Kiran Shaikh

What does the Community of Solvers mean to you personally? 

For me, the Community of Solvers at PwC is about everyone and everything coming together to create new solutions for clients. There are several departments and teams with a wide range of skills. By having this Community of Solvers, we can work together with anyone within the international PwC network to resolve any type of problem.

What is still left on your bucket list?

I like discovering new countries and getting to know new cultures. During my studies, I was able to go on two exchanges to the United Kingdom and France. The way studies are organised in other countries is surprisingly different. With PwC, I hope to be able to work on international assignments, discover a new way of working and learn new skills.

How did you end up at PwC and what exactly do you do? 

I decided to work here as PwC offers the opportunity to be involved in very different types of projects. My first year here, I started out as a general RCC team member, but as I got more exposed to data projects, I realised that this was an area I wanted to specialise in. So I told my People Manager that I’d like to be a full-time business data analyst. The data team is still growing, which also allows me to grow with the team.

The role of a junior Business Data Analyst at PwC is to bridge the gap between the business and data. Data is often abundantly available, but not everyone knows how to process it to generate information and ultimately produce knowledge and insights on a particular subject. Typically, a Business Data Analyst will get acquainted with the business requirements provided internally or from the client, analyse the data and provide insights relevant to the business request. A Business Data Analyst is either in immediate contact with the client or through a SPOC, depending on the project, complexity of the task and client’s preference. 

Can you tell us something about your team/collaboration/colleagues/the open culture at PwC?

English is our main language of communication with colleagues as well as clients. Only in some cases do the client require us to speak in their official language which can be Dutch or French. 

To collaborate efficiently, we’ve different types of meetings such as internal and client meetings. An example of an internal meeting is to discuss the status of a project with your team. Some meetings are with other teams within PwC Belgium or the PwC Network (such as the Netherlands and Germany) to ask for their support or provide them with support about an issue. During meetings with the client, we discuss ongoing issues or clarify business requirements.

Which project makes you proud?

As a Business Data Analyst, I was able to work on a variety of projects. The projects that I’m most proud of are the ones where I have been able to code and create data processing scripts using SQL and Python,  which are then integrated with Alteryx to create complete flows that the client can use as an application to regularly analyse their data. 

Other impressive project deliverables are the Power Bi dashboards which we created visuals after processing the data using SQL, Python or Alteryx. These visuals help to tell a story and give the client relevant insights regarding the current status and how to further improve the situation.

Does PwC offer specific programmes or opportunities that contribute to the growth?

As an associate with the RCC Data team, I was able to improve both technical skills and my soft skills. Every year we follow training sessions, and in addition to that, I was able to create my own learning path based on my interests.