Alumni Interview: Tom Perfrement
It's no secret that our global alumni live and work across the world. Tom Perfrement was a Project Advisor for GCG UNSW in 2018 and Senior Associate Consultant at L.E.K. Consulting. Since then, he has completed his MBA at University of Oxford over the last 12 months and co-founded the Good Data Institute, which operates between the not-for-profit world and the world of data analytics practitioners wishing to do social good. Tom's vision for GDI "to see the NFP sector seen as the frontier of data analytics and not the laggard" is truly inspiring. He also runs a boutique investment fund called TEP Investments.
1) Tell us about your previous involvement in GCG and what about GCG interested you?
My involvement with GCG commenced in February 2018 as a Project Advisor for a GCG project team with the UNSW branch. The project involved assisting an established Australian not for profit client operating in the education sector to increase market penetration and develop a funding scheme. As an associate with L.E.K. Consulting at the time I was excited by the opportunity to share some professional reflections and insights with talented student GCG volunteers seeking to learn more about the management consulting industry. Moreover, it was a chance to support this student team in delivering value for an important education sector not for profit. I found the GCG student team to be really personable and hard-working; it was a pleasure to get to know them, support their strategy consulting work, and join the judging panel at the end of semester presentations back at my old stomping grounds (UNSW).
2) What has been keeping you busy lately?
Since volunteering with GCG, I've most recently spent 12 months living in the U.K. where I studied for a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Oxford. I'm super grateful to have had the opportunity to meet a group of 300 impressive people from 65 nationalities and live, work and study alongside these individuals, many of whom have become lifelong friends. The university is unique in that every one of its students becomes part of one of the 39 constituent Oxford colleges. I was a member of Lincoln College which is small, historic (founded 1427), sociable and extremely central. It also lays claim to the most picturesque library in Oxford! The MBA provided an incredible platform to learn about social entrepreneurship, asset management, finance, accounting, marketing, economics, leadership, and many other topics from world-class professors.
3) Tell us more about your most recent non profit venture, GDI.
The vision for GDI started with the realisation from our own experiences that people from the data science community are working on problems that might be not the most personally satisfying; take for example add targeting, search, clustering of customer profiles — things that make money, but may not provide fulfilment in our work. Our founding story was focused on answering that question — how do we get data scientists to work with the social sector doing truly rewarding work? Today, GDI acts as the bridge between the not-for-profit world and the world of data analytics practitioners wishing to do social good. Using D&A, we identify, share, and help implement the most effective means for growing NFP people, organisations, and their impact. To date, our network of over 100+ volunteer data professionals has offered pro-bono data and analytics support to over 30 registered not for profit organisations, in Australia, New Zealand, India, Africa, UK & the United States, including Opportunity International, the Hunger Project, The Lung Care Foundation, Inclusive America, the New Zealand Red Cross and Progressive Shopper. What I find most exciting about the potential and the picture I have about what GDI will represent in the world is the integration of amazing data science with NFPs, but also the continual search for the frontier of how data can be put to use for humanity. I think we have a responsibility to also share our thought leadership that is emanating from the unique and impactful volunteering that we are collectively undertaking. Across the long term, we'd love to see the NFP sector seen as the frontier of data analytics and not the laggard. I'd love to see the very pinnacle of data science talent nationally choosing to spend their time on social causes and GDI could continue to empower that choice with a network of thousands of volunteers across the country and beyond, supporting hundreds of not for profits.
4) What advice would you give to current project consultants and managers?
Firstly, I'd like to pass on my admiration to current GCG project consultants and managers; providing strategic support can be one of the most impactful forms of volunteering and it is wonderful you have chosen to spend some of your free time in this way, supporting the NFP sector. Secondly, I'd encourage you to engage regularly and meaningfully with the client. It is very easy to become siloed and work on a strategic project independently, but the greatest value will be unlocked if you can work hand in hand with your NFP client. Ask questions and share updates, drafts and findings with the client as you progress, such that they can help shape your work. Lastly, I hope you enjoy the process and enjoy collaborating with your team. If you enjoy this type of project, there is a good chance you'd enjoy a career in the management consulting industry, and the people you meet through GCG may be among some of the most interesting and driven people you will come across. Smile, treat it as a learning experience and be a passionate team member and/or leader: you'll get out what you put in.