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Scott Gamble
Profile
Scott Gamble’s father was a great influence on his selection of a major. “Since I was good at math, my father thought engineering would be a good fit,” Scott says. Scott started in Electrical Engineering but after one course, he decided that this wasn’t the major for him. Scott decided to change his major to Industrial Engineering, although his father wasn’t happy. “IE just seemed more practical and real to me. It was the best decision I ever made.”
After Scott graduated, he went to work for Boeing. He was there for 4.5 years but didn’t like the atmosphere in the company. Scott was rather outspoken about his concerns and was asked to be a part of special assignments which had more of a business focus. Scott realized that he wanted a career which had more of a business focus than a technical one.
He was recruited by QVC (the home shopping channel). He was asked to help improve their business operations. QVC was a young company at the time, and its rapid growth cried out for Industrial Engineering. Scott discovered he had a real talent in being a liaison between the sales side of the business and the technology support staff.
Scott then moved to a number of entrepreneurial ventures involved in data management. “This was prior to the internet, but I began to see the value that data and information would have on the future direction of business,” Scott says.
Scott also became involved in product management. Scott was involved in helping companies evolve their product lines to meet the ever changing needs of customers. “Product management is basically continuous improvement applied to the product itself,” Scott comments. My background in data analytics, marketing, and the thought processes I learned in Industrial Engineering gave me real skills for product management.
Scott has taken his skill set to AAA Club Alliance, one of the most familiar brands in America (think towing services). Scott heads up the growing e-commerce and business analytics programs for AAA. “When you look at AAA we are an operations company, with very diverse product offerings. (e.g., size of our tow truck fleet, number of operators, retail stores, call centers, digital solutions),” Scott says. Again, the mix of skills Scott has helps him make a major contribution that most people don’t associate with engineering.
Scott’s career is a good example of how an Industrial Engineering career is ever evolving. Scott has gone from manufacturing to services. He has developed new skills: data analytics, marketing, and product management. He has worked for large organizations and entrepreneurial startups.
Bio
Scott Gamble is a digital marketing veteran with engineering roots. With a talent for combining the art of marketing with the science of data, Scott has transitioned from his traditional Industrial Engineering education and early manufacturing environment work experience to ride the wave of websites, social media, mobile devises, business intelligence, and big data. By applying logical thinking, process orientation, and creative problem solving, he guides organizations into the digital age with practical yet progressive solutions to everyday business challenges. A family man and competitive cyclist, he can be found racking up the miles on the roads around West Chester, Pennsylvania.
