Hey, I'm Farzad Nazemi.
Data & System Specialist | Digitisation SME | Business Transformation | Data Automation & BI Expert
I'm a Data & System Specialist and business transformation practitioner who solves complex operational problems through better data architecture, intelligent automation, and decision-oriented analytics.
Throughout my career I have worked as a Data & System Specialist, Digitisation SME, European Data Transformation Team Leader, Continuous Improvement Engineer, Production Controller, and Solutions Business Analyst. This progression across operational plants, pan-European supply chains, and technical leadership has given me a comprehensive perspective on how businesses operate, how systems mature, and how data drives measurable commercial value.
Specialising in Microsoft Power Platform (PowerApps & Power BI), SQL, KNIME, Tableau, and enterprise systems, I bridge the gap between site operations, executive management, IT teams, and developers — from mapping multi-site data and system maturity to architecting operational excellence applications that track initiatives from initial concept and cost-benefit verification through to budgeted, forecast, and actual financial realisation.
Across every mandate, my approach is grounded in structured communication, analytical curiosity, risk visibility, and continuous improvement.
Executive Impact Dashboard
Key career benchmarks spanning a decade of data engineering, process automation, and cross-functional leadership.
Years Experience
2014 – Present progression
Projects Delivered
End-to-end enterprise rollouts
Companies Worked With
UK & pan-European operations
Leadership & SME Roles
Technical, Data, Digitisation & Systems
Technologies Used
SQL, Power BI, PowerApps & ETL
Business Processes Automated
Manual workflows eliminated
The Power of Storytelling & Shared Ownership
Transformation succeeds when stakeholders aren't just informed of the change, but become co-authors of the journey.
Aligning Incentives with Real-World Value
Sustainable continuous improvement requires rewarding curiosity, initiative, and outcome-driven excellence over rigid box-ticking.
Delivering True Operational Value Over Hype
The right technology isn’t the newest trend—it’s the solution that is fit-for-purpose, trusted by operators, and effortlessly transparent.
Career Journey Navigator
Select a milestone on the timeline or scroll through the roles to inspect the active technology cluster and quantified impact.
Data & System Specialist
Global leader in sustainable technologies with over 200 years of scientific and industrial heritage across international refining and manufacturing operations.
Spearheading multi-site data and system maturity assessments, risk identification, and the architecture of core operational excellence platforms embedded in daily business operations.
- Mapped end-to-end data and system maturity across operational sites, identifying strategic modernisation opportunities and highlighting architectural and operational risks
- Architected and delivered an enterprise Operational Excellence Tracking application using Microsoft Power Platform, PowerApps, Power BI, and SQL — now heavily embedded in daily business operations
- Engineered structured stage-gate workflows covering initiative ideation, commercial cost-benefit verification, and tactical implementation planning
- Built automated financial and operational telemetry tracking budgeted, forecast, and actual benefits realisation across active transformation initiatives
Established clear multi-site system maturity visibility and embedded a mission-critical Operational Excellence platform into daily operations to govern initiatives from ideation and cost-benefit verification through to budgeted, forecast, and actual benefits.
Digitisation SME
Served as technical Subject Matter Expert on global-scale initiatives to modernise legacy business systems, automate ETL pipelines, and transform cross-functional ways of working.
- Scoped, architected, and delivered bespoke Microsoft PowerApps solutions across multiple global business units to replace fragmented manual workflows
- Pioneered the implementation of enterprise KNIME workflows within the business to centralise and automate complex ETL pipelines
- Supported and integrated legacy platforms—including IBM DB2 databases—exposing core operational data to BI reporting and business applications to eliminate duplicated effort
- Executed full application rewrites for the Product Enquiry platform across sales and production teams, streamlining stakeholder user experience and response times
Accelerated global operational modernisation by unifying legacy IBM DB2 systems with scalable Power Platform applications and automated KNIME ETL workflows.
Continuous Improvement Engineer
Delivered targeted continuous improvement and digital workflow engineering initiatives for the plant Continuous Improvement team.
- Engineered structured SQL reporting views to transform raw data from a newly implemented inventory tracking system into actionable Business Intelligence datasets
- Completed a full architectural rewrite of the Daily Management application to centralise operational governance and plant-floor checklists
- Digitised and standardised 5S workplace audits, EHS safety inspections, shift handovers, and floor inspections
Unlocked actionable BI insights from newly deployed inventory systems and centralised plant-floor 5S, EHS, and shift handover management.
PGMR Production Controller
Managed daily, weekly, monthly, and 3-month refinery targets and priorities while modernising material tracking tools and executive performance reporting.
