Meet Joris, a champion of AI and collaboration

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m a consultant in the Data & AI team and have been at IG&H for almost three years. Before that, I studied econometrics and was an intern at a data consultancy startup. I aim to combine my technical and consulting background to build robust AI solutions.

I love participating in various sports and spending time outdoors. So much so that I lived in Switzerland for half a year and visit at least once a year. The mountainous terrain allows you to challenge yourself while enjoying breathtaking views. If you ever go there for a day hike, I recommend the climb from Hergiswil to Mount Pilatus.

What drew you to IG&H?

Unfortunately, many econometricians build solutions that are never used, which is a shame. So I decided to look for a firm that provides end-to-end solutions. Moreover, I sought a warm consultancy environment with talented and innovative people. IG&H offered me that and allowed me to collaborate with various teams to build the best solutions for our clients.

What is your role & what does it involve?

I focus on optimizing processes using AI. I do this both externally for clients and internally at IG&H. I usually start by understanding the current processes and clarifying them with stakeholders. Once we collaboratively find the best improvement opportunities, we discuss potential (AI) solutions that improve the process. Think AI agents, AI applications or solutions that do not require AI, such as robotic process automation (RPA). The key is robustness, security and ease of adoption. I really enjoy the inspiring ideas that emerge during brainstorms and bringing them to life.

What does a typical day at IG&H look like?

I might give a presentation on Agentic AI in the morning. Afterwards, perhaps a meeting with a potential tech partner. I try to have an uninterrupted block for engineering or coding work and may end the day with an intake session to discuss potential process improvements. It depends and varies a lot, which is one of the core aspects I like about my work.

What do you enjoy most about working at IG&H?

Our smart collaboration. I am amazed by the diversity in skills and the synergy between our teams. Recently, we built an AI solution in the Healthcare sector. The UI/UX team designed the application, Sourceful developed the front-end, Data & AI developed the back-end, Healthcare steered the product with sector expertise and Business Engineering defined requirements. I learn a lot from working in teams with diverse expertise.

What has been your proudest moment at IG&H?

My proudest moment at IG&H was a conversation I had with a client. We automated a repetitive classification process at a wholesaler. In turn, this allowed an assortment manager to spend more time on fun and impactful tasks and save time in the evening. He told me how much more enjoyable this made his work. It highlighted the people-first mentality for me when it comes to building technical AI tools.

What do you like most about your role?

Bringing the ideas of colleagues and clients to life. I’m still in awe of the creative and impactful solutions people come up with; starting these conversations with them and building something that resembles their impact-driven idea is very energizing.

You are involved with IG&H’s own AI transformation. Among other things, you’re busy with automating internal processes and creating an AI Champions network. Could you tell us more?

Many organizations still have a lot to gain from AI. We help our clients with this while also accelerating our own AI transformation. In doing so, we focus on three goals:

• Increase quality and efficiency for consultants with AI

• Use AI solutions / tools for IG&H software development

• Increase back-office efficiency with AI

Alongside this, we are strengthening our AI risk and governance, as well as our data and technology capabilities. These efforts also help us to continue improving AI solutions we deliver to clients.

One of the ways we are driving this is through a champions network made up of a group of AI enthusiasts. They will be first in line to test new tools and share their ideas across our teams. Alongside this, we are speaking to colleagues from various teams to identify opportunities to streamline processes. I’m always happy to catch up with colleagues who want to get involved!