Name: Karin Hilton

Congratulations to Karin for being named one of 50 most influential women in tech in The Netherlands! 

Job title: Senior Director Technology

Karin is responsible for the technology team who are building Mendeley Data, which is Elsevier’s platform to support research data management.  Karin and her team are using technology to transform the way that researchers collaborate and work together to spark discovery and support innovative interdisciplinary thinking.

Before joining Elsevier, Karin was a Technology Director with eBay Classifieds Group heading up core capability technology platforms on a global basis challenging how they respond to mobile wave as an organization and has held technology leadership roles at companies across a range of industries.

When did you join Mendeley?

I joined in June 2018

What do you love most about your job?

I gain energy from making a positive difference – and every time we talk to our customers, I see that the tools and services we are providing are helping them to be more successful. And a successful researcher is a researcher who is changing the world we live in. It’s great to be able to see real change happening as a result of what we build.

What book did you most recently read?

I most recently finished Jodi Taylor’s Hope for the Best.  I usually have 2-3 books on the go at any one point in time – I am also reading Mary Beard’s Women & Power – but aim to always have something lighthearted and relaxing to wind down with at bed time.

What’s one thing you want people to know about Mendeley?

That we would love feedback on how to make Mendeley the most effective tool for them. It is really energizing when people reach out and give us feedback on how we can make our product better.

How would you explain your job to a stranger on a bus?

I make tools to help researchers crack their codes

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

The people – definitively the people! We have a team that’s passionate about what we are building, and we work with amazing researchers and thought leaders in our community.

What keeps you awake at night?

I tend to sleep quite soundly – but sometimes I do get woken up by a nocturnal member of my family.  Sometimes it is a Great Dane who has decided to wake me for a midnight stroll and sometimes it is one of the cats proudly presenting their latest ‘gift’ with accompanying commentary on their night hunting prowess.

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned this week?

That’s a tough question! I try and keep up with new research in a few fields that interest me: there’s some fascinating new science showing just how far back man has been impacting weather patterns and creating global warming; showing the impact of diet/gut on health and how loss of hippos from riverine areas in Africa is impacting downstream in the health of the ecosystem.