- Developed operational forecasting models used by internal stakeholders to drive informed scheduling and commercial decision-making
- Defined the functional scope and technical requirements for Johnson Matthey’s new 3rd Century Refining (3CR) plant inventory management systems
- Designed and evolved executive Tableau KPI dashboards to streamline refinery ways of working and performance reviews
- Automated the StockTake reconciliation process, eliminating manual bottlenecks and significantly reducing human error
Strengthened operational decision-making across PGMR refining, established the functional scope for 3rd Century Refining inventory systems, and automated stock reconciliation.
European Data Transformation Team Leader
Specialised European healthcare and pharmaceutical supply chain logistics provider within the Fortune 500 Owens & Minor group.
Led a team of 4 business analysts and data transformation testing specialists across European hubs and external consultancies, serving as primary lead for risk management and pre-cutover data sign-off.
- Managed a specialist team of 4 business analysts and testing specialists delivering large-scale pan-European data migration programmes
- Automated Master Data onboarding workflows enabling mass loading through simplified, validated user forms
- Directed data cleansing, transformation, and verification across European systems covering 4,000+ Item records, 1,000+ Customer accounts, and 6,000+ customer pricelist records
- Built SQL validation reports and Excel reconciliation templates to verify item attributes, prevent customer duplication, and safeguard customer pricing accuracy
- Developed financial-to-warehouse interface reconciliation reporting to verify shipped-versus-billed accuracy across European business units
European Data Migration Programme
Delivered zero-defect master data migrations and automated financial-to-warehouse billing reconciliation across multiple European pharmaceutical logistics hubs.
Solutions Business Analyst
Partnered with operational and commercial stakeholders to define requirements, develop business cases, measure performance, and engineer automated data solutions.
- Executed a comprehensive data cleanse across 100,000+ customer records, retiring redundant site locations and merging duplicate accounts
- Transformed annual customer master data reconciliation from a manual task into an automated SQL and Excel workflow cross-referencing registration numbers and percentage address matches against external regulatory databases
- Reconciled high-volume transactional order data between external client platforms and internal warehouse management systems
- Built automated Customer Data Import pipelines for major healthcare clients using Data Loaders alongside bespoke MS Access tools and Excel VBA macros
Delivered substantial efficiency gains through automated regulatory database fuzzy-matching, 100k+ customer record cleansing, and streamlined client data onboarding.
Technical Manager
UK commercial digital signage provider delivering bespoke hardware and embedded software solutions for tier-1 retail and banking clients including IKEA, John Lewis, HSBC, and Dixons.
Managed hardware and software R&D, technical support, refurbishment workflows, and onsite enterprise deployments.
- Led product R&D for emerging 4K digital signage markets, evaluating System-on-Chip (SoC) architectures to upgrade media players for 4K playback
- Delivered onsite engineering support and live commercial demonstrations for major enterprise accounts including IKEA, John Lewis, HSBC, and Dixons
- Directed hardware diagnostics, firmware testing, and structured refurbishment operations
Established reliable 4K SoC hardware testing standards and supported flagship digital signage rollouts for tier-1 UK retail and banking brands.
Skills Evolution & Ecosystem
Filter by domain or hover over any capability to highlight cross-functional relationships across the stack.
Data Analysis
Multi-site data maturity mapping, root-cause diagnostics, cost-benefit verification, and translating complex operational datasets into commercial clarity.
SQL & DB2
Relational backend design for Operational Excellence applications, reporting views, legacy IBM DB2 integration, and financial-to-warehouse reconciliation.
ETL Processes
Designing resilient extraction, cleansing, and transformation pipelines across legacy DB2, ERP, and modern cloud analytics platforms.
Data Migration
Pan-European master data cutovers (Items, Customers, Pricelists), automated Data Loaders, and pre-cutover risk sign-off.
Data Governance
Site data & system maturity assessments, operational risk identification, master data management (MDM), and 100k+ record deduplication.
Advanced MS Excel & Access
VBA macro automation, relational MS Access applications, automated reconciliation templates, and financial cost-benefit modelling.
Power Platform (PowerApps & Power BI)
Architecting enterprise Operational Excellence & Benefits Realisation platforms, Daily Management (5S/EHS) apps, and global legacy system replacements.
KNIME Analytics
Pioneered enterprise KNIME workflows at Johnson Matthey to centralise and automate repeatable business ETL pipelines.
Tableau BI
Executive KPI telemetry, PGMR refinery production tracking, and interactive visual analytics suites.
Automation
Eliminating manual bottlenecks across 50+ business processes via Power Platform, KNIME, SQL, Data Loaders, and Excel VBA.
Dashboard Development & MIS
Power BI benefits realisation telemetry (Budgeted, Forecast & Actuals) and decision-oriented Management Information Systems (MIS).
