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Alumni Spotlight: Shirelle Noble, Class of 2009 – rewardStyle

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Shirelle NobleShirelle Noble, BHP ’09, joined Bain & Company after graduating from BHP. After spending a few years working as a consultant, she felt it was time to make a move and found a great opportunity to do just that with rewardStyle. She is currently leading business development and partnership efforts for rewardStyle.

How would you describe what rewardStyle does?

rewardStyle connects digital style publishers and global retailers to provide marketing solutions across the web and social media.  At our core, we help fashion bloggers earn commissions from the products they promote on their blogs by providing them with tools and education. We connect the bloggers to our retail partners, who pay for the organic promotion and distribution of their products to the bloggers’ audiences. We do this by managing a technology platform which sales and other key metrics. Our tracking and platform allows us to report back to both the bloggers and retailers on performance. In short, rewardStyle is basically how fashion bloggers are able to make money from linking to products.

We didn’t invent affiliate marketing, but we were the first to make it accessible for fashion bloggers and influencers across the web. We are the market leader in our space. It is a very niche space, but also a profitable one. We work with all the major retailers in Europe and the U.S. and we are also expanding to Asia. We were also the first to launch shoppable Instagram through our product called LIKEtoKNOW.it, which has been a game changer in social media. Since Instagram doesn’t let anyone use links within their feeds, the LIKEtoKNOW.it solution allows consumers to find out what their favorite bloggers are wearing on Instagram by registering for the email service.

Tell me about your roles in sales and business development.

I was brought on board at the end of 2013 to run the team that cultivates relationships with our publishers. My role was largely focused on scaling the team and establishing strategies to keep up with our rapid growth. Our company has grown very rapidly- I was the 48th employee and now we are over 110 employees. We continue to scale to meet the growing demands of both our retail and publishing clients. At the end of last year, I transitioned into business development because of my background in strategy consulting. I was given a project to assess our European business, so I lived in London for three months to identify the growth opportunities and create the strategy plan fro 2015.

Tell me more about what you were doing for that project.

The crux of the problem was to understand the opportunity size for our European business and how to capture it in 2015. At the time, the European business was lagging the U.S., so I looked into all the individual markets to understand why.  Each European country is so different from one another, so we stopped treating the markets equally and started to think about each individual market’s revenue potential. The change of mindset has been very successful.

What work experience has been most rewarding for you so far?

The European strategy project has been most rewarding to me. When I was at Bain, I wasn’t able to see the results of my work in the real world. The European project is a great example of applying the consulting approach, but also leading the implementation. Six months later, I’m excited to see how my work is directly impacting the company.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Implementing the solutions I create and being in a fast-paced industry that is growing rapidly. We like to joke that all of our problems are “good problems to have” because they are all related to growth. A major plus of this role has been the opportunity to wear different hats and raise my hand to work on projects that interest me. Working internationally is something I love and rewardStyle has given me many opportunities to pursue that passion. I grew up in Indonesia and went to high school in Jakarta before coming to UT. Being part of the team that figures out the strategy for these new markets is something that really gets me excited and makes me want to work hard for the company.

rewardStyle has experienced rapid growth during the time you have been there. What kind of unique opportunities and challenges has that presented?

From the tech side, it is the ability to keep up with the growth of our products and data. One of the most interesting problems we are facing today is around email. Because the core product of LIKEtoKNOW.it is an email service, we are sending more than a million emails a day. It’s challenging to keep up with the volume and provide the best consumer experience.

What’s on the horizon for rewardStyle and how does that tie into the work you are doing?

International expansion is a major focus for the company, and I am leading the establishment of our first office in China. We are also continuing to grow our core services and LIKEtoKNOW.it, which is approaching one million registered users.

What experiences and skills did you gain at Bain as a consultant that have made you successful at rewardStyle?

The ability to critically think about a problem and determine the information I need to make an informed decision. I gained the ability to present a compelling recommendation to my team and build confidence in the solutions and plans I create. We are a young company, but it is a very supportive environment. One of the benefits of being in the social media/tech space is that innovators are young.

What advice would you give your college self?

