What is Intellistory?
What is Intellistory?
We are very proud of the people at Intellishore. Every person is a unique character, which we want to bring out in this series of personal stories from our Intellishorians.
These stories serve as a sneak peek into the life of an Intellishorian and how they got here. We hope this will give you a better understanding of who and what we are. If you are ready then…
Meet our Intellishorian, Our Head of AI & Data Platforms, Anders Boje Hertz
Who am I?
Head of AI and Data Platforms at Intellishore since April 2020
Extensive experience with various platforms, including cloud vendors such as AWS, Azure, Snowflake, and Google. Over the past years, my main areas of work have involved everything from data warehousing to the Hadoop stack and now the cloud data platform. Within these areas, technologies like Hortonworks, Cloudera, and HDInsight are now a primary focus of the modern data stack, such as dbt and Snowflake.
Husband, father of two girls
Brøndby IF soccer fan
Destined for Data
Destined for Data
Anders has not taken the traditional way into data, and it has been a journey with a funny twist here and there. For example, when he did his first internship in primary school or how he got his first job while working as a ski instructor. The silver lining to it all has been a healthy curiosity and an interest in technology and data:
“In primary school, we had to do a week of internship, and I wanted to be a web designer. My school then assigned me to the grocery store Kvickly, where I had to decorate the store for Christmas. The student counselor thought this was related to design and was close enough to web design.
In my youth as a teenager and due to low self-esteem, my choices were influenced by what others were doing. I attended a regular high school because all my friends were doing that, even though I might have benefitted from a more technical education that suited my interests.
Later in life, while earning my bachelor’s degree, I was a ski guide in Austria. One of my guests was the Head of Business Development at Danske Bank, and what he worked with captivated my interest. During his stay, we had some interesting talks, and before he went home, he gave me his business card and said I could call him when I got home if I was interested.
So, I called him when I got home and got a job. A week later, I went to the office in my finest suit, the same one I had worn at my confirmation, without really knowing much but with a healthy dose of curiosity, and since that day, I have worked with all different aspects of data.”
Love at first sight
On my first day at Intellishore, I looked around and did not understand why the people around me were there because they could be employed by a larger company which I thought everyone wanted. But people were genuinely passionate about what they did and who they did it with. I was inspired by the high expertise that everyone had, and I thrive in such an environment where people challenge and help each other.
I enjoy my work because there is little time between thought and action. I am privileged to work with others who have skills and competencies I do not possess or have a similar interest in. I get to work with some very skilled strategy people and BI people, which also means I can concentrate more on my area, and they can focus on theirs, but we still work together as a team to deliver on the holistic picture. How they work and see the world from a different angle is incredibly inspiring.
Intellishore has helped me so much and given me support and love, and I would like to show that back. Building a bond of trust makes us not just a workplace but a place where we give and take a little and feel appropriately treated. I love this idea of spending time with people who think it is fantastic to go to work and genuinely love to spend time together. This also means you got each other’s back. Whether it’s the boyfriend who leaves them or they need a pizza and a coke because they’re in thesis stress or something third, it’s certainly something I have benefited from.
Why did you switch to Intellishore?
I switched because I have an entrepreneurial dream of being able to test myself. In big consulting firms, which I have worked in before, you get a sense of being a small unit in a large corporation with minimal impact on more significant decisions. You only have a minor influence regardless of your effort. That is not the case at Intellishore. Here I get the chance to have a say, be challenged, and I enjoy being out of my comfort zone sometimes. Only a few other people can make decisions for you, but you get to have an influential impact and experience both ups and downs while still knowing you have a supportive network.
I am where I am today because I have spent an incredible amount of time on the technical side. As a Tech Lead, I get to immerse myself in the newest technologies and solutions there are in the market, so we are always up to date on what is hot and what is not, which is very motivating and inspiring.
Current project
Current project
I am currently building a cloud data platform to support a system based on a DataMesh paradigm. It is fascinating and fun, and it is an ambitious company with ambitious goals.
The other part is to build it to continuously meet business requirements and generate energy, engagement, and interest in a global organization. Business and development units across countries are hugely exciting and have huge potential and power. We are trying to create a journey that is going to succeed. A journey that can be written in the books when we reach the other side of the hilltop.
My job is tailoring solutions to the profiles and competencies, business needs, the existing tech landscape, etc. In that way, no customers are the same. People have different backgrounds, references, and desires. Being tech agnostic, we can say which cloud is the best for you.
I am challenged in what I do because I always have to investigate new and exciting things. There is a need for versatility on my part and a curiosity about what is happening to learning new technologies.
The best day is when...
The best day is when...
I love to help my coworkers achieve their goals. If I have a day at the office where I can pass on what I know and have an impact on someone, so they shine through their passion, that is inspiring to me. I have a hard time believing in talent alone, and I believe more in passion and hard work which you find here at Intellishore.
The most important thing in my life is my family. When I come home from work, and my girls run into my arms. The joy on their faces when they see me washes away any tiredness or possible frustrations. They want to show me their day’s drawing and tell me about it. That, and a day at Brøndby Stadium with friends.
