I lead the Personalization team at Microsoft working on Reco Systems, NLP, Computer Vision, and other ML solutions.

In addition, I help people understand and apply AI. Whether you want to switch your career to Data Science, land a job in a big tech company, grow your Data Science career, or apply AI to your business, I can help you.

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Miguel Fierro

Brønnøysundregistrene

UX Researcher

Esoft

Product Expert (PE) and focused on product innovation, process innovation and client development.

The PE team is trained in UX research and implements it for projects throughout the company. A/B testing workflows for optimal gains/performance are a critical part of the process.

I use the robotic process automation (RPA) principles by recording editors' workflow and building custom scripts to automate the process. Iterate on workflows as I gain further knowledge and understanding.

For some clients, the new workflow innovations lead to a 50% reduction in processing time. 

As a PE, I help discover new trends by accessing our rich market insights, both locally and globally. That information gets used to advise our clients accordingly. Also, keeping up with technology and test software as part of our research for internal optimisation.

I researched and conducted internal presentations on new technology trends such as NFT, Blockchain and digital rights management (DRM). Also, I am a member of The Adobe Developer Community and the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI).

I work with our Software Development (SD) and other internal teams to implement ActionScripts in our system pipeline and gather and evaluate data sets. 

The PE department has a strong collaboration with the Business Development team and the Marketing team. I contribute with technical knowledge for client calls and blog posts/webinars. 

It also entails close teamwork with Team Supervisors and Quality Specialists to implement new internal solutions and onboard new clients. 

Learning outcomes:
- Data and tech-driven solutions 
- Standardising workflows and reducing processing time
- Creating technical tutorials
- Webinars for clients
- A/B testing of workflows
- Increased ActionScript knowledge
- Remote work and collaboration (1-year fully remote)

Product Expert - Photography

I got headhunted to the Quality Assurance (QA) position at Esoft. 

The QA team reported directly to the CEO and later to the COO.

As a member of the QA team, I worked directly with international clients. Predominantly with the European, Australian and higher-end American markets.

Esoft operates 24/6 and produces final image products in less than 12 hours turnaround time. For daily operations, you need a fast-thinking and solution-driven mindset. On average, I work with 60-80 different stakeholders weekly. 

Our department successfully onboarded new clients and met our growth targets (KPI).

I contributed with UX design feedback at the early design stages of our internal portal and re-wrote the FAQ section. I changed the wording and tone from a technically correct description to a user-friendly and simple-to-understand language.

In addition, I worked on design-related projects, producing print-ready marketing materials and presentations.

I represented Esoft at an international conference as one of the speakers, talking about best practices for real estate photography.

Esoft awarded me the Employee of the Month in February 2020, and nominated me for the Employee of the Year award (2020). 

Translated from the newsletter: 
"February staff is Mads from the QA team. Mads is currently an Image Quality Assurance Specialist and has completed customer-related and quality tasks. At the same time, Mads also leverages his expertise in other jobs such as product development, graphic design and digital marketing..."

Learning outcomes:
- Working with multiple stakeholders with short deadlines
- Research new technology and visual trends
- Create and implement best practices and workflows
- Producing the first printed marketing brochure in Vietnam
- Attend an international conference as a speaker
- Design marketing materials on a needs basis
- Improve communication and soft skills with Vietnamese co-workers
- Able to lead and guide without being a direct manager

Quality Assurance Expert - Photography

MADS Magazine d'Art De Saigon

I wanted to showcase the arts community in Vietnam through a magazine. I made the design decision to create a simple design layout. A minimalist design framework is easier to maintain. However, it is harder to design as each element gets scrutinised.

Arts magazines are hard to make profitable. It is a passion project. For a former art history student, it has obvious benefits. It has put me in touch with many talented artists. From a business perspective, it is a loss-maker. The website serves as a portfolio collection of selected artists. 

The challenges:
- Language barrier to reaching the Vietnamese artists
- Newly founded arts magazines do not attract sponsors
- Printing on demand for physical copies is expensive. Profit margins are slim.

Learning outcomes:
- Setting up a WordPress-hosted website with SSL certificates
- Making print-ready PDF files for Print on demand
- Setting up Google ads and analytics
- Lean workflow for updates and layout to minimise time spent
- Networking within the arts community

Pivot to:
Facebook Page and Group
- Sharing weekly newly discovered artworks on the Facebook page
- Sharing arts events on the Facebook group

Learning outcomes:
- Building an organic network of Vietnamese artists
- Access to community-building tools by Facebook
- Learning to grow organically with minimal efforts
- Learning about community building

Creative Director & Curator

Cty Oanh & Mads

O&M is the abbreviation for Oanh & Mads. Husband and wife team. 

