In this episode , we sit down with Dr. Leon Chlon, a remarkable leader in AI and data science, who holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge. With a career that spans data science, machine learning, bioinformatics, and beyond, Leon has worked at top-tier companies like Meta, Uber, Tiktok and McKinsey, where he led groundbreaking innovations in AI-driven platforms and next-gen pricing algorithms. In this episode he walks us through his transition from academia to indsutry, his experience working at top tech firms and the strategies he followed to land these jobs. ⏱Timestamps⏱: 01:56 What motivated you to pursue everything from a bachelor's to a PhD before entering the workforce? 06:25 How did you integrate statistics and machine learning during your PhD? 09:51 How was your experience at MIT and Harvard, and how did you transition into the corporate world? 14:08 During your PhD and postdoc, did you anticipate pursuing a long-term career in academia? 16:09 Did you find it challenging to begin communicating with clients in the corporate sector? 17:31 What is the role of an analytics professional at McKinsey? 21:40 Did your PhD help in developing your communication skills for the corporate sector? 23:18 How can your skills be applied to or transferred across different roles or industries? 28:36 Experience at Facebook 29:05 Decision to move to Dubai 33:35 Transition to cancer research 34:37 Experience with a Drug Discovery Start-Up 35:23 What exactly did the start-up do? 36:49 Explaining Cancer and the Start-Up’s Mission 39:50 What was your role at the start-up? 42:43 Transition from drug discovery start-up to TikTok 45:31 Transition to the US and the World Bank 47:46 Shifting between different job positions and industries 49:02 Which experience has contributed the most to your learning? 51:37 For someone interested in machine learning and data science: tech vs. consulting? 56:08 How are machine learning, data science and AI different? 59:38 In which industry did you enjoy working the most? 01:01:50 How do the work cultures in Dubai, London, and Washington, D.C. differ? 01:05:32 Tech opportunities in Dubai 01:07:00 The decision to quit the last job and leave the World Bank 01:09:47 What are the three key things needed to land a data science job? 01:10:23 What are the key steps to landing a machine learning job? 01:11:40 Key things someone with no technical experience should focus on to land an interview for a job in machine learning? 01:14:31 Do you need a degree to land a machine learning job? 01:17:17 One key career lesson CONNECT WITH ME: 🎬 YouTube: @careerstalkswithtamer 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careerstalks/ 🎙️ Spotify: https://spotify.link/155zVY0b3yb 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/careerstalks #datascience #tech #ai #airesearch #careeradvice #machinelearning #meta #uber #techjobs #harvard #careergrowth #podcast *Disclaimer*: All thoughts and opinions expressed in this video reflects the guest's and the host's personal views and are not an official statement from their employers.