Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Websites
Accomplishments
Certification
Timeline
Generic

Tiaan Taljaard

Dynamic Data Leader | AI, Automation, Data Strategies
Johannesburg

Summary

I am a seasoned data leader with over 15 years of experience in driving data strategies, AI innovation, and intelligent automation. My expertise spans data governance, management, analytics, and the development of data products that deliver value to customers and stakeholders. I hold degrees in IT, business, and financial management, alongside advanced training in Azure AI, SQL, Power BI, and Amazon SageMaker. Passionate about solving complex problems, I empower organizations with actionable insights and innovative solutions. An avid learner and speaker at global conferences, I actively share knowledge on AI, data, and fostering data-driven cultures.

Overview

15
15
years of professional experience
5
5
years of post-secondary education
6
6
Certifications

Work History

GM Data Officer

SEACOM LTD
Johannesburg
03.2024 - Current
  • As GM Data Officer at SEACOM, I am spearheading the establishment of the company's data division, transforming data into a strategic asset. Through a focus on Data Architecture & Governance, Data Integration & Accessibility, Data Analytics & Insights, and Data Culture & Innovation, I drive initiatives that enhance operational decision-making and unlock new business opportunities. My role is to ensure data is not just managed, but leveraged for growth, efficiency, and innovation.

Chief Data Officer

Ozow
Johannesburg
11.2022 - 03.2024
  • Experienced and dynamic Chief Data Officer leading our data strategy and initiatives. As CDO, I am responsible for overseeing our organization's data management, analytics, and governance functions as well as data product development, budget management, and talent recruitment. I collaborate with other business leaders to develop a comprehensive data-driven strategy that aligns with our organization's objectives, while ensuring data quality, integrity, and security.
  • Key Responsibilities:
  • - Develop and implement a comprehensive data strategy that supports the organization's goals and objectives.
  • - Establish and maintain an effective data governance framework to ensure data quality, integrity, and privacy.
  • - Lead the development and implementation of advanced analytics capabilities to enable data-driven decision making across the organization.
  • - Identify and manage data risks and opportunities, including cybersecurity threats.
  • - Foster a data-driven culture throughout the organization and promote cross-functional collaboration.
  • - Manage the organization's data assets, including data acquisition, storage, and utilization.
  • - Develop and lead data product development initiatives to drive innovation and generate revenue.
  • - Manage data budgets, forecasting, and investments while maintaining budget discipline.
  • - Build and lead a high-performing data team comprised of top data talent to meet the organization's strategic data objectives.

Head of Cognitive Automation

Standard Bank South Africa
Johannesburg
09.2021 - 10.2022
  • As Head of Cognitive Automation, I lead a multidisciplinary team of AI/ML Engineers, Architects, and Data Analysts to design and implement cutting-edge automation solutions. By integrating RPA and AI/ML technologies, we tackle diverse projects, including forecasting, personalization, call center QA (Speech-to-Text + NLP), sentiment analysis, fraud detection, enhanced due diligence, email triage, and document intelligence (OCR). Leveraging advanced platforms like Azure Cognitive Services, Azure ML Studio, AWS Sagemaker, AWS AI Services, and Salesforce Einstein (Service, Sales, and Marketing Cloud), we drive innovation to enhance efficiency and deliver impactful business outcomes.

Head, PreBuilt AI

Standard Bank Group
Johannesburg
05.2019 - 09.2021
  • Strategic Advisory: Defining and implementing AI strategy for the organisation. Identifying dimensions and approaches to grow AI maturity.
  • Enablement: Setting up AI CoE with a focus on foundational data and technology enablement. Developing experiments to create blueprints and patterns for AI development and deployment. Set up AI Academy to upskill existing staff + JD design to employ external skills to supplement AI skills.
  • Acceleration: Structure org design approach federated vs central acceleration of AI deployments. Schedule and run AI masterclasses + Internal competitions.
  • Value Management: Use case identification and value analysis. AI portfolio management - Developed AI Portal for solution awareness and reuse.

BI Manager

Standard Bank Group
Johannesburg
10.2015 - 04.2019
  • Power BI: Lead the rollout of PowerBI across the organisation. Structuring licensing approach for developers and users, defining data engineering approach strategic + Tactical. Created group wide community to accelerate and control adoption (Top 5 FSI Global) alignment to group data strategy. Invited to present Standard Bank Journey at Microsoft Business Application summit in Atlanta 2019.
  • QlikView + Qliksense: Consolidation of one of the largest Qlik clusters in Africa. License analysis across group deployments to align and streamline costs. Infrastructure analysis across federated server deployments to reduce infrastructure footprint, optimise hardware usage and reduce costs ito network, storage + server requirements.

