Even in today’s world of digital commerce, physical stores are critical touchpoints for many business as they build their brands and serve their customers. It’s also usually the most expensive channel to maintain. I partner with financial institutions and retailers to optimize their physical distribution channels by understanding the markets in which they operate and how their customers/members interact with them. With this lens, I craft site selection, network optimization, and expansion plans that improve consumer convenience and reduce overall network operating costs. For the past thirteen years, I’ve had the privilege of working with community banks, credit unions, and retailers across the U.S. as they look to leverage data-driven insights to shape their branch/store strategy. My exposure to retail banking began on the distribution strategies team at Wachovia (and then Wells Fargo) analyzing market demographics, transaction migration trends, and leading branch consolidation process improvement. Before entering the banking industry, I deepened my GIS / site location skills working for Family Dollar's market research team and my research analytic capabilities at the Harvard School of Public Health.