Will, persistence, and devotion are all it takes for success.

Adis Husic, who has been working at Authority Partners for over ten years, is living proof that hard work and effort pay off. He started his career at Authority Partners as a Software Developer, where he immediately recognized all the opportunities the company offers. Today, Adis proudly points out that he is the first Certificated Microsoft Data Scientist in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we at Authority Partners are proud that Adis is part of our team. According to Adis, the recipe for success is easy – all you need is will, persistence and devotion.

AP: What do you do at Authority Partners?

AH: I started working for AP back in 2005 as a Software Developer. It was almost instantly that I recognized that AP not only provides endless opportunities for professional growth, but that it has something else unique to it – the culture it is built upon. Dedication, devotion, hard work, willingness to learn, share, help others, a positive atmosphere, the unity and the sense of belonging – these are only some of the pillars of our culture, which we all deeply cherish. The tradition, my desire for excellence, and the company’s desire to help me and guide me, is something I can only find in AP.

My current role is that of a Solution Architect. As a member of the Solution Team, I work on ensuring quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the products and services delivered to our clients. Needless to say, my responsibilities also include continuous development of our technological expertise and maintaining the company’s technical edge. There are many changes in the world – new technologies are rapidly progressing, cloud computing is gaining momentum and maturity, more and more features and services are being offered almost every day. In addition to this, business intelligence is shifting towards data science and organizations are becoming more predictive and proactive. At Authority Partners, we make sure that we are keeping pace with these changes and challenges.

AP: What is your professional background?

AH: I’ve been a developer my whole life. I got interested in computers when, as a kid, I wrote my first VB program on Commodore 64. As new technologies and programming languages were created, I tried very hard to keep up and invested a lot of time in learning them. Although I wasn’t aware of it at the time, this actually helped me a lot in my career. This ‘habit’ of learning and adopting new and exciting things, not being afraid or indecisive to cope with challenges and overcome them, made me who I am today.

However, over the years, as my professional expertise has grown in various fields outside of software development, my roles and responsibilities have also changed. As a developer, in addition to programming, I’ve learned a lot about development processes, challenges in organizations and management of work and people.

As a Team Lead, I was responsible for the delivery of products and services for quite a few teams. I wasn’t just developing software, I also had to ‘lead’, organize work, motivate and teach people, manage teams, their aspirations and bonds. This was a handful when I first assumed the role. Over time, I learned some valuable lessons – Respect is not given, you have to earn it. And in order to earn it and to achieve “team spirit”, it is very important to lead by example, be there and listen to them.

As an Architect, I had to be a technical ‘coordinator’, matching our clients and their needs with our ability to provide products and services on time with the highest quality. Working with brilliant people enabled me to fulfill our clients’ needs successfully and with utmost quality.

AP: How did you get interested in Data Science?

AH: A while back, I participated in Microsoft’s Azure Data Camp where Microsoft presented (new) Azure services. One of the topics I got really excited about was Azure Stream Analytics. Being able to utilize a fully managed, real-time event processing engine capable of processing vast amounts of data flowing at high velocity was simply fascinating. Needless to say, the habit of ‘must learn’ prevailed. I got to the point where I discovered that Azure Stream Analytics is integrated with Azure Machine Learning through Stream Analytics custom functions. That was the first milestone.

Sometime after telling everyone how good Stream Analytics is and what Machine Learning in Azure can do, I got challenged to review the Microsoft Data Science Track and to try to encompass different science fields and different technologies. This challenge was not just about pursuing a certificate. This challenge was a hint, a suggestion on how to master various techniques and look at the bigger picture and become a professional ready to meet the demands of a constantly evolving market.

Well, challenge accepted.

AP: You have recently become a Certificated Microsoft Data Scientist. Congratulations, that’s a big deal. What does it mean to you?

AH: It means a great deal, really. Although I invested a lot of time, I learned a lot. It’s simply amazing how technology progresses and influences almost every aspect of our lives, from personal to professional. As time goes by, this mind-shift and ability to make predictions, to become proactive, to transform data into intelligent actions is an investment that will pay off.

AP: Any words of wisdom for Data Science students or practitioners starting out?

AH: It’s very hard sometimes, if not impossible, to stay up-to-date with all the technologies and opportunities out there. However, will, persistence, and devotion are all that it takes. Invest time and persevere, do not be afraid.

Don’t stop geeking out.

AP: Thank you Adis!