Head shot of Anya Marel
Employee Highlight > Employee Highlight: Anya Marel

Anya Marel

Functional Analyst

What is your title at Synergy, and can you give us a gist of your responsibilities?

I am a Lead Functional Analyst working with the group of very bright individuals. Being a lead comes with a lot of responsibilities—you have to be able to answer many questions, provide sufficient guidance to the team, and make sure to complete your own work assignments as a Functional Analyst.

What is one random fact about you?

I am of Russian descent, but I used to be fluent in French, and I actually studied abroad in Nice as a graduate student. It was one of my favorite times in my life, as I believe that traveling is the best way to enrich your life and learn about new cultures. I can still understand a great deal of the French language, but I find it harder to speak now that I don’t use it as often.

A silly fact is that I can touch my nose with my tongue! 

If you could go to any time period, what time would you pick and why?

If I could go back to any time period, I would love to go back to when the great pyramids of Egypt were built. One of my favorite subjects is ancient history, and it’s an incredibly fascinating time period to me. I would love to find out exactly how they were built, and learn more about how people lived so long ago.

What is your least favorite food?

My least favorite food is any food that is processed! I try to eat as healthy as possible, and that means avoiding things that are heavily processed.

What is an ability you wish you had?

I wish I could fly! What an amazing experience it would be to see the world from above just like a bird. I think it would give me a different perspective on the world and would showcase how small we really are.

Realistically, I wish it was easier to speak in public. I believe that public speaking is one of the most useful skills a person can develop, and it enables you to get your ideas out in the open to many different people all at once.

What kind of music do you listen to?

I love listening to classical music. It can make you feel many different emotions all at the same time. It can be very calming, but it can also energize you and lift your mood. It’s also music that transcends time and will always be applicable to modern times. I don’t think there is any music aside from classical that can do this.

What have you gained from working at Synergy?

I have acquired a deep knowledge of the EDI processes and EDI file structure. I have met people at work from many different parts of the world, which makes our work environment more interesting. I have learned not only about other cultures, but also how to work with people from different cultures and how to build a collaborative team.