Discussing Data Science & Analytics with Lillian Pierson

Welcome to the IBM Fast Track Your Data podcast series! In this episode, Des Blanchfield interviews Lillian Pearson, a data scientist with a background in environmental engineering. The conversation covers Lillian’s journey from engineering to data science, her thoughts on the unicorn data scientist meme, the impact of data governance on innovation, and more.

Introducing Lillian Pearson

Des Blanchfield welcomes Lillian Pearson to the show and dives into her background and journey into data science. Lillian shares her transition from environmental engineering to data science, self-taught coding and statistics, and her innate interest in finding hidden answers in data.

Transition from Engineering to Data Science

Lillian discusses the natural transition from environmental engineering to data science, highlighting the overlapping areas and the skills she honed during her engineering career that were applicable to her work in data science.

The 2008 Housing Bubble Collapse

The conversation shifts to the impact of the 2008 housing bubble collapse on Lillian’s career and her desire to move into an area that offered abundant opportunities for interesting and flexible work.

Remote Work and Travel

Lillian shares her experience of working remotely and traveling, eventually settling down in Southeast Asia. She discusses the benefits of low financial overhead and the quality of life in the region.

Data Science as a Team Sport

The discussion touches on the collaborative nature of data science and the importance of collaboration across platforms for efficient workflows and organizational value generation.

Hybrid Data Management

Lillian provides insights into the challenges and benefits of hybrid data management, acknowledging the need for a mix of on-premises and cloud solutions to meet organizational requirements.

Data Governance and Innovation

The conversation delves into the impact of data governance on innovation, with Lillian highlighting the ingenuity and creativity that arises from working under stricter data governance standards.

GDPR and Its Impact

Lillian discusses the impact of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and how it is driving innovation in organizations. She emphasizes the need for organizations to re-evaluate their data storage and security practices to comply with GDPR.

Data Security in Collaboration

The topic of data security in the context of collaboration is explored, with Lillian emphasizing the importance of having a secure collaboration platform to mitigate risks associated with peer-to-peer collaboration across data science platforms.

The Future of Data

Lillian shares her insights on the exponential growth of data and its impact on various industries, particularly in the context of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the generation of massive amounts of raw data from sensors and devices.

Conclusion

The interview wraps up with a discussion on Lillian’s future plans, including the release of her upcoming online courses and her aspirations to focus more on consulting work in the field of digital and online marketing.

Don’t miss the Fast Track Your Data event in Munich on June 22nd! The event promises to be a game-changer for anyone interested in secure competitive advantage with machine learning. Whether you attend in person or join the live stream, it’s an opportunity not to be missed.

Stay tuned for more insights from Lillian Pearson and other data science experts in future episodes of the IBM Fast Track Your Data podcast series!

For more information about the event, search for “Fast Track Your Data” on your favorite search engine and use the hashtag #IBMML to join the conversation.

Thank you for tuning in to the IBM Fast Track Your Data podcast series!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download