Maral
Vice President, Los Angeles
- Why did you choose to join AG?
- Working at AG provides the perfect intersection of scientific rigor and creative problem solving that I was searching for in my career. I wanted a job where I wouldn’t be pigeonholed into working on a single disease area or therapy, and where I would be challenged to continue building my quantitative and methodological skills. AG has provided exactly that opportunity: I work on a variety of projects where I get to apply novel epidemiologic and statistical methods, and where I’m encouraged to think outside the box to address interesting research questions.
- What do you enjoy most about your work?
- I greatly enjoy the team-based approach to case work at AG. My colleagues are incredibly intelligent and hard-working, and I’m constantly learning from them. In addition, the camaraderie and support that case team members provide to each other is inspiring. This makes all the difference when we’re faced with tough situations – we lean on each other and get to the finish line much more easily that way.
- What skills are vital to succeed at AG?
- Critical thinking, effective communication, creativity, and flexibility are crucial for effective problem solving. The questions our clients bring to us are often some of the most challenging they face, and it’s up to us to find solutions. That requires us to keep the big picture in mind while getting into the details of the quantitative analysis.
- What advice would you give to new staff joining AG?
- Dive in head first! I always tell new staff that they’re the masters of their own destinies here. Choosing the cases we work on enables our growth by allowing us to build the skills that we think are important. We have a lot of freedom and independence at AG, and it’s really important to recognize this early and embrace it. Get involved in cases and take on new challenges – you will always have support and guidance along the way.
- What is it like to work in your office? What is the culture there?
- Though LA is the second-largest AG location, we still have a “small office” feel. The office is very relaxed, and you can often find people having lunch together in the café and hanging out in the game room taking a break. We love to have fun, so there are often office activities like intramural sports teams, happy hours, pumpkin carving, a harbor cruise, and, of course, summer and holiday parties.
