12/07/2023
From IE University to IKEA, Master in Business Analytics & Big Data Alum Ana Marīa Guerrero took her foundations in engineering to explore big data and build an inspiring career.
Originally from Colombia, Ana María Guerrero earned her bachelor’s and first master’s degree in her home country. She started her academic journey with a degree in industrial engineering and when she started working, she struck an interest in data. For her, working with data was like solving puzzles. This drive to work with data led Ana to a master’s in industrial engineering with a focus on optimization, data and statistics.
With a bachelor’s and a master’s under her belt, Ana landed a role in the banking sector. After three years in two different banks, one of which is the largest private-sector bank in Ecuador, Ana experienced what she referred to as a middle-aged midlife crisis. “I turned 25 and realized I did everything I was supposed to do. I went to school, went to university, earned a master’s degree and started working. So, now what?”
To Ana’s luck, data was a growing sector and there were a lot of opportunities available.
But she wanted to hone her skill set and earn a certification to prove that she knew how to handle mass amounts of data. She also had always wanted to move abroad and decided that now was the time.
“One day I just sat on my computer and started to look for all the universities that had high rankings in the big data and analytics world. And of course, I found IE University.” Ana took a trip to the IE University office in Bogota and learned more about the school and the benefits of the Master in Business Analytics & Big Data. With help from the IE University team, her application was submitted and she was on a plane to Madrid.
A program that fit her needs
Ana was looking for a program that was both technical and business-related. “I had the technical skills, but I needed an update. I needed to be updated on the new technologies and the new ways to do things, but also I wanted it to be more than just coding and math—I wanted to learn how to apply that to business.” In her previous roles, Ana noticed that people lacked the ability to build a connection between data and business.
IE University being incredibly up to date as a whole, and specifically the skills she gained in the Master in Business Analytics & Big Data, gave Ana the tools needed to change sectors after graduation. “One of the reasons I studied this program was to have the foundation to work in something other than banking.”
“I needed a change, and the program was the only way I saw to get up-to-date and start looking for new opportunities.”
Opportunity arose thanks to the people Ana met during her program. One of her classmates was the president of the IE Big Data & AI Club, and Ana was given the chance to teach Structured Query Language (SQL) as part of an activity. This further unlocked her passion and opened the door to a role as a data analyst at IKEA.
A showroom to showcase her talent
Like most other companies, IKEA is currently experiencing a digital transformation, which has led the company to create digital hubs all around Europe. Ana works in the Physical Meeting Points area at the Digital Hub in Madrid. This area is focused on all the in-store experience and how to improve it with digital tools: “My role as a data analyst for the physical meeting points is to help the product teams who are creating these digital experiences, to get valuable data and measure the impact and performance of the new tools,” she shares.
More specifically, Ana’s core project is related to waiting times within the stores. She is in charge of defining the metrics needed to understand the waiting behavior in the store, as well as defining the data structures, calculations and relationships of this data with other sources to get valuable insights. The Master in Business Analytics & Big Data gave Ana tools that she still uses in her role today: “I used some optimization and mathematical techniques that I learned in my bachelor’s to understand the data, but with the knowledge I got from the Master in Business Analytics & Big Data, I’m able to show the insights in the easiest way, using dashboards and visualizations.”
A program for everyone
Ana believes that the Master in Business Analytics & Big Data would be beneficial for everyone, especially as it offers different things. “Your background doesn’t matter; what you do before isn’t the most important thing, it’s more what you’re willing to do.”
From the technical skills and understanding of business to the people you meet, you will graduate with new skills and new perspectives.
As advice for future students, Ana would suggest not being afraid of facing this new world that sounds complex or mathematical because, “At the end, you feel super comfortable with coding, with math, with everything really.” She would also tell students to get involved with as many of the activities and clubs that IE University has to offer. “My opportunity at IKEA came because I was involved in the IE Big Data & AI Club. If you are involved in all these kinds of activities, you grow your network and then the opportunities naturally increase.”
As a final note, Ana advises students to start building their network from the very beginning and to always remember that, “the program is created for you to learn, but you need to put your effort in and be prepared for the challenge.”
