David S.
Vice President, Denver
- Why did you choose to join Analysis Group?
- I actually joined Analysis Group twice – once as an analyst in Boston and once as an associate in Chicago. When I chose to leave my investment banking job in New York City, I looked exclusively at economic consulting firms in Boston, where my girlfriend – now wife – was attending law school. I had experienced the traditional investment banking and management consulting environments, and I wanted to work with people with diverse backgrounds who loved their jobs. Analysis Group immediately stood out among the other firms as a great place to work as an analyst. After leaving the firm for graduate school, I kept open the possibility of returning, but I didn’t know much about the role of a Ph.D. at other economic consulting firms. After graduation, I looked at other firms again, but this time with a better idea of what I wanted. In the end, the choice felt easy to me. Analysis Group was, and still is, the best place to develop myself.
- What do you find most enjoyable and most challenging about your work?
- What I find most enjoyable are the conversations I have with coworkers – people here are interesting and funny. A single conversation can move from economics to sports to movies to cattle auctions – and (inevitably) back to economics. The environment fosters a strong sense of camaraderie, which makes a big difference when the office is busy. Everyone pitches in to help each other out, and everyone I’ve worked with has a great attitude, even when times get tough. The most challenging part of the job is keeping our analyses simple enough to be understood by a jury but sufficiently technical and rigorous to be convincing and robust.
- What do you think about the firm’s collaborative culture?
- It’s not just me trying to solve the problems of a multinational bank – it’s the whole office. Sometimes I’ll think out loud when trying to construct an approach to solve a problem. Having others around to listen and perhaps to offer a different approach can be very helpful. Sometimes my questions are very technical, and it’s nice to have experts in just about everything nearby.
- How do you balance work and life?
- It helps having a spouse who also works in litigation and understands its variability. But I have found that Analysis Group is very understanding and protective of vacation time. When I’m not working, I enjoy yoga and hiking, and I travel when deadlines permit. Also, the firm organizes a lot of activities outside of work. I recently completed the Tough Mudder with five coworkers, and we hope to double the team size in the future. At our office trip to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, I got to try snowboarding for the first time (and had the bruises to prove it). I also play on the office’s volleyball team.
