HELLO, I'M
Daniel White
MSc. Management Consultancy Student
Daniel White
MSc. Management Consultancy,
UCD Michael Smurfit
Graduate School of Business
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B.A. Economics and
Political Science (BESS),
Trinity College Dublin
About Me
My name is Daniel White, and I am 25 years old. I am Irish, but grew up in Belgium and Australia before returning to Dublin in 2014 to study for my Bachelors' degree at Trinity College Dublin (TCD). I am currently studying for a Masters' in Management Consultancy at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business. I expect to graduate in September 2020.
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Studying at UCD Smurfit has opened up great opportunities, especially in terms of practical consulting experience. I have successfully completed two consulting projects so far - one with Irish cosmetics company Millies.ie, and another with Qualtrics, an Experience Management technology company. I am currently working on a project with SKMMP, a tech start-up in the fashion industry. For more information, please see the Experience section below.
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I am a strong believer in the generalist approach to learning and work. I believe that breadth and depth of knowledge can and should go hand in hand. I chose to study Business, Economics, and Social Studies (BESS) at Trinity to develop my knowledge across multiple subjects, and I ultimately graduated with Joint Honours in Economics and Political Science. During my studies, I built a flexible combination of strong qualitative and quantitative reasoning skills, which I continue to use and develop through the M.Sc. Management Consulting. I am now looking for work where I can make a solid contribution while building my experience on the ground, as a consultant or in another role. I am particularly interested in the fields of Change Management, People, Strategy, and Technology.
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Outside the workplace, I actively pursue a wide range of interests and hobbies. Travel is a big passion of mine - so far, I have lived in six countries and visited around thirty. I have funded this travel by working in parallel to my studies, developing hard and soft skills in diverse contexts in the process. I have extensive experience in the hospitality industry, having worked in luxury hotels and fine-dining restaurants in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, and France. Communicating and connecting with people from all cultures and backgrounds comes naturally to me, and I would love to keep travelling in the future.
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Other passions include sports and music. My first job experience was as a Pool Lifeguard, but my heart lies with skiing. I am a certified Ski Instructor (BASI Level 2). My main instrument is the French horn, which I have played for years in school and university orchestras and bands. I am a self-taught guitar player, and am currently teaching myself to play the piano. See Music & Skiing for more.
Education
UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business – Ireland​
2019 – Present
Master of Science; Management Consultancy
Final Grade: 1.1 (ongoing)
Trinity College Dublin – Ireland
2014 – 2018
Bachelor of Arts, Joint Honours; Economics and Political Science (BESS)
Final Grade: 2.1
IEP Sciences Po – Paris, France
2016 – 2017
Study Abroad, Erasmus Exchange Programme
Economics and Political Science
Final Grade: 2.1
Canberra Grammar School (CGS) – Australia
2012 – 2013
Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR): 88.25
European School Brussels I – Belgium
2006 – 2012
European Baccalaureate Curriculum: English, French, Irish; Maths, Biology; History and Geography (through French); Philosophy, Religion, Physical Education.
Experience
The COVID-19 crisis has interrupted my part-time work as a tour guide with Authenticity Tours, within Trinity College Dublin until further notice. See below for details of my earlier work experience on consulting and in the hospitality/tourism industries.
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I will be available for full-time employment from September onwards.
CONSULTING
SKMMP is a tech startup providing Fashion Tech Software for large Fashion Brands, operating and digitising their Wholesale processes. My team has been asked to help SKMMP with their financial modelling in preparation for a Series A investment round, as well as revising the business plan and coming up with a marketing strategy and marketing content for the USA and Asia markets.
During a 12-week consulting project with Qualtrics, a SaaS company specialising in Experience Management, my team from Smurfit studied the relationship between Works Councils and the Employee Experience. I was personally responsible for creating a survey using the Qualtrics platform. We collected rich and relevant answers from over 2000 respondents, which we then analysed and used to form a simple framework and set of recommendations for Qualtrics to apply in their negotiations and interactions with Works Councils.
Millies.ie is a website dedicated to selling skincare and haircare products online. Millie's tasked my consulting group with developing a new marketing strategy, designed to increase customer engagement and speed up market growth within Ireland. Alongside this, we conducted market research and strategy implementation. We were able to provide valuable insights for the company client, and our final recommendations were very well received.
TOURISM & HOSPITALITY
I gained my first experience in the hospitality industry working in Embassies in Canberra, where I was trained in silver service. This provided the basis for work in luxury hotels and fine-dining restaurants across the world, providing the highest standards of customer service. Succeeding in this field has required me to develop strong teamwork skills, collaborating with people from diverse cultures and professional backgrounds. I have also learnt a great deal about customer service, time management, and how to work effectively in stressful environments.
