Waterloo co-op students are shaping strategy and excelling at Omnium
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 three Waterloo alumni founded Omnium, they knew exactly where to look for talent—the University of Waterloo co-op program.
Johnny Valeriote (he/him) (MMath ’09), Colin Davidson (he/him) (BMath ’11) and Adam Carter (he/him) (BMath ’11) each developed their data analytics expertise through different rigorous programs in the University’s 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.
Diana Constantinescu (BMath ’24), data scientist at Omnium
Since its launch in 2018, Omnium has stayed deeply connected to its roots, consistently hiring Waterloo 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 Waterloo students.
“What sets Waterloo co-op students apart is their fresh perspectives,” says Diana Constantinescu (she/her) (BMath ’24), data scientist at Omnium, who started as a co-op student.
With their strong math background, they don’t just apply our existing methodologies, they think critically and often come up with alternative approaches that impact the work we do.
Co-op students influence key business decisions
Waterloo 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. In his role, Noronha worked to optimize distribution, pricing and promotional strategies for CPG companies.
“One 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,” says Noronha.
Noronha’s pricing models and discontinuation probability calculations helped clients make more informed decisions about product placement and inventory, ultimately improving profitability.
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.
Innovating through student-led research
Co-op students at Omnium don’t just assist with projects—they 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.
Laura Bumbulis (BMath ’22) (MMath ’24), PhD candidate, Faculty of Math
Laura Bumbulis (she/her) (BMath ’22) (MMath ’24) is a PhD candidate in Waterloo’s Faculty of Mathematics and the faculty’s 2021 Co-op Student of the Year. She 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’s method improved Omnium’s previous technique and has since been used to deliver stronger insights to the company’s clients.
“My 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,” says Bumbulis.
During her second work term, Bumbulis worked at Omnium’s San Francisco office.
There, she continued refining her research while analyzing distribution, pricing and promotional strategies. “I updated the R code from my previous project to make it more user-friendly and used Python’s OR-Tools package to develop a framework for optimizing clients’ production objectives,” says Bumbulis.
Omnium's approach to co-op success
Omnium fosters a supportive environment where co-op students continuously learn and grow.
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.
“Throughout the program, co-op students engage in both theoretical lectures and practical exercises,” says Constantinescu. “This comprehensive training builds their confidence, so they can contribute meaningfully to client work during the rest of their term.”
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 Microsoft Excel World Championship, which complements their training and real-world tasks.
“I 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,” says Noronha.
By investing in Waterloo 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.
“Omnium 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,” says Christine Thur (she/her), the University of Waterloo’s Co-operative and Experiential Education’s account manager for Omnium.