James W. Yen

Summary

When I was an undergraduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I was often asked what I was planning to do with my degree in mathematics. As with many things in life, it's not what one plans to do, but what one is able to do. My degree in mathematics provided me with a foundation of logical thinking and problem solving ability that I have used in project finance, market analytics, management consulting, and in my current role as an Area Development Manager for GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines.

After completing graduate school I worked for a consulting company that specialized in sales and marketing. Five years later, I transitioned into an internal consulting role within GlaxoSmithKline. Now I specialize in providing solutions and support to the two national sales teams in GSK Vaccines. In these roles, I use my mathematics background to analyze various data sources to develop strategies for my clients and coworkers. Roles such as these require mathematics in many ways. Not only do I analyze and synthesize data in its pure form, but I also use logic and problem solving skills to address issues which might not be obvious.

The key to developing successful business strategies is using a blend of quantitative analysis and knowledge of the industry. In the classroom, we work on problems with defined datasets and solutions, but in the real world we often have to explore data sources and evaluate their relevance to a particular problem.