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Unlocking Data Careers runs free public information sessions across Alberta. Each one is 60 to 75 minutes. Come in skeptical. Leave knowing whether a data career is actually a realistic option for you.
Kick Off Session — Calgary Information Session
Data careers are growing across Alberta. The roles are changing, the demand is real, and most people have more relevant experience than they think. This session is designed to show you exactly where you stand.
Join us on May 19 for the launch of Unlocking Data Careers — a free, public information session with practitioners who have spent careers working with data across energy, technology, and financial services. Attend in person in Calgary or join us online.
No prerequisites. No pitch. Just an honest conversation about what data careers actually look like and what it takes to get in.
Speakers:
Trudy Curtis - Chief Executive Officer, PPDM Association
Paul Thompson - General Manager, Petrosys Group
Nabil Salameh - Former Director, S&P Global
Day 1 — Data Literacy Fundamentals
A career transitioner and an employer share both sides of a non-traditional data hire. The hiring bar is lower than most people assume — this session makes the case with real examples from both sides of the table.
Speakers:
Trudy Curtis (Moderator) - Chief Executive Officer, PPDM Association
Trudy Curtis (Moderator) - Chief Executive Officer, PPDM Association
Kim Oracheski - Sr. Data Analyst, Strathcona Resources · North American Regional Director, SPE International Board
Stephen Werny - Director, Data at Geologic
Day 2 — Introduction to Data Governance
What data governance actually looks like day to day, what bad data costs a real organization in real terms, and why people with non-technical backgrounds are exactly what the field needs right now.
Speakers:
Blaine Horner (Moderator) - Consultant, Unlocking Data Careers
Heidi-Lynne Balasch - Consultant
Sonia Utting - Sr Data Quality Specialist, Suncort
Day 3 — Introduction to Data Management
What data management is in practice, how O&G and industrial experience translates directly into this discipline, and where the real hiring demand sits outside of energy.
Speakers:
Larisa Steigenberger — Team Lead Business & Data Analytics, STEP Energy Services
Nataly Toporkova — Business Data Analyst, S&P Global