This Profile Highlight we introduce Cathelijn! After graduating from Business Analytics at VU Amsterdam, she gained her initial experience at Otrium, where she developed innovative predictive Customer Lifetime Value models in her thesis. After that, she led projects ranging from forecasting to (re-)architecting the company’s data reporting & dashboarding infrastructure. Having joined Latitude recently, she is ready to help Latitude’s partners & clients with her industry-leading expertise. So let’s introduce Cathelijn:
1. How would your friends describe yourself in 3 words and why?
If my friends were to describe me, they’d likely use words like social, analytical, and humble. I enjoy being around people, making connections, but I also cherish my alone time. In general, I tend to approach situations analytically. And I’m also someone who doesn’t necessarily like to be in the spotlight too much but rather supports others.
2. What sparked your interest in data consultancy? And what excites you about it?
Having spent 3.5 years at my first job, I’m curious about what else there is. Data consultancy offers me the opportunity to explore different companies and branches. And what excites me is the wide variety of projects it has to offer. By doing such diverse projects, I look forward to expanding my skill set and becoming familiar with various sides of data.
3. What is your expertise and what kind of industry attracts you the most?
So far, my work has been solely focussed on the retail industry, which is definitely an industry that I find very interesting as there are endless possibilities with the data. But I also have a background in biology (thanks to my bachelor’s degree), which has me curious about healthcare as well. The data opportunities aren’t as expansive as in retail, but I’m fascinated to see how data might be able to contribute to new innovations in this important field.
4. What is one data trend you believe will significantly impact our industry in the next five years?
One data trend I foresee, is the significant impact of AI on our industry in the next five years. As AI advances, including tools like ChatGPT, it will revolutionize data analysis, leading to more efficient decision-making and uncovering hidden insights. The impact will be even greater once individuals in various fields optimize their use of AI. Embracing AI is essential for staying competitive and innovative in the evolving data landscape. (Guess who wrote this)
5. How do you describe working at Latitude to your friends?
It was a very exhilarating first week!!
6. What technical achievement are you most proud about? (ELI 5)
That would be my master thesis that I wrote about 1.5 years ago, focusing on building a prediction model for the customer lifetime value of a fashion outlet store Customer lifetime value is an increasingly valuable metric for retail companies, enabling them to optimize marketing budgets and retain high-value customers effectively. Throughout this project, I gained valuable insights into both the technical and business aspects.