J.A. (Jason Andrew) Oliver
I am a senior compliance analyst with a large organization, but my great passion in life is reading, and I have read close to 100 books about behavioural science and pop psychology. My favourites (and influences) include Adam Grant, the Heath Brothers, and Charles Duhigg.
Given all the misinformation in the world, I felt a fervent need to write something of my own concoction that would illuminate the minds of many, as I am a big proponent of critical thinking and lifelong learning. I also love a good dose of humour, so I was sure to deliver on this in my work to make it engaging and entertaining.
As I wrote Diamond Min(e)d, there were times when I was in a state of flow (to quote that eminent psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihaly) and it just spilled out; at other times, I felt very blocked, as is the curse of many a writer – yet persevere I had to. I hope the takeaways of my book (particularly Ch. 3, taking a BLOF or Big Leap Of Faith) will resonate with you, the readers, in that regard.
Professionally: I hold an MBA from the University of Ottawa, as well as several professional certifications, which include: CFE [Certified Fraud Examiner], CBAP [Certified Business Analysis Professional], and CAP [Certified Analytics Professional]. I have presented at several prominent events as a guest speaker, including BDAPS (Big Data and Analytics for the Public Sector), SAS Global Forum, and the IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysts).
