Karen M. Nwal, M.S.

About Me

Visionary analytics leader with 7+ years of experience delivering enterprise-wide performance frameworks, AI/ML platforms, and media optimization strategies. Proven track record of increasing marketing ROI through advanced segmentation, lifetime value modeling, and integrated reporting systems. Expert at aligning digital strategies with business goals, leading global teams, and championing test-and-learn cultures. Trusted partner to marketing and brand teams with deep expertise in performance marketing, customer insights, and digital measurement.

Currently seeking a senior leadership role in Business Intelligence to apply my strengths in analytics, strategic decision-making, and team leadership to help organizations unlock the full potential of their data.

Professional Experience

• Data Science Manager - PwC, Remote (3/2022 - Present)
• Increased speed-to-insights by 75% by creating measurement frameworks based on the FAIR principles for data governance, crafting algorithms that provided insights into employee and customer behavior, and enhancing the effectiveness of the company's communication efforts through tailored approaches.
• Achieved a 50% reduction in platform license costs by consolidating our portfolio of dashboards into a single, reliable source of truth.
• Designed and orchestrated the implementation of over 20 PowerBI reports and 15+ AI/ML applications, overseeing a team of 11 developers across two countries. Provided coaching, career development support, and performance reviews to drive team success.
• Built and grew the analytics team from 3 members to 11, aligning talent with organizational needs and strategic goals.
• Accelerated development cycles and data solution refreshes by 50% by implementing a scalable & sustainable, SQL-based architecture and applying disciplined project management practices. Designed and deployed a system capable of processing over 5 billion data points, enabling faster, more efficient, and enterprise-ready analytics.
• IT Lead - Johnson & Johnson, Skillman, NJ (6/2021 - 2/2022)
• Saved $1M by developing a custom classifier to replace an AutoML platform for Master Data Management. Spearheaded the creation of regex parsing rules to build a highly compute- and cost-efficient solution.
• Led the development of customer lifetime value models to optimize customer segmentation, reducing low-ROI audiences and prioritizing high-value prospects resulting in 20% savings in media spend thanks to audience suppression.
• Managed a team of 8 technical resources to refactor existing dashboards, improving query efficiency in terms of both cost and speed, while ensuring logical consistency across solutions.
• Developed a report to enhance ROI on media placements, collaborating with J&J marketing teams, managing vendors across 12 markets (Americas, Europe, and Asia), and various technical resources to improve performance across digital, search, and social platforms.
• Panelist on Princeton University’s Women in Science: STEMulating your Career Paths
• Senior Business Analyst - Johnson & Johnson, Skillman, NJ (10/2019 - 6/2021)
• Built in-house capabilities to reduce reliance on external platforms like Talkwalker, saving approximately $27K annually. Led a team of 20 developers, including data scientists, data engineers, solution architects, and QA engineers, to implement the solution.
• Pioneered in-house digital analytics solutions for the BOLT and AllergyCast mobile apps, driving valuable business insights for the Skin Tech and Allergy teams. This included measuring the success of app updates and launch performance.
• Established a partnership with Drexel University’s Master of Business Analytics program, enabling senior students to utilize Johnson & Johnson data for their capstone projects. This initiative resulted in dual benefits: valuable project insights through student analyses and the creation of a talent pipeline between J&J and Drexel in the field of data and analytics.

Education

Drexel University - Philadelphia, PA

• Master of Business Analytics
• Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Skills

Digital Marketing

Brand Strategy, Mobile Apps, Media Placement Measurement, Customer Lifetime Value, Customer Retention, Customer Segmentation

Artificial Intelligence

Python, NumPy, Panda, R, SQL, SAS, SPSS, Google Cloud Platform, Generative AI

Advanced Analytics, Statistical Modeling & Quantitative Analysis

Linear Regression, Logistic Regression, Regression Tree, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Factor Analysis, K-means, PCA, Training & Testing, NLP