Meet... Walid Mehanna
Walid Mehanna | Group Data Officer @ Merck Group
As the Group Data Officer for Merck Group, Walid Mehanna is driving Data & Analytics strategy, implementation, architecture, governance, and culture across all its businesses. Previously, he became Mercedes-Benz Car’s first Chief Data Officer. With more than twenty-five years of technology experience and twenty years in consulting and major corporations, he still enjoys always working at the intersection of business and technology.
#7 questions to Walid about him and the DATA festival…
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# With which three words would you describe the DATA festival?
Community, Exchange and MAD (that is Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence & Data 😉)
# Why did you want to be a part of the DATA festival committee?
I love participating in Data & AI conferences, I love speaking at Data & AI conferences, so being on the committee of a Data & AI conference felt like a natural evolution. And what better conference to be on than the DATA festival?
# How did you join the DATA festival committee?
That’s not too fancy: Carsten asked me, and I said “sure”! 😉
# How would you like to have an impact on the DATA community?
For me, it is a give and take: I want to exchange ideas and experiences with the community and expect the same in return. I strongly believe that this is the best way to evolve as a larger German, European and even global community and raise the overall maturity altogether.
# What is your passion besides DATA?
I have two amazing daughters and an equally amazing wife! I would love for them to have a more equal world and workplace in the future. Therefore Diversity, Equity & Inclusion are extremely important to me, and I strive to be the best ally that I can be.
# What is your festival must have?
New ideas and new inspiring contacts! What is a conference without new impulses to challenge and evolve our well-worn patterns of thoughts and action?
# If I would not be working with DATA, I…
… would be playing video games for a living as a game tester.