Where are they now? Let’s find out what our MSc&T graduates have become!
Mathilde, Data Scientist & alumnus of the DSB Master program.
Could you please introduce yourself?
My name is Mathilde Duverger and I am a French National. I completed the Data Science for Business MSc from X-HEC coming from a background in Mathematics and Statistics from Imperial College London. I am currently working as a Data Scientist for the Boston Consulting Group Gamma out of the Paris office.
Could you please tell us more about your current position?
The Boston Consulting Group is a consultancy firm that operates in a large variety of sectors: Industrial Goods, Public Sector, Media, Insurance, CPG, …
My job is to design and implement solutions based on data analysis and machine learning for our clients. I have to translate a real-world business problem into a quantitative problem that I can solve using my analytical tools. On a daily basis, I work collaboratively with my multi-disciplinary team to solve the problem, interacting regularly with the client to understand their job and align on our findings and results. My tasks can vary from developing modeling concepts, implementing them, calibrating and backtesting, coding, preparing meetings and communication with our clients, …
Was it easy for you to find a job once graduated?
I started applying for internships when I was still a second-year student in the Data Science for Business MSc. I secured an internship as a Visiting Data Scientist at the Boston Consulting Group Gamma for the summer after graduation. The internship led to a full time offer from the company which I accepted.
What skills gained during the DSB program have you been using in your current position?
My current position is directly linked to my master in Data Science for Business. I can thus leverage the skills I learnt in applied mathematics, stochastics and statistics, computer science, numerical mathematics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, etc.
What do you like in your work?
I enjoy the variety and rigor of the work I carry out. Given the nature of consultancy, I regularly change projects which vary in sector, practice, client, type of problem, type of algorithm… This allows me to continuously learn, increasing my understanding of complex business problems but also developing analytical and communication skills. I very much enjoy the rigor of my work, we continuously seek to apply
cutting edge analytics to our client’s problems. It is a job that is very challenging, keeping you on your toes, but that is very rewarding seeing the change that my work has created.
Do you think your diploma and the name of Ecole Polytechnique are assets to find a job?
I definitely believe the diploma from Ecole Polytechnique was an asset to find a job. First of all, Ecole Polytechnique benefits from its amazing alumni base and organises many events (forum, talks, …) to allow students to meet professional with the same background. But also, firms will have recruiting teams dedicated to the Ecole Polytechnique pool of applicants. This makes the application process much easier, given that we are guided by these dedicated teams.
What memories do you have of your time spent at l'X and in the DSB program?
I really enjoyed the professional aspect that the Data Science for Business MSc focused on. We had many challenges and projects within companies, allowing us to better understand the applications of what we learnt in the real-world. I have great memories of the two learning expeditions that we had in London and New York because we visited many top tier companies, getting a great insight into what they do, and because it was a great bonding experience and we had a lot of fun.
What are your ambitions for the future?
My ambitions are to continue developing my data science, communication and management skills at my current job. I hope to gain further responsibility in working with our clients and proposing the best analytical approach to their problems. In the long term, I would like to become a leader in the Data Science sector, helping companies shape their digital and data approach to unlock the immense value that new technologies bear for corporations.