Take advanced accounting, don’t avoid it! I was a BHP/Finance major and I didn’t take it because I was worried about ruining my GPA, but I wish I had gotten more of those hard skills. I also would have learned to code, even just some basic stuff. If I were a freshman, I would be looking at how I could gain some coding experience, whether in school or through a summer program. Being able to maintain a website and know some database architecture is helpful. I am trying to learn more now.

I also want to say how thankful I am for my BHP education. So many of the friends and support groups I have today are from fellow BHP-ers. Networking is really about finding a great friend group, staying in touch with them, and growing together throughout your career.

Where do you see yourself if 5 years?

I have no idea. It is hard to say! I will still be in the tech space and hopefully at a company that is growing quickly!

BHP Alums Melissa Beaver and David Kuo Report on the Dell Development Program

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BHP Alums Melissa Beaver and David Kuo Report on the Dell Development Program

Two years after going private, Dell continues to deliver technology solutions that enable people everywhere to grow, thrive and reach their full potential. While executing their mission to become the leading provider of end-to-end scalable solutions, Dell is continually evolving and developing new ideas amidst a dynamic and challenging technology industry. BHP alumni, Melissa Beaver and David Kuo, are at the forefront of these challenges driving excellence and results.

Melissa and David are graduates of Dell’s Financial Development Program (FDP), an entry-level rotational program that provides participants with mentoring, networking, community service and teambuilding opportunities as well as exposure to the senior leadership team.

Melissa BeaverName: Melissa Beaver

Degree: BHP/Finance, minor in International Business

Current Role: Project Accounting, Dell Software Group in Cork, Ireland, will soon move to Pricing, Dell Financial Services in Austin, TX

Previous Roles: Federal Finance Financial Planning & Analysis, Sales Compensation Project Management, Productivity Transformation Analyst

 

What makes you excited to come to work every day? What is your favorite part about working for Dell?

There is a lot of opportunity at Dell and lots of ways to impact the company with a job in the finance organization. Finance has a seat at the table to influence decisions by business partners, drive the company forward, and shape Dell’s overall strategy. A sense of ownership, a constant intellectual challenge, and the enthusiasm of the people around me to adapt and improve makes me excited to come to work and is one of my favorite parts about working for Dell. Dell has thousands of people around the world that strive to make technology simpler and more accessible every single day.

What aspects of BHP have helped you most in your career?

I took several things away from the BHP curriculum – the broad base of business knowledge was one, but more importantly the ability to digest complex problems and come up with solutions, to collaborate in group projects with diverse team members, and to craft professional messages and give effective presentations. BHP gives you valuable experience in business case analysis, Excel analytics and modeling, and in-depth research, and BHP also teaches you soft skills to improve your business communication. All of this goes a long way in advancing a career.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

So far the most rewarding part of my job has been the network I’ve established from my four rotations through the FDP over the past two years. I have worked on global projects with people from China, Brazil, Slovakia, and Ireland, one of which sought to improve the annual planning process at Dell. I attended a week-long work conference in Penang, Malaysia where I had the opportunity to present the project to six of Dell’s Finance Vice Presidents and had the chance to network with directors from the Asia-Pacific region. The FDP is a truly global group, one that is passionate about the brand, the company, and enabling me. It has given me incredible opportunities to travel and lead over the past few years.

What has it been like participating in a rotational program immediately out of college?

I am a huge supporter of rotational programs being a college graduate’s point of entry into a company. Dell has a culture centered on career development and has several programs for new college graduates, including Finance, Accounting, Supply Chain, Marketing, Human Resources, IT, and Sales. These programs develop the future generation of leaders and provide countless opportunities for networking and cross-functional collaboration. If you are interested in learning more, please visit Dell’s University Relations page for additional information.

 

David KuoName: David Kuo

Degree: BBA – Business Honors and Finance, Class of 2012

Current role: Associate, Dell Ventures

Roles in FDP: SEC Reporting, Software & Peripherals Finance, Corporate Strategy, Quest Software Finance (based in Orange County, CA)

 

What was the transition from UT to Dell like?

There’s definitely a learning curve to climb when transitioning between college and any full-time job. Generally speaking, there are two learning curves to climb: personal and professional.

