Using Data and Analytics to Expand Financial Opportunities

John Fenstermaker is a father, punk rock enthusiast, seafood avoider and, in his day job, the Chief Data and Analytics Officer for Equifax's U.S. business. As a data scientist, innovator, and leader, John is passionate about making a real impact for Equifax customers and consumers. 

With a career spanning over 12 years at Equifax, he's not only witnessed the company's growth but has been an integral part of it. Let's get to know the man behind the data.

What motivates your work at Equifax?

Ultimately, I recognize that not everyone has been afforded the same opportunities that I have. This drives my passion for leveraging data and analytics in my work to create opportunities for others to live their financial best.

What role does innovation play in your work?

Through continuous innovation, my team enhances data quality, expands coverage of current data sources, secures new data sources, creates more valuable attributes, and develops more predictive models. Our efforts empower us to assess more consumers accurately, allowing our clients to approve more consumers for credit products while minimizing risk exposure.

What do you enjoy most about working at Equifax?

Working at Equifax is never boring, especially for those who like to be challenged. I don’t like easy or repetitive tasks, and Equifax always offers opportunities to solve new and interesting challenges. Equifax also presents a lot of opportunities for growth. I started my career 12 years ago as an individual contributor and through the opportunities presented to me, I've been able to grow into a Chief Data and Analytics Officer role.

What advice do you have for today’s data scientists?

My advice to data scientists is always to choose one of two paths. The first path is to focus on a specific area and become a master of that domain, which will enable growth into more senior positions. The second is to seek diverse experiences and learn how to solve a variety of business problems. For those with leadership aspirations, I recommend the latter as I think leaders need to be able to solve a wide variety of problems. 

Equifax offers opportunities for both paths, whether you want to hone in on your strengths or pursue new experiences.

Learn more about available opportunities at Equifax.