This Class of 2017 Alumni Works at one of the Big 4 Consulting Companies
When Rick Boelen graduated from Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong in 2017, artificial intelligence was more science fiction than science fact.
He had no idea that one day he would be advising some of the biggest companies in the world how to leverage artificial intelligence and big data, but that’s exactly what he’s doing now in his role as Analyst at Deloitte in Amsterdam.
Holistic Foundation
Rick spent 13 years at Dulwich Pudong, beginning his school journey at DUCKS in 2004. For the IB, Rick took Physics, Chemistry and Economics at Higher Levels. His Extended Essay was an analysis of China’s commodity markets. He achieved a remarkable 41 overall.
He was also a dedicated athlete, playing football for many years, and fondly remembers the highly competitive FOBISIA and ACAMIS tournaments. “I really enjoyed excelling outside of my studies,” he shares. “It’s something that I really miss.”
He also cites Dulwich’s Co-curricular Programme as a formative influence. “I used to switch up my extracurriculars just to try new things.” During his years at Dulwich he was part of the Robotics Team, Model United Nations, and the Maths Olympiad. This breadth of choice was one of the reasons he was ultimately drawn to studying in the United States.
The Road to UCSD
When it came time for university, Rick looked all over the world. Ultimately he was drawn to the University of California at San Diego (UCSD), which was just opening its pioneering Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, a collaborative, cross-discipline research institute which aims to lay the groundwork for this emerging discipline and train students to harness data science to help solve some of the world’s most pressing problems.
At UCSD he majored in Economics with a minor in Data Science. It was there that he also began to ramp up his computer programming skills.
He continued to pursue his interests at UCSD where he co-founded the Machine Learning Journals Club, ran the Sponsorship Committee of the Data Science Society, and did a stint as a Teaching Assistant in Econometrics.
He also volunteered with Global Business Brigades, a student-run group which provides free microfinance education to underprivileged communities in Panama. This proved to be a pivotal experience; through it gained confidence that consulting could be the right career path for him.
It’s really important to take a step back and look at how you can provide value to other people. From that experience I learned that it’s really important to take a step back and look at how you can provide value to other people. It really helped me get an understanding of what it’s like to face clients and to have to communicate your ideas to them effectively.
The Path to Deloitte
Rick continued his education at Imperial College London obtaining a Master’s in Financial Technology where he was able to connect up his interest in economics with his aptitude for technology and his experience in data science.
He also found internships with different companies in his native Japan, including a medtech start-up where he hugely benefitted from the fast-paced, iterative atmosphere. “I gained a lot of important experience there, learning about things like how to get funding and how to scale your company.”
Now at Deloitte he consults for clients in a wide range of different verticals. “What’s fascinating about it is that you have to adapt quickly to understand what the client wants. It’s a steep learning curve.”
He cites the side projects that he completed at university as critical for getting the offer from Deloitte. “They are really looking for you to show dedication, how you put action into practice, but also the ability to communicate these projects effectively.”
Dulwich for the Win
He believes the experiences he had at Dulwich were essential to his success today. “Dulwich was like a sandbox environment. There are no real limitations to what you can do. The opportunities are really limitless and students should really take advantage of that.”
He also recalls the amazing teachers he had at Dulwich remarking, “Everyone at Dulwich is trying to help you succeed.” In particular he credits his Economics teacher Shirla Sum who initially inspired him to study economics. “She was someone I really aspired to. I was fascinated how seamlessly she communicated complex topics; it felt like learning your ABCs. I really wanted to become someone who could do that also.”
Finally he cites the life-long friends he made at Dulwich. “I’m still in touch with a lot of people in my class. I still visit them regularly and they are still some of my closest friends.”
The Coming AI Revolution
As someone who works on the forefront of AI professionally, what does he see on the horizon?
"It's changing so rapidly; everyday there is something new coming out. We are still at the early stages, but I'm optimistic about the impact. It's something will complement and support today's society." He sees medicine, education and finance, in particular, as three areas where AI will have outsized impact.
For students who want to ride the AI wave in their future career, he advises them to build up a solid foundation in maths/statistics/programming as well as domain-specific expertise in a specific industry where you can apply AI tools.
Most importantly he advises students to get their hands dirty by building and deploying and exploring the limits of what's possible.
Live Worldwise
Rick exemplifies the truly global nature of our Dulwich graduates, having lived in numerous countries throughout his life. He thrived in the diverse community that he found at Dulwich.
"Dulwich really opens your eyes to how different people think and how different they really are by bringing together people from different backgrounds and different communities. To me that's what it means to Live Worldwise."
