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Data Engineer Q&A: Ivan Donev, The World Bank Group

Data engineers design, build, and maintain systems for data collection, storage, and analysis. Using various tools, they ensure data is accessible and reliable, enabling companies to understand consumer behavior, market trends, and business performance, thus gaining a competitive edge.

To tell us more about the Data Engineering world, we meet with Ivan Donev, Data Platform Lead at The World Bank group. Ivan has 20 years of experience in Data Architecture, Analytics and Engineering. He’s passionate in knowledge sharing, mentoring and active conference speaker. This year he's also one of the guest-lecturer in the upcoming Upskill Data Engineer program.

What was your first data-related job?

My first encounter with data was as the administrator of the POS system for one of the major telecom chains in Bulgaria about 20 years ago. A constant part of my job was answering questions like "Why are my reports slow?", "How can I see what I have sold?", and the toughest one, "What can I do to sell more?". The answers to these questions were easy if the application had pre-prepared reports, as was the case for me. But there was always a need for something more. This is how I found myself in the world of reporting, data warehouses, and developed a passion for this part of the IT field. Gradually, I built upon my skills, learned a lot, and gained incredibly diverse experience at companies like HP and Microsoft.

Can you share some work examples?

The current major project my team and I are working on is providing a state-of-the-art data platform based on Databricks and dbt. This platform aims to offer all engineers in the bank an easy, fast, and convenient way to start working and producing data products directly.

What's your biggest success in the field so far? What are you most proud of?

I am most proud that many of my colleagues, whom I have worked with, taught, or mentored, are now some of the most recognized data professionals in Bulgaria.

What are you going to teach in Upskill Data Engineer?

I will be part of the lectures on Databricks and dbt, where we will cover both basic and advanced topics on the technology, ensuring participants have the right foundation for a quick start on any project in the world of data engineering.