Meet a Veevan: Career Focused on Balancing Client-facing Work with Deep Analysis of CRM Data
Meet a Veevan is a series that looks at the employees who bring us life. For this edition, we spoke to Jenna Slusar, Business Consultant, Commercial Analytics who came to Veeva with client-facing industry experience and a degree in Computer Science. Jenna enjoys a deep dive into data to help clients answer tough questions. She revels being part of a majority-female team of STEM workers and strives to improve her technical skills.
What is your Personal and Professional Background and how did you get to Veeva?
Jenna: I am a relatively recent hire, having joined Veeva in February 2021 during Covid, but the time has flown as I hit the ground running. Previously, I worked at another Life Sciences consulting firm as a business analyst doing similar work — field reporting for sales reps and database management, so it was a smooth transition to joining the Veeva Commercial Analytics team. My education focused on Computer Science and I consider myself a technical person who is also able to handle the “people” side when it’s critical to getting the job done.
The key reason for leaving my previous company was that it had a heavy offshore model for the technical team. The US team was exclusively client-facing, but in order to address our clients’ concerns, we were dependent on a team that was in the opposite time zone. It was also frustrating as a technical person not to be able to be directly involved with contributing to the solution. Before I was even considered for a role at Veeva, I was familiar with Veeva as my company did similar consulting work. When I decided to change jobs, I had applied to a company called Crossix — a data platform that serviced Veeva’s clients with highly targeted digital marketing analytics. The company was then acquired by Veeva and the role I had applied for fell through. I let people know that I wanted to be considered and they suggested a spot on the consulting team.
At first, I was hesitant to consider this position because I really wanted to have a more technical role and move away from the client side of consulting. In the end, the manager who interviewed me checked all my boxes! The manager was highly personable, it was the right culture fit, the right demographic, and they had a good outlook on work-life balance. The tipping point for me was that I would be interfacing with a US-based technology team — nothing was offshore AND that this was a new team and I could morph into a technical role as things progressed.
Today I work at home in New Jersey but travel into New York City when needed a few times a week to see clients or go to the Veeva office. I was hired into a client-facing role focused on project delivery. But I quickly made it apparent I wanted to be more data analyst vs. business analyst. The role itself revolves around mining data from the Veeva CRM. Very specifically if a client needs to find out why they are or are not reaching their target medical community, we can pull data and tell them how they fare in the industry. It’s data analysis and benchmarking.
When I reflect on my work at Veeva so far, it has required an incredible amount of focus and discipline to keep up with all the changes in technology and the industry. I realize now that playing Varsity sports, namely Volleyball in college has prepared me well for having a packed schedule and the need to constantly prioritize. As I get better at managing my schedule, I am able to find time once again to play volleyball and also pursue some other pastimes, such a “thrifting!”
What’s unique about the Work Environment and Culture at Veeva?
Jenna: The challenge in the Life Sciences industry is that every pharma company has the same layout, the same data, and analyzes data the same way. It’s really hard for those outside the industry to get their foot in the door to change the way they think. On the plus side, once you understand how one pharmaceutical company works, can leverage that knowledge. Veeva is in a better position to do the work because it has really learned the industry and can leverage that expertise. Our business consulting team really stands out because of the culture. One of the very simple differences that stands out is that when we hold a video conference at Veeva, everyone has automatically turned on their video. In my former company, everyone defaulted to voice only. When we start a meeting at Veeva, we all ask how each other is personally before we start the meeting and people genuinely care. Even though I was concerned about being hired as a remote employee, my onboarding experiences proved genuine and meaningful.
On the business operations front, when I look at the competitors, everything is being done offshore and now those people are being brought in to do more and there’s little diversity in these technical teams. Veeva’s workforce reflects the makeup of its client base and shines a unique light on the business vs. the competitors. A huge advantage for Veeva is that the CRM is already there and if the clients need help analyzing the data, it makes the most sense for Veeva to help them do it.
What has personally stood out to me is that Veeva made good on its promise to help me find a more technical role. Nothing was ever done in writing; it was simply a handshake. At first, I was skeptical that things would evolve as they have and I have been pleasantly surprised. Admittedly, I had a jaded outlook coming in because my former colleagues tried to challenge what I was hearing from Veeva. In the end, my experience has proven them wrong.
I am particularly thrilled that we have a significant number of women in STEM and that they are also in leadership positions. I really hadn’t seen this anywhere else and if it wasn’t for my own mother, who has a degree in Computer Science and is a coder, I may not have ever pursued this path. When I interviewed at Veeva, it was my mother who pointed out that four of the five people I interviewed with were women, that our head data scientist is a woman, and that 60% of our team are women. This really makes me feel more comfortable in the work environment.
How will Veeva help you grow?
Jenna: When I pursued my degree in Computer Science, I knew I didn’t want to become a software engineer and be completely tied to my computer. Being a data and business analyst helped me balance my technical and people skills. Now that I have experienced the client-facing side, I really would like to improve my technical skills. I’ve had a long break from the technical side and there’s much to learn. I am inspired by my mentor who is the head data scientist.
Since our team is new, we are working closely together to get the job done. When I see opportunities to pursue some of my own goals, I have to be certain to put the team first and will have to pursue some of my personal growth opportunities outside of work hours.
At Veeva, I have found that the leadership really does care about how the employees feel and what you want to be doing and will work with you to make a plan. I’ve seen them work hard to help people find a role where they could excel even when the original fit wasn’t there.
What would you say to someone who was thinking of working here?
Jenna: For people in my age and work experience demographic, the culture at Veeva is really attractive. We aren’t just heads down working all the time. We enjoy being together and have many opportunities to socialize over meals, make friends, and enjoy each other’s company. From a professional development perspective, Veeva really does want to help you figure out. They will listen, see what you want, and recommend a fit to help you grow.
