Making Your First Analytics Hire? Don’t Make It a Data Scientist

July 30, 2022 6 min read

There is a disconnect that often exists when an organization is just getting started with analytics. One of the key factors is what and how you hire when it comes to analytics talent. I have had multiple discussions on the topic in recent days. The first few hires in analytics—statistics, data science, etc.—are critical, because they can make it or break it. A wrong hire can set you so far off course and even kill analytics for you. I have had a first-hand look into what it entails to be the first analytics hire. Albeit a long time ago, I…...

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Michiko Wolcott Michiko is currently the managing partner and principal consultant of Msight Analytics, a management consulting firm specializing in data and analytics. Backed by 20 years of experience in analytical project execution and delivery, she has helped organizations of all sizes in the development of enterprise capability and effectiveness in data and analytics. She has led multi-national analytical consulting practices, with clients and colleagues from across the globe in financial services, media and communications, retail, healthcare, life sciences, public sector, as well as humanitarian response and disaster management, and has spoken at many industry conferences and forums. Her prior responsibilities include serving as the Lead Data Scientist at North Highland and leading the international analytics practice at Equifax as the Vice President of International Analytics. Michiko holds a Master of Science degree in Statistics from Florida State University among other degrees from Florida State University and the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University.