Young Business Analysts (YBA) is a free network for business analysts aged 35 and under, with over two thousand members and counting. Yet, the not-for-profit network, run entirely by volunteers, did not exist until just a few years ago.

A Meeting of Minds at the BA Conference Europe

Lauren Howes and Kay Hardy were near the beginning of their business analysis careers when they met for the first time at the IRM BA Conference Europe in 2019. During the lunch and coffee breaks, they found themselves discussing the lack of networking opportunities for younger BAs. Lauren describes what happened next:

"The conference was full of senior, very experienced BAs and BA managers. There were not many people of our age and professional experience level, so it felt quite daunting. We were introduced and spoke to BA leaders including Debra Paul, Christina Lovelock, Ian Richards and many more influential characters in the BA community. They agreed that there seemed to be a gap in the BA community for supporting younger, early career BAs and encouraged us to do something about it."

Defining the Vision and Mission

"First Ian and I got together and discussed our ideas and invited along Kay as well as Emma Myers, another BA of the Year finalist from 2019 along with myself. We went on to set up a focus group with approximately ten new BAs and BA apprentices, who later became our first dedicated team of volunteers. With the support of Ian, Debra and other thought leaders we decided what our target audience would want and needed from a BA community – a safe space to ask work related questions and somewhere members could share their initial thoughts on various BA tools and techniques whilst discussing issues such as imposter syndrome and building confidence

"From the focus group we created the YBA vision and mission. Our vision is 'to inspire, empower and influence the next generation of young Business Analysts'. Our mission is 'to create a free, safe space where all young BAs, including aspiring BAs, are connected through knowledge sharing and inspired to achieve their goals confidently, no matter where in the world they are or where they are in their BA career.'

"As YBA found its feet, the wider BA community helped us set up our first events, introduced us to even more influential BAs and fully believed in us."

Spreading the Word

"We started marketing and promoting YBA shortly before the IRM UK BA Conference Europe 2020, and had a few hundred new members already in just the first few days, pre-launch. Ten times more than we could have dreamed of! That's when we realised just how important this group was to the BA community. It has since snowballed from there, with our biggest growth to date being over a thousand new members in one week. This was thanks to the great work of Thando Jacobs, our social media expert over the last year. To be at over two thousand members now, it's amazing and beyond belief."

Together again. Kay and Lauren at the BA Conference 2022

Meeting in Real Life… and Looking to the Future

YBA was set up virtually during the pandemic, with many Zoom and Teams meetings. This made the IRM UK BA Conference Europe 2022 special, as some long-time collaborators met for the first time at the YBA stall. As Kay points out:

"Because of the lockdowns, I had only met my fellow founders once or twice in person, and had only met some of our volunteers virtually… so it was quite emotional to be together and to reflect on our accomplishments. Now, we are reaching the stage where we need to think about handing over the reins, which is difficult as we are all so passionate about YBA, but this transition is essential to the long-term success and growth of YBA. I feel a real sense of achievement in what the team has accomplished."

Since that first meeting of three young business analysts in 2019, YBA has grown into a success far beyond what they'd ever imagined. And the network continues to go from strength to strength. As Lauren says:

"We are so proud of YBA. The growth of the network, and the number of willing volunteers, is proof that young Business Analysts want to give back."

Thanks to Lauren, Emma and Kay and all of the YBA volunteers, the future of business analysis is looking bright.

 
 Stepping up as speakers at BA Conference Europe 2022. L-R Nikkita Vilas (a YBA volunteer who has been with us from the start) and Lauren Howes

About YBA

The YBA is a not-for-profit network for BAs of 35 or under, run by an unpaid leadership team and a small army of volunteers, who create and lead YBA events all over the UK and represent the network at national and international events. It offers its members:

•    a 'safe space' to meet and work with BAs of a similar age and experience level outside their own organisations, extending their professional networks;

•    a forum where they can talk about work issues, share their experiences and knowledge, talk about BA techniques and topics, raise their professional profiles, compare notes on certifications and more;

•    insights, inspiration and advice from guest speakers, who are experienced business analysts and thought leaders in their fields;

•    volunteering opportunities including: organising events, speaking or manning the YBA stand at conferences and events, taking part in outreach to universities and reviewing new books;

•    competitions (with prizes), sessions in partnership with other organisations, including IIBA, BCS and IRM, in-person social events.

To find out more:

1.    Join YBA's LinkedIn group https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8970429/
2.    Follow YBA on Instagram (@youngbusinessanalysts) where they post daily.
3.    Visit the YBA website - www.youngbusinessanalysts.org