Brendan McDermott – Large Fleet Marketing Assistant
Where did you go to college and field did you study and why did you picked it?
I went to school at Kent State University where I graduated with a degree in economics. I never originally thought of economics as something I’d like to study, but when I started out as a history education major I had to take an economics course, and I ended up loving it. The combination of analytical thinking and data oriented research really got me interested in economics.
How did you find your way to working at National Risk Management Services?
After I graduated I started looking for jobs in a couple industries, but predominantly in insurance. I eventually found my way to a posting about an assistant position here at NRMS. After my first interview I got a feel for how the company would be and decided to continue to pursue the job.
What is your role in the company?
I’m an assistant to the large fleet department here, so I assist the department in a variety of tasks to help shoulder some of the workload they have, while at the same time learning the industry.
How would you describe National Risk Management Services?
They’re a great group of people who work hard to serve the trucking industry. It often seems less like an office and more like a group of friends with a common goal.
What do you like most about the trucking industry?
Before working here I never really grasped how vital the trucking industry is. The majority of goods are transported via trucks in America; most people don’t really seem to think of how important this industry is to their day-to-day lives. The work is also very fast paced which I like, that way things never have a chance to get boring.
What do you do when you are not working?
When off work I often find myself doing one of two things: reading or watching movies. I read both fiction and non-fiction regularly. One of my favorites is Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. When it comes to movies, I’m a big fan of sci-fi, especially Godzilla and older B-movies.
Tell us something about yourself that most people do not know?
I’m fascinated by foreign languages and love to study them. I can speak a fair amount of Chinese from my time at Kent State, and continue to study it in my free time, albeit not as much as I would like. I can also speak and read a little bit of Russian, and would like to continue to learn that as well.