What goes on behind the scenes of getting your favourite movies on the big screen as you settle down with a tub of popcorn in those plush red cinema seats?

And what role does data analytics play in it?

This week, we bring you another classic episode!

All the way from early 2020, we bring back Episode 10, coming back as Episode 107.

Have you been back to cinemas since then?

Matthew’s Role as a Data Science Leader at Vista

Matthew Liebmann is the Chief Innovation & Data Officer of Vista Group. Vista Group provides software and additional technology solutions across the global film industry. It  is the parent to several businesses, including Movio - an authority in moviegoer data analytics, Veezi, movieXchange, Maccs, and Numero.

With over 25 years of experience in the entertainment and media sector, Matthew was previously the COO and the Global President of Movio. Here, he worked to ensure the continued success of Movio Cinema, the flagship product of the company, and leading into growing markets in the US and Canada, China, Japan, India, UK, France, Mexico, and Brazil.

Matthew is also a former board member of Screen Australia, the key Federal Government direct funding body for the Australian screen production industry. Prior to this, he was the COO of HOYTS Entertainment, one of the world's leading entertainment companies with a chain of successful cinema complexes in Australia and New Zealand, and as a Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

In this exclusive analytics podcast episode, Matthew shares:

If you are looking to try something new and join the realm of data science in the entertainment industry - or if you’re simply interested to know what goes on behind the scenes, this is the episode you do not want to miss out on.

Last week, the response to our Classic throwback episode was amazing!

Thank you to everyone for your support and kind words for our journey since 2019 on The Analytics Show.

Because of this, we have decided to deliver another special episode this week - another classic.

This is Episode 40 - a jump from last week’s Episode 5 - first released back in December 2020, almost a year after beginning TAS and during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

And it’s now being rereleased as Episode 106.

Where were you in 2020?

Steve’s Role as a Data Science Leader Across the Industry

Steve Nouri is a prominent voice in the field of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. From working on technical projects to speaking, writing, and teaching to further the true cause of data and AI in the world, his passion for spreading knowledge and expertise as well as to add value to the community has automatically catapulted him as a trusted influencer within the industry. He has over 900k followers on LinkedIn alone.

Since starting as a software engineer and entrepreneur and getting significant experience in machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and advanced analytics, Steve has worked through different IT roles before becoming the Founder of AI4Diversity, a nonprofit global initiative that engages and educates diverse communities about AI to benefit society.

In addition, Steve is the Co-founder and Chairperson of Hackmakers - which provides learning, connection, and building opportunities for rapid development - as well as the

Global AI Ambassador and Advisor of Boab - a scaleup investment program, investing in international AI companies ready to expand globally. Steve is also a member of the Forbes Technology Council and an ICT Professional of the Year Gold Disruptor award winner.

In this exclusive analytics podcast episode, Steve shares:

If you are a veteran or just starting out in the industry looking to improve your networking skills to develop your career, this is the episode you do not want to miss out on.

Meet Alex Antic

Alex’s Role as a Data Science Leader Across the Industry

Dr Alex Antic is a trusted, experienced, and award-winning Data & Analytics Leader, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Consultant, Advisor, Strategist, and a sought-after Speaker, Mentor, and Educator & Trainer. He possesses a rare blend of technical expertise and business acumen, acting as a linchpin to help organisations achieve their strategic goals by leveraging analytics & Machine Learning.

With 20 years of experience under his belt, he was officially recognised in 2021 as one of the Top 5 Analytics Leaders in Australia by IAPA (Institute of Analytics Professionals of Australia). Judged by a panel of analytics and business leaders, this accolade recognises excellence in strategy, impact, advocacy, innovation and leadership.

Currently, Alex holds several advisory roles across industry, government, start-ups and academia, and is an Adjunct Professor at RMIT University. He is an expert adviser to industry, government, academia and start-ups with a proven record of delivering innovative, strategic, and successful initiatives in industry, government, and academia, by developing and leading high-performance teams, hands-on technical expertise, and strategic advisory.

In this exclusive analytics podcast episode, Alex shares:

If you are an educator or data analytics team leader looking to train the future generation of data scientists or you are a data scientist in training yourself, this is the episode you do not want to miss out on.

Do you know what other teams are up to at your organisation?

