Employee Spotlight: Adam Zhang
Tell us about yourself and how long you’ve been with Optimal Dynamics.
I’m Adam Zhang, and I’m an Applied AI Manager at Optimal Dynamics! I’ve been with the team for almost three years now, starting out in the office at NYC before relocating to my hometown in Atlanta, GA.
Can you summarize your job in 1-2 sentences?
My job is to deploy our engine and tune all the technical knobs and parameters so that our platform provides consistent, effective recommendations for our customers.
What inspired you the most to join Optimal Dynamics?
I was inspired by the capabilities of the engine at Optimal Dynamics! My academic interest has always been in the mathematics of decision making, and I found both the team and the algorithms at Optimal Dynamics to be at the cutting-edge of this field.
What do you like best about our company culture?
Optimal Dynamics has an incredibly collaborative culture that makes working here stand out. Everybody here is keen to learn about how everything works. This curiosity leads to everybody being proactive and collaborative about solving challenges, treating outside projects with the same intent as their own.
What is unique about what we do at Optimal Dynamics?
Our core engine is definitely unique in its own right! But I believe what is even more unique is the relationship we cultivate with customers. As customers begin to deploy Optimal Dynamics, our engine’s recommendations lead to strategic discussions that reshape how carriers approach their business, positioning us not just as a software provider but as trusted advisors. It’s not everywhere where you get to engage with customers so deeply!
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of the job is being able to see the results of my work in real-time, in real life. Deploying the Optimal Dynamics platform leads to immediate feedback from customers, and it’s fun seeing carriers I’ve worked with out in the field!
How does your work impact our product, and, therefore, the industry?
The actual area I work in is called “Calibrations”, so you can say that I work on every product! My day-to-day consists of liaising with customers to translate their data models, experimenting with model tunings, debugging issues in our Execute and Plan platforms, and everything in between!
What have been your biggest accomplishments on our team, and what was the impact on the product/company?
My biggest accomplishment on the team is successfully deploying multiple customers to completion. This means implementing customers from their first discovery sessions all the way to stable, successful daily usage. I see this as hard evidence of the scalability of Optimal Dynamics’ platform, proof that we are making long-term improvements to the industry.
How have you grown professionally while on our team?
I have grown more confident leading. Given the collaborative and proactive nature of the team, I feel free to engage in areas I wouldn’t normally, with departments I have no experience in. This hands-on learning in so many parts of the business has given me confidence to lead the charge on larger interdisciplinary projects.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I spend a lot of my free time practicing Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Most of my mornings are spent in the training room as I participate in more and more competitions. However, when I get a break, I keep an active schedule going to concerts, cycling, seeing friends, and seeking hole-in-the-wall restaurants!
Can you share a hidden talent that no one knows about you?
It’s no longer very hidden at Optimal Dynamics, but I’m known to do pretty well at the annual Vidalia Onion Eating Contest.
What’s the best advice you can give to someone who wants to work at Optimal Dynamics?
Take initiative! Everybody at Optimal Dynamics has the initiative to tackle problems quickly, asking others for help without hesitation.
