Alan Simon is a long-time authority on aligning transformational business process improvement initiatives with emerging data and analytics technology. He is the Managing Principal of Thinking Helmet, Inc., a boutique consultancy. In the past, Alan has led global and national consulting practices specializing in business intelligence and data warehousing. He is known for his engaging, innovative, and thought-provoking perspectives about the disciplines in which he specializes.

Alan is the author of 31 business and technology books, including the original edition of Data Warehousing For Dummies, 90 Days to the Data Mart, How to be a Successful Computer Consultant, and Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence for E-Commerce. His upcoming book The Business Hypothesis Imperative: Solving the Missing Link in Big Data, Analytics, and Data-Driven Insights is the culmination of more than 40 years as a technology professional working on the leading edge of data and analytics technologies.

Alan is a native of Pittsburgh and holds a Master’s Degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Arizona and a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Information Systems from Arizona State University. He also pursued post-graduate, non-degree study in artificial intelligence and medical information systems at the University of Denver. Alan has been at the forefront of applying emerging technologies and practices to a variety of business process improvement challenges and accompanying organizational change in various industries and government agencies throughout his career.

In Alan's "other job" he writes historical and contemporary fiction, with eight novels completed to date…including one USA Today bestseller (Gettysburg, 1913: The Complete Novel of the Great Reunion).