Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Georgia Chick-fil-a business analyst visits AP Statistics class
Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Rome, GA
Some text some message..
 

Chick-fil-a business analyst visits AP Statistics class

November 17, 2014 | 536 views

Beth Walters, senior business analyst for Chick-fil-a

Chad Woods' AP Statistics class recently welcomed guest speaker Beth Walters, senior business analyst for Chick-fil-a. Walters spoke to the group of students on her line of work and provided a practical application of their course studies into everyday business transactions. 

Walters is responsible for assisting with making data-informed decisions about initiatives and investments throughout the Chick-fil-a organization, including new menu items, operational improvements, marketing, and restaurant development. Many of Walters’ day-to-day duties relate back to her expertise in the discipline of statistics. 

"Statistics is the way of the future," said Woods, Darlington’s math department chair. "I think we need to get more kids interested in the subject, and to make everyone aware that statistics is a field where there are some great possibilities."

Walters' visit comes at a time when students are considering their next steps and a need for statisticians continues to increase.

"Experts predict that the demand for statistics professionals in the United States will grow tremendously in the next few years, far-outweighing the supply," said Walters. "Graduates with formal training in statistics will be in high demand and be able to 'write their own tickets' for their career paths." 

Following a successful visit during the 2013-14 school year, Woods invited Walters to return to his classroom because she was able to connect with and engage students, helping them to retain important concepts. Students in the previous class often related new information and review material back to something that Walters had talked about during her memorable lecture.

Walters' pre-lunch presentation consisted of familiar Chick-fil-a references, tying them to measuring the impact of initiative, confounding, having representative samples, establishing control groups and surveying trends over time. 

"Beth does such a good job of explaining how she uses statistics everyday in her career," said Woods. 

As a member of the American Statistical Association, Walters first came in contact with Woods following an organization-wide request for professionals interested in talking with and presenting to students. 

Walters' lecture also included a brief history of the fast-food giant, highlighting Chick-fil-a's successes along the way, the significance of audience testing, and the implementation of different projects and processes. Walters also used humorous quotes and anecdotes that demonstrated to the class how statistics is more than just about numbers.

The business analyst also cited knowing the “ins and outs” of a business as not only integral to business analysis but also as one of the more exciting facets of her job, quoting revered mathematician John Tukey: "The best part of being a statistician is that you get to play in everyone’s backyard."

“It adds some spice to the class, getting an outside point of view,” said senior Destiny Sewell. “It gave us a look into real-world experience—something that we can relate to if we decide to pursue statistics.”

Walters is no stranger to the classroom setting. Prior to joining the Chick-fil-a corporate team four years ago, Walters taught statistics at the college level.

“I’m an analyst at the core," said Walters. “I have a passion for statistics and for young people—for developing them and developing the field of statistics.” 

Chick-fil-a was founded by the late Truett Cathy in 1946 at the original Dwarf Grill location in Hapeville, Ga. With over 1,800 locations throughout the United States, the chicken chain collected over $5 billion in sales in 2013 alone. Chick-fil-a has experienced positive sales growth for the past 47 years, and in contrast to many of its competitors, has no debt. The corporation's key values place high levels of importance on customer service quality, employee development, and community involvement.