Resume

1. ARATHI RAO
6929 Pensacola Drive Plano, TX 75074  arathi.rao@gmail.com  (972) 804-5997
CONSUMER INSIGHTS& MARKET RESEARCH
Market ResearchStrategyManagement
Innovative and versatile consumer insights manager with extensive experience in market research, strategy and project/product
management. Proven record of using research methods to understand consumer behavior and provide valuable insights tomake
strategic business decisions. Excellent blend of analytical, business and leadership skills. Detail-oriented with exceptional
presentation and communication skills. Works effectively with cross-functional teams; experience managing global teams and
client relationships.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Quantitative & Qualitative Research Data analysis Competitive analysis
Designing Surveys/studies Primary/Secondary Research Project & Product Mgmt
EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS
MATCH.COM, Dallas, Texas 2010 – Present
Manager, Market Research & Strategy
Conduct primary and secondary research to drive Match.com’s strategic business decisions
Designed and conducted quantitative and qualitative studies to understand consumer behavior and help make key
decisions regarding new product concepts, the company’s strategic roadmap, Public Relations and marketing efforts.
Managed and conductedlarge studies that directly and significantly impacted company strategy. Acted as consultant
to various business units within Match.com and its other entities to conduct research initiatives to help meet their
strategic objectives.
Key Achievements:
 Key contributor to changing company strategy and direction by conducting qualitative and quantitative
research on two new product concepts, resulting in the company undertaking new initiatives tosignificantly
increasenew customer acquisition andretention.
 Re-established claims around Match.com’s leadership position in the industry. Also developed claims
around category expansion to demonstrate effectiveness of online dating.
 Established Match.com as the authority on all aspects of singles lifestylevia the Singles in America
studies.Received extensive nationwide media coverage on the studies (Time, Newsweek, USA Today,
Today Show, Good Morning America, etc.).
 Executedbrand tracking studies to track health of the Match.com brand and provide senior management
with recommendations on strategic directives (US & Canada).
 Evaluated two new product concepts that would significantly change direction for Chemistry.com.
 Conducted testing on Match.com TV commercials to drive decisions on airing commercials on different
TV networks.In addition, conducted studies to understand the media consumption habits that would help
drive strategic decisions on media related investments.
 Provided continued insights into improvements to the Match.com product by conducting various surveys
and studies to understand usage and customer satisfaction around the product.

2. Cisco Systems, Richardson, Texas Jan 2007 - 2008
Software Engineer, Quality Assurance
Conduct quality assurance on new products to create high quality products
Performed quality assurance for IP telephony products for the Small-Medium Business (SMB) market.Involved in
all aspects of testing.Worked with cross functional teams to identify business processes and related test scenarios.
Key Achievements:
 Effectively managed complex load builds for entire department, allowing for timely product release.
 Reduced defect rates by 90% by identifying problems and conducting root cause analysis.
Science App International Corp (SAIC), Bangalore, India 2003-2005
Project Manager
Lead and manage delivery of software solutions to clients
Led a 20-member team to successfully deliver key IT solutions.Performed project planning, scheduling, tracking,
and reporting.Managed client relationships and oversight of team.Recruited new employees.
Key Achievements:
 Achieved cost savings of $4M by developing a global delivery model.
 Reduced average application migration time by 50%, providing savings of over $600K.
Avaya/Lucent Technologies, Holmdel, NJ 1997 – 2002
Senior Software Engineer
Design and develop solutions for new and existing products and features
Designed new features and products for the North American market.Mentored team members.
Key Achievements:
 Saved department >$10Kbyimplementing, installing and providing training on a new test tool.
 Improved customer satisfaction by resolving critical field issues in a timely manner.
Key Achievements - MBA Internships (Spring 2009 – Summer 2010):
 Traxo, Dallas, TX: Conducted in-depth data analysis to understand visitor behavior and effectiveness of
PR efforts.Identified key performance metrics and designed customized dashboards.
 Cisco Systems, Richardson, TX: Explored “Software as a Service” as a viable model for an existing
product.Provided recommendations on positioning, differentiation and go-to market strategy.
 Microsoft, Irving, TX: Developed strategy and recommendations for a distributed Software Development
Center (SDC) for building custom software in a highly scalable manner.
 Affiliated Computer Services (ACS), Dallas, TX: Conducted competitive analysis for an IT Chargeback
consumption model. Proposed new strategy to increase revenue and improve customer relationships.
EDUCATION
Master of Business Administration,the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas – July 2010
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, University of Denver, Denver, CO
Professional Associations
American Marketing Association, Project Management Institute, Dallas Business Club