Featured User Group Leader- March

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Matt Allington 

As co-founder of the Sydney, Australia Power BI User Group, Matt has been part of the community for nearly 7 years. Based on his love for sharing what he has learned with others, Matt encourages anyone with a passion for personal and professional growth to try being a User Group leader. As he says, “Only start the journey if you are passionate about giving to the community.” This passion is what drives him as he looks to the future. 

“It can be very satisfying to give to the community,” Matt says when asked why he would encourage someone else to take on the task of leading a User Group. He highlights getting to meet like-minded people, growing your personal and professional network, and hearing from experts as key reasons why the User Group experience is important. In this world where so many work from home, “meeting people in other organizations is always enriching.”

 

David Abu 

David has been leading the Power BI Bootcamp Hub User Group for two years, having started right before the beginning o the Covid pandemic. In that time, he has been excited to see much growth in his professional experience, including becoming a Microsoft MVP. The key, though, is the way the User Group “helps people grow and creates a sense of belonging.” This personal aspect is just as important when David thinks about his User Group. 

One of the highlights over the last year was seeing how the technical skills and tips learned by people in his community helped them find new jobs and roles. “It’s fulfilling when you see how people grow because you helped them in the process,” David says. “It takes a lot of time, but it also makes you better at organizing and building soft leadership skills.” He encourages anyone thinking about leading a group to “be deliberate about helping people.”