Meghana
Associate Consultant, New York Office
Education
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
B.A in International Political Economy, 2005
Activities at Berkeley: INDUS (South Asian student alliance) Board Member; Phi Alpha Delta member; Regents and Chancellor's Scholars Association member
Memories of Berkeley: One of the best things about Berkeley was the diversity of experiences that it offered—diversity of people, fields of study, student groups, and interests. The place on campus that symbolizes this the most to me is Sproul—one of the main walks on campus that most people pass through on their way to class. Here, you would find students alongside members of the Berkeley community rushing through, sitting and reading, passing out fliers, giving speeches, doing live performances, and often, just taking a minute to sit and observe . . .
Hometown
Huntington Beach, CA
ZS Career Path
Business Associate, 2005
Associate Consultant, 2007
On the work
“A large pharmaceutical company asked us to do a study to understand what qualities defined the 'top performers' in one of their specialty sales forces. In order to complete the project, ZS did observational research for which they accompanied sales representatives on their calls. My role in the project was to create a tool that combined various inputs to select the sample of representatives who would be called on for these observations. This was a far more technical role than I had ever had on a project until that point, and I enjoyed the challenge. I was able to develop some very useful and transferable skills in the process, and the client was also pleased with our selection methodology. All in all, it was a great opportunity.
"My first project at ZS was a sales force alignment for a major pharmaceutical company. In addition to actually creating optimal territories, I had the opportunity to work on the client site one-on-one with our contact, a senior member of the brand management team, for several days to finalize the project using MAPS®. During these meetings, I was actually able to advise our contact on various alternatives within the alignment. The fact that I felt comfortable doing so hardly a month into working at ZS made me realize how quickly we pick up market and technical knowledge here. Furthermore, it was great to have had that much exposure to the client right from the start. It was very rewarding afterwards when we received a note from the client saying how much our work had been appreciated."
On ZS values
Treat People Right: “At ZS, promoting career development is very important, and people take a genuine interest in helping you succeed. At the start of a recent project, the consultant took the time to schedule a meeting with me to discuss where the project fit into my career development objectives, and if there were any specific things that I wanted more experience in. I mentioned that I would like to have more experience in external communication. As a result, he transitioned a lot of the data vendor management responsibilities to me, which was a perfect opportunity for developing the skills that I was seeking to gain. I really appreciated the fact that he was not only concerned with how my work would contribute to the success of the project, but also how the project would contribute to my own personal success at ZS."
On the New York office
“In New York no matter what your interests may be, you can find a way to pursue them. The convenient location of our office right next to Grand Central Station makes it even easier to make the most of all the opportunities in this city. It is very easy to get to and from just about any other part of town from here. The public transportation system is great for exploring the city—something I appreciate more than most being from Southern California. I love the fast pace of life here and that there is so much happening around you all the time. It is no wonder the city never sleeps—there is too much to do!"