The Business Intelligence team at Dealer Inspire works to provide accurate data for individuals across the organization to inform strategy and aid decision making. Using Salesforce as the sole source of truth for customer data, billing, client performance, sales management, and operations management, this team harnesses the power of data to help internal teams work smarter, not harder. By prioritizing professional development, the Business Intelligence team uncovers new ways to collaborate, innovate, and better serve our clients.
A Day in the Life on the Business Intelligence Team
Though it may seem like this team is buried in spreadsheets all day, they actually use a variety of tools and superpowers to discover solutions others can’t. In addition to weeding out data quality issues and maintaining centrally available dashboards and reports, these left-brain thinkers also spend time educating colleagues on how data can benefit daily work flow and why accuracy is key. When they aren’t nerding out over awesome new tools and technologies to help meet DI goals, they are acting as consulting partners for growth strategies, decision support, and process improvement initiatives.
Who’s on Our Team?
When this hard-working team isn’t organizing the world’s most effective data, they are out deep-sea diving, playing music, and enjoying time with their families. Learn more!
Téa Chura
Hello, I am the Salesforce Administrator for the Business Intelligence Team! My hometown is Chicago, but I live in Santa Barbara, CA, and work full time remotely as well as go to school. Life is very sunny there! In CA, I am involved in environmental conservation/coastal awareness programs and use my skills from work to help with environmental projects.
- I’ve been with DI for 1 year
- I enjoy doing yoga, going to the beach, and traveling
- I scuba dive
Harshal (“Hardball”) Dave
I was raised in Melrose Park, IL, and am currently living in Carol Stream. Previously I worked for McDonald’s USA where I developed an interest in Customer Experience, Insights, and Technology. I went to Roosevelt University for undergrad and completed my BA in Integrated Marketing Communications in 2008. My direct family includes father, mother and a sister, though most of my family is in India, where my mother and father immigrated from.
- I’ve been with Dealer Inspire since March 1, 2016
- I love playing music for Indian Weddings (sax)
- I can speak Gujarati, a North Indian language
Richard Simard
After about 18 different jobs since the time I was 15, I finally settled into an industry I could sink my teeth into. I originally applied to be a content writer for an in-house marketing department in a large Boston-based dealer group. My manager soon discovered that I had more than just writing skills, and suddenly my day-to-day was filled with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. After over two years of complete market domination at Quirk Auto Dealers, managing everything from email campaigns and paid search to SEO and website development, I decided to jump the fence onto the vendor side. I originally hail from New Hampshire and my first year at Dealer Inspire was working remotely from my apartment in Dover. I have an undying love for my home state; its quaint and rustic undertones paint a cultural experience into a smorgasbord of landscapes from mountains to sea. I have two older sisters who are twins, and a mother who raised me under the mantra, “I don’t want to raise good kids. I want to raise responsible adults.” You bet I was the only nine-year-old in school doing his own laundry.
I’ve been with DI since April, 2015 — about three and a half years
For fun I like to hike, video game, enjoy a good whiskey and cigar, share rhetoric, hit the gym and play drums (though haven’t owned a kit in a couple years)
In 2007, when I was 19 years old, I backpacked through Western Europe for 30 days alone. I went back for another 30 days again in 2011 with a friend to relive the experience. On our return trip we stopped in Iceland for a few days. This little island and its people blew me away and led to my return the following two years in a row to attend the Iceland Airwaves music festival that I experienced on my first visit there by happenstance.
Katie Helgesen
Utilizing my more than 15 years of digital marketing and analytics experience, I spend my days at Dealer Inspire directing the daily operations of the newest teams at Dealer Inspire: the Business Intelligence team and the Welcome team. It’s easy for me to #lovewhatyoudo because I get to spend my working hours solving problems, coaching team members, setting priorities, learning from my brilliant co-workers, championing data integrity, improving workflows to maximize productivity, using data to justify decisions, and celebrating a lot of wins.
I’ve been with DI for 5 1/2 years – since January 23, 2013.
I’m extremely driven and goal-oriented, but also need the freedom of “me time” to relax in silence (usually laying down!) to explore all of my thoughts (INTP baby!). I’m hard-pressed to decide if I’m happier curled up on a hammock in my peaceful backyard or sitting on a raft, beer in hand, floating on our lake. I spend my evenings and weekends with my husband and four kids: Oscar, a college-bound left-handed pitcher, and three kids under 4, Mikey, Scarlett, and Isabella. When I’m not at a baseball game, feeding my children, or changing diapers, I’m contributing every Thursday to a mom blog I started with six of my DI mom friends called The Mom Hustle. My daydreams revolve around finding more “me time”, and traveling. I try to keep myself sane with naps, Netflix, and eating out as often as I can.
My real name is Katie. It’s not Katherine, Kathleen, Kaitlyn or any derivative. Adults seemed to have a hard time believing that when I was growing up.
Thanks, team, for all you do!
