In an attempt to draw positive attention to the most important assets of Eon – its employees – we are developing a series to applaud the very same. A business cannot function without a solid team in place, and we are extra proud of the team we have. Priya Viswanathan, Data Analyst at Eon, has been chosen as the first employee to be featured in a Spotlight piece.
Every interview has a beginning, a middle, and an end, but today we start from the end. As we reached the conclusion of our interview, we asked Priya what she would choose if she could have any superpower in the world. She said she would like to never forget; to have “infinite memory” – demonstrating a thirst for knowledge and drive for brilliance that is a common theme in Eon’s team. Her words summarized what we look for in a team mate, and also set the tone for this interview piece. The fact is, this kind of dedication doesn’t always come inherently; it is cultivated as a result of a healthy work environment, supportive team members, doing meaningful work, and having the potential to grow every day.
Let’s talk more about Priya and what led her to where she is now.
What is your role/title? What do you do at Eon?
I am a Data Analyst in the Implementations team. I act as a bridge between the clients and the Development team – I communicate requirements to clients and collect data. I then analyze the data to see if there are any gaps, clean the data, transform it to an appropriate format and build configuration documents. Apart from my everyday job, I also closely work with the Eon Center of Excellence (ECOE) team to build a tool to automate the calculation of adherence metrics and generation of reports for each client in the program.
Why did you choose to join Eon? How long have you worked here?
I joined Eon a little over a year ago, after graduating with a Master’s in Data Analytics. Eon is a data-driven company, utilizing data to make a positive impact on people’s lives. I am happy that I am a part of the huge difference that Eon is making 🙂
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
“I draw/paint Mandalas. Creating Mandala art involves drawing concentric circles and filling the spaces in between with repetitive patterns. To me, it is like meditation.“
What made you choose your career path?
I have always been interested in solving problems – math or real-life. I was exposed to huge volumes of data while working at a consulting firm and wanted to learn data analysis tools and techniques. Hence, I decided to pursue a Master’s in Data Analytics and then got an opportunity to work with Eon.
What is your team like?
The Implementations team consists of project managers (Faizan, Heather D, Natalie), the A-team (Ahmed, Ammar, Aleeza), Nate (we do miss Colby though) and the data analyst (me). We are a dynamic lot. If not on chat, you will easily find us on Jira. Ambiguity is our best friend. We still have not figured out how to greet each other during our implementation sync meetings – “Good morning” or “good evening” or both? Implementation sync meetings are when we, as a group, go over the status of all ongoing projects and brainstorm on how we can make the implementation process more efficient for our clients. I love that we always have each other’s back when we face challenges.
That is about my team. But I would like to talk about the Eon team as well. I have had the chance to interact with many people at Eon and I love how everyone is from diverse backgrounds and brings a lot of knowledge. We are successful because everyone in the Eon team works hard and towards the one mission. Together we can defy disease 🙂
What motivates you to wake up and go to work each morning?
The work I do is directly or indirectly touching lives – not just patients, but even their near-and-dear ones. It is that realization and the responsibility that comes with it that motivates me to wake up and go to work every morning.
What have been your biggest accomplishments at Eon?
I strongly believe in the concept of “aggregation of marginal gains” (yes, I got the phrase from Atomic Habits by James Clear). Even if I am making a seemingly small improvement now, over time, all these small improvements will result in a huge positive change. I am constantly trying to improve the implementation process in how we communicate our requirements to the client, how we collect and store the data, and identify areas where defining a process would really help, in the hope that someday, some of the rule-based repetitive processes can be automated so that we can focus our attention on tasks that require human decision-making.
One project that brought about immediate positive impact was the development of a tool for calculating ECOE metrics. When Sophie reached out with the need to create reports for calculating adherence metrics, I jumped at the opportunity (more data analysis, woohoo!). The tool helped save a lot of time for Sophie (2 hours per report according to her).
What’s the most unique part about working here?
Firstly, the people. Everyone is friendly and approachable. I love how I can talk to Christine and Dr. Aki as easily and comfortably as to anyone else. Secondly, the Virtual Watercooler. With most of us working remotely, the chat space brings us all together for a few moments of fun every day.
How have you grown professionally while on our team?
There are so many things I have learnt in the last year. Working in a fast-paced environment has taught me to be proactive rather than reactive. There have been so many instances where I have had to make decisions independently. And since I – like many others – am working remotely, I have realized the need for over-communicating.
Colby and Nate have been great mentors in so many aspects. I enjoy picking their brains and look forward to our 1-on-1s because I learn something new each time. All this has helped me grow professionally in the last year.
What do you like to do when you aren’t working?
I am a foodie and love to cook food for friends and family and try new cuisines. I exercise, listen to music/podcasts, read, travel and click pictures of nature. I spend time with my husband watching movies and learning new skills that both of us are interested in.
What is your motto or personal mantra?
I grew up listening to my mom always say ‘As you sow, so shall you reap’. Also, during a discussion with Dr. Aki, he said to me ‘If you are anxious about something, get certainty about it’. Seems very simple. But it really stuck with me.
Three words to best describe you?
Responsible, dependable, empathetic.
After our conversation with Priya, we also approached her manager, Colby Leftwich, to shed some light on his time working with Priya.
What do you like the most about working with Priya?
Priya is comfortable with both summarizing data for reporting, and making business recommendations based on that data. She always inquires about the “why’s” to better understand the business and the data she is interpreting. Priya is rarely rattled or stressed and always comes to work with a smile and her best foot forward.
Three words that describe her best?
Gets. It. Done.
What has been her biggest contribution to your team?
Any special project that is going on, Priya is usually involved. She has played key roles in the analysis of APIs as well as the data collection for the ECOE program.
Outside of specific projects, what kind of impact has Priya had on your team in a positive way?
Although most of Priya’s work is performed individually, she has a keen sense of teamwork and how this all fits together. She’s integral to the project team’s success as she joins client meetings to assist with conversations related to the collection and normalization of their data. And always does it with a positive attitude and a smile.
The Spotlight Series is on its way to become a regular feature for Eon, to highlight individuals, their achievements, and to recognize the spirit of helping others as a result of doing what we do. Stay tuned for the next one!
