Katie
Consultant, Evanston Office
Education
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
B.S. in Biopsychology and Cognitive Science, 2002
Activities at Michigan: U.R.O.P. program, Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity, U. of M. Hospital Volunteer
Memories of Michigan: Attending Michigan was a great experience-well, except maybe organic chemistry. The things I loved most were football Saturdays, Chipatis, and the diag on the (far too rare) nice days.
Hometown
Arlington Heights, IL
ZS Career Path
Business Associate, 2002
Associate Consultant, 2004
Consultant, 2006
On the work
"One significant project involved a pharmaceutical company launching a new product targeting Primary Care Physicians (PCPs). However, the company had traditionally been only successful marketing to specialists and felt ZS could improve its effectiveness in the PCP market. It was fun because during the project, we conducted primary research by observing sales reps from various companies interacting with physicians at their offices. We then interviewed the doctors and office staff and got their input on the whole sales process. The data we collected were used by the client to better understand the market and to adjust the assumptions they were basing their marketing decisions on."
On ZS values
Do the Right Thing: "My very first week, everyone in the Evanston and Chicago offices took off work, got on buses, and headed to a neighborhood YMCA downtown. We spent the day building a playground and painting picnic tables and equipment. When we were done, the kids all came out and said thank you. It was a great day, even though it rained until late in the afternoon."
On life outside work
"I love spending time with my friends and family. I enjoy the beach, swimming, and going out to restaurants. There is also a strong Michigan alumni group in town and we get together and watch the football games on Saturdays. ZS also holds an annual Cubs day at the ballpark, and we take off half the day to go to Wrigley. It's a lot better than having a White Sox day at the park, since I've been a Cubs fan my whole life."
On the Evanston office
"I grew up in Chicago, and I think you find a lot of wonderful people and fun things to do here. People like to bike and run along the lakefront, and there are so many restaurants serving great food, including my favorite, Chicago-style pizza. The summer in Chicago is like nothing else; there are festivals and events every weekend. My personal favorite is the Old St. Pat's Block Party, billed the world's largest."