Harnessing Experience to Thrive Through Transitions

Sunday, April 6, 2025
6-7pm

This workshop will explore the unique challenges and opportunities faced by mid-career professionals navigating career transitions. Whether shifting industries, moving into leadership roles, or redefining career paths, our panelists will share practical strategies for successfully managing career pivots, building new skills, and leveraging existing expertise. Attendees will gain practical advice on navigating change with confidence, finding clarity in uncertain times, and positioning themselves for continued success. Registration not required but encouraged.

Moderator

Nick Ulmer, CAP

Nick Ulmer is a Logistics, Supply Chain, and Operations Research practitioner splitting his time between teaching and working at CANA LLC. Nick is a retired U.S. Navy Officer and was the inaugural President of the INFORMS Veterans Interest Forum. He is a Certified Analytics Professional and current president-elect of the Military Operations Research Society.

Panelists

Hina Arora

Clinical Associate Professor
Arizona State University

Bio

Hina Arora is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Information Systems at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. At ASU, Hina has taught artificial intelligence, data science, analytics, and programming courses at the executive, graduate, and undergraduate levels. She has also held Faculty Director and Director of Experiential Analytics roles for the MS in Business Analytics Program. Prior to joining ASU, Hina was an Analytics Manager at Microsoft, where she led analytics teams in the Windows Services Division and the US Central Marketing Organization. She has also held Software Development positions at IBM and Cognizant, and worked as a Research Scientist at the Center for Excellence in Document Analysis and Recognition at SUNY Buffalo. Hina has a PhD in information systems, a graduate degree in electronics and communication engineering, and an undergraduate degree in Physics.

Jason Ford

Senior Operations Researcher
JDSAT, Inc.

Bio

Jason was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. After graduating high school he attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland where he studied Economics and was a varsity wrestler. Upon graduation he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. Jason served for 23 years as an infantry officer, deploying numerous times to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Africa, Australia and South America. He also attended the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California where he received a Master’s degree in Operations Analysis (Research) and spent three years as an analyst with Operation Analysis Directorate under the Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration. Jason retired in Feb 2023 and currently works as a Senior Operations Researcher at JDSAT where he recently achieved his INFORMS CAP.

Alison Cozad

Americas Gurobi Export Team
Gurobi Optimization

Bio

Alison Cozad holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, where she applied mixed-integer and semi-infinite optimization methods to enhance machine learning algorithms. She began her career at ExxonMobil, working as a Real-time Optimization Engineer and later as a Senior Data Science Lead. Seeking to deepen her focus on optimization, she transitioned from the oil and gas industry to a smaller software company, joining Gurobi Optimization. There, she has grown into both technical and leadership roles and now manages the Americas Gurobi Expert Team. Having navigated multiple career transitions—across industries, company sizes, and job functions—Alison brings firsthand experiences of the challenges and opportunities of career pivots.

Erick D. Wikum

Analytics Consultant
Wikalytics, LLC

Bio

Dr. Erick D. Wikum has dedicated his over 30-year career to helping clients achieve superior results by making better, data-driven decisions. He is currently an analytics consultant for Wikalytics, LLC. Erick’s previous work experience includes diverse technical and leadership roles and industry applications working for Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), IBM, Schneider, Norfolk Southern, and the U.S. Air Force. Erick earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in operations research from Georgia Tech and a B.S. in operations research and mathematics from the United States Air Force Academy. He is an active member of INFORMS, currently serving on the Meetings Committee and the Edelman Award organizing committee. He has served on the organizing committee for the INFORMS Analytics Conference for numerous years and was general chair for the 2022 conference. He also served as president and Subdivisions Council representative of the Analytics Society.

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