Viktor Hirshner: A BI Specialist’s Journey (interview)
What is your job role at EMARK?
Officially, my role is called “BI Specialist,” but I prefer to say I work “in delivery.” This means my daily task is to ensure that our clients receive the data solutions they currently need.
How long have you been working here? What was your journey to EMARK?
It will be five years in January. I joined EMARK after three years of experience in event management in a nonprofit organization and with a relatively fresh degree from Bratislava’s “MatFyz” (Faculty of Mathematics, Physics, and Informatics). I was looking for a job that would combine analytical thinking with intensive client interaction.
How would you describe your job position in more detail?
Delivery is a department with great breadth and depth – we guide the client from the initial consultation and needs identification to handing over the final solution to the end users (which is often a very underestimated part of the overall process).
As someone with a more versatile focus, I enjoy the combination of client meetings, presenting various solutions, focused programming, and user training. Of course, some colleagues in Delivery specialize more in certain aspects of these activities.
What does your typical workday look like?
As a father of three, I greatly appreciate flexibility. I consider myself a morning person, so my workday starts at 6:30 AM and ends around 3:30 PM, allowing me to spend plenty of time with my family.
Given the variety of work in Delivery, I try to plan blocks of meetings, training sessions, and “deep work.”
What career-related advice would you give your 5-years-younger self?
At EMARK, I’ve learned two important principles: “there’s never enough communication” and “less is more.” These are exactly the recommendations I would give myself five years ago when I was starting at EMARK.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I have (at least in today’s context) a big family and consider myself a community-oriented person. We try to spend our free time together at playgrounds, in nature, at church, or engaging in cultural activities (I’m a big fan of theater). For the past year, I’ve also been trying to exercise regularly.
What is your ideal vacation?
Even though I grew up in the charming town of Banská Štiavnica, I’m more of a “lowland” and “sea” type. However, I relax best in the company of my wife and a good book, no matter where I am.
Have you any funny or interesting stories from the workplace?
One of my favorite sayings during discussions about conclusions from data analysis is that “the average person has one ovary.” This statement has been the source of many humorous situations. 😉
