Billy Phongsavath-Vongxay

It only took six weeks for Billy Phongsavath-Vongxay’s relationship with data analytics to turn from an interest to a passion.

“When I graduated with my undergrad degree in 2019, I thought my career might be in portfolio management,” said Phongsavath-Vongxay.

But like many other people, the COVID-19 pandemic led him to rethink his plans. Torn between analytics and portfolio management, he pursued a diploma in big data, where he quickly discovered a passion for analytics.

Now a data scientist in TD’s insurance division, located in Montréal, Phongsavath-Vongxay translates numbers into a story to help the organization with strategy development.

While working at TD, he noticed many Ivey alumni from the HBA and MBA programs. When a friend visited Ivey’s MBA program and spoke highly of it, Phongsavath-Vongxay explored what the School had to offer.

“I knew the School came with a really strong brand reputation,” said Phongsavath-Vongxay, who was also attracted to its case-method instruction. “So, when my friend went for a day, I looked up Ivey to see what else they offered.”

Phongsavath-Vongxay, who trains recreationally as a mixed-martial arts fighter, saw Ivey offered an MM-A program and jokingly thought, “Oh, like mixed martial arts?”

But a little more digging and Phongsavath-Vongxay realized the program was the right combination to fuel his passion. The Master of Management: Analytics (MM-A) program offers a 12-month blended delivery of online and classroom experiences in downtown Toronto built on the School’s Case-Method Learning that seemed the perfect way to build on his self-taught data analytics skills and increase his business knowledge.

“If I want to take my analytical skills to the next level, why not join the big leagues and learn from leaders in other organizations and professors who have built their whole career around analytics?”

However, balancing full-time work with a master’s degree concerned him.

“I worried about burnout,” he admitted. But after speaking with Program Director Ally Hobson, as well as students and alumni, he took the leap.

“I don’t regret making that leap at all.”

Now nearly half-way through the program, Phongsavath-Vongxay is thriving. He praises the case-method learning and the dynamic of the Ivey classroom experience – very different from the lecture style of his past experiences.

“It seemed like just theory, and at the end of the program, you wonder how to apply this to a real business scenario,” he said. “I was wowed by the passion of the Ivey professors. You could clearly tell they loved what they were doing.”

Phongsavath-Vongxay also noted the safe classroom environment where everyone is encouraged to share their opinion, “because the whole idea at the end of the day is that there's no one perfect solution. There's a multitude of different ways to approach it, but it's up to you as a leader to decide what you think is the best answer.”

Working alongside classmates from various industries has boosted his confidence in presenting alternative strategies in the boardroom—something he applies daily at TD.

While he’s unsure exactly where his career will take him post-MMA, one thing is certain: He will move forward with a passion fueled by Ivey’s program.