My name is Abiodun Olayanju.

I graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor of Technology in

Mechanical Engineering. Ever since I was in school, I have immersed myself in marketing
and data analysis which gave rise to winning Google marketing challenge in 2014. After
graduation, I have been working as a web analyst and marketer. This has provided me with
the motivation for further study in related a field.
The power to transform societies and revolutionize contemporary lives lies within the
knowledge of big data. With increasing number of people connected to the internet, there
currently exists almost infinite amounts of data just waiting to be analysed in a meaningful
way. Already, many companies are starting to do this, analysing big datasets in order to
gauge consumers’ product preferences and make models for their future sales and business
decisions. I first came across data science when I realized it could be used to develop
marketing models, and it is an interest that continues to grow ever since. I hope I will be able
to use the knowledge gain from this program in addition to my marketing knowledge to
derive meaningful conclusions from large datasets.
For the past 4 years, I have worked as a web and digital marketing analyst at various
marketing agencies specialising in performing data analysis tasks to aid preliminary research
for marketing campaigns. My work always focused on analysing consumer behaviour to
determine their digital habits and touchpoints in making purchase decision. This always help
the company/client to determine the optimal location for their new store and the channels to
explore in marketing their products and services. I hope to continue this kind of data science
work in the future, applying my knowledge in providing well-supported research for
companies.
After working with different multinationals, I have come to realize that data is more of an
international as well as domestic phenomenon that needs to be tackled holistically hence my
decision to further study data analysis at Toronto School of Management. I wish to transition
into the role of a data analyst and I believe that in order to be able to effectively utilize my
skills and find a position in the top management at my current company or any other top
multinationals in Nigeria, I must further incorporate into my training the effective
understanding of business and data analytics. My education and experience have so far
introduced me to the various possibilities, tools and methods but to be at the top job, I must
master the same and hence, my decision for revisiting the academia and embellishing my
skill set further in Canada where my certificate will be recognized anywhere in the world.
Toronto School of Management offers a unique data analysis course that is robust and timely
as it fits perfectly into my one-year study leave. The data analysis curriculum and the co-op
option make the course perfect for hands on training for what has been taught in class. No
other institution offers this course in a timely manner. After completing the course, I will be
able to return to Nigeria and use my new skill to help my clients and develop my company
capabilities further.