Synergy Data Science

About

Dean G. “Gordy” Fairchild, Ph.D. is founder and CEO of Synergy Data Science, an Arizona-based full-service data science and analytics consulting and R&D shop. Gordy enthusiastically practices “synergistic data science”. Synergistic data science is based on combining state-of-the art “new school” AI and machine learning techniques with centuries of “old school” analytics and statistical techniques. Gordy has found that the most important way to promote synergy is by recruiting, motivating, and listening to diverse team. Crucial to this approach is a mix of employee, contract, and freelance pros each empowered to contribute independently to the whole effort.
The combination has yielded exponentially powerful, insightful solutions for clients. The firm has a commitment to give 10% of company time to provide non-profit orgs with data science. The R&D focus is on empowering local smaller businesses to harness increasingly affordable data science techniques to compete better against larger competitors. Gordy is a vocal advocate of the right for small businesses to use the data they produce.
Prior to founding Synergy Data Science in 2018, Gordy spent almost a decade with Silicon Valley data science consulting start-up, Cognilytics as it grew exponentially and was then sold to telecom giant Century Link. In 9 years as a Senior Director, Gordy managed or worked on 101 separate projects for 33 international clients ranging from 7 of the largest US banks to insurance, agribusiness, transportation, government, telecom, and other sectors.
Gordy spent 10 years at American Express HQ Finance and risk from 2000 into 2010 where he led the HQ Finance international MR (Membership Rewards) analytics team. The team’s chief focus was on using data science to analyze rewards valuation, balance sheet reserves for MR points, rolling forecasts, and internal investment valuation. A $692M SEC/Fed-required reserve increase on the international balance sheet was based on Gordy’s technical leadership to install data-driven methodologies for 26 countries. In the role, he instituted early warning systems, rapid-response dashboard reports, international points valuation forecasts and executed an average of $63M of re-engineering saves annually. Gordy communicated methodology updates and financial impacts to high-level audiences (CFOs and Board of Directors). At American Express Gordy learned his most important data science lesson: how to map scientific findings to tangible financial results.
American Express brought Gordy aboard after he finished his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics at the University of Florida. The ag econ specialty gave Gordy an enormous amount of practical (rather than only theoretical) experience. At Florida, Gordy worked with Big Data in the 1990’s with futures market transactions, supermarket scanner data, and options pricing. He funded his doctoral dissertation by consulting for Internet, telecom, and agribusinesses on access to and use of the web and advanced networking for farmers, ranchers, nurseries, processors, and rural Florida.