Alan Burke 🔜 Gdc
About Alan Burke 🔜 Gdc
Alan Burke serves as the Sr. Director of Analytics at Wizards of the Coast, where he has significantly advanced the company's data-driven strategies since 2020. He previously held various analytics roles at notable companies, including Activision and ArenaNet, and has a strong academic background in Economics and International Relations.
Current Role at Wizards of the Coast
Alan Burke serves as the Sr. Director of Analytics at Wizards of the Coast, a position he has held since 2020. In this role, he has focused on transforming the company into a data-driven organization. Burke has successfully quadrupled the analytics team and embedded analytics experts across various departments. His leadership has been instrumental in implementing advanced analytics systems that support strategic decision-making and enhance business performance.
Previous Experience in Analytics
Before his current role, Alan Burke held several positions in analytics and data science. He worked at Wizards of the Coast as the Director of Analytics from 2016 to 2020. Prior to that, he was a Lead Data Scientist at Activision for eight months in 2016 and served as Head of Analytics at ArenaNet from 2013 to 2015. His experience also includes a four-year consultancy role at Econ One Research and a two-year position as Director of Technology at the Youth Policy Institute.
Educational Background
Alan Burke completed his Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Affairs at The George Washington University. He furthered his education by obtaining a Master of Arts in Economics from UCLA. This academic foundation has supported his career in analytics and data-driven decision-making across various industries.
Key Projects and Initiatives
Throughout his career, Alan Burke has led significant projects that have impacted business outcomes. At Wizards of the Coast, he launched Magic: The Gathering Arena on PC, implementing an analytic system that exceeded forecasts by over 20%. He also developed player lifetime value projections for the mobile version of the game, which resulted in a profitable doubling of marketing spend and a 200% increase in new players. Additionally, he designed a customer segmentation model that contributed to doubling profits for Magic: The Gathering within two years.
Leadership and Mentorship
Alan Burke has demonstrated strong leadership and mentorship abilities throughout his career. He has recruited, trained, and mentored 25 data scientists at Wizards of the Coast. His leadership style has consistently received excellent scores in anonymous upward review surveys, indicating a positive impact on team dynamics and professional development within the analytics department.