MSc graduate Chris Ellis tells us about his reasons for studying at the School of Informatics. Name Chris Ellis Degree Course MSc Informatics Year of Graduation 2005 Your time at University Image Having originally studied for a degree in Classics I spent a number of years working in IT and software development, teaching myself how to fix computers and write code. I then decided that I wanted to widen my career options by studying for a computing qualification, which would give me a deeper grounding and wider understanding of computing. Edinburgh was a natural choice for a number of reasons: it was one of the leading universities for computing and informatics; it offered an MSc with a broad range of options which would challenge me and enhance my skill set; and Edinburgh appeared to be a great place to spend some time, with its enormous cultural heritage and proximity to the Scottish Highlands. I have very happy memories of my time at Edinburgh. My first child was born at the start of the second semester. Studying was sometimes difficult with little sleep, but there was also plenty of flexibility so I had time to spend with my daughter. Your experiences since leaving the University Having moved to Edinburgh for one year, I’m still here nearly 11 years later. I’m currently Chief Technology Officer of CAS Ltd, where I’m part of a new management team who are transforming the company from a services-based revenue model to a more product focussed organisation. These are exciting times as we have taken the company into employee-ownership to drive growth over the coming years. My time at Edinburgh has led (somewhat indirectly) to this position: my data mining training in Edinburgh led to a research position at Stirling University, developing a marketing tool. The research project interested Data Discoveries, where I worked for a number of years, until it was acquired by GBGroup, where I continued to work for some time. And it is through a colleague from Data Discoveries that I have my current job. Alumni Wisdom Take advantage of all the opportunities you can to learn new things and meet people. You never know when they might be useful. This article was first published in 2015. For updates on what Chris is doing now, find his LinkedIn below. Related links Chris Ellis on LinkedIn CAS Ltd This article was published on 2024-03-18