I think the personal learning curve is a bit easier from UT to Dell because you likely have a local support system to lean on and are already familiar with the city. This makes it easier to develop the appropriate lifestyle habits that set you up for success. The professional learning curve at Dell is probably similar to that of other large companies. Communicating and understanding expectations, developing a solid relationship with your manager, and showing up with a positive attitude are great practices for making a smooth transition.

Why Dell? What does Dell offer new college grads?

The Finance Development Program (FDP), which offers four six-month rotations, MBA-style coursework, and leadership training, attracted me to Dell.

Exposure to multiple business units and functions in just two years was very attractive. The opportunity to compete for a regional assignment was also a key selling point. I was fortunate to earn an assignment in our Quest Software office, based out of Orange County. In my experience, having 6 months to truly immerse yourself in a new place is fantastic and beats the typical airport-hotel-conference room dance that most business travelers experience. Dell also invests in leadership training. My FDP experience concluded with a conference in Bangalore where we attended expert-led training sessions, networked, and learned about the local culture.

The structure the program provides also streamlines the college-to-work transition described above and creates a network of your FDP peers and alumni that are a tremendous resource as you progress in your career. All in all, I’d highly recommend it!

What skill sets are you using on a daily basis?

After FDP, I joined the Dell Ventures team, which involves exercising several skill sets.

Foundational skills like Excel and PowerPoint are critical to the job. For example, I model cash flows to project IRR and cash-on-cash returns and prepare C-suite level decks to facilitate investment decisions.

I’m also developing other skills I believe will be critical in later stages of my career. Depending on the day, I could be flexing critical thinking skills while taking a pitch from a startup, picking up technical knowledge while researching a new technology, building financial acumen by analyzing cap tables and term sheets, sharpening communication skills while interacting with entrepreneurs and VCs, and much more.

Feel free to reach out to Melissa Beaver or David Kuo with any questions you may have.

Connect with us!

Twitter: @DellFDP

Snapchat: dellfdp

LinkedIn: University Relations Page

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DellUniversityRelations

 

Alumni Spotlight: Samantha Darnell, Class of 2013

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Samantha DarnellSamantha Darnell, BHP ’13, is an eCommerce Inventory Analyst for H-E-B Grocery. Samantha triple majored in BHP, Supply Chain Management, and Spanish Literature. She has used her supply chain management knowledge in her role to guide vendors, work with various teams and analyze inventory. H-E-B is currently recruiting students for 2016 summer internships. Internship postings can be found on the H-E-B website until September 25. BHP will also be hosting a coffee chat with Samantha on September 8. Register for that event here.

 

What specific projects are you working on as an inventory analyst?

I’m currently working on the eCommerce project which is looking at different ways customers could order product online, potentially as alternatives to the traditional trip to the grocery store. On the supply chain side, I’m helping to design the systems and processes that could support this project. It’s exciting to get in on a project on the ground floor and create processes I might use in the future. The grocery retail industry is changing quickly so we never have a boring day.

Previously, I managed inventory and forecasts for several categories including cosmetics, skin and sun care, and chips, cookies, and crackers. We rotated regularly so inventory analysts could be exposed to different types of products. Inventory analysts work closely with the buying team, that is responsible for meeting with the suppliers and determining which items we will sell. Analysts then ensure that those items stay stocked.

How does your role support the company as a whole?

Supply chain and inventory analysts’ goal is to have the right products at the right place at the right time. In doing this, we are continually trying to maximize our in stock levels at our stores and minimize our inventory, which keeps our operating costs low. In addition to in-stock levels, we also plan for promotions and special events as well as new and discontinued item transitions.

Has working in supply chain been what you expected or different?

One of the first things I learned about supply chain in the real world was how much our modern supply chain relies on technology. In school, there is a distinction between Supply Chain and MIS majors, but realistically that distinction is much less clear. As supply chains continue to become more and more complicated, supply chain professionals are going to have to rely more on technology and become comfortable learning, and potentially helping to design, new systems.

What are the unique challenges of working in inventory for the grocery industry?

The first challenge is customer expectation, myself included. If I walk into a grocery store, I want every item on my list to be in stock, and I get frustrated if it isn’t. Customers expect consistently high in stock levels. Perishable products provide additional challenges;  we must forecast as accurately as possible for products with shorter lives. H-E-B tries to not keep a lot of excess inventory, especially on perishable products. If there is an ice storm in the Northeast and our orders are delayed, our supply chain has to be nimble and flexible in our planning to account for these unforeseen delays.

When you go grocery shopping now, are you looking at everything in the store through a different lens, knowing what has gone into getting the products on the shelves?

Definitely. My trips to H-E-B are about twice as long as they were before I started working for H-E-B. I like to look at the categories that I am managing to see how the shelves look, and to see if we are in stock or if there is anything out of stock that is a surprise to me. Sometimes I write down products that are out of stock that I didn’t think would be. Even though I know how hard it is to get products to the shelves, I still get frustrated when I can’t buy something I am looking for.

You completed an internship with H-E-B while you were in school. What about that experience led you to accept a full-time position with the company?

As an intern, even though it was only a ten-week program, I had a crash course in the H-E-B supply chain practices. H-E-B has a large supply chain organization with many different facets. As a student, I didn’t understand how complicated a retail supply chain was until I experienced it through my internship. I had such a positive experience, because it is an incredibly supportive culture. H-E-B really does have an “open door policy” even though the partners and leaders are very busy. As an intern, I had exposure to any partner or leader that I wanted to interact with, and that experience was invaluable.

I also felt that my work and recommendations were respected and that the leaders paid attention to the work I did even though I was just an intern. Several of the recommendations that I made were actually implemented. This has continued in my work there. I have been able to move around and work on different projects. The fact that I am able to have this experience with the ecommerce team is pretty awesome.

What do you love most about your job and about working for H-E-B?

There are so many opportunities with this company, and my leaders have always made it very clear that they are invested in my long term career goals as well as my personal goals. It is also great to work for a company that is so well respected in the community. When I tell people I work for H-E-B, most people say, “I love H-E-B! That is the best grocery store.” H-E-B does so much for the community, and it is nice to be part of such a positive work environment. Partners work hard, but work-life balance is also very important to the company. I have always felt that from the top-down it is expected that partners should maintain a good work-life balance.

 

Alumni Spotlight: Wes Brown, Class of 2011

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Alumni Spotlight: Wes Brown, Class of 2011

Wes Brown

Wes Brown graduated from UT in 2011 with degrees in Business Honors and Chemistry. Since graduating, he has been pursuing an MD from Harvard Medical School, as well as a Master in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government and a Master of Philosophy in Public Health from the University of Cambridge. Needless to say, he has been quite busy.

 

 

You are completing two master’s degrees along with your MD. Why did you decide to take on the master’s programs at the same time?

I came across the masters in public policy option during med school. Because I went straight through from undergrad to med school, I thought it would be practical to try something else. We got a month of health policy training during our first year, but I felt I didn’t know enough about how the health care system worked and thought it would be useful to explore that world further. Learning about the options available within the policy sphere would be a nice supplement to my future in health care. I started taking classes in the Kennedy School and was exposed to work in behavioral economics. I was challenged by my professors to explore the public health applications of behavioral economics, which led me to the master’s program in England that integrated public health, philosophy, and the behavioral sciences. The subsequent interest in public health has really been an extension of my pursuit of the public policy degree.

Harvard is good about supporting students who want to pursue interests outside the box, including experiences abroad. I’ve learned a lot about the policy world in the past year, which has supplemented the business training I received at UT and current medical training. It’s been fascinating to see how different these worlds are and how they interact.

I recently completed the Zuckerman Fellowship in Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership. The program fully funds 16 students from across the country who are pursuing an MBA, MD, or law degree and are interested in pursuing a master’s in public health, public policy, or graduate education at Harvard. It has been a remarkable experience. They’ve had great programming that has brought me together with other professionals from across the country who have a variety of interests, but all want to tackle some of the most difficult problems facing the public sector. I’m very lucky to have been able to do it.

What similarities and differences were there in applying to your master’s programs and to medical school at Harvard?

