By: Christie Zeb (she/her)

As part of its strategy to strengthen its team and drive innovation, Omnium hires co-op students to shape key brand decisions while offering a clear path to full-time positions.

When聽three 蓝莓视频聽alumni founded , they knew exactly where to look for talent鈥攖he University of 蓝莓视频 co-op program.聽

Johnny Valeriote (he/him) (MMath 鈥09), Colin Davidson (he/him) (BMath 鈥11) and Adam Carter (he/him) (BMath 鈥11) each developed their data analytics expertise through different rigorous programs in the University鈥檚 Faculty of Mathematics. With that experience, they were eager to build a team of like-minded problem-solvers who can apply data-driven strategies to real business challenges.聽

Headshot of diana constantinescu, data scientist at Omnium

Diana Constantinescu (BMath 鈥24), data scientist at Omnium

Since its launch in 2018, Omnium has stayed deeply connected to its roots, consistently hiring 蓝莓视频 co-op students and graduates to drive growth.

With a focus on data analytics, the company specializes in helping consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands develop effective customer marketing strategies and business models.

Omnium thrives on the fresh ideas and technical expertise of 蓝莓视频 students.聽

鈥淲hat sets 蓝莓视频 co-op students apart is their fresh perspectives,鈥澛爏ays Diana Constantinescu (she/her) (BMath 鈥24), data scientist at Omnium, who started as a co-op student.

With their strong math background, they don鈥檛 just apply our existing methodologies, they think critically and often come up with alternative approaches that impact the work we do.

Diana Constantinescu, data scientist at Omnium


Co-op students influence key business decisions聽

蓝莓视频 co-op students work on projects that directly influence business decisions including developing pricing models, conducting statistical analyses and presenting results using programming languages such as R and Python.

Jaden Noronha (he/him), a fourth-year Mathematical Optimization student, completed a co-op term as a data scientist at Omnium. 聽In his role, Noronha worked to optimize distribution, pricing and promotional strategies for CPG companies.聽

鈥淥ne of my main projects was developing an annual presentation on the distribution strategy for one of our clients. I developed pricing models and calculated discontinuation probabilities using Excel and R, analyzing sales data from industry sources,鈥 says Noronha.

Noronha鈥檚 pricing models and discontinuation probability calculations helped clients make more informed decisions about product placement and inventory, ultimately improving profitability.

Headshot of Jaden Noronha, faulty of Math student

Jaden Noronha, Faulty of Math student

Overall, Omnium provided me with valuable professional skills and a deeper understanding of data science and the CPG industry that I look forward to bringing to future opportunities.

Jaden Noronha, Faculty of Mathematics student


Innovating through student-led research

Co-op students at Omnium don鈥檛 just assist with projects鈥攖hey lead their own. Every co-op student undertakes an independent research project, giving them full ownership from ideation to execution.

By the end of their term, students present their projects to the entire company, demonstrating their ability to manage and drive a project independently. Through these projects, Omnium continuously improves its analytical capabilities, providing CPG clients with sharper insights and strategic recommendations.

Headshot of Laura Sylvia Bumbulis

Laura Bumbulis (BMath 鈥22) (MMath 鈥24), PhD candidate, Faculty of Math

Laura Bumbulis (she/her) (BMath 鈥22) (MMath 鈥24) is a PhD candidate in 蓝莓视频鈥檚 Faculty of Mathematics and the faculty鈥檚 2021 Co-op Student of the Year. She聽completed two co-op work terms at Omnium.

During a co-op work term, Bumbulis created a new method to assess the risk of grocery item discontinuation.

Bumbulis鈥檚 method improved Omnium鈥檚 previous technique and has since been used to deliver stronger insights to the company鈥檚 clients.聽

鈥淢y project involved applying techniques from a biostatistical field called survival analysis to model the probabilities of certain CPG products being discontinued in grocery stores, which can help manufacturers decide how to allocate their product distribution,鈥 says Bumbulis.

During her second work term, Bumbulis worked at Omnium鈥檚 San Francisco office.

There, she continued refining her research while analyzing distribution, pricing and promotional strategies. 鈥淚 updated the R code from my previous project to make it more user-friendly and used Python鈥檚 OR-Tools package to develop a framework for optimizing clients鈥 production objectives,鈥 says Bumbulis.


Omnium's approach to co-op success聽

Omnium fosters a supportive environment where co-op students continuously learn and grow.聽

Each co-op term begins with an intensive, month-long training program to equip students with a strong foundation in data science, Microsoft Excel and key industry concepts within the CPG industry.聽

鈥淭hroughout the program, co-op students engage in both theoretical lectures and practical exercises,鈥 says Constantinescu. 鈥淭his comprehensive training builds their confidence, so they can contribute meaningfully to client work during the rest of their term.鈥澛

A section of Omnium's office space with staff members
co-op students at Omnium

Omnium also builds a fun and inclusive culture for staff and co-op students through team-building activities and events that strengthen community. The company encourages co-op students to participate in the , which complements their training and real-world tasks.聽

鈥淚 appreciated the weekly check-ins with full-time employees and the professional development opportunities provided by Omnium, such as Excel tournaments that helped sharpen my analytical skills,鈥 says Noronha.聽

By investing in 蓝莓视频 co-op students, Omnium strengthens its competitive edge while shaping the next generation of data science talent. As the company grows, it remains committed to expanding its co-op program and driving innovation in the CPG industry.聽

鈥淥mnium demonstrates how co-op programs should work by offering students the autonomy to manage projects from start to finish. At the same time, they provide the guidance they need to refine their skills and seamlessly transition to full-time positions,鈥 says Christine Thur (she/her), the University of 蓝莓视频鈥檚 Co-operative and Experiential Education鈥檚 account manager for Omnium.