We are excited to welcome Charlotte Artesani and Oliva LeSueur to our team! They are joining us as Business Analysts through the Council Advisors rotational development program. Through this 2-year program, analysts complete two rotations in Council Advisors companies, providing them with the opportunity to gain experience in a variety of industries.

We spoke with Charlotte and Olivia about the takeaways from their first year in the program, and what they are looking forward to experience during their time with us at SSA & Company.

Our rotational program allows entry-level employees to gain experience at different companies that make up Council Advisors. We asked Olivia and Charlotte to reflect on why they chose to be a part of this program. 

Charlotte: I had a difficult time choosing a career path, or even an industry I wanted to be a part of after college. Because of this, the rotational program struck me as a perfect way to experience both a variety of roles as well as gain insights into a variety of different industries.

Olivia: Coming out of undergrad, I was looking for a position that would expose me to a wide range of business experiences and allow me to learn as much as I could at the start of my career. The rotational program at Council Advisors was especially exciting because it offers exposure to various types of consulting as well as the opportunity to collaborate with extremely talented, supportive people.

Prior to joining SSA & Company, both Olivia and Charlotte spent time working with one of our other sister companies. We asked them to share some of the experiences they gained at their last rotation.

Charlotte: At my previous rotation, I supported digital programs for leading business executives through direct outreach, drafting and distributing weekly newsletters, and working with the sales team to set up informational meetings on memberships and analyzing data for general operational efficiency.

Olivia: At my last rotation, I primarily supported the Issue Analytics team in developing communications-based strategy and issue prioritization methods for clients across industries. This work involved querying relevant data, monitoring media discussion, and synthesizing information to deliver weekly/monthly client reports. Additionally, I contributed to narrative development projects and thought pieces for clients in the healthcare and tech spaces.

What was your favorite project or experience you had while working at your last rotation?

Charlotte: My favorite project was the weekly newsletter that I wrote. Since I wrote it throughout the entirety of my rotation, I was able to see a lot of progress in the feedback that I would get on it each week.

The biggest takeaway from my experience was seeing how resilient the whole company was to change during a time of major transition. Everyone was excited for what was coming next and the opportunities that came with the change no matter how many questions they still had.

Olivia: Being part of a small team enabled me to collaborate with nearly everyone in the company, and I valued each of my projects in part for this reason. I was often splitting time between data-driven policy monitoring work and more creative, qualitative work which challenged me to employ different approaches depending on the project. My mentors were the best source of knowledge and support for me. I was constantly learning from them.  

I quickly learned the value of reaching out to connect with team members – both formally and informally. Especially beginning work in a remote environment, it can be easy to neglect relationship-building as a critical aspect of work. Consulting is highly collaborative, and building these relationships with colleagues contributed to my professional growth as well as to the final product that was delivered to clients.

Finally, we asked Olivia and Charlotte what they are looking forward to gaining from their time with us at SSA & Company. 

Charlotte: So far at SSA & Company I have had the opportunity to work on a major insurance client to help them think through change management – for both internal and external stakeholders – for a massive digital transformation. I am hoping to enhance my data analytics skills, improve my ability to express quantitative information qualitatively, and gain an insider look at a variety of industries and how they function.

Olivia: I look forward to gaining exposure to a new type of consulting and to absorbing as much as I can from the experienced team at SSA & Company. Reviewing operating models and delivering actionable recommendations based on relevant data analyses is an area of consulting that is new to me, and I hope to continue building on the analytical skills I developed at my previous rotation. I also hope to gain confidence in presenting analyses both internally and externally.

Interested in finding out more about working at SSA & Company? Learn more about our company culture here and browse our latest job openings here.