7 Big Data Influencers You Should Know

The overwhelming wealth of data keeps rising, and the world we’re living in today is transforming and becoming data-driven. As estimated by Domo, 1.7MB of data per second will be created for every person alive on earth by the year 2020. This number will only keep rising with continuous usage of mobile and web technology.

Who are the movers and shakers of the big data industry that are driving the developments and keeping us up-to-date with the latest trends?

If you still do not know the names of the people who drive the big data world, then you might want to consider having a look at the top influencers in the big data and analytics fields today:

1. Marcus Borba

Marcus Borba is a well-known analytics, big data, and data science consultant and advisor who has been named as the top data science and big data influencer many times in a row. Besides this, he has also been named a top influencer in the field of artificial intelligence, machine learning, digital transformation and business intelligence.

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2. Ronald van Loon

Ronald van Loon is recognized as one of the top ten global influencers in the field of analytics, big data, IoT, data science and business intelligence with 119,000 followers on Twitter. Being the director in advertisement, his focus is to work on data-driven businesses bringing in more success. Apart from being an influencer, he also writes articles for publications like DataFloq, Data Science Central and Dataconomy. He is also a board member for the big data training category at an online education provider – Simplilearn. Ronald also handles a group on LinkedIn called Awesome Ways Big Data Is Used to Improve Our World.

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3. Bernard Marr

A big data and analytics expert, Bernard Marr is a strategic performance consultant, a keynote speaker, and an author. A regular publisher of articles on big data and analytics, he is an author of many books that include data strategy - how to profit from a world on big data, analytics, and IoT.

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4. Carla Gentry

Carla is a self-professed nerd and owns Analytical Solution. She is an economist who has helped big brands like Hershey, Kelloggs, Discover Financial Services, Kraft and Firestone. Apart from being a mathematician, Carla also acts as a liaison between IT and business, driving positive insights on how to deliver profits. She is highly active on social media with 296,000 tweets.

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5. Cindi Howson

The founder of BI Scorecard and VP of research at Gartner, Cindi has refined skills in advising clients on BI tool selection or strategies for 20 years and beyond. She is also the proud author of Successful Business Intelligence: Unlock the Value of BI and Big Data and SAP Business Objects BI 4.0. It's a complete reference and a faculty member of the Data Warehousing Institute (TDWI). She is also a contributing expert for Information Week.

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6. Merv Adrian

With 43 years of experience in the industry, Adrian is a VP and an analyst at Gartner. His specialization includes mapping the database management system (DBMS), NoSQL product landscape, and big data opportunities. Adrian also blogs at Gartner and coordinates with Gartner’s research activities as well.

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7. Doug Laney

Doug Laney is a former distinguished analyst at Gartner. He used to serve as the chief data officer of the research and advisory team. Having 50,000+ followers on Twitter, he is a force that drives the big data industry. He is also the author of Infonomics: How to Monetize, Manage, and Measure Information as an Asset for Competitive Advantage.

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Future Needs Will Require Big Data Expertise

In an era that is experiencing a high acceleration technology disruption, the field of data science has moved from being a simple buzz to being a strategic component for most organizations today. As a result, the demand for big data professionals has increased as companies are taking on more strategic job roles in the industry. As you ponder either seeking insight from a big data expert, or becoming one yourself, it pays dividends to know who the most influential players are in the expanding world of big data.