Ignacio Elola Villar

Data Science @ Buffer | ex Zapier, Goodnotes, inVision

Puente Viesgo, Cantabria, Spain

About

Data & Insights leader with 13+ years turning business problems into clear decisions, and building the teams and systems to make that sustainable. I've led data functions at startups and scale-ups across product, growth, marketing and operations; from being the first data scientist embedded in a product team, to building and managing multi-disciplinary data orgs. I've directly managed data scientists, analytics engineers, data engineers, and analysts; building teams that are rigorous, fast, and genuinely useful to the business. Versatile across Python, R, SQL, dbt, and major cloud stacks (AWS, GCP, Snowflake). What I really care about is impact: the insight that shifts a roadmap, the experiment that changes a bet, the dashboard that replaces a weekly argument. I'm drawn to environments where data is still finding its footing, where there's real leverage in getting the foundations right. I've built teams, processes, and cultures from scratch more than once, and I enjoy the structural challenge as much as the analytical one. Academic background in theoretical physics and systems biology. International conference speaker (PyData, EuroPython, Extract). Curious by default.

Experience

  • Senior Data Scientist at Buffer
    May 2026 - Present · 2 mos

  • Head of Insights at Goodnotes
    Feb 2024 - May 2026 · 2 yrs 4 mos

    Leading the Insights function at Goodnotes, a global productivity app used by dozens of millions of students and professionals. Scaled the team from 2 to 14 across data scientists, analytics engineers, and data engineers. Built the data engineering practice from the ground up (pipelines, telemetry, data lake and platform). Kickstarted an A/B testing practice and culture that went from zero to 15 experiments per month. My focus is on making the Insights team a genuine force multiplier; high-quality, fast, and embedded in the decisions that matter, while scaling thoughtfully against competing priorities.

  • Manager, Data at Zapier
    Jul 2022 - Feb 2024 · 1 yr 8 mos

    Led the Data Enablement team at Zapier, a central squad of Data Scientists and Analytics Engineers responsible for the data infrastructure, tooling, and practices that the broader organization depends on. Key accomplishments include establishing a central experimentation and A/B testing practice across the company, and kickstarting the data team's involvement in in-product AI initiatives through fine-tuning LLMs to improve Zapier's core products.

  • Advisor at Genially
    Aug 2021 - Jul 2022 · 1 yr

    Advisor to the Data Team

  • Head of Data at Streamloots
    Feb 2021 - Jul 2022 · 1 yr 6 mos

    Streamloots is a marketplace to buy real-time interactions with live streamers. Helping content creators make a living by doing what they love. Funded by leading global tech investors, including Bessemer. My mission is to manage the processes and people responsible for accurate data collection, processing, modeling and analysis. To facilitate and be part of executive level discussions regarding business drivers and ways to optimize company performance and investments. I work closely with leaders across marketing, product and sales to support and implement high-quality, data-driven decisions, ensuring data accuracy and consistent reporting by designing and creating optimized processes and procedures for analytics employees to follow.