Interview with Wissam Halimi

By Pauline Maury Laribière
May 17, 2022

What do you like about Data Science?

The challenge, the reward and getting to work in multi-disciplinary teams. I need to combine the subject-matter knowledge with maths and programming to get the desired output. For me at least, it always starts with not knowing where to begin, we end up with a beautiful story to tell.

How did you become a Senior Data Scientist at Logitech?

The short story is that I met with the right people at the right time at a conference, and let's say that joining the CTO Data Team couldn't have happened in a more organic way. The long story is that I hold a PhD in Electrical Engineering, have both academic and industrial experience in working on global large-scale projects for building and transferring data technologies.

Did you enjoy the conference? Could you share some impressions with us?

I very much did! The talks were great! Very interesting, engaging and I got to learn new things. For example, I never thought about the robustness of ML models like it was presented. And now this is something I will be looking into.

Did you have interesting conversations with the participants during the mentorship tables?

The participants at the mentorship table had interesting and important questions regarding the professional and personal life of a data scientist. It was great to meet people at different stages of their careers. Some people are just starting their careers, others are looking for a career change. I could sense the whatever-it-takes attitude, which is quite refreshing.

How did Logitech decide to sponsor this conference?

Data Science is a new(er) field that we need to master as it helps us optimize business operations but also enable new customer experiences. We are always keen on learning from experts and sharing knowledge with other like-minded folks. Also, science/engineering trades show a huge gender bias which we strive to counteract by hiring, promoting but also inspiring female talent.
WiDS provides us both opportunities.

What kind of advice would you suggest to a woman who would like to pursue a career in data science?

Just like I told the mentees at our table: Be bold and humble, be yourself and keep on learning. I also recommend reading two books: “Range” by Epstein and “Outliers” by Gladwell.