Data Science & ML Expert

Ragnar Lesch, PhD

German ******.*****@*****.*** 650-***-****

Address

Fremont, CA

94539

United States

Profile

Accomplished Data Science Director with a proven track record of utilizing advanced expertise in mathematics, applied statistics, and programming to lead high-performing teams in developing cutting-edge predictive models and tools across various business sectors. Demonstrated ability to drive business growth and profitability through the implementation of data-driven strategies. Passionate about harnessing the power of data and algorithms to extract valuable insights from large datasets, while continuously seeking innovative solutions to complex business challenges.

Work Experience

Tiger Analytics San Francisco Bay Area

Senior Director

2022 – 2024

● Spearheaded a team of data scientists at The GAP to develop a cutting-edge product recommendation application for category page recommendations

● Directed a team of data scientists at Sephora to build a Propensity Engine that provides a range of customer propensity models for various use cases and implemented an A/B testing framework for a successful rollout

● Oversaw the evaluation of a selection of data analytics/machine learning platforms and tested their installation and configuration as the Dataiku Data Science lead

Kohl's Milpitas, CA

Director Data Science

2019 – 2022

● Led a team of data scientists through a reorganization in technology, shifting focus to a product-oriented approach using OGSM framework

● Oversaw the hiring process for new data science roles, including identifying skill gaps in teams, creating job descriptions, conducting interviews, and assessing interview processes and assignments

● Served as the lead data science advisor within the company, providing consultation on various data science initiatives and needs

● Led the development of various data science products, including:

- Price optimization (incl demand forecast model at monthly geo level)

- Assortment optimization (incl. a demand forecast at quarterly product level)

- Inventory allocation (incl. demand forecast model at weekly product level)

- Covid impact on Sales model

- Outlier detection in high-frequency business KPIs to identify potential system failures early on

- Customer choice optimization: Consulted on a model assessing the impact of customer choices on sales in various product categories. Kohl's Milpitas, CA

Sr / Data Science Manager

2016 – 2019

● Led an ML developer team and collaborated with the product team and stakeholders to develop marketing models, including Spending Likelihood Scores, Churn, and Lifetime Value.

● Spearheaded a workforce optimization project to allocate labor across 1,100 stores efficiently and implemented A/B testing infrastructure for the project

● Led the development of a Wage pressure model to analyze the turnover of sales associates.

● Oversaw assortment optimization application to allocate optimal space for products in all stores.

● Led team in developing a sales forecasting model for the Finance department.

● Built a foundational framework in TensorFlow for image recognition to identify content in standardized product images. Universal McCann (The Interpublic Group) San

Francisco, CA

Lead Data Scientist - Machine Learning

2010 – 2015

● Conducted analysis of advertising impact on customer behavior through the creation of marketing mix models and the design and evaluation of A/B experiments for diverse marketing activities; utilized models and tests to enhance marketing effectiveness and overall profitability for national advertising campaigns (utilizing SAS)

● Architectured a data-warehouse framework to oversee transaction-level ad exposure and web browsing behavior data

(using SQL Server)

● Generated analytics reports to provide weekly updates on campaign results and developed customized reports to bolster new business pitches (leveraging Netezza SQL)

ARA Capital, LLC Berkeley, CA

Co-Founder and Head of Analytics

2009 – 2010

● Spearheaded the creation and implementation of quantitative strategies for a market-neutral U.S. equities hedge fund

● Designed and developed a research platform for model design and trading simulation

● Built a trade execution engine for signal generation and order management using Matlab, Java, and MySQL

● Utilized real-time and historical tick data to inform decision-making and optimize trading practices

Allstate Research and Planning Center Menlo Park, CA

Predictive Modeler/Manager

2007 – 2009

● Spearheaded the development of predictive models for pricing and risk indication, overseeing a team of Predictive Modelers to deliver precise and impactful solutions in alignment with business objectives using SAS and Emblem technologies.

● Implemented a claim fraud model to reduce losses attributed to fraud, providing consultation to the deployment team for successful implementation utilizing SAS technology. Valen Technologies, Inc. Denver, CO

Sr Predictive Modeler

2005 – 2007

● Developed and formulated predictive models for P&C insurance clients to drive loss prevention, risk assessment, and pricing strategies

● Implemented ML algorithms within a proprietary SaaS modeling tool (Java)

● Provided expert consultation to clients on the integration of predictive models into their business processes and insights generated from these models

Education

7city Learning London UK

Quantitative Finance

Aston University Birmingham UK

Neural Computing in Finance

Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg Computer Science & Psychology

Languages

English Professional

German Professional

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