#59 Creating the Link Between Business and Data with Tony Gruebner - GM Analytics, Insights and Modelling

Tony Gruebner is the GM Analytics of Insights and Modelling and the Exec Sponsor of Personalisation at Sportsbet. He established a department of 40+ skilled analysts and data scientists tasked with creating innovative data products focused at improving the experience for their customers and supporting the business by providing relevant and timely information and insights that steer decision making across all levels of the business. He has served on the Executive Leadership Team from 2016.

In this episode, Tony explains how he started in data and what led him to get his job at Sportsbet. Tony got a call from a recruiter asking if he wanted to do work with analytics, in a company that does sports and is heavily digital. All of those factors checked the box for Tony, and he took the entry-level analyst role. Over time, the need for analytics has grown, so he has been able to develop some analytics teams. 

Enjoy the show!

We speak about:

[01:20] How Tony got started in data

[08:20] Tony’s skills come from the commercial side

[11:10] Linking data science and the business

[14:30] Communicating how data science works

[17:00] Steps to getting others to understand data science

[20:40] Getting the best talent for your team

[24:00] Structuring teams and the department

[28:10] Transiting from analytical roles to commercial roles 

[35:30] Working on global expansion

[38:10] Solving with artificial intelligence

[42:30] Passionate about using numbers to reach an outcome

[44:00] Modelling failures with Sportsbet 

[47:50] Imposter syndrome in data science  

[50:05] Data science is rapidly changing and exciting

Resources:

Tony’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gruebz/

Sportsbet: https://www.sportsbet.com.au

Tony’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/gruebz?lang=en

Quotes:

“There is no one path that always works.”

“There are literally thousands of things data scientists couldn’t potentially tackle in any business.”

“If you’re not making mistakes, then you aren’t pushing the envelope hard enough.”

“Not having imposter syndrome is a sign of lack of knowledge.”

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