Cracking the Code: From Underestimated to Undeniable with Dr. Rosemary Bernal-Gomez, First Analytics

In this episode of Leadership Variations: Unfiltered, Amy Bladen Shatto speaks with Dr. Rosemary Bernal-Gomez, a seasoned analytics leader and STEM advocate whose career spans over three decades in high-stakes environments.

From developing predictive analytics models that helped eliminate workplace fatalities to navigating the realities of bias and credibility testing in leadership, Dr. Bernal-Gomez shares what it truly takes to rise from underestimated to undeniable.

This conversation explores the intersection of technical expertise and leadership identity, including the moment she was publicly challenged in a high-stakes meeting—and how she transformed it into a defining career inflection point.

Listeners will gain insight into:

• The real transition from expert to leader
• The role of AI and data in ethical, human-centered leadership
• How to navigate bias, sabotage, and imposter syndrome
• Why self-advocacy is a leadership competency—not a personality trait

This episode is essential for women in STEM, senior leaders, and anyone navigating high-performance environments where credibility is constantly tested.

Transcript

Meet Dr, Rosemary

Amy Bladen Shato 0:00

Welcome to the Leadership Variations Unfiltered Podcast, where each limited one series tackles the leadership problems no one is naming. How women in STEM actually succeed, why leadership fads always fail, and where talent strategy breaks down when the stakes are the highest. Good morning, good evening, and good afternoon, listeners. I'm so happy to have you here. I'm Amy Blayton Chateau, leadership consultant and coach to Women in STEM, and your host of the Leadership Variations Unfiltered Podcast. In this first limited series, cracking the code from underestimated to undeniable, we spotlight women leaders in STEM who have arisen to senior roles, often without the recognition they so deserve. It is my great pleasure to introduce Dr. Rosemary Brunel Gomez, a seasoned analytics leader and STEM equity advocate whose career spans predictive modeling, organizational change, and public impact. Amazing to get chills when I hear that. Rosemary is currently a predictive analytics consultant with First Analytics, where she helps organizations harness and advance statistical methods to drive strategic decisions across industries. Prior to that, she spent over 30 years at Southern California Edison, where she served as a data scientist advising senior leadership on data governance, AI strategy, how absolutely pertinent today, and enterprise analytics. But Rosemary's influence extends far beyond corporate analytics. She is the founder and president of Women United Rise, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting young girls in STEM. Her work has been nationally recognized, including receiving the Great Minds in STEM Luminary Award in 2021. That just is so exciting, and congratulations for that. A certified Six Sigma Belt holder, Rosemary, brings rigor and discipline to everything she does, from leading multi-million dollar initiatives to building cultures of psychological safety and inclusion. Her leadership is anchored in data-driven insight, human-centered values, and relentless accountability. She earned her doctorate in education from Baylor University, where she focused on organizational leadership and change. Rosemary, is there anything that you do not do?

Dr. Rosemary Bernal-Gomez 2:25

Oh my goodness. Hello, Amy, and thank you so much for inviting me to be here today. That was quite the intro. I'm just a little humbled here by, you know, when women start to do things, we just definitely don't take note as far as like, wow, you know what? I think I've I've done quite a few things in this lifetime thus far. So that was very sweet. Thank you so much for that incredible intro. And again, I'm so happy to be here and to have a great conversation with you about STEM, women in STEM, and how we can encourage more women, young women to find their life purpose in the sciences of STEM as well.

Amy Bladen Shato 3:13

And it is my greatest honor and pleasure to have you here today. So you ready to get started? I'm ready. Let's do this. Okay. So let's start with where you are now. And I asked the same question always to kick off. In coaching senior women in STEM, I have found some of the most powerful parts of someone's leadership aren't often on the resume. So my question for you to kick off is something you're leading today or meaningful that you've built or influenced that others might not see from the outside or from your resume.

