Checking in with Student Ambassador alum Lorenzo Casaol

Welcome to our new blog series, where we connect with past Tableau Student Ambassadors to share their journeys since being part of the program. 

First in the series is Lorenzo Casaol. Lorenzo first joined the program when it started in 2019 while studying at Macquarie University based in Sydney, Australia. Since then Lorenzo has graduated and taken on new roles all while continuing to share his love of Tableau.

Tell us a little about your data journey and why you became a Tableau Student Ambassador 

I’ve always had a passion for technology & how it helps the world of finance. This attracted me to my dual degree in Business Analytics and Applied finance at Macquarie University. It was during my course where I was first introduced to Tableau by my professor and I thought this was the coolest tool out there. I decided to do a bit more research into Tableau and figured it was a place I’d want to work at but as a student, I didn’t have the experience back then. It was on the website Tableau.com where I saw the opportunity to join as a Tableau Student Ambassador and I thought this would be a great way to officially begin my data career.

Can you tell us a little more about what the program was able to give you and the benefits from it?

When I joined the program I was given access to the Tableau team across the world, from leading consultants in Sydney to Community specialists in Singapore. From them, I learned the ins and outs of Tableau, data best practices, and what it’s like to be a product consultant. I was also given the opportunity to take the Tableau Desktop Specialist exam free of charge which eventually became very useful for my first data analyst role. The program also helped me to find my mentor—Tableau Ambassador Chris McClellan. Chris really helped guide me throughout the beginnings of my data analytics journey as a student, ambassador, and professional. Even though the program was 2 years ago, still to this day, I have the pleasure of having him as my mentor and a great friend.  

Are there any skills that you learned from the program that you still use today? 

Yes! I’ve been using the skills I’ve gained every single day since finishing the program. I’ve only learned Tableau skills but also honed in on my presenting, data storytelling, and networking skills. Near the end of my ambassadorship, I saw a role open at a leading financial services company that was looking for someone quite senior to guide their Tableau and cloud deployment. In the end, they decided to hire me because of my experience in the program and expertise in Tableau. 

Since then I’ve moved onto different roles but still to this day, I have a great understanding of not only creating visualisations but also the data lifecycle, cloud environments, and governance structures. Being a part of the Tableau Student Ambassador program really helped give me a competitive edge in the industry.

In my spare time, I teach Tableau for those impacted by COVID-19. I enjoy teaching, as I see it as a great way to give back to my community and future data analysts.

Any advice for someone thinking of applying to be a Tableau Student Ambassador? 

Do it! I gained a mentor, data skills, presentation skills, a great network, and a better understanding of what it’s like to be a data analyst early on in your career. It takes commitment but you will get ten times more what you put in and it’s well worth it in the end. 

2021 Tableau Ambassador nominations and applications now open. Learn more about the Ambassador program here and apply to be a Tableau Student Ambassador today!