Ashkan Zakarya

Inquirer
DISC Type : cd

Head of Data Science at Pathward

Washington DC-Baltimore Area, United States

Overview

Ashkan Zakarya is the Director of Data Science at Pathward, where he specializes in building and deploying predictive models for fraud detection, credit risk, and direct marketing. He holds a Master of Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology and is passionate about advancing analytical capabilities with modern AI/ML techniques.

Outside of his core role, Ashkan is focused on broader professional development topics, such as viewing ones career as an asset class. He is also interested in research on subjects like Customer Lifetime Value and ROI maximization within consumer lending, and follows macroeconomic trends reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Unique fact: Ashkan has experience as a visiting lecturer at Georgia State University, where he taught a course on Data Visualization and Storytelling with Python.

Personality Overview

Hard To Convince

Demanding

ROI Conscious

They don’t always try to control the conversation but neither do they like yielding it fully.  They focus on objectivity in a pitch and pay little attention to bells and whistles. They respond well to confident salespeople.

Topics They Care About

Profit-Driven AI
He has co-authored publications on creating profit-based artificial neural networks specifically for fraud detection and direct marketing applications.
Effective AI Adoption
He believes that companies should fix underlying broken processes first, viewing AI as a tool to empower people rather than a standalone solution for growth.
Data Storytelling
He has practical experience teaching data visualization and storytelling with Python as a visiting lecturer at Georgia State University's business school.

Media Appearances

Ashkan has no verified media appearances

Work History

7-2025
Head of Data Science at Pathward
10-2021 - 8-2025
Portfolio and Credit Analytics at Pathward
5-2020 - 5-2022
Co-Founder/CFO/CMO at Plateful.ly
10-2021 - 11-2021
Visiting Lecturer at Georgia State University - J. Mack Robinson College of Business
12-2019 - 10-2021
Senior Modeler, Marketing at Discover Financial Services

Education

2015 - 2017
Master of Science - MS from Georgia Institute of Technology
2013 - 2015
Master's degree from Ozyegin University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 7 Location : Washington DC-Baltimore Area, United States Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Head of Data Science at Pathward
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Insights For Selling To Ashkan

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Get to the point quickly instead of spending too much time on pleasantries
  • Refer to testimonials from others in similar positions
  • Be crisp while making the pitch

DONT's

  • Don't try too hard to get friendly, let it happen with time
  • Refrain from asking too many questions
  • Don’t try to be an alpha salesperson, give them equal space

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Ashkan is

  • Belief in the product plays an important role, followed by objective proof and testimonials.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Ashkan

  • They may hesitate slightly, but if they are not convinced, they will say no.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Ashkan move?

  • They are neither the fastest decision makers nor the slowest.
  • Can Ashkan take some risk or not?

  • They can take risks only after they have analyzed the advantages and disadvantages.

You And Ashkan

Personality Compatibility


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