Mirjam van Moll, owner of Datamoll: "Connected Data Academy is not just a training provider, it is a community"

Mirjam van Moll started her career in 1995 as a statistician. There she was hooked by data and analytics. After many different roles and positions, she has been working as an independent entrepreneur since 2016. She helps organisations make fact-based decisions. At Connected Data Academy she took the DAMA CDMP trainings Fundamentals, Reference and Master Data, and Metadata Management, and sat her three CDMP exams.

Why did you choose Connected Data Academy?

"I had taken a DAMA CDMP Fundamentals training elsewhere, but that was fully online. I missed the interaction with a group of people. Because I knew Erik Fransen and knew his company delivers classroom trainings, I signed up for the DAMA CDMP Fundamentals training at Connected Data Academy. I really enjoyed it. It is exactly in the interaction with other participants that you have interesting conversations. I do not take the trainings just to pass the exam, though that piece of paper matters of course, but I also want to learn things I can apply directly in practice. All three of the trainings I took excelled in that."

Why did you also take the specialist trainings Reference and Master Data and Metadata Management besides the Fundamentals?

"As a data professional, you need both your head and your hands. You have to think, but also simply do; execute tasks. That is especially true for metadata and master data management. It is simply a lot of work and you need people from the organisation for it. You have to create buy-in and enthuse colleagues. Although I have years of experience in both subfields, I sometimes found it hard to see the whole picture and to transfer that knowledge to the organisation. In the Metadata Management and Reference and Master Data trainings, I got a good framework for how to relate different topics to each other and how to then tell that story. You learn to use the right terms, so you can get colleagues on board more easily. I find that important, because I want to leave something behind when I leave again. I am not a consultant who writes a report explaining how it should be done; I transfer knowledge and make sure people can work with it. I gained useful insights in that area during both trainings."

What sets Connected Data Academy apart from other providers?

"Connected Data Academy is not just a training provider, it is a community. You feel part of a group of people who together want to move the data profession forward. That is why most participants come back for follow-up trainings. Once you are a member of the community, you can always call, even when you are not following a training at the moment.

In addition, Connected Data Academy is a very human company. During one of the trainings I was worried about the exam because my father suddenly became seriously ill and I had no time to study. Connected Data Academy reassured me that they would find a solution if I did not pass, which turned out not to be necessary because I passed first time.

A last plus point I want to mention is their flexibility. During one of the trainings the relationship between DAMA-DMBOK and the Damhof Quadrant Model was on the agenda, but it turned out I was the only one who needed more depth on the Damhof model. Because my need was different from the rest of the group, the trainer said: let's just sit down together for an afternoon. That way he met the needs of the rest of the group and mine. Fantastic."

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