More than 25 years of experience in all areas of Business Intelligence, emphasising Data Engineering and Data Analysis

A thorough start

In 1995, straight after graduation, I moved into what we now call “Business Intelligence”. Little I knew, not aware that one of the founders of this field was an international colleague with IBM. My first database and report experience started with data coming from the IBM Global Network, back then one of the largest world wide computernetworks. Processing Terabytes of data on a daily base became the most natural thing in the world, while back then this actually was quite a lot for a daily batch. Hence, I can rightfully say I’m used to processing large volumes of data..

After a while I wanted to work with, in my view, more modern techniques. No character oriented green/black screens connecting to mainframes, but the more modern, graphical appealing OS/2 and Windows environments. This triggered an IBM internal movement to a Business Intelligence team of specialists that provided me the chance to learn and use all the Business Intelligence aspects. I learnt to know many internal details of DB2 on all platforms as well as ETL and modern reporting.  

Extensive accumulation of knowledge

The need to work closer to home brought me with CMG, now part of CGI. Here I continued to build upon my Business Intelligence knowledge. Database engines like Oracle and MS SQL Server came by as well as ETL solutions like PowerCenter (I reached the top 5 most experienced specialists), Pentaho, Oracle and SQL Scripting. Additionally I learnt to use reporting solutions like Business Objects, Oracle BI, Pentaho and various other tools to provide a suitable solution for customers.

Entrepreneur as Business Intelligence Consultant

Next step was to start my own business in being self employed. This provided the option to build even further on various fields around databases, ETL and reporting solutions. During this period I also got more and more interested in Open Source solutions as well as gathering metrics on the processes involved and report on them.

During this period a transition took place in Business Intelligence. “Big Data” and “DateLake” principles are used more and more. Hype? Or the solution for the future? One thinks it’s the best solution for BI related issues, the other is more nuanced. 

Since I started “old school”  but also saw the newer techniques as well, I think I can say I have a good overview on this. And thus my own vision. 

Data Engineer

Once Datawarehouse specialist, later Business Intelligence Specialist, then it became Data Engineer, Data Steward, Data Analyst, BI Analyst, Bi Specialist/BI Developer and/or BI Architect. What’s in a name?

During the course of my career, I have done t all to a greater or lesser extent and find myself drawn to the “back end” the most: Gathering data from different sources, combine, cleanup and make ready to provide information or use in visualisation. For an experienced / Senior Data Engineer, this can’t be done without touching all these other roles to a great extent. For me, the Data Engineer is the linking pin in the whole of an information based (Business Intelligence) environment.

Experience as Data Engineer / BI Specialist

The experience I built as a Business Intelligence Specialist, these days better known as Data Engineer, but also in roles like BI-Developer and BI/Data Analyst, is described in the menu under “Knowledge and Experience“, submenu “Career overview“. Each menu item, holds a text between parentheses that provides the area of expertise. For these roles, checkout those that hold the text “BI”.