Dan Tilley, Principal Analytics Scientist and Managing Director, Analytic Solutions Limited
Let me tell you a story about the power of networking and how volunteering to support a Community Interest Company , BuddyHub , through The OR Society’s Pro Bono OR scheme , changed my life.
When I first started work in 2000 at Dstl I met a number of independent consultants . I was in awe of them; they had knowledge and skills I felt I would never have, though I dreamed of the possibility of being just like them.
Many years later I found myself working at a startup in London and I was not happy. The two-and-a-half hour commute each way was not fun and this spilled into the enjoyment of my work. It is important to me that I enjoy my work and that I get variety in my work. Opportunity, though, presents itself in the most interesting ways.
I saw an advert from The OR Society looking for pro bono support for BuddyHub, an organisation trying to alleviate loneliness. This role appealed to me because my father had been diagnosed with Lewy Body Syndrome , a form of dementia. He had been moved into a care home and was already feeling very isolated and lonely.
I applied for the pro bono role and was accepted, to my delight, to work on the project along with another individual. We worked together to develop:
- a process for matching members; captured through a series of workshops and step tables;
- an algorithm to match members;
- the capability to assess what would be the most cost-effective software to use, based on features and price;
- example code to calculate travel times;
- key performance indicators, which were identified using a driver tree and balanced scorecard.
Read the case study about Dan's project here.
My work with BuddyHub was very rewarding. I met some new people working in an exciting field trying to change the world (from a social standpoint), and I got to research new areas and develop new analytical skills. However, that is not where my story ended.
Working with BuddyHub gave me the confidence to set up my own independent consultancy. I realised that I had the capability and understanding to be an independent consultant and not just in defence and security. So, in January 2020, I set up my own business and suddenly I was just like all those independent consultants I met in the early 2000s.
I continued to work with BuddyHub, becoming their Principle Analytical Scientist (advising them on cyber security and data protection). Inspired by work at BuddyHub, I began to think about how technology, particularly smart devices, could alleviate loneliness, but I was also worried about how data collected by smart devices could lead to someone like my father being exploited. This led me to attend a sandpit , where I met some great people and explained what I was thinking about and others put their ideas forward. I had great fun doing this, but more importantly, it also led to something. The team that met at the sandpit set up a new project to look at digital harms in the interaction between home IoT devices, smart meters, and Demand-Side Management (DSM) technologies. I remain a part of the team and am very proud that this project was in part inspired by my work with BuddyHub.
Perhaps one of the things I am most proud of in my work with BuddyHub is that I introduced them to Karrie Liu . I met Karrie through The OR Society. Karrie is a dedicated healthcare analytical consultant who was voted one of the top 100 women in tech . Through Karrie’s work, BuddyHub continues to develop to achieve its mission.
BuddyHub also provided a nice recommendation for my LinkedIn page and recommended me to another company GiveClarity.Org , who are specialists in fundraising for charitable organisations, where I am advising on cyber security and machine learning requirements.
All of this came from me helping support BuddyHub through The OR Society’s Pro Bono OR scheme, and this, I believe, really shows the power of networking. Not networking as in the dreaded cheese and wine evening where you make small talk, but getting out there and helping others through something like the Pro Bono OR scheme. I believe it could help your confidence, allow you to practice new skills, meet new and interesting people, and may lead you to fulfilling your dreams.
A door is waiting for you and all you have to do is... (well I know you are smart so I will let you figure out the rest).
[1] Defined as a company that supports communities
[5] Defence contractors
[7] Essentially, where a smart group of individuals get
together and work on a problem putting a proposal together to get some seed
funding to develop the work further.
Very inspiring! Thanks for sharing
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