What Intel's Bob Rogers looks for when hiring data scientists

In a recent talk at Harvard University, Bob Rogers, Intel’s chief data scientist, explained what he looks for when hiring data scientists. CIOs well-versed in the must-have traits of a business intelligence expert but with limited exposure to data scientists might want to take note. “When I think about what makes a great data scientist, I start with a definition of data scientist and how I would contrast that with analysts from days of yore say three or four years ago,” Rogers said, with a nod to the blistering pace of change in analytics. Analysts those hotshots of yore query data and craft reports to the exact specifications of a business owner or manager, to wit: Create a report on the number of widgets sold last quarter. “It’s a very directed activity and very specific to creating reports,” he said.