About Sanofi
Industry: Healthcare and Pharmaceutical
Location: Cambridge, MA
Company size: 91,000
What They Do: Sanofi provides potentially life-changing treatment options and life-saving vaccine protection to millions globally while putting sustainability and social responsibility at the center of their ambitions.
Q&A with Elliott Bowles, Director of Enterprise Analytics
Q: How do D'Amore-McKim graduate co-ops stand out?
A: D'Amore-McKim graduate co-ops bring a strong mix of technical skills and creative thinking from their classroom learning and are eager to apply them in a business setting. Unlike other internship programs that might require more onboarding or be a student's first professional experience, D'Amore-McKim ensures graduate co-ops are ready to make an impact from day one. This readiness really sets them apart.
Students from this program stand out on their own merit. When you see D'Amore-McKim School of Business on their resumé, it instantly signals that they are knowledgeable, highly skilled, and ready to excel in the workplace.
Q: Why did you hire a graduate co-op from D'Amore McKim?
A: We interviewed candidates from many schools and ultimately hired a D'Amore-McKim graduate co-op because she excelled during the interview process. Her impressive resumé highlighted a strong blend of classroom projects and professional experience.
Academically, she had completed coursework in data analysis, data visualization, data mining, and machine learning—all highly relevant to the work we needed done. Professionally, she had three years of experience at a software management company specializing in AI-driven solutions, which made her a perfect fit for the role.
She presented herself well and conducted an exceptional interview, demonstrating strong communication skills and confidence. This combination of technical expertise and professionalism made her the standout candidate.
Q: How have graduate co-ops brought value to Sanofi?
A: The program has brought significant value to Sanofi because we treat our graduate co-ops like full-time employees, allowing them to contribute meaningfully to our projects. For example, our graduate co-op worked on a revenue growth project where she analyzed our month-end forecasting processes across various customers and teams. She gave insightful recommendations to improve these processes, which delivered tangible value like what we'd expect from a full-time team member. Her exceptional performance led us to extend her co-op, allowing her to contribute part-time during her final semester.
Q: What impact did the co-op have on Sanofi's business objectives?
We tasked our graduate co-op with analyzing our forecasting process. She immediately impacted our productivity by identifying inefficiencies and suggesting creative process improvement. This immediate analysis and implementation saved our teams considerable time, as they no longer had to dig through extensive data manually.
She developed spreadsheets that provided long-term value. These tools will help us identify opportunities and forecast changes more efficiently. We'll continue to update these tools, maintaining their relevance and impact. Her insights have shaped larger projects, greatly enhancing our forecasting and overall business management.
Q: Would you recommend the D'Amore-McKim graduate co-op program to business associates from other organizations?
I wholeheartedly recommend the D'Amore-McKim graduate co-op program to business associates from other organizations. It's a win-win situation. Students gain invaluable professional experience in their field of study, while employers receive talented contributors who can make a lasting impact on their organization.
