Continuing our series featuring the people who make up team FSFP, I’d like to introduce Marcus Gruel. He has a unique role here in that he’s a consultant, working on client engagements, and is a member of our business development team.
Marcus talks with potential clients and determines the best course of action and how FSFP can help. He likes to say he isn’t a salesperson because he approaches new situations looking for a solution — not trying to sell anything.
Marcus has 5+ years of experience working within complex data management, predictive analytics and data governance landscapes. He is a certified Collibra Solution Architect and Scrum Master with additional expertise across a variety of ETL, reporting, data warehousing and data governance solutions.
Marcus has extensive technical experience, including SQL, MDX, Python and Java. Throughout his career, he has been a valuable team member on projects involving regulatory compliance, data quality, data integration, business intelligence, analytics and reporting. Marcus has a passion for data-driven insights and enjoys working in a collaborative team environment to enable an organization to achieve its goals.
Ready to learn more about Marcus and what brought him to FSFP? Read on.
As a consultant, what’s your typical day like?
The fun of consulting is that the days are rarely repetitive. Most days, I make sure I am prepared for client meetings and allocate time to complete my deliverables. I participate in and support anything and everything that is happening with my current client and ensures the work we do continues to add value to my client’s organization. A portion of my day typically includes meeting with potential clients and discussing their data needs to develop a tailored approach and proposal for future success.
How would you explain data governance to a kid/grandparent?
It’s the process of helping a group of people improve data across a company or organization.
What do you most enjoy about your job?
I appreciate that the job continues to be challenging. The variety of work allows for both technical and creative skills to shine, depending on the day. I like the feeling you get when you can see that the work you’ve been doing is helping to better an organization or individual. The support structure we have at FSFP allows for opportunities to leave your comfort zone and continue to grow your knowledge across the data governance space.
Marcus Gruel, Consulting Sales Manager at First San Francisco Partners
What was your first job?
I was a dishwasher at a restaurant when I was in high school.
What prepared you most for a career in consulting/data governance/data management?
Social interactions with new people, whether in school, moving somewhere new as a child or going to college out of state. Adapting to being in new situations is what prepared me for the world of consulting.
What made you choose FSFP?
My friend Neil Martin works for FSFP, and he pitched me this opportunity where I could grow and have an impact on a thriving industry. The biggest selling points for working here are the opportunity for many learning experiences and, day to day, it’s never boring.
Describe your consulting style.
I use a listen-first approach. I always make sure it’s clear what the client needs and react based on that.
Which FIRST (focus, integrity, resourcefulness, skillfulness, teamwork) value do you resonate with the most and why?
Teamwork because FSFP is a very collaborative work environment. Even if we’re working on an individual deliverable, it’s still reviewed and approved by a team.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Do things outside of your comfort zone.
What advice would you give to someone considering a job in data management/governance?
Be open-minded in every situation. You need to understand many different nuances of a business and organizations, not just data. You also must know how data works throughout an organization and learn what other departments/business units are doing. Business knowledge is just as important as technical knowledge. And you’ll always have an opportunity to grow within this field!
What’s your best work-from-home tip?
Try and keep to a set schedule if you can. Make time to get out and do things throughout the week. Having a space specifically for work, whether it’s a full office or just a desk in a quiet corner, helps cut out the distractions that can arise while you’re at home.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I try and get outside as much as possible during my free time — baseball games, golf, hiking, camping, snowboarding or any activity that involves the outdoors and a group of friends.
What do you see as the future of data?
I think there will continue to be a push for as much automation as possible across the entire data landscape, as well as a drive to use data in a meaningful way. Whether that means conforming to new regulations or creating better data-driven insights within an organization, speed and efficiency will play a large role.
More companies are trying to use data in a meaningful way, in part, by allowing more data access to more and more people throughout an organization. Fostering an understanding of the data in an organization and automating as much as possible will allow each individual to leverage data and ultimately become faster and better at their jobs.
I hope you enjoyed learning more about Marcus and his work at FSFP. We continue to highlight other members of our team on our blog in our Meet the Team series.
