Finding Purpose: Edward Anderton, Business Intelligence Project Manager.
Edward has been with the Prime 8 family for just over a year. Prior to joining Prime 8, Edward worked in various project/program management positions across many disciplines. Edward has worked at Amazon on the Alexa Voice Service and Black Friday / Cyber Monday teams, and Microsoft on SMSG Readiness. Edward also developed and managed startup companies, including Scarlata Chocolate. Edward is a technical project manager specializing in Business Intelligence, Marketing, and Finance. In his current role, Edward is responsible for delivering technical solutions to track and mange over $2 billion in retail marketing spend. The teams that he leads build software, transform data, and build visualizations in Power BI. As a Program Manager, Edward is the bridge between global business stakeholders who share complex business problems, and the technical teams who bring the solutions to life. As a team, they tell the story of how effective Microsoft retail marketing campaigns are worldwide.
Outside of work, Edward enjoys traveling & exploring the outdoors with his wife, Andrea. Their adventures include all-mountain snowboarding, surfing, and leading paddle board tours around the Pacific Northwest.
Describe a day in the life of a Business Intelligence Project Manager.
Every day is so different! Overall, I work with the clients to understand and visualize what their reporting needs are and build tools to understand their data while collaborating with others along the way. I have to be able to look from end to end and see left to right across the entire ecosystem for my role. I have the opportunity to work with people from all over the world which is really cool.
Walk us through your career path as a consultant.
I worked at Johnson and Johnson, a private equity firm, owned a chocolate company and then worked at Microsoft where I was a consultant. I have had the opportunity to be able to put together all of the tools and skills that I have learned over the years from my career history and apply them to the problems that a client needs to solve.
What’s your favorite aspect about working at Prime 8?
At Prime 8, employees are encouraged to act as ‘consultants’ as opposed to ‘contractors.’ This involves being proactive in offering the client creative solutions that they may have not considered and filling the role of ‘trusted advisor.’ Many other consulting firms simply encourage executing deliverables on behalf of clients. Prime 8’s approach to client relations makes the work more fulfilling and more impactful.
Why did you come to work for us?
I loved the team! During my interview process, it was clear that Prime 8 makes a conscious effort to hire intelligent, motivated, and curious minded individuals. I wanted to be a part of that team. I was pleased to find that my hunch was correct! Not only am I able to work with great people, but there’s also a feeling of family here. Prime 8 leadership values their employees.
What makes Prime 8 unique and valuable as a consultant that might be considering applying?
Prime 8 is focused on helping its consultants achieve their long-term career goals. In my first few 1:1’s with my manager, I was asked what my 5-year plan was and management frequently checks-in to ensure that projects and trainings are aligning to this. The company is focused on developing talent for the long term, while many other companies are solely focused on the current project.
What makes Prime 8 unique and valuable to organizations that might be considering hiring a consulting company?
Prime 8 hires well-rounded individuals who are able to adjust to constantly changing business needs. When requirements change, Prime 8 consultants are able to be scrappy, roll up their sleeves, and innovate.
What is your favorite part about your job?
My favorite part is definitely the interactions I have with many different people. I also like the problem-solving aspect and being able to work with others to solve a complex problem for the client.
What attributes make you successful in your role?
Being able to listen critically has served me the most out of any of my skills. Understanding what the client needs, even down to the smallest details, is what sets me up for success as a consultant.
What has motivated you the most throughout your career?
My love of curiosity. The common thread with every job that I have ever had has been the aspiration to know more. I enjoy the process of growing from the ground up; it makes for many amazing opportunities.
What is the best lesson you have learned in your career?
Take care of the people that you work with. At the end of the day, those relationships you build are the most important part of what we are doing here. The high-quality work will follow from good relationships. I believe in investing in your partners and co-workers. The more we empower one another, the more we can grow together.
How do you maintain a work life balance?
This global role can sometimes make that difficult because there are times when my day will begin at 6 am. I have to find my own rhythm throughout the day and be aware of my time and where I invest it. The way that I find balance is the be mindful of what I am doing at the time. When I need to take a break, I may go on a walk, head to the lake or take off early on a Friday to go paddle boarding if I have had a very busy week.
Since you used to run a chocolate company, tell us your favorite type of chocolate.
I have always loved really dark chocolate, right around that 78% mark. While the chocolate company I owned specialized in truffles, pure dark chocolate will always be close to my heart.
What is your favorite tv show?
I enjoy watching Masterclass. Masterclass is an in-depth view of someone who has mastered a specific skill and how they came to be an expert in their field. Sometimes I can apply it to my own life but overall, I just enjoy seeing the whole process of how they’ve learned to dedicate their life to perfection on a specific skill.
If you could travel to anywhere, where would it be?
Right now, ANYWHERE! My favorite place in the world that I’ve been is Costa Rica. I would like to see Portugal someday; I’ve heard the food and people are both wonderful along with awesome surfing that I would love to experience. New Zealand is another place on my bucket list; many people say it’s so beautiful there and that the people are amazing.
Learn more about why our consultants love being a part of the Prime 8 family. Want to join the us? We’d love to hear from you. Tell us about yourself here.
