Witad Awards 2026: Data science professional of the year (end-user)—Ece Dedeoglu, Bank of America

What is your position at Bank of America?
Ece Dedeoglu, Bank of America: Head of data platform and strategy within Global Markets at Bank of America.

How long have you been in the financial services industry?
Dedeoglu: 23 years.

How did you get into the industry? Was it a conscious decision or did you “fall” into it?
Dedeoglu: It was a conscious decision. During my third year of college in Istanbul, I completed a banking internship that confirmed my interest in the industry. My father encouraged me to pursue international banking in a more advanced financial system, which led me to the US. I completed a graduate degree in international economics and finance with a concentration in fixed income, setting the foundation for my career.

What does your day-to-day role entail?
Dedeoglu: As head of Global Markets data strategy and platform, I oversee more than 143 tools across the markets data ecosystem. My role involves partnering with sales and trading leadership, quants, technology teams, and control functions to prioritize and deliver high-impact initiatives. A growing focus is the responsible adoption of GenAI—evaluating vendor solutions and guiding internal development to enhance efficiency, strengthen governance, and deliver measurable client and shareholder value.

What single project/piece of work are you most proud of during your career?
Dedeoglu: Two experiences shaped my career. Early on, I worked on major bank mergers, including Merrill Lynch–Bank of America, which gave me a deep, end-to-end understanding of markets and integration. Later, following the 2008 financial crisis, I helped build the firm’s funding valuation framework and desk. Together, these experiences grounded my appreciation for cross-asset dynamics, regulation, and the transformative power of data.

Over the past year, I have driven a unified analytics vision across Global Markets, operationalizing it across dozens of trading desks worldwide. This work delivered measurable financial, operational and cultural outcomes

What have been your work-related highlights over the last 12 months?
Dedeoglu: Over the past year, I have driven a unified analytics vision across Global Markets, operationalizing it across dozens of trading desks worldwide. This work delivered measurable financial, operational and cultural outcomes. In parallel, I have accelerated enterprise adoption of AI and large language model capabilities, unlocking cross-asset insights across trading, financing and risk management, and generating impactful P&L uplift through advanced analytics and optimization tools.

To what extent have you been able to use your position and experience to mentor other women across Bank of America?
Dedeoglu: Mentorship has been a core priority throughout my career. I am an associate circle leader in Bank of America’s Women’s Leadership Council, mentoring a cohort of associates and vice presidents on career progression and leadership. I have also served as a senior mentor in Global Markets campus recruiting for over a decade and actively champion initiatives that elevate technical women and foster global collaboration across the markets data science community.

Is the industry doing enough to support talented women? What more could be done?
Dedeoglu: The industry has made meaningful progress over the past two decades, particularly in benefits such as parental leave, childcare, and eldercare support. However, more can be done to normalize flexible career paths and ensure equitable access to high-impact roles. Continued investment in family support, financial education and sponsorship will be critical to fully addressing historic gender imbalances.

Do you foresee a time when awards like the Witad Awards become unnecessary?
Dedeoglu: I do not believe recognition will ever be unnecessary. Celebrating excellence and inclusion reinforces the behaviors and outcomes the industry wants to see more of. Awards like the Witad Awards create visibility, inspiration, and momentum, helping organizations and individuals alike continue moving toward a more inclusive and high-performing future.

What does this win mean to you?
Dedeoglu: It has been personally meaningful and has reinforced and affirmed the impact of the work my teams and I are doing. It has also strengthened my resolve to continue driving innovation, inclusion, and excellence across markets data and analytics.