DSM Xmas Bonanza: 3 Talks - Becoming a DS; DS post GPT4; Rise of AI Factory

It is December, It is Xmas season, and in the spirit of giving, Data Science Melbourne will host a special bonanza edition of the meetup where we hear from not the usual two, but three incredible speakers.

Our first topic
Becoming a Data Scientist

There has been an explosion of education offerings for people to get "The Sexiest Job of the 21st Century", including online and traditional courses, internships, work-study, and other means. Once you've established the foundation, how should you progress?

This talk will cover learnings based on my diverse experiences - from student, postgrad, teacher, employee, working for one of the big four, to independent consulting. I'll describe a number of concepts and tools from an industry perspective on how to refine your pitch to get the right job.

While the talk is aimed at aspiring data scientists, the methodology presented will be of use to a wider audience.

Our first speaker
Dr Craig Savage has worked in a number of technical fields, including rocket science and bringing sight to the blind. He has worked in defence, teaching, biomedical engineering, credit risk, and consulting. His professional interests include data analysis, data visualisation and, more importantly, driving evidence-based decisions and actions.

Our second topic
Data Science post the GPT4 era

The LLM era has changed how we build and deploy software , but what impact are we observing in the data science space ? We will review the current trajectory of data science automation and what the future might look like.

Our second speaker
Shubh Chatterjee has been building and deploying ML models for enterprises of all size for more than a decade , other than building models he loves exploring other aspects of software product development across the stack.

Our third (bonus) topic
The Rise of the AI Factory - Why it Matters and How to Build One

Join us for an engaging session exploring the transformative concept of the AI Factory. We'll dive into real-world examples, including how leading Australian financial and media institutions have embraced AI, and gain insights from Mantel Group's own experiences. Discover why AI enablement is no longer optional for any large-scale organization and how operating models, like the hub-and-spoke, are driving a competitive edge.

Get a global perspective with Google’s latest insights on AI architecture and decision-making models, and learn how to think strategically about your own AI operations and use case portfolio. This is your opportunity to understand the future of AI-driven business and walk away with actionable takeaways to implement within your organization.

Our third speaker
Ben Durance, is a Senior Machine Learning Engineer with over a decade of experience across a wide variety of industries, from start-ups to enterprise. Ben started his journey as a Data Scientist, before moving into Machine Learning Engineering to transform the way AI/ML solutions are delivered at scale. Ben has led the design, delivery and success of several major AI projects and platforms, transforming the way retail predicts demand, media deliverers recommendations, and finance measures and operationalises its risk models. Ben is currently working within finance amongst the leading financial providers in Australia, building state of the art Generative AI solutions.

Our Sponsor:

A big thank you to our sponsor, Method Recruitment Group, for their support and for providing us with food and drinks for this event.
Method recruits across Technology, Finance, Marketing and Not-For-Profit in Australia.
For more information on their specialised Data & Analytics division, visit: https://methodrecruitment.com.au/data-analytics/

Location
Mantel Group
Level 2/452 Flinders St
Melbourne VIC 3000

Follow the sign when you enter and make your way to 2nd floor of the building

Schedule
5:30 - Networking with Pizzas, Drinks (30 mins)
6:00 - Craig's talk (25 mins)
6:25 - Q&A for Craig's talk (10 mins)
6:35 - Shubh's talk (25 mins)
7:00 - Q&A for Shubh's talk (10 mins)
7:10 - Ben's talk (25 mins)
7:35 - Q&A for Ben's talk (10 mins)
7:45 - More networking (30 mins)
8:15 - Wrap up