What Predictive Analytics Really Means (And Why It Matters)

Dr. Rosemary Bernal-Gomez 3:47

Oh my goodness. Things that you may not see on my resume that I'm in this new chapter in my life. I feel like I have retired from Southern California Edison after 30 years. And that was a year ago. And I am in this new exciting chapter of being a consultant and continuing my passion of talking about predictive analytics, specifically in high hazard industries. When I was at Southern California Edison, again, my goal and my focus was to keep our journeyman and linemen safe so that they can go home avoiding fatalities and severe injuries. And now in this new chapter, this past year, I've been meeting with high-hazard industry leaders and talking about how predictive analytics can eliminate fatalities and severe injuries. So outside of that, on my resume, I think it's the passion and the drive that I want to also continue to share with other women that you can still fulfill. Your career doesn't end when you retire. You can still fulfill those dreams and now fine-tune your passion in a method that still gives to your community and still gives purpose. And so you can still continue to change the world and make it a better place with the gifts that you find. So there you have it.

Amy Bladen Shato 5:38

And the second part of your career is now predictive analytics, which is so incredibly amazing. Do you want to give a little snippet for those that aren't sure? I'm not sure everybody knows, but it's so cutting edge. Can you talk a little bit about what predictive analytics is?

The Fatality That Changed Everything

Dr. Rosemary Bernal-Gomez 5:54

Yes. Thank you, Amy. So predictive analytics is something that I fine-tuned. Working in the utility industry, we averaged unfortunately like three to four fatalities a year. And, you know, our journeymen linemen do the most dangerous work. They have to do repairs right next to energized voltage. Some people would say, well, then why don't we just de-energize the voltage so they can make the repairs? And then we would have a lot of unhappy customers because then obviously there's no electricity. Oh wow. So they have to make these repairs with energized lines just inches away from them. Oh wow. They have to be very calculated. And this is why I feel they are superheroes because they know they're well-versed, they're experts in how to maintain our grid. But unfortunately, we do have those moments where fatalities occur. And in one particular case, I realized that I had a gift for mathematics, and I also really enjoyed coding, specifically Python coding. And I was able to marry both of them to a point where it really helps you create code and tell a story or create a story. And so I was very close with one of our journeyman linemen, and his name was Brawl Ross. And unfortunately, he ended up passing away and he left a wife and two very young daughters. And as I was leaving the funeral, I was walking to my car thinking, how can I use predictive analytics and create an opportunity where this never happens again? And so predictive analytics gives you an opportunity to understand historical information and then create with artificial intelligence opportunities to understand behaviors, understand the scope of all of the elements that surround our utility linemen, and provides opportunities to flag where before they start the work that the work they're doing is associated to a fatality and gives them information to create extra safety mitigations. So predictive analytics can be used in a way where you understand historical data and then you can create opportunities to avoid, for me, would be fatalities or severe injuries. And that's the beauty of AI coding and predictive analytics is that you can create understanding what those dangers are and provide methods and information to our journeyman linemen or anyone in high hazard industries to create extra safety mitigations so that they can avoid an incident from happening.

AI in Leadership: Fear vs. Ethical Application

Amy Bladen Shato 8:56

Wow. Well, first I am so very sorry for your loss. What a terrible, terrible thing to go through. I'm also glad that you were able to parlay that into something really meaningful and that you were able to bring his memory into something that you would be able to do for the world and for other people. I'm also glad in this moment that you mentioned you connected this to AI because it also brings something to mind for me. You've talked about Python and coding and predictive analytics and all these incredible STEM skills that you have and that you use. And then you connected it to AI. So many people have this perception that AI is this scary thing that's coming, that's here, that's taking their jobs. And you just put it in the context of life-saving and doing something very different than people I think really understand. So I think it was, it's nice to hear a different way of using AI than people I think understand it. I don't think a lot of people understand it at all.

From Technical Expert to Leadership Role

Dr. Rosemary Bernal-Gomez 10:03

And I completely understand their fears. You know, artificial intelligence at the end of the day, it really depends on what is your intent with using AI. And I do believe that we should have a lot of strong ethical regulations and policies around artificial intelligence. For me particularly, in this case, when I was building my predictive model, the intent will never be to replace journeyman linemen with doing the work or to trump their expertise at all. I believe wholeheartedly that artificial intelligence can be used, the data, the information, to help enhance and complement the expertise of our journeyman linemen or anyone in a high hazard industry. And ever since I implemented the predictive model back in 2018, we have not had a fatality. And that's unreal, I just have to say that's zero. No fatalities. That's unbelievable. Wow. And so I know that it works. And with artificial intelligence, you know, you should always ask questions. But being the person who is building the code, I believe in having ethics and the morality, as well as my moral compass is about being of service. It is not to replace, it is only to help enhance and provide valuable information to keep high hazard low and to make the workplace the most safest as possible. So it really depends, you know, how people are using artificial intelligence. But this is my passion and this is what I use. It is to enhance their expertise, as I mentioned before, and never ever to replace.

