Shirley Shi

Shirley is a curious researcher, passionate storyteller and lover of numbers. Her experience spans qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method research, but she shines brightest in the quant world –managing complex A&Us, segmentations, brand/ad trackers, concept/positioning tests, pricing assessments and more. Whether uncovering motivations of play among six- to 12-year-olds or digging into healthcare barriers among seniors, Shirley combines her unique perspective with her methodical savvy to unearth key insights and bring them to life for client partners.

In early 2022, Shirley joined Smarty Pants as an Insights Know-It-All managing key healthcare, apparel, tech and gaming initiatives for the likes of CVS/Aetna, Nike and Microsoft. She began her research career at Hypothesis Group, where she was promoted four times (from intern to Associate Consultant) during her five-year tenure. As an Associate Consultant she led project teams to answer critical business questions for Microsoft, Warner Bros., Dolby, Toyota, Disney, Meta, Amazon and LinkedIn. Her forte was – and remains – delivering data-driven insights in creative and compelling ways.

Born and raised in China, Shirley earned a BA in English Literature from Fudan University. Based in Shanghai, Fudan University is part of China’s elite C9 League (Ivy League) and one of the most prestigious universities in Asia.

Shirley came to the United States in 2016 to obtain her master’s degree in Communication Management from the University of Southern California. In recognition of her academic excellence, she was the recipient of the William Randolph Hearst Scholarship.

Shirley lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two dogs and two cats. She is a lover of the great outdoors. On weekends, you can find her hiking, camping, skiing and kayaking under the beautiful SoCal sun. If she’s not outside, she’s either sweating in a Pilates or hot yoga class or reading books by her favorite authors: Oscar Wilde, George Orwell, Khaled Hosseini and Keigo Higashino, to name a few.