Welcome to the latest installment of our Member Profile Series. We’ve been writing small features on our amazing members in our newsletter, but we wanted to give ourselves more space to talk all about the great things they do. Today, we’re spotlighting Andres Guijarro, Data Engineer from Quito, Ecuador. Enjoy!
Andres Guijarro’s journey to becoming a data engineer is a testament to his passion for understanding the true value of data. After completing his degree in Computer Science, he started his career in his home country of Ecuador as a business intelligence specialist for a government agency. He was responsible for highly sensitive and important data, and developed strong principles and values around the work that he does, often being singled out for his integrity. It was there that he learned that it’s crucial to understand what people want to do with data, not just the tech behind the tools, and to create products that can concretely move people toward accomplishing their goals. According to Andres, “You need to talk with the people to understand what kind of data they need,” and what the real motivation is for having the data
Since then, Andres has worked in both public and private sectors, and has gained valuable insights into the differences between the two. In public sectors, he learned how to navigate the bureaucracy and the many steps involved in completing a task. In private sectors, he learned how to move quickly and respond to tasks proactively. He also had the opportunity to work for a foreign company in Argentina, where he designed a database model to store company data.
Andres started freelancing in 2019 and joined Mission in 2022 making use of the freedom of being an independent engineer, which allows him to move among cities in Ecuador. He also dedicates some of his time to teaching data analytics at universities and companies, where he shares his knowledge and experience with others. Andres is currently studying for his second masters degree in Data Analytics at Georgia Tech, (he has previously achieved a master’s degree in Innovation), and hopes to apply what he’s learning to his personal interest in soccer analytics. He sees a lot of potential to improve in this industry with the application of machine learning, and it’s an engrossing side project for him.
Outside of work, Andres is a devoted family man, spending most of his free time with his young son and wife doing activities as a family. He enjoys exploring different cities in Ecuador and cooking, and he’s also passionate about soccer, (though these days he mostly watches and studies the data) and tennis. Lately he’s investing time fostering his sons curiosity and growing artistic talents.
Recently, Andres entered into a data hackathon competition but found himself up against entire teams from companies. But as Andres puts it, “When I see a challenge, I don’t like to say no.” He registered with a “company name” combining his first and last name, and made it all the way to the final three, losing only to data teams with some pretty big names — a satisfying and impressive achievement.
With his experience, determination, and passion, Andres is poised to make a significant impact in the field of data engineering, and dedication work and interests make him an asset to any team he’s a part of.
