Kriezl Ypil ’15

1. What was your major/minor and when did you graduate?

I majored in Business Administration and graduated in 2015.

2. What is your current position (title, company, location)?  Can you describe a typical day?

I am a Senior Consultant for Deloitte in Arlington, VA where I deliver strategic and transformative advanced analytics solutions. There is no typical day for me as the needs of my client(s) varies by season. There are phases where my client may need strategy focused deliverables, which often includes preparing briefings and leading meetings. PowerPoint, SharePoint, Zoom, and Skype are the tools I frequently use. Another phase may dive into implementing the strategy, which includes building a proof of concept or conducting a pilot to ensure the product is useful and impactful. PowerPoint, Excel, SAS, Qlik, Tableau, Zoom, and Skype are the tools I frequently use for this phase. In addition to client work, Deloitte also encourages practitioners to get involved with local charities or assist the firm with internal projects. Think of clients as your classes and the local charities/internal projects as your after-school clubs/organizations.

3. How did your major prepare you for your current job?

Group projects from Applied Statistics, Finance, and Marketing Research helped in preparing me for the world of Consulting. The knowledge acquired wasn’t the most important thing. It is all about teamwork where one must adapt to various personality types and communicate effectively. Teamwork is often overlooked as a valuable skillset. I am frequently exposed to business cases where I have limited knowledge on the overall situation. However, mastering the art of teamwork in order to solve a challenging/complex problem will take anyone’s career very far.

4. How did you become interested in your field?

I was exposed to data management as a Business Analyst during my first job after graduation. I learned how much I enjoyed organizing chaos, which is what big data is to me. I love untangling data sets, organizing them into “pretty charts” that clients understand, and streamlining processes to save people time.

5. What’s the best career advice you ever received?

Network! Network with your classmates and professors. Tap into your future alumni network. Network with people with the career you connect with the most. Network with people that you find interesting. Don’t be afraid to invite someone for a 15-minute coffee chat. It’s probably scary when you first start doing it. I think it took me a year to really understand the dos and don’ts of networking. Nike said it best. The key is to just do it.

6. Was there a professor, advisor, or fellow student who made an impression on you or helped you when you were at UMW?

There were several professors and advisors that helped me during my time at UMW! I thoroughly remember sitting in Machande’s office (the old Chandler building) trying to pick out my junior classes. He advised me to align my strengths to electives that would add greater value to my major. Later on as a junior, I enrolled in the College of Business mentorship program and learned so much from my mentor, Lou Marmo.

7. What’s your fondest memory of UMW?

I performed in the Small PAC Show during my sophomore year for my Modern Dance class. It was a unique experience for me- dancing to John Mayer in front of the art/dance/theater UMW community.

8. Are there any special accomplishments you’ve achieved after college that you’d like to share?

Does traveling/exploring major cities and foreign countries count as a special accomplishment?! While I was in school full-time, I also worked full-time and had an internship for several semesters, which prevented me from indulging in traveling.

9. How would your family or friends describe you in seven words or less?

Goal-oriented, outgoing, and personable.

10. In one sentence, what advice would you give current business students? 

Build your network early by utilizing LinkedIn. I’ve found that most of my opportunities were a result of people I knew and could connect with.