Dan
Business Analyst, London Office
Education
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
B.A. in Philosophy, 2005
Activities at Penn: I was a member of the club soccer team. I also spent a semester studying in Chile and took a semester off to live in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Some of my favorite classes were Epistemology, Astrophysics, Egalitarianism and Philosophy of Science.
Memories of Penn: Many of my fondest memories of Penn took place during Spring Fling, which happens every year in mid-April and includes shows, events put on by student organizations and live music. Spring Fling never fails to live up to expectations as a time to forget about classes for a few days and enjoy the April sunshine. After enduring months of dreary winter weather and with the prospect of finals looming on the horizon, Spring Fling always reminded me to appreciate the beauty of the college lifestyle.
Hometown
Boulder, CO
ZS Career Path
Business Associate, 2005
Business Analyst, 2007
- Moved to the London office, 2007
On the work
"My first project was a customer segmentation project for a national mortgage company. The client needed to streamline its sales strategy so that it could effectively target the best customers while cutting costs. The objective of the project was to tailor a sales and marketing approach to a number of different types of clients. Early on in the project, my role was to organize the immense quantity of data that the client had collected. Once I had pulled the many data sources together, the next step involved gaining an understanding for what the data communicated about the client's business. The final step of the project involved profiling the distinct segments that had emerged. Ultimately, the client was very pleased with the final product we delivered to them. At the conclusion of the project, the client was able to identify different types of customers and service each type according to their preferences and individual characteristics.
"My second project was a sales force alignment project for a global consumer products company. The client had recently acquired a competitor that carried similar product lines. Due to their similar product lines, both organizations had a sale force that covered North America. The objective of the project was to combine the two sales forces into a single team. I created a MAPS® system that incorporated the specifications and preferences of the client. The project went very smoothly and the client was very satisfied with the final sales force alignment."
On ZS value
Do the Right Thing: "Upon joining ZS, I had very little prior business experience. As is the case with many new associates at ZS, I had to rely on existing ZSers to learn necessary skills and abilities. Fortunately, many of the more experienced associates in the Boston office had entered the firm in a similar position. Early on in their time at ZS, they also had to rely on more seasoned associates to develop core capabilities. As a result of having received substantial help from others in their first few months, more experienced ZSers were extremely willing to walk me through many unfamiliar tasks. I have found that people are very willing to help others, even when it means staying at the office a bit later. An atmosphere characterized by assisting others permeates ZS culture. The collegial environment at ZS allows new associates to learn quite quickly and to make substantial contributions very early on in their career at the firm."
On life outside work
"I have a strong interest in Latin American culture. I strive to speak Spanish and Portuguese as much as possible and plan to live and travel in Latin America in the future. I stay active by playing soccer, playing squash and scuba diving. When I am able to make it outside the city, I enjoy fly fishing, snowboarding and hiking.
On the Boston office
"The convenient location of the office in the heart of downtown is one of the first great things that stands out about the Boston Office. The Financial District, Chinatown and the Theater District are all within a five-minute walk of the office. In addition to its ideal location and great views of the city, the office's social environment is one of its defining characteristics. As an office of around twenty people, we commonly eat lunch together and have developed a tradition of going out for drinks on Friday afternoons after work. It is a rarity to pass a typical day without at least saying hello to every person in the office."