Business Analysis
Mapping site system maturity, verifying commercial cost-benefit cases, scoping 3CR inventory systems, and translating user needs into functional specs.
Project Management
Tactical implementation planning, benefit realisation governance, risk management, and delivering 25+ multi-disciplinary programmes.
Team Leadership & Management
Leading cross-functional teams of analysts and testing specialists across UK and pan-European transformation programmes.
Lean Management, Six Sigma & CI
Operational Excellence tracking from idea to actuals, Lean & Six Sigma methodologies, 5S/EHS digitalisation, and bottleneck removal.
Academic Credentials
Analytical foundations in mathematical modelling, numerical methods, and computational engineering simulation.
MSc Mechanical Engineering
De Montfort University, Leicester · Postgraduate Master of Science
Dissertation on the application of MatLab for illustrations, calculations, and analysis of mathematical models using numerical methods.
BEng Mechanical Engineering
De Montfort University, Leicester · Bachelor of Engineering (Hons)
Dissertation on simulation of a compression ignition engine using ANSYS, analysing changes in structural mesh, compression ratio, and use of different fuels.
Beyond the Data
The stories, hardware, engineering marvels, and physical pursuits that fuel my curiosity outside of work.
Movies & Sci-Fi
From enjoying the story on the big screen to physical classics and streaming at home.
Interactive Cinema, Physical Media & Streaming Wall
2.39:1 Anamorphic Widescreen · Laser IMAX & Dolby Atmos · Uncompressed theatrical soundstage
Comics & Manga
Favourite series across Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Manga, and independent sci-fi.
Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Manga & Other
Spider-Man
Street-level stakes, scientific ingenuity, and timeless responsibility.
Gaming
Favourite genres and the platforms, controllers, and software ecosystems I play on across PC, handhelds, and consoles.
PC Ecosystem
- • Keyboard & Mouse (Mechanical Keyboard & High-DPI Mouse)
- • Controller (Wireless Gamepads, Racing Wheel & HOTAS)
- • VR Headset (PCVR & Standalone Link)
- • Motion Controls (6DoF Tracked Controllers)
- • Steam
- • GOG Galaxy
- • Epic Games Store
- • EA App
- • Ubisoft Connect
- • Xbox App
- • Meta
- • Amazon Luna
Open PC ecosystem — supports decades of native PC releases, community overhaul mods, ultrawide/high-refresh displays, and full VR support.
Music
“Music is storytelling for the soul.” The genres, bands, and composers that soundtrack my focus and downtime.
“Music is storytelling for the soul.”
Layered guitar distortion, orchestral rock arrangements, and raw emotional vocals that channel resilience and momentum.
- In the End
- Numb
- Faint
- Papercut
- Breaking the Habit
- Bring Me to Life
- My Immortal
- Going Under
- Call Me When You're Sober
- Lithium
- Boulevard of Broken Dreams
- Basket Case
- American Idiot
- Wake Me Up When September Ends
- Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
Novels & Audiobooks
Favourite fantasy and fiction series across physical books, Audible narration, and Kindle E-ink.
Web Novels & Web Comics
Serialised progression fantasy, cyberpunk fiction, and web comics followed via Royal Road, WebNovel, ElevenReader, and Patreon.
PC Hardware (SFX Builds)
My Mini-ITX build specifications, performance comparison against mainstream and flagship systems, and Windows 11 Pro vs. Linux tuning.
My Mini-ITX Dual-Chamber SFX Schematic
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
8 Cores / 16 Threads · Zen 3 Architecture · Up to 4.7 GHz Boost
High single-core speed and 16-thread parallel compute for data pipelines, local virtualisation, and high-refresh gaming.
