CV

Hi, my name is Caspar Heidbrink.
I jokingly call myself “DecisioNaut” (or DecisioNerd, or DecisioNeer?), as I aim to make use of state-of-the-art technology in decision making processes in the VUCA-world. This is to combine my wealth of experience from my twisted career in

  • Data/Data Science
  • Management
  • Finance and
  • Strategy

Here’s the gist of my path so far…

Turning Data Into Value…

2018 - today

Re-connecting to my nerdier roots, and with all my experience as a corporate controller sitting very close to valuable data (but having my teams mostly working with plain good, but old excel), I thought “There must a better way” (Quote from Raymond Hettinger, Python core developer). So, I sat down, revamped my math and coding skills, to become a Data Scientist.
First being mesmerised by the astonishing progress of neural networks, of course, I soon gathered that I’m even more intrigued by the advances in computational statistics: not every data is big, often the domain knowledge of experts is extremely valuable, and new tools are here to cleverly make use of this. I went down the rabbit hole of Probabilistic Programming and became an expert in Bayesian inference.
Working with the amazing Birds on Mars, FTI-Andersch and CDP, I also gained a lot of experience in general IT, infrastructure and software. This experience is not only valuable for setting-up your Data Science tools in production, but also for a deep understanding of the challenges of digitisation, especially for old economy organisations and their management.

2008 - 2018

I spend around a decade at Deutsche Bahn. First, I was in group strategy, then moving to corporate controlling. Later, I was as head of controlling for all the railway stations in Germany. These tasks and perspectives - long-term as well as short- to mid-term planning for this multi-billion company - were super-interesting! And I grew a lot by taking more and more responsibility and leading teams and teams of teams.
But what I also found extremely fascinating was experiencing how such a big organisation works. The dynamics of people, management, system and processes are often not straightforward, but subtle and nuanced. It’s very true: an organisation more than the sum its parts, it’s an own living thing…

Kicking-off in Management Consulting…

2001 - 2007

I started my professional career with KPMG, in corporate restructuring. In restructuring, you deal with organisations in very rough waters, often fighting for survival. I loved it, not only because there’s no question why what you’re doing is important, but also because it’s more about the situation than the specific industry. So, you see a lot of very different companies, and you have kind of a backstage pass to all departments, because restructuring can really include everything.
During my time with KPMG, I also had the opportunity to work with my colleagues in London for half a year as a secondee.

To Nerd or Not to Nerd: Studies…

1994 - 2001

For the fun and the beauty of it, and for the challenge, too, I studied Theoretical Physics in Cologne, Germany. I love math and I’m fascinated by the ability of math to describe nature.
But I also love people and interacting with them (a lot). Hence, I decided to also study a bit of Business and Economics, to put myself in a position, where I could work in a management related field after my studies, already knowing some principles and the vocabulary.