Who is this guy anyway?

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Alexander Sutcliffe

Data Wrangler
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Introduction

I'm an experienced data professional based in Sydney Edinburgh Basel Berlin. This is where I scribble down my thoughts and ideas or sometimes just rant and rave. I write mostly about technology but often stray beyond the analytics field because I tend to get interested in how stuff works. I can also get pretty excited about bicycles, cricket, and photography.

Experience

I have been working in the data sphere for over fifteen years. I have gained experience within numerous sectors, from large multinationals to startups. The industry has evolved beyond recognition since I started out. I've seen trends come and go and have the scars to prove it.

For a time, I specialised in Enterprise Performance Management, specifically implementing TM1 projects. In more recent years, I've embraced modern data tooling and found myself energised by the value of bringing testing and observability to data pipelines and products.

Having long been interested in open source, I'm pleased to now be working with and even contributing to projects like dbt, Airflow, and Python. I'm currently working on the murky border between data and analytics engineering, but I have done everything from backend development to dashboard creation over the years.

Current Mission and Philosophy

I'm currently helping bootstrap the data platform at a renewable energy scale-up here in Berlin. It's satisfying to be a part of the necessary transition away from fossil fuels, and I'm enjoying trying to drive the efficiency and sustainability of our data platform.

To do this, I'm passionate about code readability and re-usability. I'm a big believer in the adage "less is more" and love nothing more than merging a re-factoring PR that removes more lines than it adds while improving clarity. I'm also a zealot regarding testing and how it can increase development velocity.

I also get a real kick out of mentoring colleagues. I've led teams and know from experience that levelling people up makes everyone more efficient. Seeing a fellow analyst or engineer progress makes me happy, and by sharing knowledge with them, I usually learn something in return.

What else?

I have one cat and more bicycles than kids. I'm always keen to meet fellow data people, so reach out if you want to connect or think we might collaborate one day.