Reyad Allie ’11 was recently named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 in consumer tech for his work as a global threat analyst at Uber. The Dartmouth spoke with Allie about his time at Uber and how his experience at the College has effected his career.
What is your reaction to this accolade of being featured on the Forbes List of 30 under 30?
RA: To be honest, I was a bit surprised at first. After reading the biographies of the other recipients, I was proud and humbled to be part of such a hardworking group of people. Every year I would read the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and think that I needed to step up my game but I never thought I would make it onto this list. It is so cool to be a part of it this year.
What does your typical daily schedule look like at Uber?
RA: My days are the same. My work depends on what is going on in the world. Some days I’m looking at the geopolitical situation in Nigeria and the next I’m looking into how to make things safer for riders, drivers and employees in Mexico. My role is to analyze information from a variety of sources to determine how to keep our offices, our executives and our brand safe. I look at political and social situations in cities and countries we operate in so we can understand the level of risk and help mitigate that risk.
What do you find most fulfilling about your career in security technology at Uber? What previous careers did you pursue before starting at Uber?
RA: Working in security has been great, as the work I do has a direct impact on the lives of people around the world. And never have I felt that my work makes more of a difference than at Uber. My work is rewarding because it directly impacts our ability to successfully bring the magic of Uber to new parts of the world. Before starting at Uber, I was part of building the threat analysis and intelligence team at Fidelity Investments for five months. The opportunity to manage a team was very exciting. Before that, I worked on Google’s Intelligence team for a year where I helped expand the scope of the team. I started my career at Google in People Operations, or HR. My team made sure that there was one high Google hiring bar. I did this for about two and a half years and learned a lot about what Google looks for when it hires people.
How has Dartmouth influenced your career?
RA: I was [a] government and Asian and Middle Eastern studies major at Dartmouth. I liked these disciplines because in social sciences, unlike math, there isn’t a right or wrong answer. They were more abstract, and I think that was very valuable to me in my career. I also participated in seven independent research projects at Dartmouth, most of which were in government. I found them to be very challenging and fulfilling, and they taught me some valuable research skills. I also studied at Oxford during my time at Dartmouth. At Oxford, they would give us 20 books and 50 plus articles and ask us to write a paper in a week. I learned not only how to read quickly, but also how to skim. I pore through information in my job everyday, looking at newspaper articles and social media.
What advice would you give a Dartmouth student interested in entrepreneurship and leadership?
RA: You don’t have to know what you want to do with your degree. A lot of people think that they can’t switch what they’re doing and move around. I talk to a lot of Dartmouth alums and students, and I tell them that they should be happy and fulfilled. It is up to you to figure out what you want to do. I’m five years out of college, have had four jobs, been with three companies, and have worked in two different fields — HR and security. It is easy to coast along and not stand out, to be in the middle ground, but pushing boundaries in your 20s leads to better opportunities in the future. You have to step out of your comfort zone to find things you love doing.
This article has been condensed and edited for clarity and length.
