Don't Feed the Analyst

When Brian Johnson was growing up in Philadelphia’s Lawncrest neighborhood, he and his mother made frequent trips to the Philadelphia Zoo. She even worked in the children’s zoo one summer in college, but young Brian’s favorite animals were the lions and tigers in the carnivore house.

“I couldn’t believe their paws were the size of my head,” he says.These days he gets to pay it forward by taking his friends and their children to the zoo, with one big enhancement: He can give them an insider’s tour. Johnson is the Philadelphia Zoo’s financial analyst.

Like many Drexel graduates, his career began with his first co-op, in this case working at the zoo in accounts payable. His next co-op was at the zoo as well, with exposure to marketing and administration.

“When you prove yourself here, they give you more opportunities,” Johnson says. “I’ve always had that opportunity to expand what I’m doing, and I’m still having a great learning experience.”

Like many Drexel graduates, his career began with his first co-op

Johnson’s responsibilities extend beyond the balance sheet and tax returns. He analyzes operational trends to generate forecasts, creates budgets and financial reports for various philanthropic efforts, and participates in strategy discussions for key programs, including membership and community access for Title I schools.

An essential set of his responsibilities focuses on what makes the zoo the second-highest-visited ticketed attraction in the Delaware Valley behind the Phillies — their guests. One piece of this responsibility is forecasting the daily attendance based on long-term weather forecasts, marketing efforts and external factors.

“We can range from less than 100 guests on a cold winter day to more than 12,000 during ‘Boo at the Zoo,’ so accurate attendance forecasts are a necessity and greatly affect our daily operations.”

Sometimes during the off-season when the weather is unseasonably nice, the zoo can still have one of those ‘big days.’ On those days it’s “all hands on deck,” Johnson says.

“I’ve been called on to help scan tickets, help guests find their way, answer their questions about our animals, even be a monitor in KidZooU making sure our guests aren’t chasing chickens or being too rough petting the goats.”

The best part of the job? Name another financial analyst who gets to hand-feed eucalyptus to the giraffes.