Meet the winner of the ACS Prize for the best performance in Master of Business Analytics - Felix Rosenberger

^Highlights

• ACS NSW presented the inaugural award for Best Performance Master of Business Analytics. This award, which was a part of the annual Dean’s Excellence Awards, is provided in recognition of exceptional commitment and results in the course at Macquarie University Business School.
• Felix Rosenberger is the recipient of the award and shares his experience of the Master of Business Analytics curriculum, as well as his wishes for the future. 

Why did you choose the Business Analytics academic journey?

For my bachelor’s thesis in Industrial Management, I looked into my employer's production logistics and material flow for improvement. During this exercise, I realised two things.

First, the company lacked both the infrastructure and processes to capture and store relevant data that would have enabled comprehensive measurements and analysis across the production.

Second, even if such data had been available, I would’ve lacked the critical skills to make use of it. That started to get me thinking of pursuing a more technical path. Though I initially didn't know what business analytics would be about, it ignited the spark to look into the field of what I had thought of as pure “data analysis” at the time.

What are some of the main skills you've gained from your curriculum at Macquarie Uni?

The best aspect of the Business Analytics degree was the flexibility regarding the curriculum. It allows me to stay more business and management-oriented and to get very technical in terms of data science and data engineering. I focused on data science-related technical skills - statistics, algorithms, and coding in Python and R.

However, the Business Analytics degree entails data project management-related core units. I learned the importance of taking the business point of view before starting any data work. Being able to formulate a clear goal, which will most likely be adjusted along the way, is the foundation of any data use case and is used for evaluating final results.

What do you look forward to achieving in the coming years of your career? 

I am mostly looking forward to growing personally and professionally, and to learning as much as possible about data analytics in a real-world setting. I enjoy challenging myself and being in a position where I have to get out of my comfort zone is paramount to me.

What skills do you believe will be essential in the future of ICT professionals? 

Having spent the last years exploring the field of data analytics, I believe the desire and ability to learn continuously is essential for any ICT professional. A lot is happening, and new developments are published daily. Being able to keep up with skills that are relevant to your role is crucial.