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Video Introduction
Major: Operations & Information Management
Job Title: Senior Manager, Data Analytics & Technology
Company: EY
Company Description: Ernst & Young provides audit, consulting, tax, business risk, technology and security risk services, and human capital services worldwide.
Did you have any initial career goals when you entered Isenberg? Were there any key moments or influences (a guest speaker, course, or extracurricular) during your time at Isenberg that changed or confirmed your career goals?
I actually started at Isenberg as a Sport Management major. I quickly learned that wasn’t the path for me, but also wasn’t sure what other direction to go in. During my freshman year, Dr. Agha Iqbal Ali was guest speaking in one of my classes about the new Operations and Information Management major that was being created at the time, and I was completely fascinated by his passion for the real world application of the major. From that point I applied to change majors, and was in OIM ever since!
Can you share a favorite work assignment that could help a student understand more about what you do?
Recently, one of our engagement teams supporting a global audit client was tasked with reporting on the clients’ inventory across 100+ locations worldwide. In order to centralize the procedures across all locations, we created a PowerBI dashboard that highlighted inventory movements across the world. This project had a couple elements that I really enjoyed: being tasked with an open ended problem, designing a creative solution, and global collaboration. The resulting dashboard helped to streamline inventory audit procedures for each location, ultimately saving thousands of hours of effort per year.
Now that you’re in this position, what aspects have surprised you that you didn’t anticipate before starting?
Even though my team works in a technical function, so much of my job relies on soft skills, including stakeholder and project management. Managing stakeholders really comes down to professional communication and “customer service,” even when working with internal stakeholders. The project management element of my job is crucial – there can be weeks where I work on up to 30 different clients at once. I always need to be aware of each ongoing projects’ status, manage conflicting deadlines, and prioritize appropriately.
What inspires you about the work you are doing in your industry?
My goal is to help make others peoples’ jobs easier by creating solutions using innovative technology. The world is changing so quickly, meaning the problems that my stakeholders face also evolve, and I get to collaborate with other people at EY to help find the best way to save them time and energy.
What are some daily challenges you experience in your role?
I’ve always been a part of hybrid teams where the people I work with are based out of multiple cities. Building rapport with people who you have never met in person can take time, and tackling problems with others over a video conference is not the same as sitting in a room together to come to a solution. I love the flexibility that the hybrid setting affords me, so there are both pros and cons to this type of teaming.
Is there anything you wish you had done differently while a student at Isenberg?
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Networking is extremely important but can be intimidating to undergraduates. What tips do you have for getting started engaging with alum or upperclassmen?
People remember conversations that are genuine and build connection. When meeting someone new, lead the conversation with open ended questions to learn more about the other person and their experiences. If they mention anything that particularly resonates with you (even if it has nothing to do with work), use that as the opportunity to connect to them on a more personal level. When you follow up with them again in the future, be sure to reference a specific part of your conversation (such as a shared interest), and they will definitely remember who that person is behind the email.
