Barclays Hires 'Alternative Data' Man from BuzzFeed

In the US, Barclays bank has appointed Dr. Adam Kelleher as Director and Chief Data Scientist for Research, responsible for building a new global team of data scientists to source, integrate and use 'alternative data sets' to support the firm's Research franchise.

The datasets in question include things like satellite imagery and weather patterns, and are a boom area for asset managers and other corporate banking divisions - the former are spending more than $5 billion a year to develop these sources, with the figure growing 30% per annum according to a report from the consultancy Opimas.

Kelleher (pictured) joins from BuzzFeed, where he spent four and a half years, latterly as Principal Data Scientist, responsible for advancing machine learning and alternative data capabilities and working on data pipeline development, research methodology and ad effectiveness. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University's Data Science Institute, and graduated from Clemson University with a BS in Physics. He also holds a PhD in Cosmology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The bank's Co-Head of Research Jeff Meli said of the appointment: 'Adam has an exceptional track record in applying data science to drive commercially valuable outcomes. Hiring innovative data scientists agnostic of industry, and acquiring powerful new alternative data sources, demonstrates Barclays' continued investment in growing our Research offering'.

Web site: www.home.barclays .