Or are you blissfully unaware as you carry on your own work in your own team?

Data science teams tend to work quietly in the background - most of us being introverted - just doing our duty and thinking to ourselves;

“I don’t need to talk to anyone today. As long as I’m doing good work…”

How can a data analytics team align their work with business goals without collaborating with other teams - namely the marketing team?

You don’t need to do all the talking. But you will need to do some listening.

Brian’s Role as a Data Analytics Leader at Loyalty New Zealand

Brian Ferris is the Chief Data, Analytics and Technology Officer at Loyalty New Zealand. Launched in 1996, Loyalty NZ is New Zealand’s expert on customer loyalty. They specialise in using big data to help NZ businesses know more about what their customers want from them, and how they can best deliver it. They’re most famous for the Fly Buys programme, with over 2.4 million cardholders across 74% of New Zealand households, and partners with 40 industry-leading brands.

At Loyalty NZ, Brian is championing a high performing agile culture and reinventing Loyalty D&A and Tech with new platforms and modern technologies. To date, they have decommissioned three of the four on-prem legacy solutions and completed a full migration to the cloud in March 2022. In addition, they have re-organised the delivery into an agile model, increasing throughput, reliability and team retention.

​Brian has been working in Information Technology for since 2000 - for 22 years. He spent 9 years in IT consulting before moving to the client side. He has held BI Architect and Design roles with European Central Bank, British American Tobacco, and Heineken before becoming a Director of Data & Analytics EMEA at Nike. Prior to that, Brian was working in supply chain operations.

In this exclusive analytics podcast episode, Brian shares:

If you are a data analytics team leader looking to encourage partnership and collaboration among your team and the marketing team, this is the episode you do not want to miss out on.

LinkedIn changed my life.

Maybe I’m being overdramatic, but I don’t think so.

A lot of my thanks goes to LinkedIn for how far I’ve made it in my data analytics career and business.

This week, I’m bringing you a quick solo episode, the 2nd solo episode of 2022 from The Analytics Show Podcast.

Through LinkedIn, I’ve secured a spot as a thought leader in the industry and have been recognised by DSC, Google, and more.

Through LinkedIn, I’ve been able to meet amazing people who have helped me reach my goals - and I’ve helped many others in turn.

Through LinkedIn, I’m part of this great community!

But I’m not going to hide how I did it as if it’s some big trade secret.

With enough dedication and drive, you can use LinkedIn to its full potential too.

If it worked for me, it can work for you too.

Data Science is one of the most promising fields of today and the future. But this isn’t some well-kept secret. A lot of people know, and a lot of people are boarding the train with the intention of riding it all the way up.

That means competition is heavy. Pushing through the full train cars in hopes of reaching the first one is no easy feat. In other words, like any career, it can be difficult to rise the ranks and achieve the true success you dream of.

To stand out in that constantly moving crowd, you need to be different.

In this exclusive analytics podcast episode, I share:

If you’re looking to build your current or future data science career on LinkedIn through networking and content creation, this is the episode you shouldn’t miss.

Internal Auditors are like detectives.

They search for clues that will guide them to finding issues within an organisation.

Whether it’s with the organisation’s risks, operational effectiveness, or compliance with laws and regulations

And like any good detective - at least, like the ones in TV shows - they need their trusty magnifying glass to spot all these little clues that others wouldn’t notice!

Now, that magnifying glass represents data analytics.

With that data analytics in hand, Internal Auditors are changing the way they work.

Peter’s Role as an Information Leader at the University of Southern Queensland

Peter McLeod is a Director of Assurance Services at the University of Southern Queensland, where he oversees Risk, Compliance, and Internal Audit functions. The University of Southern Queensland is a regional University dedicated to providing quality degrees and programs in a flexible and supportive environment. In just over 50 years, the University of Southern Queensland has become a prominent teaching and research institution providing education worldwide from three Southern Queensland locations. For 3 years in a row, the university has been ranked No. 1 in Australia for graduate starting salary, and almost 80% of our students gain full-time employment on completing their degree.

Before becoming the University of Southern Queensland’s Director of Assurance Services, Peter took on the role of Associate Director of Finance, developing a Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Strategy and deploying it within the university’s Financial Services. Earlier on in his career with the university, Peter also took on the role of Project Manager of Travel Systems & Functional Analyst.

