#MADEINHEC - Making a positive impact in the fast-moving world of data
An HEC Paris Master’s degree can open up a world of opportunities and the path you take after graduation very much depends on your personal and professional goals. In this interview we asked Simon Pagezy, a graduate of the Data Science for Business (DSB) program and now a Healthcare AI/ML Consultant at Amazon Web Services (AWS), to reflect on his experience at HEC Paris, on his future aspirations, and on how the Master is helping him achieve his career ambitions.
Why did you choose this particular Master?
I have always loved mathematics. It was part of my decision when I embarked on preparatory classes to enter a business school. When I was admitted to HEC Paris, I wanted to pursue my passion for this subject, and I did a degree in mathematics at La Sorbonne.
I have always loved mathematics and I did a degree in mathematics at La Sorbonne. I also decided to specialize in mathematics when I embarked on preparatory classes to enter a business school. When I was admitted to HEC Paris, I wanted to pursue my passion for this subject.
I was interested in new technologies, and I knew that I wanted to have a job that would require a combination of theoretical knowledge, practical application, and soft skills, so this Master seemed to be the perfect fit.
What were the highlights of the program?
Several highlights spring to mind. There was a very inspiring class with Gael Gibert, a visiting professor who worked at Amazon. He provided us with the know-how to create a successful data science project from an organizational point of view rather than a technical one. Discovering the real complexity of a data project in a company was truly inspiring. It’s also thanks to him that I was able to enter Amazon.
Vincent Fraitot, the Academic Director of the Master was another source of inspiration. This was only the second year of the program, so he was constantly asking us for feedback to fine-tune the content. Having the feeling that you were playing an active role in the decisions taken on your education was very motivating.
Another highlight was a study trip to New York at the end of the second year. Being able to spend two weeks with all your classmates and professors as well as meeting outstanding professionals working at Dataiku, Facebook and promising startups was super exciting.
What would you say are the advantages of having two schools for the program?
The approaches of the two schools were very different but they combined incredibly well. The focus at Polytechnique was more on the science than practical application. The professors are all renowned researchers and leaders in their specific fields.
At HEC Paris the focus is really on practical application with professionals showing you how to apply the technical knowledge you’ve acquired in a real-life business context. Having access to the two approaches creates a virtuous circle.
The international dimension of the program is also a big advantage. You not only get to join two great schools, but you also get to work with classmates from all over the world. The program opens you up to other schools, countries and cultures.
How has the program has helped you to achieve your career goals?
Thanks to the combination of technical and business excellence you learn, I think that you're in a very good position to apply for a wide range of jobs, from very technical to non-technical. The program gives you the ability to choose how technical you want your job to be.
Personally, I wanted to stay at the frontier between business and tech and manage technical projects with a tangible business impact. I’ve been able to do so.
What is your role at Amazon at how has it evolved?
I started at Amazon with an end of study internship as a data scientist to work on a research topic. The idea was to understand why orders for multiple items led to the delivery of multiple packages. I learned a lot about data science and data analytics applied to business problems, but this role wasn’t fulfilling enough for me in terms of gaining technical credibility, which was my primary goal.
So, I applied for the graduate program at AWS, the cloud services division of Amazon. I joined a team taking care of healthcare customers in the public sector in the UK. It’s a client facing role that requires technical knowledge, business understanding and the ability to frame and manage a project. It was the perfect fit for me.
The advantage of the graduate program is that you’re trained on the job and gradually take on more ownership of the project. It required a lot of technical upskilling and I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved.
What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
My job is technical, but the impact of what I develop or what I'm discussing with the customer is big. I get to work with some of the major healthcare institutions in the UK on research topics like cancer diagnosis or how hospitals can optimize their resources.
Everything I build has an impact on both doctors and patients. Knowing that you’re building new tools to allow doctors to better do their job on things like cancer diagnosis is truly rewarding.
What are the most challenging aspects of your job?
The first challenge is to really understand the problem that the customer is facing and align a technology that can provide a solution and maximizing impact in the shortest time possible.
Another challenge is the very specific nature of the company culture at Amazon. You are very much your own manager, and you have to be really independent. You can shape your role as long as you can show that what you do has an impact on the business. You often find yourself out of your comfort zone, which can be overwhelming but is also a great opportunity to advance your career.
What are your future aspirations?
I'd like to continue working in industries where people want to make a positive impact and change things for the better. I want to stay in the field of innovation, especially in terms of applying AI to new domains from a technical and societal point of view.
The big question is do I want to specialize in healthcare or do I want to move to another area. It would be very hard to leave AWS as you really feel part of a company that is shaping the future. Ideally, I’d like to transition to a more business-oriented or managing role, while staying in contact with the latest innovations in AI.
How would you sum up your HEC Paris experience?
It was a lot of fun. You make friends for life. You have so many opportunities at your fingertips, and the only thing you have to do is choose the one that is the most interesting for you.