What was your background before joining Stroud?

I joined Stroud in March 2025, following my undergraduate degree in Biological Engineering and Master of Engineering degree in Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University. In that time, I also worked primarily in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, in the technical operations and supply chain groups at Pfizer.

What is a typical day for a Senior Associate?

I start my day getting breakfast and coffee with my manager and teammates before heading to site. We usually review our goals and tasks for the day before going out to the plant floor. As a Senior Associate, I'm responsible for leading an improvement team — a group of clients and Stroudies dedicated to tackling an issue or goal for the plant. That looks different depending on the project. It can range from improving the output of a line, to fixing an "impossible" problem on one of their machines, to training and coaching plant staff on an improved process or structure.

After the workday, I split my time between the gym or a fitness class in whatever city we're staying in, trying new restaurants for dinner with teammates on site, and exploring the area. In the evenings, I might wrap up some site work at the hotel, read, or watch a show to wind down.

In what ways have you developed professionally since joining?

I’ve gained a lot of technical skills and knowledge through the induction process and on each project, but I think where Stroud has helped me develop most is in my leadership and communication skills.

After being with the company for a year and a half, I’ve been able to:

• Lead rapid process improvements across manufacturing plants in three different industries, generating up to $7MM in value within 12 weeks

• Facilitate multi-level client teams, from shop-floor operators to managers, and directly manage more junior Stroudies

• Present-out to senior level management about the progress that my teams have made and advise them on opportunity prioritization and execution strategy

I've been able to build these skills far faster than I expected, thanks to the sheer amount of responsibility and leadership I've been trusted with this early in my career.

What have been your favourite moments on the job so far?

I think most Stroudies would agree the people are one of the best parts of working here. Forming close friendships — even with people from other offices — through projects and training events has been a real highlight for me. I've learned so much from everyone I've worked with, and we have a lot of fun doing it. Some favorite moments: spending a week training with the entire company at a chateau in France (three cheese courses a day, minimum), painting pottery with the Boston team, and jumping into the freezing water on a sunny afternoon after work in Marblehead.