Dr. Steffen Illig – Expert Freelancer in Machine Learning, Business Intelligence and Forecasting.

&nbspWhy me?

Data is the new oil.

Data analytics is the way to refine that new oil.

And I am striving to master data analytics!

It may sound like a bold promise. But everyone I worked for in the past got excited about the insights I discovered in their data and the IT solutions I built to harvest the promise of big data.

My academic profile – a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Cambridge – and my industry experience – a team leader role for customer and sales analytics within a DAX company – form an ideal starting point to put new projects in context and tackle your challenge.

So don’t settle for less: As I am striving to master data analytics, I am striving to make you successful.

&nbspMy Approach

Over the years I managed multiple analytics projects and worked on data sets from the banking, insurance, manufacturing, and retail sector. In my role as an analytics team leader, I routinely steered and worked side-by-side with consultants from strategy firms such as McKinsey and BCG.

The result of this experience and thousands of hours of hands-on practical problem-solving work in the realm of advanced analytics is now my biggest asset: A powerful data science repository that I can rely on for every upcoming challenge. Cause every project is different… but they also have a lot in common!

This data science repository forms the backbone of my work. It makes me fast. It covers 80% of a typical analytics project, allowing me to focus on the 20% that make yours unique. It allows me to deliver smart and robust solutions for my customers in a short time.

&nbspAnalytics@Cambridge

The basis of this successful repository was laid during my Ph.D. at Cambridge University. As – at the time – president of the Cambridge University Data Science Society (CUDSS) I got connected with plenty of projects and smart people.

Together, we started working on a repository of algorithmic code fragments and best practices. During my years in the industry, I further extended this work focusing on making data solutions stable and easily maintainable.

Now, the repository consists of high quality, tested code – from data cleaning over machine learning to efficient visualization. Applying those on new projects allows for rapid prototyping AND high coding standards. What’s the result? Putting code into production becomes faster and maintenance easier!

&nbspPortfolio

My project portfolio ranges from ad-hoc analyses over prototypes to industrialized use cases, typically in the Sales and Customer space. I’d like to highlight a few:

Forecasting & Optimization: I worked on a data-driven algorithm that is forecasting future customer behavior and buying patterns. I fed those forecasts as an input to an optimization algorithm that optimizes multiple business goals of my customer, i.e. company strategic goals, profit maximization and governmental regulations.

Business Intelligence: I connected over 25 data sources from various departments and created a visual Tableau/Java-based web frontend that helps and enables management with data-driven decision making. The project had a high impact with several presentations to the board level of a global company (>100k employees).

Machine Learning: Prediction of future customer behavior is highly interesting to various industries. I was involved in or leading analytics projects including
- customer segmentation to support marketing efforts
- customer churn prediction to increase brand loyalty and
- customer lifetime value to efficiently allocate resources

&nbspTech-Stack

Among my frequently used analytical techniques are clustering algorithms, explainable linear models including elastic net and full-scope machine learners such as boosting gradient machines (i.e. XGBoost and LigthGBM).

Data visualization is done via Tableau, Plotly, Ggplot2, Excel or other tools depending on customer preferences.

I work agile and I am a strong advocate of explainable AI. I code in both, R and Python with a preference towards R. SQL, C/C++ (also object-oriented) and general web/frontend skills round up my profile.

&nbspRunning

I love coding. I love data analytics. And I love challenges.

That is probably why I never stopped running. And I literally mean running. After my first marathon, I thought that’s it. Now you accomplished running. But it is as in data analytics. There are always more challenges and you grow personally as you crack down on them.

Today, I have accomplished my first 100km distance or alpine ultratrails where it is only you, your thoughts and the challenge ahead of you. And after successfully running for over 10 hours without a break I promise with all my heart: I love what I do. And I will never give up making your project a success and you successful in the long run.