Business Intelligence Technical Lead Beena Albert

UC Tech News recently profiled Business Intelligence Technical Lead Beena Albert as part of its UC Tech Leaders Q&A Series, which spotlights voices shaping technology across UC. Read on for her profile!

Name: Beena Albert

Title and UC location: Business intelligence technical lead, UCOP

What are your top IT/security priorities in 2026? My top priorities are making sure the data and reports we deliver are accurate and follow the standards set by our leadership. I also focus on learning and sharing new technologies with my team, so we grow together, not just individually.

What emerging tech excites you for higher ed? AI adoption across higher ed is exciting to watch. It’s great to see how staff, faculty and students across the UC system are using AI to improve their everyday productivity.

What emerging tech gives you pause? User adoption of AI worries me. Both the speed at which we start trusting these tools and the users who don’t want to adopt them at all. I also worry about a rise in false confidence — people who believe they can program using AI without knowing how to read or troubleshoot the code. Some of these tools just aren’t mature enough yet for that kind of trust.

How do you balance innovation with security? I started an Information Security Committee with data engineering leadership and team members across our data services group. It helps drive security remediation for our servers and keeps us compliant with UCOP’s Vulnerability Remediation Program. That work runs alongside an AI agent (UC Data Classifier) I’m building that classifies data according to UC’s Protection Level Classification Guide.

What principles and values shape your leadership? I try to lead in a way that’s collaborative and growth-oriented. I also make a point of proactively seeking feedback rather than waiting for it — I believe that supports better decision-making and builds trust across the team. As a technical lead, I’m learning to step back instead of jumping in to fix problems myself, and to work with team members to think, troubleshoot and solve issues together.

What are you currently reading? It’s been a while since I’ve read a book, but trust me, I have a huge collection of brand-new books waiting for me.

What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work? It depends on the day and my mood. I like eating out, watching movies and spending time with my loved ones.

Anything else to add? Find a job that you love. I still turn on my work laptop after my daughter goes to sleep, and I love everything about data: finding issues and solving them like a detective. Don’t take your life or job for granted, and don’t stress over what you can’t control.

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