Amy Bladen Shato 12:00

Incredible. Thank you for sharing that. Yeah. Shift peers a little bit. So you've obviously done very, very deep subject matter expertise in the STEM field. You had some roles where you, I don't know where you are exactly right now, but you've led teams with people reporting to you. So at some point you made a shift that went from the deep expertise. I know you probably were more of a player coach. You probably did both, but how was the shift for you in being such the expert and the doing to leading others? What was that like for you? How did you make that shift? And was there something that you had to figure out in making that shift to leadership?

“You Have Two Strikes”: Early Career Reality Check

Finding Your Leadership Identity (Without Losing Yourself)

Navigating Bias, Sabotage, and Advancement

Dr. Rosemary Bernal-Gomez 12:44

Yes, that's a great question. I would love to tell you, Amy, that it was just so effervescent for, you know, this transition from A to Z, but that was definitely not my journey. My journey involved going back to when I was just a kid. My father gave me the best advice. He said, you know, Rosemary, I'm gonna share with you. I was probably like 13 when he told me this. He says, I'm gonna say something to you, and you may not understand this right now, but I know you will. You already have two strikes against you. Oh A, you're born a female, and B, you were born a woman of color. So let me just share with you that life will be tough, and life will be unfair, your equity and pay will never be the same, and you will struggle and you will fight. And he said, but the sooner you understand that this is the scenario, the less time you will focus on why this is so unfair and fuel that to make sure that you use those challenges, the unfairness, the past promotions, the lack of raises to fuel you to work harder and to be determined that you will overcome. And with that, that kind of set the tone for everything I did as I was evolving from a teenager into eventually corporate America. Those challenges were true, it was difficult. I felt there was a point where if I just worked really hard and had a you know quality in my work that it would speak for itself. Ladies and gentlemen, obviously that is not the case. The promotion fairy is not gonna show up just because you are doing fantastic work in your cubicle. You need to learn how to advocate for yourself. And so being graciously assertive, I would say. And it was difficult because I had people who would try and give me some sound advice, like you, Rosemary, you need to be tougher. You're just too sweet, too nice, you're a doormat. And well, their intentions were great, you know. I thought, okay, I'm gonna show up to this team meeting, I'm gonna be tough. And at the end of the team meeting, people were asking me, Are you okay? Is everything okay? So that really was challenging is to find your true authentic leadership self. I was very fortunate that I found through USC the Dr. Yasmin David's executive leadership program. Nice. I took that program because not only did they have the principles of leadership, but they really delved into who your characteristical traits are and what those challenges are, even stemming from like, you know, why you are imposter syndrome, why do you have challenges with speaking up? I mean, they really delved deep. And so that was a turning point in my career is knowing how to advocate for myself, but never compromising who I truly was as a leader, you know, finding my true north and my voice, and still being able to be strong and advocate, and also the challenges of people. I'm in a male-dominated industry, specifically in artificial intelligence. Yeah it's hard to find not just a woman, but a woman of color, a Latina. And so, you know, men have this no nonsense, like they will just tell you rude things to try and either kick you when you're down, and I then came to realize that it wasn't about me. I was probably triggering something about them that they didn't really care to see. Thank you. I don't know if it was fear-based, I don't know what it was. Maybe they were frustrated that I was advancing the corporate ladder. And, you know, their comments about who does she know and rude comments about maybe they're just checking off the DEI box for her. And, you know, I went back and I thought about what my father's advice was don't spend time on the words, have it fuel you and show them. And I did, and I ended up advocating for myself and knowing that this isn't just something that I have to wait, that my boss, you know, I have a great boss, but my boss also has tons of spinning plates. So I have to do the lick work. And I also had to make sure that I dealt with my imposter syndrome. I also had to deal with my self-confidence. And once I started, you know, checking those things off and knowing that I am enough and that I am smart enough to be in these rooms and to also make sure that I create my own ecosystem of who I want those mentors and sponsors to be. Right. And so this is where that leadership transition started happening for me. And this is where I went from a cubicle into the C-suite.

