From Junior Architect to Principal Leader: Ellen’s Fast-Track Journey

Ellen Howard doesn’t just keep up with technology, she helps build the roadmaps that navigate it. As a Principal Product Owner in Decisioning, she leads the "brain" behind how our customers make life-changing informed decisions.

In just over four years, Ellen has transformed her career through a series of bold leaps, proving that at Equifax in ANZ, the only limit to your progression is your own ambition.

A Trajectory of Transformation

Ellen’s journey at Equifax began in the Technology space, but it certainly didn't stay in one lane. Her progression serves as a masterclass in internal mobility.

Having joined as a Junior Product Architect, she focused on developing her technical foundations, before being promoted to Product Architect after just 18 months. Shortly after the chance to join the Product team as a Technical Product Manager arose. Now Ellen works as a Principal Product Owner, where she adopts global technology to solve complex customer challenges.

Modernising the "Brain" of Decisioning

In her current role, Ellen leads critical transformations for our Decisioning engine, the tool customers use to greenlight credit and loans.

"Decisioning is the ‘brain’ behind how our customers make informed decisions," Ellen explains. Her mission is to hand the steering wheel back to the user with a fresh interface that is fast, consistent, and compliant. By putting better data at their fingertips, she is helping businesses mitigate risk and grow their bottom line.

We’re giving our customers more control... ensuring they are mitigating risks to their business while also improving their bottom line.

Leading with Authenticity

Now that Ellen has stepped into a leadership position, she is focused on defining her own style, shaped by the mentors she has leaned on along the way.

"The most valuable leadership I have experienced were from people who were authentic to who they are," she shares. "That genuine spirit shone through in how they treated me and the team." Supported by an internal mentor, Ellen is now paying it forward, encouraging her own team to pursue unconventional pathways and bring their true selves to work.

Ellen’s Advice: Just Ask

Reflecting on her growth, Ellen credits her success to a simple philosophy: "Just ask the question." Whether it’s leaning on a colleague for technical insight or seeking guidance from the employee-led networks, Ellen believes that curiosity is the key to mastering career growth at Equifax.

Do you have the ambition to fuel the next generation of global growth?

Learn more about available opportunities at Equifax.