Fall 2022 Northeastern Co-Op's Share Experience at Stax

In continuation of our Northeastern Co-op Spotlights, Stax is excited to share our discussions with Madison Abundo, Christopher Flynn, and Luke Gordon who participated in this year's Fall co-op program. The three of them shared some details about their experience with Stax and the program, as well as some of their hobbies and ambitions. We thoroughly enjoyed their time with us and appreciate all of their hard work.

1. Tell us about yourself.

Madison Abundo: “I'm a fourth-year student majoring in business administration with concentrations in finance and marketing. On campus, I'm heavily involved in Women in Finance. My hobbies/interests include playing volleyball, traveling, music, and cooking.”

Christopher Flynn: “[I am majoring in] economics and finance. My academic interests focus on the economics of government policy-making and finance. My hobbies include skiing, basketball, hiking, and golf.”

Luke Gordon: “I'm a business administration and political science major with a concentration in management. I think that my unique course of study has benefitted me, as I've been able to take the analytical and humanistic skills developed in political science courses and apply them to the technical competencies I've learned in business school. Outside of the classroom, I'm involved with NUMA Consulting, Northeastern's pro bono marketing-consulting group, and I previously hosted a radio show on the campus station. I'm also a golfer and big fan of professional hockey and baseball, and love going to Fenway to watch the Red Sox lose.”

2. What were you hoping to gain through the Northeastern co-op experience?

Madison: “Through the co-op program, I went in hoping to gain a better understanding of what career path I would like to pursue in the future. Specifically, figuring out what type of job/company I would like to work for.”

Christopher: “My goal was to get into the nuances of deal making, hoping to understand what makes an investment work or not. NEU's courses were helpful as they gave me exposure, but actually working at Stax let me live and breathe the deal lifecycle, fostering a far deeper understanding.”

3. At Stax, what were your co-op responsibilities and what have you learned over the last six months?

Madison: “At Stax, my co-op responsibilities included conducting primary/secondary research, leading industry expert calls, analyzing findings, creating final-deliverables for clients (helping with decks), and sitting in/contributing to client calls. While at Stax, I have expanded on my skills in analyzing and conceptualizing data - specifically, through asking key questions and collaborating with team members. I also gained exposure into a variety of different industries, where I was able to learn more through industry experts as well as members on my team. Further, I learned how to work efficiently in a fast-paced work environment.”

Luke: “As a Stax co-op, I was able to take up responsibility across a variety of functions within my teams. No two days were the same, and the responsibilities I handled were varied. I conducted extensive primary research through survey design and over the phone, created slides for client facing deliverables, and analyzed vast amounts of data and information to reach conclusions with my teams.

"I've learned to think critically, strategically, and creatively. I've learned to effectively communicate my thoughts by presenting them in an actionable manner, and I've learned how to thrive within a team that is often learning a completely new market within a matter of days.”

4. What has been your most memorable experience at Stax? What has been your favorite industry, product, or service to evaluate?

Madison: “My most memorable experience at Stax was working on an autonomous truck project, as I gained more insight into an up and coming/early-stage industry. I enjoyed it, because there were multiple players and complexities in the picture — start-up autonomous truck companies as well as established OEMs.

"Other important considerations were autonomous driving regulations, which differ by state and comparing the amount of technological development between each player. In addition, I really enjoyed my team and learned a lot about the industry, how to better develop slide decks, lead expert calls, [and more] through the amount of opportunity I received on the project. Overall, tech has been my favorite industry to evaluate.”

Christopher: “My most memorable experience was related to a deal where a target company's customer base shifted from purchasing low-margin to high-margin goods. My case team and I tested whether this shift was permanent or transitory. Ultimately, we concluded this was transitory, which was arguably the most important finding I made at Stax.”

Luke: “Working at Stax has meant that I've had the opportunity to explore assets in totally different industries; in just six months, I did work looking into the commercial services, construction, software, CPG, and manufacturing industries. My most memorable project was in the software space for hotels and casinos. In this project, my team collaborated with industry stakeholders across the world, and I even got the chance to brush up on my high school Italian skills in one phone interview!”

5. How has this experience compared with other co-op opportunities you have had?

Madison: “In comparison to my past co-op, the associate co-op role was much more client-facing and interactive. I was given more opportunity in terms of the type of deliverables and everyday tasks I worked on. I really enjoy the structure of project-based and team-oriented work at Stax. Additionally, I liked that each project that I worked on was different (different industry/client/team) and each day varies in the types of work you're doing.”

Christopher: “The Stax co-op feels like a crash course in business strategy, which differentiates it from other co-ops as they can be more operationally focused.”

Luke: “My first co-op was a great experience. In that role, I did work similar to what Stax does, but at a much smaller company with a different atmosphere. Working at these two firms has given me a stronger grasp of the pros and cons of being part of an organization of either size. Additionally, at Stax I was able to take advantage of the resources that come with a larger company, such as the opportunity to work with the Colombo team.”

6. What advice would you give to an incoming co-op/ intern?

Christopher: “If you are interested in business strategy, you're in the right spot. Also, it goes by quick— so try to absorb as much as you can!”

Luke: “Ask questions, make mistakes, and don't be afraid to own a portion of the deliverable you're working on. Every team at Stax is here to support you, and your learning benefits everyone around you. Be curious and show your interest—it will be noticed and appreciated.”

7. How has the Stax co-op experience helped guide your post-graduation career goals/path?

Madison: “Stax has not only helped me to realize that I would like to pursue a career in consulting in the future, but it has also helped me to better understand the type of company I want to work for. I have really enjoyed my time at Stax, and greatly appreciate the very supportive and collaborative culture.”

Luke: “My time at Stax has helped me to develop a much better understanding of consulting and the economy as a whole. While I can't be sure where I'll be years down the road, I'm happy to say that I've enjoyed my co-op experiences and expect to stay in consulting post-graduation!”

For years, Stax has been working alongside Northeastern University to provide their students with an extensive co-op experience that is both practical and valuable in learning more about consulting. While the co-op is exclusively for students, Stax is always looking to hire new talent. If you're interested in working for Stax, you can read more on our Careers page.