Meet the Experts: Quinton Aguilera

Quinton Aguilera

Consultant

Learn more about Quinton Aguilera, Data Scientist at October Three, including his love of jazz and how he uses data science to drive client success.

1. What do you find most unique about working at October Three? 

After completing my master’s degree in data science, I joined a company in London supporting derivatives traders. But after a few years, I wanted to return to Chicago, where I grew up. At that time, I discovered a contract role at October Three and had the opportunity to join the team on a new project. I would say working with interest crediting rate and funding data was a unique experience. It’s substantially different from derivative trading, but there were certain similarities that I could apply to the October Three project. 

2. How did you get into this industry? 

I don’t have an actuarial story, but I do have a broadly speaking financial services background, which allowed me to join October Three through the original contract project. I didn’t want to be a career contractor, though. So when the project was a success, I was excited to join the October Three team as the first full-time data scientist.  

3. What's one project or achievement you're particularly proud of? 

I would say the contract project I joined the team on. The fact that it’s in a product and sold to clients feels great – it makes me proud to have added to our white-glove service. Our data set, which looks at the interest crediting rate for plans using Form 5500 filings, is also the largest of its kind in the U.S. to my knowledge.  

4. What's one thing you wish others could know about your role? 

My role is very technical in a non-actuarial department. I work with a lot of actuaries to determine which data needs to be scraped, and we benefit from deep actuarial knowledge from throughout the business. But I really like the fact that I can contribute our company’s actuarial knowledge without being an actuary.  

5. What's a book, podcast, or other resource you'd recommend to others, and why? 

I have to recommend reading Chip War, by Chris Miller. It is an excellent profile of the global semiconductor supply chain and enables you to develop a better way of interpreting macroeconomic and geopolitical events as they relate to the cost and availability of microchips. AI development and commercial viability is primarily, among other things, a function of this cost and availability, and therefore learning about how they are made becomes a very interesting view into where this technology is headed.  

6. What's a skill or hobby you have outside of work? Have you applied any lessons or knowledge from your skills or hobbies in your role at October Three?  

I’m a musician, mostly with Jazz. Listening and responding to the other instruments is key, and it requires a lot of collaboration. I’d say that practices help reinforce positive habits for my role, where I can benefit from and contribute to our actuarial knowledge.  

Click here to read Quinton's full bio on our Meet the Team page.