We made custom artwork for corporate clients, handling 6-figure project deals (USD). 

Our lacquerware design became the gift box for fashion designer Si Hoang’s ao dai gift to former First lady Michelle Obama.

We combined the artisan skills of traditional lacquer makers with modern print technology. The surface was hand-plated with silver squares, producing brilliant colours after printing, and coated with layers of lacquer. Each piece takes a month from start to finish. It is a truly handmade product. Each lacquer layer has to dry before the next layer is applied. 25-30 layers for the higher-end lacquerware is not uncommon.

We produced all marketing material internally, including printed promotions for exhibitions, catalogues and certificates. 

We donated artwork to charity and raised money for selected organisations.

We maintain an extensive, custom library of art images. Available as limited edition prints. Our photographic lacquer items are one-offs. 

Learning outcomes:
- Working with sub-suppliers
- Quality control
- Project management
- Logistics
- Concept creation
- Artwork production
- On-time delivery of large projects
- Marketing and promotional  material
- Exhibitions

Co Founder – Fine Art Corporate Gifts & Decor

Studio MadsMonsen

I work as an art director and graphic designer for clients under the Studio MadsMonsen brand name. 

From Concept -> Design -> Final deliverables.
Building brand websites, creating social media content, art direct video production and producing branded marketing material. 

I have worked with startups, preparing pitch decks, teaser websites, business plan designs and general advice. In addition, conduct user research on behalf of third parties by recording interviews and offering transcription services. 

I provide WordPress design and hosting services, trusted to renew domain names and install SSLs on behalf of clients. 

Work with external web developers for larger projects.

Learning outcomes:
- Website building/WordPress and SEO
- Web hosting and SSL installation
- User research
- Working with local printers
- Sourcing corporate/branded suppliers

Graphic Web Designer

Founded Studio MadsMonsen and built a small team of assistants, stylists, retouchers and make-up artists to provide photography services.

Photography highlights include:
- National campaign for Ponds Cosmetics in Cambodia
- Editorial covers for Forbes and Esquire Vietnam
- Jewellery campaign for Cao Fine Jewellery featuring Ms Earth and Ms Air
- Photographing oil rigs from a helicopter for Petro Vietnam
- Advertising campaigns for Mobifone, Pepsi, Viettel, Techcom Bank and many more

We were the first commercial studio to invest in a Hasselblad Medium format system in Vietnam. (60K+ USD investment)

Established stable colour/capture workflow using Elinchrom flash optimised for digital capture with built-in fans. (Never overheated on location, unlike other brands present in Vietnam.) Introduced colour charts/ grey card references for retouchers.

We built our reputation on delivering high-end image quality and specialised in jewellery photography.

At the time, we got represented by Wonderful Machine, and our cover photo for Forbes Vietnam is in their blog archive (2016).

The majority of clients served were international and large national companies. 

In charge of onboarding new clients, ensuring deliverables within the agreed timeframe, managing the internal team, and building/updating the company website/online presence.

Learning outcomes:
- Managing freelance teams per project
- Networking
- Meeting and negotiation
- Honed skills in reading body language and able to adapt to working with different personalities
- Preparations and planning
- Self-promotion
- Website building and SEO
- Listening, empathy and people skills
- Running a business without a safety net, aka a boot-strapped startup
- Constant learning and self-growth

Commercial/Editorial Photography & Graphic Design Studio

Word Vietnam Magazine

I got promoted to the Creative Director role and continued the redesign process of the magazine. I saved over 20 pages in printing costs by overhauling the classified section. 

Introduced sponsored listings and grew a new revenue stream. 

I continued with the duties listed for the Art Director position below. 

Learning outcomes:
- Design iterations can increase revenue 
- Small teams are agile

Creative Director

Word magazine is an English monthly publication. (What's on guide to Vietnam concept)

The week before the publishing deadline, I got headhunted for the art director position. I had one designer working with me. Together, we got the issue out on time. 

I initiated a redesign of the magazine, a new template, style sheets and graphic libraries. The template file size got reduced by 50%.

The monthly magazine had two editions. Later, it merged into one national edition.

I contributed with both photography and stories whenever needed.

We received reader comments on how the magazine improved its design to a professional level. (As the redesign got nearer to completion)

Learning outcomes:
- Producing a magazine within a short timeline and with limited resources
- Optimising templates and assets
- How a good editor can improve your writing
- Idea generation for both visual and content
- Teamwork building

Art Director

Duyên Dáng Việt Nam – Charming Vietnam Magazine

DDVN had just launched their first in-flight magazine distributed by Vietnam Airlines. They wanted a new redesign for issue number 2 in less than 30 days and offered a short-term contract. 

