Analytics
News, events, thought leadership and more.
Not long ago, data analysts used to be the numbers geeks hidden within their organization who quietly culled data. No one doubted their intellect, but few in the organization really understood what data analysts did, or what value they really contributed.
The role of the data analyst has changed dramatically. Today, data analysts are on a first-name basis with senior management and are key players in the organization. Why? They have the powerful ability to identify the key trends that give their organizations greater insights into their customers and market opportunities.
No one knows this better than Hilary Mason, who embodies the fresh new face of data analytics. She’s currently CEO of Fast Forward Labs, the independent data technology research lab she founded in mid-2014. Hilary is also Data Scientist in Residence at Accel Partners, a leading Silicon Valley venture capital firm, and Former Chief Scientist at Bitly, the popular link-shortening service, whereas Scientist Emeritus she currently advises a team that studies attention on the Internet in real-time.
Her formidable list of job titles and accomplishments is too vast to list in its entirety, but she even adds “Hacker” to her list of experiences. However, rather than using her data hacking skills to create nefarious malware exploits, she focuses on creating opportunities to exploit data for the good of companies. According to Hilary, “Many believe the term creative scientist is a non sequitur. I couldn't disagree more. In fact, science is one of the most creative things we can do." For more examples, check out her presentation on Creativity: Art | Hacks | Business.
According to Hilary, the process of data analysis is the same — whether consulting for the world's leading companies or performing day-to-day data analysis within your organization. "First, you need to understand the priorities of your business. Then, ask interesting questions and use data to discover the answers." Understanding the needs and direction of business and being able to extract greater insights from data is why today's data analysts have become such a highly coveted resource by senior management.
I am thrilled that we've added her as the closing keynote speaker at our Inspire 2015 conference, May 18-20 at the Westin Copley Place in Boston. Her acute understanding of what's possible with data, coupled with off-the-charts creative skills, make her a perfect fit with our conference theme of Analytic Independence.
To find out more about the conference, visit our Inspire 2015 microsite, then register to attend. I hope to see you at her presentation.