The Pivotal Meeting That Changed Everything

Amy Bladen Shato 18:28

That's amazing. Thank you for sharing that. You sort of described your journey in terms of starting to earn the credibility. Did you have anywhere in your career a particular change, a moment or some sort of aha experience that in hindsight, like something specific that was a catalyst for you when you saw, I mean, the program, obviously, but was there a moment in a meeting or an experience with people where, you know, yeah, obviously you had your dad's advice, which was incredible.

Dr. Rosemary Bernal-Gomez 19:02

Yes. So after the program and everything that I had learned about myself and the type of leader that I was, I was able to negotiate a multi-million dollar project. Walked out of the director's office, shook hands, and had the project. And my peers were so upset. And I found myself where they were constantly trying to sabotage. And I learned how to deal with that sabotage and the conversations and not be derailed. But this one particular time was, you know, right before the project is over, you meet with your director and you have this pre-meet before the big presentation to the stakeholders. And it's usually just one-on-one director and yourself, and you have a presentation that you do talking about everything from A to Z. When I walked into the conference room, it wasn't just my director, but it was all my peers. And I just thought, okay, I've never been called whenever they're doing their pre-meets to be in the audience as they do their presentations. And there was also another gentleman in there that I did not know who he was. And so as I walked in, I saw my peers. I see this gentleman, and I see my director. My director introduced this gentleman as a consultant that he hired just to double-check my work. And at that perfect moment, I had two choices. I knew that I could A, fall apart, be angry, be upset, let it consume me, be derailed by the shock and surprise. Or what this program had taught me was I can use this moment to shine. I can use this moment to finally share with my peers what an amazing smart woman I am to handle this multi-million project that I earned and also to share my information with, I guess, this wasted money of a consultant, and kind of have a moment with my director. It's like, okay, how'd you get this that approved? But you know what? Let me take this moment to shine. All right. That was a pivotal moment in so many ways. My peers were shocked or maybe solidified as to why I got the project. The consultant was so impressed with my coding, was so impressed with how I had created this innovative tool. And my director was smiling. But I knew that lots of things came out of that. And it was time for me also to move on into a different organization department where I no longer had to prove myself because I now knew my worth. And I probably have. always known my worth, but it was that moment that just kind of put a skip in my step.

The Undeniable Take: Advice for Women Leaders

Amy Bladen Shato 22:05

Thank you for sharing. That is an amazing story. That's just so inspirational. People that hear that know, okay, I can do this. Gotta just think differently and take actual actions and steps, but it can happen. So thank you. That was really great to hear. I kind of got chilled. So we're coming to the end. I can't believe it, but I always close off with the same question. We're going to close with the what I call the undeniable take. What is one truth that you would give to a woman who is ready to lead in a very senior role, but she's still being underestimated. In other words, she knows that she's got it, but she needs help cracking the code like you obviously have done.

Dr. Rosemary Bernal-Gomez 22:50

Yes. Oh my goodness. I meet women who doubt themselves and I get it because I was there and I feel like this imposter syndrome kind of always pops up every now and then. And I would remind all these beautiful women out there that A, you have arrived to where you are because you've earned it and because you are enough and because you have what it takes. Imposter syndrome kind of shows up for me from all of the naysayers. The naysayers are like that will never happen that's impossible. You know your parents were migrant workers you will never get to go to college or you're just you know you'll probably all of these other scenarios statistics that people stereotype remember that you definitely have what it takes. Remember where you are at that precise moment and how far you have come to get there. We don't need the accolades. We are our own master of our destiny and while I still have every now and then that little imposter syndrome voice show up I acknowledge her and I tell her okay thank you for showing up but you know what I've got this and I would say to all these ladies surround yourself with uplifting and empowering women that you admire. Lean on mentors that have things characteristical traits that you admire that you want to refine but implement your own style surround yourself with people who believe in you and take their words and resonate with them. Everyone else is just white noise so that's what I would say wow that's an incredible advice thank you so so much for being part of this with me today. It's been such a pleasure having you oh thank you Amy thank you so much it's an honor to be here and you know I just love what you're doing. Kudos to you in helping other women also not just find their passion but also find their leadership characteristical traits who they truly are and you know I would just say one last thing to the women out there listening whatever deck of cards you were dealt make the best of it you know we all have a different hand and some are better than others but don't focus on that make the best of everything invest in yourself believe in yourself and you will go far love it that will close us out for today all right so much thank you Amy

Amy Bladen Shato 25:58

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