Tour Guide - Authenticity Tours, Trinity College Dublin
As a Tour Guide, I again provided excellent customer service by offering advice, information, and help to visitors unfamiliar with their environment. I was expected to act as an ambassador for Authenticity Tours and for Trinity College, being an alumnus myself. I used sales tactics to attract as many customers as possible, and was responsible for conducting tours myself. I was one of the few guides entrusted with English and French language tours, and I took pride in delivering tours that were informative and engaging. I found this job to be very rewarding, in particular due to the opportunity it provided me to develop my public speaking, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
Server - North End Grill, New York City
Worked as a server in this prestigious fine-dining restaurant belonging to Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG), famous for their philosophy of blending hospitality with service. I was intimately involved in the care and maintenance of guests in my section, had comprehensive knowledge of the menu, and executed the sequence of service to perfection. My strong communication skills and ability to work effectively within a multicultural team were crucial to my success in the role, as were my time management skills and my ability to work under stressful conditions.
Bartender - Cafe Oz Rooftop, Paris
Provided excellent customer service in French and English, always maintaining a positive attitude. I ensured that the bar was fully stocked at all times, communicating with bartenders, managers, and security to ensure guests were being properly attended to. I was entrusted with the stock room, handling our most expensive products and helping to set up and close down the bar every shift. At the same time, I stayed constantly on the move, clearing glass and crockery, cleaning surfaces, sweeping up any broken glass in a timely manner, making sure that our high standards of cleanliness and safety were always met. My strong work ethic was crucial to my success in this role; the work schedule was demanding, often calling for 12-hour shifts, and it was not uncommon for us to serve more than 1000 customers on a busy night. This intense work also required me to use my strong teamwork and communication skills with a diverse group of people.
Porter - Perisher Valley Hotel, Jindabyne, Australia
This was my second time working at the Perisher Valley Hotel, having previously worked as a waiter in the fine-dining restaurant. As porter, I had more extensive duties; I was the face of the company, being the first person to greet guests upon arrival. A very high level of customer service was expected from me; I was expected to respond to the personal needs and requests of guests. At the same time, I was responsible for the organisation of arrivals and departures, ensuring rooms were properly cleaned and stocked, and the general upkeep of the hotel. My time management skills were crucial to my success in this role, as I always had several tasks and duties to balance. My strong communication skills were also a great attribute, as it was my responsibility to constantly communicate with reception, house keeping, maintenance, and kitchen staff. Finally, my keen attention to detail was an absolute necessity in order to ensure the proper standards of cleanliness and service were being maintained throughout the hotel.
Skills & Languages
COMMUNICATION & PUBLIC SPEAKING
Communication has been central to my experience of working successfully with diverse teams and in high-level customer service jobs. This included speaking English and French as a tour guide in Trinity College Dublin. Communication skills have also been essential to my work as a ski instructor, teaching adults and children of all skill levels.
LEADERSHIP​
Professionally, I have led diverse teams who had to work closely together to provide seamless, excellent customer service. As a musician, I have also taken positions of responsibility in orchestras where I played French horn. Going back to Canberra Grammar School, I was elected House Music Captain and led our House to victory in the school music competition. My leadership style is based on empathy and establishing open dialogue; I go out of my way to make sure that everyone in the group is heard and understood, that we are all clear on our shared objectives and next steps, and that we can adapt together as necessary.
TEAMWORK
Teamwork is a skill I have practised and developed from a very early age. My time playing in orchestras and participating in group sports such as football and dragon boating has shown me the power of teamwork. I have built upon these skills even more through my experience in the hospitality industry. Group work was a constant during my school years, and teamwork continues to be a crucial skill in my Masters' at UCD Smurfit, where I have successfully worked with several culturally diverse groups on consulting projects. I appreciate the opportunity teamwork provides to learn of different perspectives as we work together towards a common goal.
DEDICATION & SELF-IMPROVEMENT
Growth and self-improvement are extremely significant values for me. I am motivated by new challenges and when I set myself a goal, I devote myself to achieving it. One childhood dream of mine was to become a ski instructor. Despite a serious ski accident in 2014, I finally succeeded in becoming a Level 2 BASI ski instructor in 2019. When I moved to Australia, I joined the school Dragon Boating team. I had never even heard of this sport before, but within a year I was winning gold medals in the Australian National Championships. This dedication and devotion to growth can be seen throughout my professional life, academic record, and in my other hobbies.
LANGUAGES
I speak fluent French since my early childhood in Belgium. I studied in France for a year at Sciences Po Paris, and once the academic year was over I worked entirely though French in a bar/nightclub. I also speak basic Spanish (A2 Level), and have studied Irish and Latin. I have an affinity for language learning, and I am open to learning a new one as well as improving my command of those I already have.
Awards
WHERE I SHINE
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UCD Smurfit: on track for 1.1 Honours
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Trinity College Dublin: 2.1 Honours
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cum laude Certificate in Social Studies and Humanities, Sciences Po Paris
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Level 2 Ski Instructor, British Association of Ski Instructors (BASI)
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French horn, first chair: UCD Symphony Orchestra & Trinity Orchestra
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CGS House Music Captain & House Colours
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CGS School Medal for an Outstanding Contribution
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Australian National Champion, Junior Division, Dragon Boating
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Walter Hine Memorial Prize for French; Runner-up 2012 and 2013 in Alliance française George Vincent prize (francophone section).
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION:
Recognition
PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATION