A project where the key issue was employee mobility. The client is a multinational company who issues equity internationally. They have to record the value of the equity they grant to employees, which is complicated enough. But it gets even more complicated when an employee moves from one country to another. There are so many details: exchange rates, percentage of time the employee spends in each country, and much more. We actually built robotic logic in our process to keep it all straight for the client.

Helping a client forecast the expense of their employee stock purchase plan based on different plan designs. It’s exciting to see the effect of adjusting different design features.

The high level of service that we provide to the client. We’re usually quick to not only solve our client’s immediate problem but advise them on what to expect in the future.

Yes. There are so many! Recently a coworker and I went hiking in Sedona. I was in charge of navigation, but what neither of us knew is that I have zero sense of direction. I got us hopelessly lost, but it ended up being a really fun bonding trip anyway.

I’ve had a lot of interesting projects, but one story that sticks out has less to do with the work itself than with the people involved. It happened just as people were starting to travel again after the COVID-19 outbreak. I traveled to the East Coast to meet two clients I had communicated with only through calls and emails. Now I had a chance to meet them in person and see their office environment. I got to know them on a more human level. It’s taken our working relationship to a new level of empathy and trust.  

How smart and capable everyone is. I got here only to find I was no longer the top of the class. I had a lot to learn. That said, another surprise was how respected the opinions of even the new folks are. Often they get to offer their insights first, and the ideas are always given consideration. I was also taken aback at how much work gets done despite the casual environment.

To succeed, you’ll have to want the professional development that comes with the job. Because communication and problem-solving are the two biggest things you’ll need to get better at every day.

Because of the client service-oriented nature of the firm, I expected a very formal atmosphere with everyone in suits and following strict protocols to set up meetings and so forth. In reality, it’s casual dress at the office and you don’t even need Outlook to get with somebody; you can just stop at their desk to chat. I gradually learned that clients tend to like working with friendly service providers versus formal ones.

Analytical thinking is key. You need to be able to understand complex questions not only theoretically but in terms of how they translate into action. It’s important to give yourself time to read up on different topics and think them through. We do a lot of research during our downtime so that when clients come to us with questions or requests, we can respond quickly because we already have a foundation in whatever they may be asking for.