Exciting and intellectually stimulating and great people - Associate Vice President Pollara Employee Review

I've been in the industry a long time. I've never learned so much about doing research right, and analyzing it through a strategic and tactical lens to truly be a partner to clients and provide them with guidance and advice over the long term. I joined thinking I knew it all. I left having learned tonnes and realizing that before joining I didn't know as much as I thought. Pollara is full of the smartest and importantly the nicest most understanding people I've ever worked with. I had to leave due to a family situation, and they were very understanding and I fully expect to return once I am able.

I am in Calgary, and they have a smaller team in Alberta, spread around the province. So, we mainly connected via Zoom. I prefer in-person. But, it was the pandemic, so it would have been Zoom anyway. If COVID wasn't around, I might have been able to see my Alberta colleagues more. Most of my senior colleagues were in Toronto, and I would have loved to see them in-person more.

Having worked at a few research firms in the industry, I found Pollara to be the place that had the smartest people, did the smartest work, and most of their clients and projects were the kind of stimulating challenges (that we would apply really innovative approaches to) that researchers dream of working on. Also, the senior management is very compassionate and understanding with the team and also committed to mentoring as well as recognizing talent and hard work.

They are boutique size, although always growing. Still, not a behemoth like some of their competitors. Some people prefer the big multinational sized firms. I thought I did, and went to one - but didn't like it. Now, I'm working on my own, which I like and makes sense for my personal situation.