Laszlo Lenart is a data scientist in operations research and advanced analytics at Western Digital. He loves spending time with his wife and three kids and enjoys continuous learning, DIY projects around the house, watching basketball, traveling, and exploring new places.
What does a data scientist at the Advanced Analytics Office do?
I build data-driven simulations, or digital twins. These models try to mimic all the necessary details needed to identify the hidden potential of real production systems. The real-world systems range from a single production line up to an end-to-end process flow of an entire factory.
What’s one thing you wish people understood about digital twins?
Digital twins are not something of the future. We at Western Digital are already leveraging them by building on our own digital twins on the factory floor. The near future is about connecting more digital twins in real time alongside AI and machine learning techniques. If you haven’t heard it yet, the new industry buzzword is “Industrial Metaverse.”
Describe your job as a food.
Langos, which is a Hungarian street food; a deep-fried flatbread topped with sour cream, cheese, and a hint of garlic salt. It may sound weird, but different things can be connected and it’s amazing.
When tackling an issue, do you dive right in or do you plan every step?
I always dive in first, only to realize I need to be systematic.
Do you have any quirky productivity hacks to keep you on track during busy days?
When I design a new function or code, it helps to stay away from the computer and think it over. I often find solutions during a walk or while on a coffee break.
How do you handle failure or setbacks in your projects?
Not all things succeed at first. In other words, only those who do nothing do not make mistakes. The process of model debugging is part of my daily work. I always need to find out what I missed or why the model behaves differently than I want it to.
If you could switch roles for a day at Western Digital, what would you do? Why?
I wouldn’t be able to choose. All the roles are unique, and I believe each has a beauty that I would like to experience. That’s why I would prefer to be able to try all the roles for one day, including different operators, engineers, office workers, and, of course, the CEO role as well.
Coffee or tea?
Espresso with warm milk in 1:1 ratio.
How do you unwind after a long day at work?
Mowing the lawn or working on something in the backyard—I just need to stand up from the chair and do something physical.
If you could go back in time to give your younger self career advice, what would you say?
You are in the right place; keep it up!
Artwork by Cat Tervo
