#WeAreCint: Getting to know Program Lead Katelyn Hertel


Company Culture
WeareCint

With us for a year, Katelyn Hertel serves as Cint’s Program Lead (Data and Reporting) for Global Operations. Prior to this role, she was part of the partner success management team. We asked her a few questions about her job and what she’s up to when she’s not “accelerating insights” for our global client base!

What is a typical day for you in your role at Cint?
This is a hard one to answer, literally every single day is different which is what makes my job so interesting. My day normally starts checking in with anyone involved in my current project plan and my partner on the data team. We try to set a list of tasks for the day in the morning and work on that list throughout the day. Report requests from #Ask-Operations can pop up at any time, so we must be ready for anything. On top of that, I’m managing cross-team communication and collaboration between Operations and the BI team working on developing, testing, and releasing Cint’s Newest Database. Part of this is also managing expectations in terms of delivery dates and progress updates.

What are you passionate about when it comes to your job?
I am passionate about our Partners and Clients because without them, we do not have a business! Helping them to optimise their integration with us by finding and presenting data  in an actionable format is something I’m passionate about. It helps every client get the most out of their partnership with us.

What kind of music do you listen to while you are working?
I really like dance music. I have a playlist by The Presets (specifically their album Pacifica) that I listen to on repeat when I really have to concentrate. For some reason the fast beats and bass line keep me focused and working at top speed.

What do you like to snack on while working?
On a normal day at work you can definitely find me with coffee and some sort of pastry in the morning hours but I’m not really sure what else I eat during the day. I do have to admit we are running low on cookies and chips even though I just went grocery shopping a couple of days ago…

What is the best way to start the day?
My secret to a great day is what I call “Morning Snuggles.” I get up about 45 minutes before I need to be online and spend time on the couch with one of my cats, Brisket. Brisket lays on my chest snuggling and purring like none other. I find that if I skip “Morning Snuggles” not only am I grumpy, but Brisket likes to spend the rest of the day yelling into the void about it too.

Who inspires you?
My mentor back from 2015, Brittany Martin. She’s now the Lead Web Developer at The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. I’ve seen Brittany move up in her own company, start and finish monumental projects, and speak at huge conferences around the world. Brittany inspires me to be who I am and to not be afraid to share my opinion as a woman in tech. She also inspires me to ask questions, and challenge others when necessary. I can confidently say I’d be in a much different spot in my career if it wasn’t for Brittany and her wise words of advice over these last five years.

What’s your favorite thing(s) to do when you aren’t working (hobbies)?
I really enjoy working on complex problems even when I’m not at work. Right now, I am working on a side project in conjunction with NASA and our sponsors, Meteomatics, on a climate change project; specifically, Sea Ice Concentration in the Arctic Ocean. My team and I, (The Unicode Unicorns), won the NASA Space Apps Challenge in NYC this past year by creating a program that uses machine learning to predict Sea Ice Concentration in any given coordinate with a R-squared value (accuracy) of 0.892 (1 is perfect) in just 48 hours. This project is ongoing and with the help of NASA’s scientists and the other contacts we’ve been able to make, we hope to have a product to show soon.

How different was your life one year ago?
A year ago, I was just starting to work for Cint, and I can say since working here I’ve learned so much that I’m a completely different person this year than last. I now hold myself with confidence when I speak, I am working with products I believe in, and I am surrounded by some of the most intelligent people in the industry.

What is/are your favorite thing(s) about working for Cint?
The people! I’ve met people from all over the world and have befriended more than a few of them. Every day I speak to people from Tokyo, Stockholm, Berlin, London, and places all over the USA. I’ve learned so much about other cultures and I’ve been able to visit a lot of places. I also love how diverse our workforce is and especially that women have a presence in leadership here.

What makes you feel accomplished?
Honestly, I love helping others. If I can help others succeed, then I am one happy camper. If that means extra trainings or answering any and all questions at all hours of the night, I am happy to do so if it’s for the benefit of someone else. (Especially if it is a co-worker because after all, we’re all on the same team!)

Connect with me on:

Twitter: @Katers_Potaters
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katelyn-hertel/