Matt Fagan

Matt Fagan describes the new world of data and business analytics a little like the Wild West, a professional area so new that business standards and rules have yet to established.

This makes enhanced knowledge, skills and experience vitally important for those pursuing careers in the field, he says.

“It used to be the case that a finance degree and some Excel knowledge could suffice throughout a career, but now, the world runs on SQL, Python and RDBM,” says Fagan. “Data is the currency of the emerging business environment, and business analytics offers the perfect vehicle to building a skillset for one to manage and mine this new currency.”

“This is an emerging frontier that is growing too fast to define, and its rate of growth far exceeds the supply of minds that understand it,” he adds.

Which is why the MS Business Analytics program at Cal Poly was so enticing.

“If you want to learn more about the world of data and carve out a personal space in analytics, then come to Cal Poly’s business analytics program,” he says. “The skills here will give you the ability to become a private consulting analyst to a leading data strategist at any and all companies.”

Currently working in marketing analytics at Neustar Marketshare, Fagan says Cal Poly’s commitment to applying knowledge through real-world industry projects makes the program unique. The college’s “Learn by Doing” approach might seem a little cliché, he says, but it’s really at the core of the experience.

“Cal Poly really gives you the skills to succeed by extending the classroom experience to real world problems,” he says.

This profile was published in the Fall of 2017.