs consultancy for seven years, providing advice and working closely with a range of organisations including developing cross-sector partnerships; seven years in middle and senior management roles at Cancer Research UK; and six years in a few contract roles, with a coalition of charities, a pharmaceutical company and at a research centre. I have had a varied career but a thread running through has been cross-sector working, particularly in research. 

Working across the research, charity, public and private sectors is key to what we do at RDS. We sit at the centre of these different sectors, which all share a common goal of improving the ways data is accessed for research. Throughout my career, my roles have involved taking ethereal ideas and turning them into practical, tangible strategies, with a focus on impact. 

What’s a highlight and a challenge of your role? 

One highlight for me was coming up with an initial public engagement plan - including the Public Engagement Fund - on about day three of starting at RDS! It’s been great to see the rapid progress RDS has made in just a few years.

I have loved the scope of the role and the work we have done to develop the capabilities of the organisation and the ways we work with others to make a change. It’s not always straightforward, but we’ve really come a long way, and we now have a good basis to build on.

As the organisation develops, we’re establishing more ‘business as usual’ operations, but there will always be scope to be creative, to further iterate existing areas and to reflect on the impact we’ve had. 

What difference do you hope RDS will make? 

I know we can make it quicker and simpler for researchers to access public sector data for public good; and widen the range of datasets available for research, making it easier to link data. My hope is that this will expand the extent to which data research is undertaken, benefitting Scotland socially and economically. 

What would be your "Mastermind" specialist subject? 

Probably certain ‘90s or ‘00s TV shows or the Mitford Sisters...

Who, real-life or public figure, has inspired or motivated you in your career or life?

Influenced by ‘00s TV, CJ from The West Wing.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?

“Don’t sweat the small stuff”. Also, I worked with someone years ago, who would say “we are where we are” a lot, which I quite like.