Karla Kirton

Initiator
DISC Type : Di

Senior Staff Customer Engagement Manager at Alation

County Durham, England, United Kingdom

Overview

Karla is a Senior Staff Customer Engagement Manager at Alation, specializing in data governance, architecture, and strategy, with a focus on financial services. A recognized thought leader on implementing data products, she leverages her technical and business expertise to drive value. People who have worked with her describe her as a "multi-dimensional" leader and mentor.

Outside of her deep expertise in the data world, Karla appears to have a creative hobby in crocheting, having shown interest in various patterns for baby clothes and accessories.

Interesting fact: Despite her career as a high-level data expert, Karla holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from Northumbria University.

Personality Overview

Friendly Challenger

Risk-Accepting

Conviction Driven

They don’t mind taking a stand if they believe in something.  They respond well to objective pitches but also attach some value to relationships. They measure a product on its merit but can be influenced by strong testimonials.

Topics They Care About

Data Product Strategy
She has authored articles on the common mistakes organizations make when implementing data products and how to avoid them to ensure they deliver business value.
Data Governance
Her role at Alation and professional focus involves helping organizations unlock data value through strategic governance, metadata management, and aligning frameworks with business outcomes.
Decentralized Data Architecture
In a previous role, she championed a decentralized data approach, focusing on data mesh principles to make data discoverable, understandable, and scalable for self-service use.

Media Appearances

Karla has no verified media appearances

Work History

11-2025
Senior Staff Customer Engagement Manager at Alation
10-2024 - 11-2025
Staff Customer Engagement Manager at Alation
5-2023 - 10-2024
Lead Solutions Architect at NatWest
1-2022 - 5-2023
Data Architect at Blockdaemon
7-2021 - 1-2022
Solutions Architect at Ebury

Education

2008 - 2012
Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Northumbria University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 8 Location : County Durham, England, United Kingdom Job Level : Middle Designation : Senior Staff Customer Engagement Manager at Alation
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Insights For Selling To Karla

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Refer to testimonials from well known people to highlight the value of your product
  • Keep your pitch focused on the impact but insert some anecdotes into it
  • Acknowledge their status and position during the conversation

DONT's

  • Avoid focusing only on the product or its ROI, keep building trust subtly
  • Don't be unorganized, be prepared for the pitch
  • Don’t keep repeating the same information, it could make them impatient

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Karla is

  • Confidence in the product’s value is critical, followed by relationship and a sense of achievement.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Karla

  • They will not hesitate to say no if they do not develop conviction.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Karla move?

  • If they develop confidence in your product and you, then they can make fast decisions.
  • Can Karla take some risk or not?

  • If necessary, they have the ability to take risky decisions.

You And Karla

Personality Compatibility


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