In a fast-paced industry, adaptability and passion are key, and Yaron’s career is a testament to both. His journey began in DevOps but it was in the Business Intelligence department at CLIQ where he found his niche and passion. As CLIQ’s Head of BI, Yaron has not only followed the growth of the department as well as the company but has been a driving force behind it.

Committed to DE&I, Yaron is a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community and an advocate for their visibility in the workplace and the importance of creating an environment where everyone can thrive. Outside of work, Yaron enjoys spending time on creative hobbies such as pottery and metalwork and loves to spend time at the sea. His balance of professional dedication and personal passions paints the picture of someone who leads with both expertise and authenticity.

We sat down with him to learn more about his journey, insights, and personal life.

Hi Yaron! What did you want to become as a kid?

I’m not sure if I ever had a specific career in mind, like becoming an astronaut, but I do recall always being engaged in creative activities with my hands. As I got closer to graduating from high school, I remember wanting to live abroad for studies or work.

What is your biggest strength and what is your biggest weakness?

I think my biggest strength lies in finding creative solutions to problems. I still recall when I first started working at CLIQ, we had a reporting system that was very limited and could only display one or two hardcoded KPIs at a time. I used some creative ‘hacking’ to make it more dynamic and enticing, allowing business users to select their desired ‘KPI’ from a dropdown menu. I know, what a wild idea. Well, back then it was, and the ‘hack’ was far from easy. Nowadays, you find this as a normal feature in any reporting system.

Regarding my weakness, I think that I am someone who wears their heart on their sleeve. It’s easy to tell when I am upset about something. The good news is that you will also see when I am happy, which, fortunately, in my work and life, is the majority of the time.

What does a regular workday look like for you?

I walk into the office, greet everyone, and then head straight to press the button on the coffee machine while simultaneously getting a glass of water (now that’s multitasking). That’s when I sit at my desk and officially start my day. Every day is a bit different, but it usually involves working on my own tasks and helping others. Helping others can mean planning and prioritising, but often it involves brainstorming and coming up with creative solutions. This aspect of brainstorming and collaboration in our Business Intelligence department is one of the things I enjoy most, and it allows us to thrive.

What was the biggest challenge you have overcome so far?

Coming out of the closet as gay was the biggest challenge I faced in my life. It was a terrifying step with so many unknowns, but you just have to take a leap and hope for the best. I was extremely lucky to be surrounded by supportive family and friends, but it was still a terrifying step. Since that moment, I have been out and proud, and I make sure people know that because visibility is crucial to me.

How do you define success?

For me, success is what we achieved with the Business Intelligence (BI) department at CLIQ. We became a driving force in the company, aiding departments in their daily decision-making processes as well as in their long-term strategic thinking. In many companies, BI departments might exist, but they are rarely the driving force or so well integrated into all business practices. Often, third parties that try to sell us their BI onboarding and training are surprised by what we have achieved and even tell us they can learn from us.

Looking to the future, what personal challenge or opportunity do you see as most significant for leaders in business intelligence within our industry?

Looking ahead, one of the most significant challenges and opportunities for BI leaders lies in the careful selection of BI technologies and methodologies. The landscape offers many options and is often cluttered with buzzwords. It’s important not to get swept up in the hype and to remain critical in your selection. Fortunately, some of the most daunting aspects of BI—such as database maintenance, performance issues, and scalability—have been addressed by BI and Cloud services. This advancement allows us to focus more on strategic implementation and less on technical maintenance.

From personal experience, I know it can be challenging to balance existing work and planned projects while trying out new technologies and methodologies. My advice is to experiment with these on lower-priority projects. This approach allows people to test new things without the pressure that might drive them back to their old ways of working in order to quickly complete the project.

When was the last time you changed your mind about something important?

I tend to make decisions by thoroughly understanding the matters at hand and their potential impact, rather than just relying on gut feelings. This approach means it might be harder to convince me otherwise, but if you do convince me, it’s likely because you presented a compelling case, probably backed by proof or a use case.

One area where I changed my mind was becoming more open to adopting cloud-managed services. Migrating to a cloud-managed service provided us with many opportunities. Even though it can be a time-consuming project to migrate to such a solution, the added benefits, such as reduced maintenance work and improved scalability, are truly worth the effort.

What makes you truly happy?

I find true happiness at work when I enjoy both the tasks I am engaged in and the people I work with. This has been my experience at CLIQ Digital, and it’s why I have remained with the company for many years. In my personal life, I am happiest spending quality time with my partner, especially on the beach or near any body of water. Activities like swimming, snorkelling, or diving are my favourite ways to relax and recharge.

Describe how you envision a regular Monday in 5 years.

“AI, please provide the latest BI insights that require human attention and please continue to optimise the rest. Oh, and don’t forget my coffee!”