Jersey City, N.J. – September 30, 2014 – David Pogue, Yahoo Tech columnist, former New York Times tech columnist and host of NOVA ScienceNow, will moderate an in-depth exploration of one of the hottest topics in today’s business world, Big Data. The Saint Peter’s University 43rd Annual Regents Business Symposium will be held on Friday, November 7 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Mac Mahon Student Center and will feature Paul DePodesta, entrepreneur and subject of the movie Moneyball, as the keynote speaker. DePodesta will address this year’s theme, Why Big Data is a Big Deal.
The Symposium is one of New Jersey’s longest-running forums designed to inspire and educate an audience of all ages, professions and industries regarding business trends, challenges and best practices. This year’s Symposium is focused on the fact that today’s technology produces tremendous amounts of structured and unstructured data and when it is utilized effectively and creatively, organizations can target and connect with audiences in ways that were never before possible. Attendees of the event will leave with answers about what Big Data is and how it can be leveraged to positively impact their businesses’ bottom lines. The Symposium will also explore how Big Data can invade privacy and how protection is key for consumers and businesses alike.
In addition to a keynote presentation, the event will feature a panel of experts including Hilary Mason, data scientist-in-residence at Accel and scientist emeritus at bitly; Paul Walsh, vice president of weather analytics for The Weather Channel; and Kathy Zanowic, vice president and senior privacy officer for Verizon.
While currently vice president of player development and scouting for the New York Mets, DePodesta is known for serving as assistant general manager of the Oakland Athletics and helping turn the team into a remarkable success, a feat depicted in the book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, and the Oscar nominated film Moneyball, featuring Jonah Hill as DePodesta. At the time of DePodesta’s hire, Oakland was one of the worst teams in the league, coming off of six losing seasons while posting one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. DePodesta effectively used data analytics to turn the team around and guide them to a playoff victory in his first season at the helm. His work has been recognized by various publications, including Fortune, who named him one of the top 10 innovators under 40.
Mason currently serves as a data scientist-in-residence at Accel. Following four years as chief scientist at bitly, she is now scientist emeritus at the company, advising a team that studies the internet in real-time with a mix of research, exploration and engineering. Additionally, Mason is a member of former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Technology and Innovation Advisory Council, a co-host of “DataGotham” and a member of NYCResistor. Mason also co-founded HackNY, a non-profit that assists engineering students with gaining professional access within their chosen career field.
Walsh helps companies integrate weather and climate information into their business processes. He has helped business leaders in large corporations such as WalMart, The Home Depot, Sears, Merrill Lynch and Citibank, as well as investors and analysts, use weather and climate intelligence to increase sales and maximize profits.
As vice president and senior privacy officer at Verizon, Zanowic is responsible for developing and implementing privacy programs and policies enterprise-wide. She ensures that privacy issues are identified and resolved in the design and development of consumer-focused products and services and advises product and technical teams on privacy controls and permissions for new data collection and use practices involving Wireless, Internet and FioS TV data. She also responds to privacy laws, regulations, government inquiries, legislation, new industry practices and consumer trends affecting Verizon, its employees and its customers.
For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit alumni.saintpeters.edu/event/rbs2014 or contact Karen Hackett at (201) 761-6113 or khackett@saintpeters.edu.
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