Over the coming weeks we will announce our new MemberWise Ambassadors who will champion their particular area of expertise. Introducing MemberWise Ambassador (Member Data), Lisa Goldsmith (Head of Digital & IT, Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals).

Lisa leads on Digital and IT at the Institute and works with 46 colleagues to deliver a great member experience (online and offline) and this requires a structured and robust approach to gaining/using member data.

Lisa has worked for a number of leading membership bodies including the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), Royal College of Obstetricians and Gyneocologists (RCOG) and London Youth. She also has worked with The Expert Witness Institute, and is Vice Chair of Data Management Specialist Group at the British Computer Society (BCS).

Lisa has worked within the Membership and Association Sector for 20 years. She is an influential member of the Senior Leadership Team which has authority and responsibility for organisational operations and financial stability. Responsible and accountable for:

  • ICT, digital systems and data governance strategies
  • Strategy implementation and business as usual – data governance/compliance, realising operational efficiencies and growth utilising fit-for-purpose technologies and insight

We asked Lisa how she ‘fell into membership’:

“I didn’t set out to work in the membership/non-profit sector. Since falling into membership around 20 year ago my passion for the sector grew making it my ‘working’ home. I’m passionate about helping non-profits and will always have a soft spot for membership bodies and the wider sector.”

“Many organisations struggle to cut costs whilst realising, and utilising, the benefits of data and technology. My goal within membership is to assist organisations in becoming cost effective, operationally efficient in achieving growth and delivering value by focusing on member and subsequent business needs.”

With many organisations looking to increase engagement and personalise member experiences, data has never been more important. Despite data, in my opinion, being the most valuable business asset, it is in most cases, overlooked and underutilised. Not only do we need robust data governance to meet our obligations under the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), we also need it to deliver a tailored experience to our members, measure our performance against KPI’s and to make sound business/strategic decisions. This scratches the surface of the power of solid data.

Lisa has been an advocate of MemberWise for over 8 years and has been involved as a volunteer at conferences, she has facilitated sessions and enjoys the networking/best practice insight the network offers.

Aside from her role in membership Lisa is qualified in laser tattoo and hair removal and fitting hair extensions. She is known for being a bit of an adrenaline junkie, liking things that take her out of her comfort zone!

We welcome Lisa on board as MemberWise Ambassador (Member Data) and we look forward to championing the critical task of optimising member insight/data.