Data analysis is my Passion.

As Oprah Winfrey once said, “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” This is the feeling you get when interacting with our Data Analyst, Alex Mathenge. He oozes passion and enthusiasm for what he does. Alex has been our Flight Data Analyst under the Safety Management Systems program (SMS) in the Quality, Safety, Security, Environmental, and Library (QSSEL) department for a year now. The second born in a family of 3 siblings wanted to be a neurosurgeon when he grew up. However, this changed to wanting to become a petroleum engineer in high school after receiving his KCSE results. Alex was born and raised in Kerugoya town, Kirinyaga County, from a middle-level income family. He started schooling at Kerugoya Good Shepherd Academy, scoring 411 marks in his KCPE in 2009. His exemplary performance secured him a position at Nyeri High School, where he shares; he was greatly exposed to technology and its advancement. His peers at school influenced him to explore technology, such as computers and smartphones, as they were coming up in the market, greatly impacting his career. Alex was a bright student at school, with his strong suites being mathematics, business, and sciences. He completed high school, scoring an A- which fulfilled his career choice of pursuing Actuarial Science at the University. His exceptional performance got him a chance to pursue it at Karatina University. Here, his interest in data analytics peaked up as he got exposed to mathematical, statistical software and models which help solve modern-day world problems. Alex graduated with a Second Class Upper in Actuarial Science in 2018. He immediately enrolled for an internship at a Credit Reference Bureau Company in Kenya, and after six month’s internship, he was confirmed to be a business analyst. Alex shares that after working with many companies, he noticed a gap in the market in the use of data to solve business problems and achieve goals. During his work, he interacted with various statistical analysis tools and financial models for a year which greatly enhanced his skills. He was later promoted into a Credit Scoring Analyst in a new department that was set up, for three years. When Covid hit the country, Alex shares how he experienced hard times, as he got a pay cut. One evening, a friend informed him of a data analyst position opening at 748 Air Services, which he applied for and successfully got it, after several interviews. Alex is happy to work at 748 Air Services, as he impacts business decisions with data. He adds that transitioning from the financial industry to aviation was an exciting experience for him, as he found aviation to be a dynamic industry with its own set of international and local regulations. His everyday tasks entail analyzing flight data, both operational and safety, to promote safety in flight patterns, identifying and preventing any safety hazards or events before they occur, and recommending any investigation to be done. His major highlight in his work was when he simplified the flight data analysis procedures to be received in real-time and give real-time analysis. Alex says he loves how 748 Air Services takes care of its employees' welfare, is always willing to train them, and is focused on advancing careers. Alex is grateful to his parents for heavily influencing his career choice and enlightening him on the importance of teamwork, business ethics and hard work. Alex advises his peers aspiring to be data analysts that, “It’s an interesting field which one needs to be open minded and be ready to learn new skills, software, regulations and also familiarize themselves with best practices in data analysis and embrace developing technologies such as AI.” Alex lives each day as if it was his last by giving his best every day, always being open to learning and appreciating other people's ideas and inputs. He loves traveling, exploring new adventures, and swimming during his free time. He is excitedly looking forward to flying to new destinations. What most people do not know is that he is a great cook, with his favorite dish being pilau with beef stew. He ambitiously looks forward in the near future to progress his career as a data analyst into a Data Scientist.