The education and training provided by the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FCSH) at ESPOL continues to open doors to organizations with a global reach. Marcelo Ortiz Villavicencio, a graduate of the Economics program and the Master’s Degree in Economic Sciences, has been selected to join Amazon as an Economist Ph.D. Intern, a highly competitive position for economists in the final years of their doctoral studies.
Marcelo is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Economics at Emory University in the United States, with an expected completion date of 2027. Joining Amazon represents an important professional milestone, as he becomes part of one of the world’s largest and most influential technology and e-commerce companies, recognized for developing innovative solutions based on data science, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics for millions of users.
At Amazon, Marcelo works in Stores Economics and Science, an interdisciplinary department that brings together specialists in economics, econometrics, machine learning, and applied sciences to support decision-making in retail and supply chain operations. His work involves analyzing complex business problems and developing solutions with large-scale impact.
Before beginning his doctoral studies, Marcelo gained professional experience at technology companies in Latin America and worked as a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank, building a career focused on economic analysis and problem-solving through quantitative methods.
For Marcelo, the foundation he built during his studies at ESPOL was instrumental in reaching this new professional challenge. He particularly highlights the strong quantitative training provided by both the Economics program and the Master’s Degree in Economic Sciences, which enabled him to develop the ability to address highly technical problems while keeping in mind the impact that decisions can have on economic agents.
“The ability to solve highly technical problems while also considering the impact that proposed solutions may have on economic agents is an essential skill that I began developing during my years at ESPOL,” he says.
One of the main challenges Marcelo has encountered at Amazon has been adapting to the pace at which the industry analyzes and solves problems. While processes in academia often develop over longer periods, the technology sector requires professionals to quickly understand situations, propose viable solutions, and iterate efficiently. This experience, he explains, has strengthened his ability to adapt and work in highly dynamic environments.