BI Team Lead

Standard Bank Group
Johannesburg
01.2015 - 10.2015
  • Lead a team of 5 BI developers to create reporting capability for the Project Management Office of Standard Bank Group.
  • Developed SQL stored procedures and structure queries to simplify development in front end visualisation technology.
  • Scheduling automated reloads and alert to manage and respond to issues or inaccurate data loads.
  • Structuring data queries to automate data loads.
  • Developing dashboards and reports in QlikView.
  • Publishing and sharing dashboards, maintaining security with data accessibility.
  • Running workshops to present available dashboards to ensure stakeholders are familiar and comfortable to use.
  • Monitor usage and obtain feedback from stakeholders to enhance or improve where feasible.
  • Adhoc analysis where structured reports/dashboards have gaps wrt stakeholder requirements.

BI Analyst

Standard Bank Group
Johannesburg
01.2013 - 12.2014
  • Develop QlikView applications, dashboards and reports adhering to defined MI Standards including style guide.
  • Document all developed/enhanced QlikView Applications/Dashboards/Reports.
  • Generate standard or custom reports/dashboards/applications summarising project, programme & portfolio data for review by executives, managers, customers and other stakeholders for all aspects of time, quality and budget information.
  • Synthesize current business intelligence or trend data to support recommendations for actions.
  • Maintain or update QlikView Applications/Dashboards/Reports.
  • Mentor and coach junior, less experienced QlikView developer.
  • Support maintenance of data contained in MI tools.
  • Support the QlikView development team with improvement in design, coding stored procedures, etc.

Project Consultant

Weekly Effort and Cost
Johannesburg
09.2011 - 12.2012
  • Weekly Effort and Cost variance reporting on all releases and program level.
  • Assisting PM's towards better planning. Report highlights what was planned and what actuals have been captured.
  • Weekly Timesheet Status reporting. Ensuring that all projects get billed with the correct actuals. Also ensuring that all resources across the program and releases capture their timesheets.
  • Monthly Reconciliation between Actual time sheeting system and Actual billing system.
  • Checking Data integrity, validating information on project systems to ensure that all information is accurate.
  • Improving current reports, designing new views and finding ways to enhancing the quality of current data.

Project Financial Analyst

Paracon
Johannesburg
01.2010 - 09.2011
  • Manage, control and administer: Financial recons between different financial systems (EPM, SAP and PCR.)
  • Recons between schedules of work planned and Actual work done.
  • Analyse all Monthly financial report variances.
  • Financial control and access control to systems of Turnkey and offshore resources.
  • Contractual obligations with Vendors re: financials, timeframes, resources joining or leaving programmes/projects.
  • Recon and Audit Reports.
  • Updating and resolving Financial Risks and Issues.
  • Ensure constant data clean-ups and controls.
  • Create and maintain the project financial repository online and offline.

Education

Master's degree - Information Technology

University of Pretoria/Universiteit van Pretoria
01.2019 - 01.2020

Bcom Honours - Business Management

University of South Africa/Universiteit Van Suid-Afrika
01.2012 - 01.2014

Bcom Financial Management - Fianancial Management, Accounting, Business Management

University of Pretoria/Universiteit van Pretoria
01.2007 - 01.2009

Skills

  • Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

  • Data Strategies

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Team leadership

  • Cloud computing technologies

  • Innovative thinking

  • Critical problem-solving

  • Continuous improvement mindset

  • Advanced analytics

  • Business intelligence solutions

Accomplishments

  • Reduced infrastructure and software costs through strategic server deployment.
  • Increased data division efficiency with innovative data strategies. Enhanced data accessibility, and skill development across 1000+ Developers.
  • Established Group AI structure at Standard Bank. Drove AI literacy and POC development, designed deployment frameworks for accelerated adoption.
  • Invited to present Standard Bank Power BI Journey at Microsoft Business Application summit in Atlanta 2019. Over 10k users and community of over 1k developers

Certification

Amazon SageMaker: Simplifying Machine Learning Application Development

Timeline

GM Data Officer

SEACOM LTD
03.2024 - Current

Chief Data Officer

Ozow
11.2022 - 03.2024

Head of Cognitive Automation

Standard Bank South Africa
09.2021 - 10.2022

Head, PreBuilt AI

Standard Bank Group
05.2019 - 09.2021

Master's degree - Information Technology

University of Pretoria/Universiteit van Pretoria
01.2019 - 01.2020

BI Manager

Standard Bank Group
10.2015 - 04.2019

BI Team Lead

Standard Bank Group
01.2015 - 10.2015

BI Analyst

Standard Bank Group
01.2013 - 12.2014

Bcom Honours - Business Management

University of South Africa/Universiteit Van Suid-Afrika
01.2012 - 01.2014

Project Consultant

Weekly Effort and Cost
09.2011 - 12.2012

Project Financial Analyst

Paracon
01.2010 - 09.2011

Bcom Financial Management - Fianancial Management, Accounting, Business Management

University of Pretoria/Universiteit van Pretoria
01.2007 - 01.2009

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Tiaan TaljaardDynamic Data Leader | AI, Automation, Data Strategies