McKinley Hyden

McKinley Hyden spent 12 years at the Financial Times as a data & analytics practitioner. Most recently, she served as the Director of Data Value & Strategy, leading a cross-functional team focused on maximising the impact of the FT’s data and AI capabilities. Since conceiving of the team in 2020, she has been instrumental in driving transformational initiatives such as Data Democratisation, the FT’s AI Transformation Programme, and the award-winning Data & AI Academy. 

With a track record of embedding data-driven decision-making across a global media organisation, McKinley has shaped the FT’s enterprise data and AI strategy, established a value framework for prioritising analytics projects, and pioneered cultural shifts in knowledge sharing and data literacy. Her work spans data governance, analytics, data science, AI fluency, and business intelligence, with a strong focus on connecting data to meaningful business outcomes. 

As of Nov 2025, she’s moved on to a new role as the Director of Commercial Analytics at Skyscanner, based in Edinburgh.