Boston: Slalom and Protobrand

As we gathered in the lobby of the Revere Hotel at 8:30 am to visit the first company of the day, I felt nervous for what was to come. I did not know what to expect, however, I knew that I was ready to learn and excited to begin the Quinlan Ramble work week. The first company that we visited was Slalom. Slalom is a business and technology consulting firm that is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The company employs about 6,000 employees, operates in 27 markets across the United States, Canada, and England, and has seven build centers. Upon arrival to their office building we were greeted by Alyssa and Laura who graciously lead us to the room we were going to be in and provided us with an office tour of Slalom.

Alyssa and Laura presented what the company does and highlighted the importance of their company culture. The highlight of the Slalom visit for me was the panel. Andy and Stephanie, who are solution owners at Slalom, shared their career journey and how they arrived to Slalom. They also spoke about what they do at the company and Slalom_build; which provides custom application development to businesses. During the Q&A with Andy and Stephanie I appreciated that they gave their opinion as to what Slalom looks for in candidates and makes them stand out. This included relevant transferrable experience and expertise in one of their areas.

The second company that graciously hosted us was Protobrand, a marketing research company. Protobrand is a small company with about 15 employees in Boston and three international offices. It was amazing to see Patricia, a Loyola Alumni that graduated in 2017, host us. She introduced us to Ken, Jake, and Karla who presented on what makes Protobrand stand out from their competitors. They integrate behavioral science in marketing research to uncover insights to solve client problems and provide concept testing. My favorite part of the visit to Protobrand was that they highlighted the importance of transferrable skills and taking advantage of the resources that Loyola has to offer. Patricia shared her journey after graduation and encouraged us to step out of our comfort zones, participate in business case competitions and get involved with the Loyola.

We ended our day by having a group diner at Southern Proper. I truly appreciated that we were accompanied by Dean Stevens, his wife Marietta, and Andrea. It was a perfect close to an amazing first company visit day. Today motivated me to network and step out of my comfort zone. It was a humbling experience and I look forward to the remainder of the week, the companies we will visit and the events that we will attend.

 

Alex Escobedo (BBA '19)
Management, Marketing, and Information Systems