They are very different, which is probably why many don’t combine them.  Both programs want well-rounded people who are truly motivated to make meaningful change in the world. You have to have a working vision around the change you want to see. The medical school has a more regimented, formulaic way of applying to it. The masters programs are a departure from the more formulaic application you experience in med school.

The most challenging part of the med school application process was the interviews. I didn’t know what to expect. Fortunately, my interviews at Harvard were very personable since the interviewers were genuinely interested in learning more about me. They were interested in how well I could talk about what I had done and why I was interested in medicine. They weren’t just looking for the “right” answers to questions.

How did being a BHP and chemistry major prepare you for graduate and medical school?

In terms of coursework, I fell in love with operations management. The BHP curriculum allowed me to explore OM, and I’ve used it in the healthcare research I’ve done. I’ve been excited by its potential applications to areas that may not be directly related to business like health care. It was also incredibly beneficial to have exposure to my fellow classmates and the conversations we had in class. Just being in that atmosphere—small classes where the professors knew us in addition to intellectual engagement in challenging discussions—was very useful. That environment gave me the confidence to engage with future challenges that I’ve faced in med school.

I really enjoyed both majors and seeing how they were similar and different. It was useful for me to learn how the science and business worlds approached problems differently. Often in the public sector, these two groups talk past each other, and it was useful to learn more about why that is. I had a very broad education at UT, and I knew this was something UT could offer over other schools. During med school interviews, it played a positive role because those practicing medicine often don’t have a business background. I think the interviewers found my business knowledge refreshing since they tend to have applicants who are just science majors.

Even with your busy schedule, you have still managed to find time to be involved. Tell me about the leadership roles you have taken on at Harvard and the experiences you have gained from those roles.

Coming out of the closet during my first year of med school allowed me to get involved in the Harvard Medical School LGBT organization’s leadership. Medicine is a traditionally conservative field, so there were plenty of opportunities to work with the staff to see how we could better support patients, physicians, and students who identified as LGBT within that realm. I learned a lot about myself and the system, and how difficult it was to change something in a timely manner. In one project, we worked with the administration to give applicants an opportunity to express any hardships in an application essay. There wasn’t a place to do this initially. Now applicants can demonstrate that they are LGBT and describe what they have overcome to get to where they are. The change has increased the number of accepted LGBT applicants to 10-15 people from 3-4 in my year.

I also got involved in the LGBTQ Policy Journal at HKS as the health policy editor, which gave me practical skills in the editing/publishing process. Additionally, I was elected to the medical school’s Center for Primary Care Student Leadership Committee, which promoted primary care opportunities to students and staff at Harvard. My experiences in this role and recognition of the increasing need for primary care heightened my interests in primary care and health policy in general.

What are your tips for people juggling challenging academics and busy schedules like so many of our students?

Do what you love. It is so important to go after what you’re passionate about. This will serve you better in the medical field (or the application process) than simply trying to do as many things as possible. Don’t be afraid to go off the common path and create your own towards whatever goal you have. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people who are doing things you’re interested in. I have a mentor who was a couple years ahead of me in BHP who went to HMS. She’s been mentoring me for the past eight years and has been so important in helping me navigate graduate school and tough classes.

What is your ultimate career goal once you have completed your schooling and residency?

I’m choosing between internal medicine (primary care) and emergency medicine. Both are generalist in-nature, and I like that because of the problem-solving skills required. My ideal career also incorporates health policy research in an academic medical center and involvement in healthcare politics in Washington. I see my future being a mix of research, education, management, and clinic. There are plenty of career paths in medicine that allow for this flexibility. I’ll graduate in 2017 and plan to complete residency by 2020.

What public health challenges are you most passionate about?

The future of primary care. We have the Affordable Care Act and increased access to healthcare, but if we don’t have enough providers in places to deliver that care, then we have a problem. It’s a serious supply-demand mismatch. I’m not sure what the answer is, but I believe any solution should treat primary care as the centerpiece and foundation of the health care system.

I’m also passionate about medical education and how it’s going to evolve over time. I’ve had my eye on Dell Medical School for a while, because I’m interested to see what innovative ideas they come up with. Beyond medical school, I’m interested in how we’re going to fund more residency spots in the future. We need to figure out from a policy standpoint how to bolster these numbers.