I worked with Sindre Østerås. Together we developed a new grid system and style guides for a bilingual magazine. Issue number 2 got launched on time. 

I established my internal team with Vietnamese designers to handle the monthly production of the magazine until the end of the contract. DDVN supplied all text and images, and we delivered the final design files.

Learning outcomes:
- Hiring employees
- Working within short deadlines
- Establishing workflow to receive content and send artworks/proofs
- Preparing print-ready files with Vietnamese fonts
- Creating a bi-lingual magazine framework 
- Communication, both internal and external

Sun Flower Media – Marketing Department

Hired to art direct and lead a small team of Vietnamese designers for a monthly lifestyle publication. Later, entrusted to art direct a monthly food magazine as the publishing house expanded into new markets.

In charge of visual concept creation, overall visual flow of the magazine and generating cover ideas/concepts. Internal training and guidance of the design team.

All senior designers from my team went on to become magazine art directors later on.

Contributed with my images, as a photographer, for lead articles for the food magazine. Photographed and designed a yearly calendar as well as other special projects.

Managed the in-house photo studio, overseeing photographers, tailors, make-up artists, booking and assistants, all Vietnamese nationals. 

Introduced photo request forms, reducing the amount of re-shoots and misunderstandings by over 50%. 

Improved morale amongst the in-house photographers and coached them into landing their first cover session. (Previously outsourced)

I set up workflows and advised on the best practices with calibration and colour accuracy. 

Learning outcomes:
- Increased understanding of Vietnamese culture and cuisine
- Leadership skills to inspire and lead teams (up to 20 people) without being a native Vietnamese speaker
- Improved my Vietnamese language skills
- Idea generation with new twists to the same yearly topics
- Both magazines ranked as the market leader within their segment

Art Director / Photo Studio Manager / Photographer

Atlas Industries

I got recruited in London to join a British startup in Vietnam.

Re-positioned their corporate identity and produced printed marketing material. Overseeing the design process and working with local printers. 

My role expanded from handling graphic design to project management for clients' web projects. 

Moving to Vietnam and adjusting to a new culture, both work and personally, were challenging. Encountering the Asian loss of face culture for the first time. Co-workers would say yes, instead of acknowledging that they did not understand fully. To avoid losing face in front of colleagues. 

Learning to work and establish safe ways of following up and getting work moving without risking the loss of face of colleagues. 

Learning outcomes:
- Collaborate with people from other cultures and gain an understanding of Vietnamese customs.
- Adapting to a new country and language 
- Writing use cases and client personas
- Overcoming language barriers and simplifying communication, and having feedback loops.
- Communication with international clients
- Internal communication and reporting

Graphic Designer / Project Manager

Bagshawe Leahy

I started working first as a paid intern, then part-time before it evolved to a full-time position upon my graduation from St.Martins.

I took care of the back-of-pack design, ensuring the readability of the text. Also, to ensure we had all the necessary design elements required. 

I worked on the front-of-pack under the guidance of a senior designer.

I further honed my typography skills and used, among others, ligatures in my design solutions. My last project involved a custom-built typeface for a blue-chip client. 

I also did in-house photography services and served as an internal proofreader due to my ability to pay attention to detail.

Learning outcomes:
- The complete design process. From idea to final design product
- Prepress and final artwork preparations
- Working with design constraints
- The importance of documenting the design process, especially receivables and sign-offs

Graphic Designer / Photographer

Product Expert - at Esoft (Graphic Design, Photoshop, ActionScript, JavaScript, Automation & Internal Innovation) for the Real Estate industry

I work with people, find solutions and generate ideas. Passionate about graphic design, user experience, streamlined processes, photography, technology and continuous improvement.

The main focus is on outcomes. To deliver results and improve, by iterations, the workflow processes. Also, to reduce the risk of human errors by optimising/standardising as many steps as possible. 

I believe in self-learning and self-development, setting reading goals and undertaking new courses/certifications regularly. 

I believe in both leading and inspiring others by example. To provide a safe environment where it is ok to make a new mistake and work on procedures to avoid old mistakes from occurring again. Admit when you have made a mistake, and be prepared to pivot based on updated information.

My background as a business founder and employee in corporations gives me a better understanding of business challenges. I have experienced a company growing from 25+ people to over 200+ in less than a year. I have started a company and built a web presence, securing placement on the first page of Google within the city area. (When operating.)

I am curious by nature and enjoy researching new topics. Being able to grow and apply knowledge is valuable to me. 

I have worked in multicultural environments and with international clients spanning the globe.

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Miguel Fierro

Mads Monsen •

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