IÉSEG launches a Data Visualization challenge for students in Europe in partnership with Cofidis

Corporate Relations

02/17/2021

IÉSEG School of Management is launching its first Data Visualization challenge in partnership with the financial services company Cofidis. Open to all students enrolled in a European higher education institution, this ‘Dataviz’ challenge will allow participants to tackle a real challenge from the bank sector, with the theme “loan officers’ daily data”. Within Cofidis, the loan officers are in charge of the management of the Cofidis partner brands that offer their credit solutions and thus receive dozens of different types of information every day. How can this information be presented in a synthetic, efficient and pleasant way in order to facilitate the work of the loan officers?

In the framework of this project, students will thus receive an anonymous database that they will then transform into a visual by using the Data Visualization software of their choice.

“Data has become a key issue for companies in all sectors,” explains Jérémie Bertrand, Professor of Finance and Director of the Master en apprentissage Institutions Financières : Risk, Compliance et Data Analytics at IÉSEG . “Data visualization has become more and more important, as it allows its users to understand and identify trends, patterns, etc. more easily in a given sector or organization. This challenge presents an opportunity for students to apply the practices they have studied or seen in an experience related to the professional world, all the while proposing ideas that may later be used by Cofidis.”

Nicolas Wallaert, General Director of Cofidis France, adds, “Managing data is a strategic issue for Cofidis. It will allow us to continue to innovate, to conserve our leadership and to reinvent our customer experience. This also allows us to perform and to transform our organizations: Data actually permits us to stay one-step ahead, and this is moreover one of the main professions of our Group! Today, and through our partnership with IÉSEG, it is important for us to collaborate with students in order to enrich our perspective, to open up to new methods and to share our vision related to the subject.”

First, a jury made up of three professors, specialized in the sectors of Data Science and Banking, will analyze the projects based on their creativity, graphic design and legibility, as well as their pertinence. Following this, ten preselected projects will be submitted to a jury at Cofidis, who will then evaluate their professionalism, and thus designate a winning podium. Composed of data experts, and the team in charge of the DataViz subject, the Top 10 will also be submitted to the Cofidis Group’s international Data community.

Prizes will be awarded in May 2021 during a conference covering a theme related to Data, with presentations made by professionals from the sector, as well as by expert professors. Among the challenge prizes, the winners will have the chance of winning an immersion experience* at Cofidis and an interview (for an internship and/or apprenticeship program); an invitation to participate in the Cofidis Data Committee; and an experience linked to the World Tour cyclist Team**.

*The format of this conference will depend on the evolution of the health situation, and will be held either online, physically (or in a mixed format).
** The format will depend on the evolution of the health situation, but the prize will be linked to the Cofidis professional cycling team.