Previously, Peter has also been the Software Development Management Consultant of Ambush Security Systems, as well as the Manager of Strategic Projects and the Database Administrator & Release Co-ordinator at Practical Computer Services. Over the past 15 years, Peter has published numerous articles on the topics of Technology and Innovation.

In this exclusive analytics podcast episode, Peter shares:

If you are a functional team leader looking to encourage your team to improve their work through the use of data analytics, this is the episode you do not want to miss out on.

As the world becomes more and more digitised, data has become one of the most valuable resources on earth.

And as organisations race to keep up with the latest trends and tech, many are turning to data analytics as a way to gain an edge on their competitors.

However, simply having access to data is no longer enough.

In order to truly maximise its value, organisations are starting to see data as a product in and of itself.

This shift towards “Data as a Product” represents a fundamental change in the way businesses operate.

Mark Burnard is a Principal Solution Architect and Data & Analytics Specialist at Amazon Web Services (AWS). Launched in 2006, AWS began exposing key infrastructure services to businesses in the form of web services -- now widely known as cloud computing. Today, AWS provides a highly reliable, scalable, low-cost infrastructure platform in the cloud that powers hundreds of thousands of businesses in 190 countries around the world.

​

Besides Mark’s role with Amazon Web Services, he is also a Trainer in Data Governance at AlphaZetta, authoring and presenting a customisable 1 to 2 day masterclass. He is the Strategic Advisor at Invia - a specialist software and solution provider with an exclusive focus on the Telecommunications industry - and an Advisor at The Data People. Finally, Mark is the Author of the book, Data Governance for Everyone: A practical guide to unlocking the value in Digital Transformation.

Mark has over 20 years’ experience helping organisations get more value from their data. After starting his career as a Business Analyst at Telstra, Mark moved on to work with Affin Bank, Malaysia Airlines, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, Sydney Water, IAG, the University of Sydney, DataRobot, and more.

If you are a data analytics professional looking to shift to data as a product and leverage in-business expertise to scale analytics, this is the episode you do not want to miss out on.

Imagine getting served a burger but it’s all bun and patty. Nothing else.

Weird, but not bad, I guess - especially if you’re hungry. 

Now, imagine if your server strides over and adds on all your favourite toppings and fixings. Some tomato slices, cheese, a cold beer on the side, maybe even a cookie for dessert.

This is what you came for! This is what will make you come back!

But how did they know all your favourites?

Well, this isn’t your first time here. They’ve been paying attention to what you like and what you don’t, and they’ve been taking note.

The plain burger is customer service, but this is customer experience. All the little notes they’ve been making as you come in everyday, that’s where customer engines come in.

Craig’s Role as a Data Science & AI Leader at Suncorp Group

Craig Price is the Group Head of Data Science & Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence at Suncorp Group. For over 100 years, the Suncorp Group has been building futures, offering insurance, banking and wealth products and services through some of Australia and New Zealand’s most recognised financial brands. Their portfolio of brands includes AAMI, GIO, Suncorp Bank and Vero. Suncorp Group Limited is a top 50 ASX-listed company with over 9.5 million customers and 13,000 employees. They have been an ‘Employer of Choice for Gender Equality’ for six consecutive years, and in 2019, were awarded Silver Employer Status at the Australian LGBTI Inclusion Awards and the Susan Ryan Age Diversity Award.

Craig works with The Data Science & AI Centre of Excellence at the Suncorp Group to maximise the value that Suncorp gets from its investments by turning data into tangible business value. He manages a team of data scientists and analytics professionals building innovative solutions for market leading brands like AAMI, Suncorp, GIO, and Apia.

Prior to this role, in Craig’s 20+ years with the Suncorp Group, he has taken on the roles of the Principal Actuary for Workers’ Compensation & CTP as well as for Motor Insurance, the Executive Manager of Personal Insurance Pricing Analytics, Modelling Acceleration, and Data Science. More recently, Craig was the Head of Data Science for Analytics & Business Engagement. Outside of work, Craig is passionate about making a difference in community development, disaster relief, and educating children through opportunities from STEM.