I couldn’t see myself doing anything but medicine, and I want others who are interested to know that it’s a great field to go into because it’s very exciting, rapidly changing, multidisciplinary, and tremendously satisfying as a career.

Summer Internship | Student Spotlight: Charlie Adkins

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Summer Internship | Student Spotlight: Charlie Adkins

Unknown-1Where did you work and what was your title and department?

This summer, I interned with the NFL in the User Acquisition department. The department is part of the Digital Media group, and our products include Game Pass – an international subscription product featuring live games – fantasy football, and other digital subscription products. The head of my business unit was a BHP alum, which I did not know before starting there. Once we learned of each other, we were able to immediately connect on a more personal level, due to our BHP connection.

 What did you expect to gain from your internship this past summer?

I expected to gain an understanding of how various departments all work together for league-wide success. I wanted to see how football operations interacted with digital media, accounting, sponsorship, legal, and all of the other departments around the league. Each piece is crucial to the success of the NFL and its 32 clubs, and I wanted to understand how the league operates. Additionally, I wanted to learn and develop a new skill set in digital media, as it was an area that I had never been fully exposed to.

Did the internship meet or supersede your expectations? How?

My internship definitely exceeded my expectations. While I aimed to learn as much as possible at the league level, I gained a broader understanding in many different functional skill sets in digital, marketing, and branding. I had never worked in a digital media role before, and I was challenged with a new task each and every day.

Each week the interns interacted with a different department through presentations that showed insight into various pieces of the business and how they fit together to form the NFL and serve the 32 clubs for the ultimate benefit of the fan. My department constantly worked with other teams, so I was able to gain insights from other departments into how and why they perform the functions that they do.

Tell me about an interesting encounter you had during your internship.

During my internship, I took advantage of many external opportunities and events, which I would highly recommend regardless of your interests. As someone who intends to enter the sports industry post-graduation, I attended various sporting events during my time off of work. I visited Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, Camden Yards, and Citizens Bank Ballpark. At each stadium, I walked around to experience the different features of the ballpark, and I paid close attention to the little things – ballpark layout, game presentation, sponsorship activation, concession options, and many others.

While I was not “working” at that time, I was adding to my knowledge base within the industry and will be able to share my takeaways from each in the future. As a sports fan, I attended the Belmont Stakes and witnessed American Pharoah win the first Triple Crown in the last 37 years, which was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

 Sharing that moment with 90,000 screaming sports fans to root American Pharoah to the finish line is something that I have never experienced before and will never forget. Additionally, I witnessed Alex Rodriguez’s 3000th career hit, a feat that has only occurred 29 times in MLB history.

 

Ultimately, the important piece is to truly utilize all of the resources and opportunities that are around you during the internship – both on the clock and off.

What did you learn about yourself that you did not know before?

I learned how much I enjoy strategy and understanding why things are done a certain way. I like to set (or help to set) the vision and strategy for an organization, department, or product. Then, I like to put the vision into practice and execute it. I am very curious and always seeking to learn something new, and that did not change during my internship. I asked questions and read frequently to better understand the landscape and why we did things a certain way. I searched for opportunities to provide a better product for our fans, both domestically and internationally.

What did you contribute to the company?

During my time at the NFL, I worked on a variety of different projects. My workload changed daily as new projects came on board. I developed new recruiting materials, created tracking links for our affiliate program, and provided growth opportunities in international markets. I wrote a sizzle reel commercial to communicate product value and grow the reach of the NFL internationally. I worked on our marketing plans for this season and consolidated research on our fans in core international markets. In short, I worked on a variety of different projects and brought my perspective to the table in every discussion.

What advice do you have for other students who are recruiting for internships?

Make sure to take advantage of the opportunity that you have been given. Take the time to get to know others on your team, as well as from other departments that seem interesting to you. One of my favorite parts of my internship was the opportunity to interact with others around the league, as I enjoy learning from other people’s experiences. Others in the office are willing and eager to talk to you, especially when you take the initiative to reach out to them in a respectful way. Look for new opportunities for your team and provide a new perspective to the group, as you never know where it could lead.