Meet our Data Scientist Christian Ryan! 📈 Learn about his role at Voi, what challenges he faces at work (and how he solves them), his love for chess, and more. Let's tune in!

What does a Data Scientist at Voi do?

At its core, my job involves finding solutions using data to improve our product, marketing, or operations. My role covers a broad scope and requires personal ownership of initiatives and projects. This means that my role often spills over into Data Engineering, Analytics, and ML Engineering. I set up data pipelines, orchestrate ML models, and analyse results through A/B testing. Essentially, I try to learn from what the data is telling me.

That sounds exciting! Now, what's been the most challenging part of your job and how do you usually tackle it?

Breaking down business needs into technical counterparts can be challenging, as they can be vague and unclear. This, coupled with the fact that many people see machine learning as black magic, can make it difficult to explain why a fancy AI solution is not feasible. But being able to translate business demands into data can also be extremely fruitful when done right, as it enables an end-to-end solution to drive business impact. So this challenge can also be the biggest success factor.

Tell us about a compliment you've received!

I recently received a heartwarming compliment from an executive in light of the launch of a new machine learning model that I built. What was special about the compliment is that it incorporated Voi's three core values: ride together, pushing boundaries, and build with empathy. I strive to have these values transcend all of my work at Voi, and it was great to receive that recognition externally.

What's your favourite way to unwind after a busy day?

If my mind is racing after a busy day, there are only two things that help me reset: either running my heart out on the football field (or soccer for you Americans) with my Sunday league team, or playing a couple of rounds of online speed chess with a cold beer in my hand. Either way, I'll be unwinding.

If you could add one thing (yes - anything!) to the HQ office in Stockholm, what would it be?

Well, with my answer above, I'd say we're in desperate need of a proper chess board at the office. Now, I believe a partnership with FIDE might be quite far down the road, but something is telling me that a coral-coloured chess board with miniature Voi scooters as chess pieces would fly off the shelves. At least, my shelf that is… ♟️