Customer Engines, Customer Experience, and Intelligent Automation

In this exclusive analytics podcast episode, Craig shares:

His experience volunteering at ADRA Australia

His role as the Group Head of Data Science & Artificial Intelligence CoE at the Suncorp Group

The importance of having the Centre of Excellence model for data science and AI at an organisation like Suncorp

What the financial service industry can do to win the long game

If models like Next Best Action and Next Best Offer to reduce the churn rate could be incorporated into the next generation of customer engines and

experience

Embedding data analytics for better customer experience

How this is different from traditional customer segmentation

How the role of intelligent automation converges with his work in perfecting the customer experience

Putting together multiple teams to create a powerful customer engine

How FSI can replicate the customer experiences of big companies like Google and Amazon

If these points will become important add-ons for the Customer Data Platform in the near future

His advice for other companies in the industry to get started using intelligent automation and data analytics to build better customer experience

Key lessons from his experiences in building these customer engines a

Imagine this.

One day, you press a few buttons on your keyboard and your unique avatar is walking into a virtual bank.

You go up to a virtual ATM, poke at some keys, and withdraw that Bitcoin you've been saving for a small treat.

Next stop? Who knows!

With the Metaverse and Cryptocurrency creeping up on us, the future is big and uncertain and could look vastly different from today.

That includes those little things you do everyday, like banking.

Fred’s Role as a Fintech Leader at Finder

Fred Schebesta is a Co-founder of Finder. Finder is an award-winning fintech assisting people around the world in making better financial decisions and improving their lives. Their vision is to become the world’s go-to destination for comparing. After starting out in Australia in 2006, Finder is now the most visited personal finance comparison website in Australia and are expanding around the world, with offices in the USA, the UK, Canada, the Philippines, Poland, and Singapore.

Besides his work with Finder, Fred is currently a co-founder of Hive Empire Capital, a crypto investment fund interested in helping technical teams launch projects. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of his own project, Schebesta Ventures Pty Ltd, meant to share his proven systems and strategies with others. He is an Advisor at Balthazar, a scholar-driven NFT gaming platform for the metaverse.

On top of all that, Fred is a contributor to multiple magazines where he writes on topics such as finance, crypto, entrepreneurship, and business. So far, he’s written for Cointelegraph, Entrepreneur Media, Yahoo Finance, news.com.au, Forkast.News, Kidspot.com.au, value walk, The Australian Financial Review, The Daily Hodl, DynamicBusiness.com.au, The Huffington Post, SUCCESS Magazine, and Fairfax Media. He has also spoken about business at the University of London and StartCon.com.

In this exclusive analytics podcast episode, Fred shares:

If you are a data professional in the banking industry interested in how cryptocurrency and the Metaverse will affect your work in the future, this is the episode you do not want to miss out on.

“How do I get a place at the decision-making table?”

For those of us in the data industry, we hear this question from other analytics professionals often.

“How do I have my voice heard?”

We face the challenge of trying - and often failing - to influence decisions in our organisations.

Analytics is still seen as a subset of other teams.

But how do you have your voice heard when no one is listening?

Antony has the answer.

Antony’s Role as a Business Leader at Flow of Work Co

Antony Ugoni is an Advisor at Flow of Work Co. Started up by a team of former colleagues, they believed it was time to rethink the way employees are developed, upskilled and deployed. With expertise in HR, innovation, people-analytics, technology, and behavioural science, Flow of Work is working with people-led organisations to maximise their workforce potential and help make their employees working hours more meaningful and enjoyable.

Other than his role at Flow of Work, Antony represents the Australian data analytics community in various ways. At the University of Melbourne, Antony has the role of a Board Member at the Centre for Business Analytics’ Advisory Board. He is also a Chairperson at the Advisory Board of IAPA - the Institute of Analytics Professionals of Australia, and has been, until recently, a member of the Advisory Board for the Australian Alliance for Data Leadership and the Association for Data Driven Marketing and Advertising.

With over 20 years in the industry and with these positions, Antony is ardently involved with activities and projects designed to drive analytic professionals to find seats at decision-making tables. It’s his belief that, with a data-driven and evidence-based approach to decision making, organisations can flourish.

In this exclusive analytics podcast episode, Antony shares:

If you are an analytics professional looking to find a seat at decision-making tables or a business owner seeking to integrate a more customer-centric approach to your business, this is the episode you do not want to miss out on.