Amy
Principal, Evanston Office
Education
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, Ross School of Business
M.B.A. in Marketing and Corporate Strategy, 2000
Activities at Michigan: Healthcare Club and MBW
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
B.S. in Chemical Engineering, 1992
Hometown
Waterford, WI
ZS Career Path
Summer Associate, 1999
Consultant, 2000
Manager, 2002
Principal, 2005
On the work
“An established client in the pharmaceutical industry was launching a new product, and we worked with the brand team on market research from the very beginning to help optimize the launch. Even after the product was launched, we continued working with the brand team, looking for the newest trends and issues that would affect this product, as well as assess the impact of marketing initiatives explicitly designed to influence brand impressions. Over the past 18 months we have been able to establish a strong relationship with the client, becoming an integral part of that brand team, which has allowed us to work very efficiently and effectively together.
"For me, one of the most exciting aspects of this project was being able to see the development of the associates working with me, watching as they gained more responsibility and seeing how their skills and confidence evolved within the project. Witnessing this type of transition is less likely on a one- or two-month long assignment.”
On ZS values
Treat People Right: “I had a few very challenging months at work a year and a half ago that required me to work many hours and several weekends. This was the first time I had experienced this type of schedule since joining ZS and found it draining, but rewarding. I accepted this as what was expected in a consulting environment and had considered myself lucky that I had been able to avoid this type of schedule for so long. This is what made me so surprised when two of the principals I had been working with through this time thanked me for the hard work and suggested that I take a day to ‘catch up’ on my life. This is not a standard policy at ZS, but we have a lot of flexibility to ‘treat people right’ and this gesture communicated to me that my work was appreciated and that someone noticed I had been working so hard.”
On life outside work
“Whenever I have the chance, I travel abroad. I have a personal goal to visit at least one new country every year. Since finishing graduate school, our exotic and international vacations have included the Galapagos, Bermuda, Mexico, Hawaii (3 times), Alaska, Australia, Thailand, Grand Cayman and Bonaire.”
On the Evanston office
“In Chicago, you get to live in a big city, but you also have access to both the East and West Coasts for fun weekend getaways. Chicago itself has a tremendous amount to offer with its cultural diversity, the art museum, a great orchestra, a fabulous aquarium, the lakefront and major universities. Even if you don’t take advantage of everything the city has to offer, it’s comforting knowing that you always will have access to it all.”