Dr. Dirk Jungnickel is a seasoned telecommunications executive. After an academic career in theoretical physics, with more than 7 years of postdoctoral research, he acquired 16 years of experience in telecommunications. The positions he held with a variety of international firms include senior IT and IT Architecture roles, various Programme Management and Business Intelligence positions, Head of Corporate PMO as well as an Associate Partner position with a global Management & Strategy consulting firm.

Currently he heads the central Business Analytics & Big Data function of Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (du) as Senior Vice- President, which integrates Data Warehousing, Big Data Platforms, BI Tools, Data Governance, Business Intelligence and Advanced Analytics capabilities.

Questions asked:

How would you describe Du’s journey in data & analytics?

Your presentation at the Data & Analytics Leaders Forum UAE is about the C-level support you’ve received to drive the usage of data & analytics at Du. How did that come about and what impetus has it added to the strategic initiative?

What are the key strategic/business objectives behind your work?

What have you been mandated to achieve?

What advice would you give to Middle Eastern companies who are at the start of their data & analytics journey?