#85 The Impact of Technology on Society with Ian Oppermann – Chief Data Scientist and CEO
Dr. Ian Oppermann is the NSW Government’s Chief Data Scientist and CEO of the NSW Data Analytics Centre. Ian has 27 years’ experience in the ICT sector and, has led organizations with more than 300 people, delivering products and outcomes that have impacted hundreds of millions of people globally. He has held senior management roles in Europe and Australia as Director for Radio Access Performance at Nokia, Global Head of Sales Partnering (network software) at Nokia Siemens Networks, and then Divisional Chief and Flagship Director at CSIRO. Ian is considered a thought leader in the area of the Digital Economy and is a regular speaker on “Big Data” and broadband-enabled services.
In this episode, Ian explains how his background is in telecommunications. It is time to start the next big wave of research behind telecommunications – we have a new “G” every ten years. Technologies need to respond to societal and environmental trends. So, they talk about what 6G is going to look like; it is about where you can get high data rates and reliability. In 2030, the population will rely more heavily on technology and have a desire to increase productivity. The aging population brings new opportunities and challenges.
Ian was told that his Ph.D. work was not practical. He was determined to demonstrate that it was not just theoretical work. Ian got into a position where he was consulting to companies worldwide; he was building the world’s first 3G planning tool. Eventually, Ian landed in his current role as the NSW Government’s Chief Data Scientist and CEO of the NSW Data Analytics Centre. He looks at challenges through understanding the journey of children and families using the lens of data. They draw on universities and agencies to get assistance and collaboration with tackling these problems. In return, they helped to shape the Master of Data Science Course at the local university. Resilience, a sense of humor, and the ability to tell a story are some of the skills Ian says benefit him in his role.
Then, Ian speaks about running a practical ideation workshop. Keep lifting the question until you have something the customer cares about. Ian speaks on how firefighters have to respond to all automatic fire alarms, even though a majority of them are technical failures. If a firefighter gets to a scene and does not see smoke or flames, there’s a temptation not to follow protocol. It’s an immediate problem the fire commissioner cared about because that’s when people get hurt. Ian built a predicator by using a focused hackathon and nearby universities. Later, Ian explains why you should get an MBA, developing risk frameworks, and how data standards are starting to get interesting.
Enjoy the show!
We speak about:
[02:00] How Ian started in the world of data
[07:20] Ian’s professional background
[10:00] Ian’s role as NSW Government’s Chief Data Scientist
[15:10] The skills that have helped Ian succeed in his role
[19:25] Running an effective ideation workshop
[23:45] Should you get an MBA?
[33:30] Developing risk frameworks
[36:40] What Ian is most proud of
Resources:
Ian’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianoppermann/
Quotes:
“I have the ability to look impossible challenges square in the eye and not blink.”
“Sometimes a slightly crazy idea which you can then find a reasonably sensible idea is a great way to tackle challenges.”
“I don’t think an MBA is for everybody.”
“Data standards are really starting to get interesting.”
Ian is based in Sydney, Australia.
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