Performance Comparison (Average Mainstream vs. My SFX Build vs. Latest Flagship)
6-Core CPU (Ryzen 5 5600 / Core i5-12400F) | 16GB DDR4 | RTX 3060 / RX 6600 (8GB VRAM) | 1TB SATA/NVMe SSD | ~40L Mid-Tower
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (8-Core/16-Thread) | Gigabyte X570 I AORUS PRO WIFI | 32GB DDR4 | AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT (16GB VRAM) | 1TB + 2TB M.2 NVMe | ~11–14L SFX Chassis
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D / Ryzen 9 9950X | 64GB DDR5-6000 | RTX 5090 / RX 8900 XT (24–32GB VRAM) | Gen5 NVMe SSD
Side-by-Side Operating System Comparison: Windows 11 Pro vs. Linux
| Capability / Workload | Windows 11 Pro (Primary Daily Driver) | Linux Options (Ubuntu / Fedora / Arch / SteamOS) |
|---|---|---|
| Power Platform, Office & BI Tools | Native 100% (Power BI Desktop, Excel COM Add-ins & SQL Server Management Studio) | Web / Virtual Machine required for desktop-only Microsoft BI tooling |
| AMD GPU & CPU Tuning (5800X + 6800 XT) | AMD Adrenalin Edition, Ryzen Master, PBO2 Curve Optimiser & MorePowerTool | Native Kernel AMDGPU + CoreCtrl / LACT & MESA RADV shader pre-caching |
| Gaming Compatibility & Anti-Cheat | 100% Native compatibility including kernel-level anti-cheat & PCVR | 90%+ seamless via Valve Proton, except select kernel anti-cheat multiplayer titles |
| System Overhead & Telemetry | Higher background RAM footprint and system service telemetry | Ultra-lean idle memory footprint, zero telemetry, and full scheduler control |
| Container, Python & Data Engineering | WSL2 / Hyper-V virtualisation layer required for native Linux containers | Native Docker, ROCm compute, Python & CLI performance with zero VM overhead |
| Verdict / Best For | All-Round Daily Driver: Enterprise BI, VR, and 100% Game Compatibility | Pure Efficiency: Console-like SteamOS/Bazzite gaming & native dev containers |
3D Printing & CAD
Taking an everyday idea from Thought → Idea → CAD → Print → Reality, and comparing Filament (FDM) vs. Resin (SLA).
Thought → Idea → CAD → Print → Reality
Every print begins with noticing an ergonomic gap or physical problem—a cable that needs routing, a phone that needs an angled desk cradle, or a tabletop character awaiting physical form.
Filament (FDM) vs. Resin (SLA)
0.12mm – 0.28mm Layer Height · High mechanical strength (PLA, PETG, ABS/ASA, TPU)
What I Make: Ergonomic Phone Stands, custom desk organisers, SFX brackets, and Useful Workshop/Desk Tools.
Heated nozzle extrudes thermoplastic filament along X/Y/Z toolpaths—clean, fast, and ready for immediate mechanical load.
0.025mm – 0.050mm (25–50µm) Layer Height · Smooth isotropic surface finish (Standard, ABS-Like & Tough Resins)
What I Make: Tabletop Miniatures, intricate character sculpts, miniature terrain, and ultra-smooth display prototypes.
UV LED array cures liquid photopolymer resin through a high-resolution monochrome LCD mask, followed by IPA wash and UV curing.
Mechanical Keyboards
Form factors (60% / 75% / 100%), switch technologies (Mechanical, Optical & Magnetic Analogue), and switch feel profiles (Reds, Browns & Blues).
Form Factor (60% / 75% / 100%)
Omits full Numpad while retaining dedicated Function Row (F1–F12), Arrow Cluster, and essential navigation column.
The ideal balance for software engineering and gaming—dedicated F-keys for debugging plus compact desk ergonomics.
Switch Technology (Standard Mechanical, Optical & Magnetic Analogue)
Measures continuous magnetic flux density—enabling per-key adjustable actuation (0.1 mm–4.0 mm), true analogue curves, and Rapid Trigger (instantaneous reset the microsecond upward finger travel begins).
Switch Feel & Live Force-Travel Graph
Completely smooth keystroke from top to bottom with zero tactile bump—favoured for rapid double-taps, gaming, and effortless gliding.
Technology
Exploring AI & LLMs, Foldable Displays, Electric Vehicles, Planar Magnetic Audio, Watches, and Fountain Pens.
Science & Engineering
The Engineering Behind Everyday Doomscrolling (Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7) — across material science, mechanical hinges, and 5G wireless physics.
The Engineering Behind Everyday Doomscrolling (Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7)
How do you make solid glass bend 200,000+ times without shattering?
Conventional glass fractures under tensile bending stress. The 8.0-inch main display solves this by thinning glass down to ~30 microns—thinner than a human hair—and bonding it to viscoelastic polymer shock-dispersion layers.
Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG) chemically strengthened to flex without plastic crease memory
Optically Clear Adhesive (OCA) viscoelastic layers that slip microscopically during folding
LTPO 1–120Hz Adaptive AMOLED backplane with microscopic pixel routing
Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 — nanocrystal ceramic matrix in glass for drop & scratch resilience
Cycling
Road Bike vs. BMX vs. Mountain Bike — comparing frame geometry, gear ratios, tyres, suspension travel, and terrain.
Side-by-Side Comparison: Road Bike vs. BMX vs. Mountain Bike (MTB)
Climbing
Problem solving on the wall and the physics of movement — balancing centre of mass, friction, and leverage.
Problem Solving on the Wall & The Physics of Movement
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Establish a stable three-point base of support. Keep hips tucked directly over the primary foothold so gravitational load passes straight through skeletal bone structure rather than burning forearm flexors.