MEET ANDREW, OUR SENIOR DATA SCIENTIST, FROM BRAZIL

Friday, August 19, 2022

We asked Andrew Carlos Kondlatsch about his experience working with us. Here is what he has to say:

What is exciting about your role? How is it working with Data & Digital?

The most exciting aspect of my work is to empower the research and development community to be more efficient on the journey of developing the best products for our consumers. It is awesome to reach the end of a project and evaluate how deep the modelling tools that I built have helped the developers to reach better and faster solutions!

My routine is to continuously connect with R&D experts and the business to assess how Modelling & Simulation techniques can make us more effective. After a prioritization of possible actions, I select the best Data Science techniques from a variety of possibilities and develop solutions that ensures better outcomes with less spend of resources. I love to find hidden patterns and knowledge within our databases, unleashing the full potential of our data generation.

As I work with all product types and categories, there are new challenges every day. I am continuously learning and upgrading my soft and technical skills to solve problems and create inventive solutions.

What is the most exciting project that you have worked on?

There are several projects that I am proud to have worked on, including internal projects and initiatives in partnership with other companies or Universities/Research Institutes.

The most exciting one was an Artificial Intelligence solution for Powdered Beverages product development. It was a part of Microsoft’s Best of Business AI recognition to Mondelez in 2021!

What do you like about working at MDLZ?

I have three main reasons to enjoy working at Mondelēz:

1. Work flexibility: I can adjust my agenda to best accommodate the personal and professional aspects of my life. Besides, depending on my work planned for the day, I can choose to work from Home (if I need deeper focus) or from the Office (to connect better with my colleagues!).

2. Continuous challenges: the dynamic agenda and projects that I work with continuously bring new challenges. They inspire me to upgrade my technical and soft skills to innovate and deliver each initiative.

3. Community: the diverse, respectful and collaborative community in MDLZ enables me to always learn from my colleagues while also contributing with my experiences. It’s awesome to have a snack and coffee and exchange knowledge with my colleagues!

Bonus: I can work with my favorite snack brands!!!

How would you describe MDLZ as a future forward thinking organization?

Even being one of the largest food companies in the world (and the biggest on snacks!), Mondelēz is continuously assessing innovative ways of doing business.

It is impressive to check the advances that our community has been making on Data & Digital over the years. It has been a journey on upgrading and standardizing our data collection, best using the historical data and building more advanced tools for our users. There are still a lot of challenges to overcome and they are the fuel to our daily work! We have big ambitions and we are on the right path to achieve them!

How would you describe the work culture at Mondelēz International and within your function?

Mondelēz always praises for a diverse, respectful and open work culture, which enables me and my team to achieve the best solutions for our initiatives. Most of my team is based in other countries and they have a diverse background. By regularly connecting and collaborating among ourselves, we grow and learn every day!

The work flexibility is also a key aspect of our culture to achieve the desired work-life balance. I can adjust my working hours to best combine the personal and professional aspects of my life.

What is your favorite brand?

Lacta (Brazilian chocolate brand)