Meet Al: Our New Data Analyst!
We’re excited to introduce Al Xu, our new Data Analyst! Learn more about his background, current role, and hidden talents in this interview.
Tell us about your role at Holistic. What do you do?
I'm a Data Analyst at Holistic who focuses on data wrangling, data visualizations, and data science research. I work with a group of talented people on the data team to present the secrets of the data. With a combination of the latest technology and core values of Holistic, we aim to show our clients a targeted, data-driven, and action-oriented analysis.
Tell us about your background. How did you end up here?
I was born in Shanghai, China, and came to the United States for education. I finished my master's degree at Georgia Institute of Technology where I studied operations research, statistical analysis, and machine learning techniques. I also went to Penn State University for two Bachelor's degrees in Industrial Engineering and Applied Statistics, and two minors in Six Sigma and Mathematics. After graduation, I came across Holistic in my job search. I’m happy I found a company that’s doing exactly what I am passionate about and a great place to utilize my skills. That's why I chose to join the team.
What makes you excited about working for Holistic?
I am so excited about working with a group of intelligent, nice, and warm people from Holistic. Honing in on and utilizing my skills and enjoying the work environment is what I have always desired since college. Another reason is that, during the interview, I talked with our amazing CEO Tom about my visions and potential technology which could be applied to our products. It turned out we were on the same track. He showed me solid support and provided even more extended ideas about developments of Holistic products. I am glad that I can work in a place like Holistic.
In your mind, what does a great employee experience look like?
I think a great employee experience is enjoying the work along the journey at the company. A successful accomplishment always includes serious commitments, but finding the fun part from the commitments is crucial to me. Another aspect of a great employee experience is the degree to which colleagues get to know each other, beyond work. I would love to become friends with everyone on the team :)
Who do you admire?
I admire my father. He was born in a rural part of China but he achieved great career accomplishments that no one in his area could. During my childhood, I remembered how difficult it was to work hard to support the family. My father always wanted me to join his career path but when I decided to walk on a different one, he gave me a lot of support. I guess this is one of the greatest things he taught me: chase my dream.
What do you do for fun?
I love to ski even though I fall down a lot. I also love traveling and one of my life goals is to ski every famous mountain. Another thing I find interesting is using data to make my home “smart.” I used the skills I learned to develop an artificial intelligence butler at home. Right now it is still in prototype but it has many features such as voice-control, chatting, and performing basic orders. Besides that, I enjoy watching fashion shows. I found it interesting to know the fashion trends brought by those big brands.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I know how to make many cocktails and I have a bartender license. Follow my Instagram (@xzb_alfred) to see some beautiful cocktails I’ve made.
Thank you for all that you do, Al!