From self-driving cars to facial recognition, Caroline Katzman is fascinated by smart technology. She became interested in the topic while at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies, where she graduated in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Information Management and Technology with a concentration in Data Analytics and Marketing.
Now a business transformation consultant at IBM specializing in data technology and transformation, she is still interested in smart technology and how it intersects with marketing, advertising and design. She also loves learning about the ethical issues surrounding the topic.
“I grew up in a household where my dad owns his own healthcare IT consulting company and my mom has worked for multiple marketing agencies, so these two topics were always on my mind,” Katzman said. “I also had a big interest in both visual and graphic art. From an early age I always knew I wanted to do some mix of business, communications/design, as well as technology, making the iSchool a great fit for me.”
At IBM, Katzman works on a variety of projects, including system implantation with large-scale energy companies helping them modernize and use smart meter technology. She also works with the ventures, ecosystems and acquisitions team to get an inside look at how the legal side of large mergers and acquisitions take place.
“These new smart meters we were helping the companies implement would allow their workers to no longer have to enter someone’s property to get meter reads. Now these meters will ping out the data to trucks as they drive by,” she said. “Smart technology is something that has such a fine line between being extremely helpful while also risking breaching someone’s privacy. So, I really enjoyed getting the opportunity to work with smart tech in a way that helps the customer out in so many ways, but a big one being they no longer have to worry about employees entering their property.”
Katzman credits some of her iSchool classes, such as data in society and a smart cities course, for helping her learn about smart technology. Although she is still figuring out her career goals and how technology plays a role, she’s confident that IBM is the best place for that type of exploration.
“One of their core values is continuous growth,” she said. “I hope to continue my career trying new things and getting hands-on experience with up-and-coming technology. I would love one day to break into sports technology consulting as IBM works with many big sports accounts such as Wimbledon, PGA, NFL, etc.”
Athletics was a big part of Katzman’s life growing up. Originally from Chantilly, Va., she tried horseback riding, soccer, lacrosse and other sports. But she was most drawn to high-level competitive synchronized figure skating, which taught her skills such as time management, confidence, presentation skills, leadership and teamwork – all things that translated well into her career.
“I loved the freeing and exhilarating feeling skating allowed as I grew up with the sport. I loved the competitive and fast-paced environment that also taught me how to be confident in front of a crowd of strangers, manage my time extremely well, how to grow with my teammates, and how to take on leadership positions,” she said. “All of this really helped me realize the world of consulting was somewhere I wanted to be as I could draw tons of parallels between the two.”
