Antonia Murad is now a Senior Analytics & AI Squad Leader at EloGroup in Rio de Janeiro. With a background in engineering and experience across management and analytics consulting, she has worked on projects spanning digital transformation, data pipelines, data governance, business intelligence, and data-driven decision-making. Her path into this space reflects a mix of technical curiosity and strategic ambition, shaped by a career that blends creativity, science, and business.
Antonia grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and she built an unusually creative foundation early in life. “Something most people don’t know about me is that until the age of 14, I worked professionally as an actress and singer!” she said. “I’m also into music—I’ve played the piano since I was six years old.” But when it came time for university, she followed a different pull and studied nanotechnology and materials engineering.
After graduating, she joined business consulting at EloGroup. “They were amazing,” she said, but she also noticed a gap she wanted to close. Data analytics teams were still developing, often operating separately from the business side, and Antonia wanted to build a stronger bridge between technical work and management decision-making.
Why Antonia chose the Master in Business Analytics & Data Science
Antonia decided to pursue the Master in Business Analytics & Data Science* to deepen her technical knowledge while keeping a clear business focus. “After my undergraduate degree, I realized that I needed more technical knowledge to truly understand data analytics,” she said. “However, I also wanted to develop technical skills and understand the data science world and how it works.”
Antonia highlighted that IE School of Science & Technology combined both sides of the discipline in a way that fit her goals.
“IE University merges the technical side of the curriculum with business, which will help me achieve my professional goals.” She was also drawn to the chance to explore electives aligned with her interests, including healthcare, as well as the option to gain international exposure through exchange opportunities.
A learning experience built around participation
During the program, Antonia described a learning environment that rewarded involvement. She said she chose IE School of Science & Technology because of its reputation, rankings, and teaching methodology, and that it met her expectations. She pointed to a classroom culture where professors actively engaged students in discussion. “The professors are engaging, always asking questions and getting students involved in class discussions,” she said. “That’s a teaching style that works well for me.”
“My long-term goal is to reach a C-suite position in consulting and perhaps become a Chief Data Officer,” she said.
She believed that gaining technical capability alongside leadership and communication skills would support that direction. “I believe the combination of technical expertise with the hard and soft skills necessary for business that I’m gaining from the Master in Business Analytics & Data Science will help prepare me to achieve this goal.”
Building leadership beyond the classroom
Antonia’s experience at IE also extended beyond academics. She spoke openly about having a wide set of interests and staying involved in different parts of student life. She joined the IE Music Club, maintained a strong connection to sports after competing nationally in cheerleading, and enjoyed the social side of the experience.
At the same time, she took on leadership roles tied directly to analytics, being the lead of the Data Analytics Fellowship at the IE Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center.
This was a chance for Antonia to manage projects and build relationships with professors while supporting other students in developing skills in the field. She also participated in the IE Leadership & Foresight Hub, which brought together students and business leaders to discuss emerging trends and future challenges.
Exchange experience and international exposure
Antonia also pursued international experience through an exchange semester at Imperial College London. She described it as an opportunity to step into a new academic culture while expanding her network.
After completing the Master in Business Analytics & Data Science, Antonia continued building her career across analytics, consulting, and data-driven product work.
She later worked as a Data Product Manager at OpenSC, managing multidisciplinary teams and contributing to the delivery of data products and technical workflows involving data modeling, ingestion, quality assurance, and business rules development.
She then returned to EloGroup and progressed into her current role as a Senior Analytics & AI Squad Leader, bringing together consulting experience with technical capabilities across analytics and transformation initiatives. Across her roles, she has continued to position herself at the meeting point between business strategy and the technical systems that make modern decision-making possible.
Antonia’s advice for future students
For Antonia, choosing a master’s came down to alignment: your program should match your goals and your interests closely enough to keep you motivated through the hard work. She encouraged students to commit fully once they start. “Once you enroll, be prepared to work hard and stay focused to achieve your objectives,” she said. She also emphasized balance and involvement, encouraging students to engage in program activities, build relationships, and grow their network alongside their studies.
*During Antonia’s studies, the program was called the Master in Business Analytics & Big Data.
