By Nathan Tickner and Filsane Haji

Nathan joined VISFO just over a year ago as Head of Digital Insights bringing with him extensive expertise in digital and social media insight research which has helped VISFO deliver new approaches and consulting projects for a range of clients. Lately, he’s been working with Simon (Director of Research & Insights) and Aitor (Digital & Social Media Analyst) on a number of ventures, including an exciting new client project, providing strategy and competitor insights. We interviewed Nathan about his experience at VISFO to give an impression of what a day in the life of the Insights team is like.

1. What does a typical day as the VISFO Head of Digital Insights look like?

I usually start my day around 8:30 am with a bowl of granola while going through e-mails and Slack messages. At VISFO, no two days are the same – I tend to have a mix of internal planning meetings, deep work sessions and client calls. As a small, geographically distributed team, we have regular catch-ups to discuss projects and see how we can support each other. Working remotely suits me perfectly since I get the balance of independent concentrated work as well as the collaboration and team bonding that happens when we meet up in our offices in Brighouse.

2. Why did you decide to work in Digital Insights? Any inspiration?

I’m a naturally curious person who likes to find the ‘why’. Insights research is interesting, fast-paced and provides answers quickly. It also gives me the opportunity to learn how to use new tools and technology.

3. What was your journey to becoming a team leader at VISFO? Previous experience?

Before joining VISFO, I worked across a range of organisations gathering data from digital sources and providing insights to solve business challenges. I’ve held positions with a social intelligence vendor (Meltwater – formerly Linkfluence), a creative agency (Ogilvy) and a business client (TSB). I’ve been lucky enough to have had some brilliant mentors along the way and I aim to bring these values with me to this role and contribute a fresh perspective. 

4. What top 3 personal qualities are good fits for your team?

1. Kind
2. Analytical
3. Curious

5. What’s the best part of your work at VISFO? 

I’m lucky that my work has a lot of variety and comes with constant new challenges across a mix of clients, therapeutic areas and product life cycles. As with any great job, the best part is the people – at VISFO there’s a real team approach to problem-solving with a high level of trust.

6. Tell us what you enjoy about working within the healthcare / pharmaceutical space and how different it is from what you have done before?

I find working in healthcare highly motivating because ultimately the work we do leads to a better patient experience/outcome. There is also great variety, with some projects being more patient-focused while others are more clinician-led. In the pharmaceutical world, clients often have a scientific and/or academic background, so there is more of a natural appreciation of rigour and process compared with other industries. 

7. Sum up VISFO in 3 words

Creative, entrepreneurial & smart.

8. What do you work on in your VISFO L&D time, any exciting projects in the pipeline?

I’m currently upskilling in business intelligence tools – with a specific focus on Tableau. Thankfully, I’ve got some very generous and patient colleagues supporting me!

9. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working – any hobbies, favourite TV shows, music?

Dog walks with Dexter (named after the Netflix serial killer), football (watching and playing), and fantasy sports (the sweet spot between data and sport).

10. Biggest personal success to date – what are you most proud of accomplishing that’s not work related?

Convincing my better half to marry me this summer!