Majors: French Studies, Government
What is your current role? What was your journey in arriving there?
I’m a consultant with a boutique technical consulting firm that works primarily with logistics & transportation clients.
It was a circuitous path getting here. I majored in Government & my senior thesis focused on prisoner rights in the US. That interest led me to a social impact startup called Edovo (co-founded by a Wes Alum Frey Riel), which provides tech-enabled education to incarcerated populations. I surprised myself by really enjoying working with technology. After a few years I moved to a tech startup in the logistics & transportation space called FourKites, where I worked closely software integrations. In 2020 I started an MBA program at Ohio State, where I focused on strategy, innovation, & finance. Upon graduation I took a role in management consulting at EY-Parthenon, where I worked on several M&A and cashflow projects. After a year in that role I missed the energy and collaboration of working at a growing, tech-focused firm. Former colleagues of mine at FourKites had started their own consulting firm to approach similar problems from a different angle, and I decided to join them!
What do you enjoy about your work? What do you struggle with?
Logistics is a complex industry that’s both highly digitized and shockingly analog. The result is a variety of technology & workflow problems that require a lot of creativity and iteration.
Logistics clients are focused on results, which means we get a lot of leeway to try things out. The logistics industry is cyclical and currently facing a downturn; it’s also dealing with an unparalleled spike in fraud and theft. We’re currently helping protect clients from fraud using some pretty nifty software tools.
How did your time at Wesleyan influence your career choice/journey?
I explored a lot of different interests at Wesleyan, which cultivated a facility with context-switching and quickly picking up new ideas. The rigor of my coursework also helped prepare me for my graduate courses, the majority of which were in subjects I previously thought I wouldn’t excel in.
Do you have any advice for students thinking about entering your industry?
Some career paths are direct, many (like mine) are not. Don’t be afraid to apply to roles you think you aren’t qualified for or leave what you thought was the dream job.
Updated April 19th, 2024
