2013: revival of a digital non-native

First of all, I wish you all a fruitful 2014 year.

As for me, 2013 has been a transitory year, in every sense of the term. After having already achieved a lot since the early days of Data Elicitation, It’good to remember  the road I have been following day after day.

Very early in my new life as a GfK alumni , I decided to remain on the same innovative trend I had been forging since 2008. Today, it is great to state, that I have strongly enforced the digital side of my analytical competencies through a three-steps process.

First: education time.

I first took all by myself the course that had been originally planned in my 2013 corporate training plan. Therefore, I have attended the joint program from the Digital Analytics Association (DAA) and the University of British Columbia (UBC), a.k.a. “UBC/DAA Award of Achievement in Digital Analytics”. This has been a very intensive 5-month phase, full of exchanges between younger geeks, in search of an additional background in marketing and older senior managers, willing to understand better what digital was all about. All through spring and summer, I have been back to school, and this has led me to a first successful achievement. A warm thanks to my tutors Elena Surcheva, Nicolas Malo, James Ollunga, and Ali Shah for their directions and sensible comments about my works.

Should you be interested in this (very valuable) program, more information is available on the DAA site (DAA Online Education) or on the UBC site (Award of Achievement in Digital Analytics).

Second: certification time.

Once the training done, I have applied to the DAA certification exam, e.g. “Certified Web Analyst”, which I believed should crown my efforts for entering the world of Digital Analytics. The organization has been complex, center resources in Europe are scarce. I chose Dublin (instead of Barcelona or Copenhagen), most probably because of my affinity to James Joyce’s literature… Another warm thanks to Judy Ritland at the DAA for her efforts in facilitating the exam conditions.

Unfortunately, the gorgonzola sandwich at Davy Byrnes had a bitter after-taste, as I failed the exam by only one single point. I read afterwards in various blogs, that the CWA exam is said to be very difficult (as explained by John Lovett here), and it was! But this has been my very first attempt, and, exactly like in the times when I took the HEC examination, in the mid-eighties, I strongly believe that the second attempt will be the good one! To be followed in Q1 2014.

Third: adoption time.

Let us be clear. I am not planning to enlarge my (wonderful) family… Not at all, but I now am a fresh member of the Paris digital group (#WAParis).

I have attended many events linked to digital topics and issues (some comments  in this post or in this post). Among them, the Measure Bowling has been THE ONE by which I have formally joined the merry Parisian geek’s community (measurebowling.org). I got my very first award from it with a valorous third place for the“nerdshirt contest“. Not that bad! And the award for perfect organization goes to Nicolas Guillard and Julia Kowalczyk.

At the very beginning of 2014, I can say all these meetings have been very useful to build up a flourishing future for Data Elicitation. I master very well the topics and issues which may/could/can  require external added competencies to the digital native ones.

As an expert of Big Data management on a worldwide scale (thanks to my 15+ years of experience in managing international transversal projects), I am looking forward to concretely meet these needs.

My next post – coming in a couple of days – will detail more precisely the solutions I can bring.

Stay Tuned !