People / Students / Class of 2026
Linda Arakelyan graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a dual degree in Statistics and Finance and a minor in Economics. She earned highest distinction in Statistics and high honors in Finance. During her undergraduate studies, her academic focus included data science, econometrics, and financial analytics, supported by coursework in statistical data management, advanced data analysis, and portfolio management. Through this coursework, she developed proficiency in SQL, Python, R, and SAS.
Prior to joining the MLDS program, she worked as a transfer pricing consultant at Ernst & Young, advising multinational clients across industries such as technology, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and retail on global tax and intercompany pricing strategies. Her work involved preparing and analyzing U.S. and international transfer pricing documentation in compliance with OECD guidelines and Section 482 of the Internal Revenue Code. She conducted detailed benchmarking and industry analyses by identifying comparable companies and assessing financial data to determine arm’s-length pricing for intercompany transactions. In addition, she performed functional and financial analyses to evaluate global business operations, working closely with tax, legal, and finance stakeholders to design and implement intercompany pricing strategies. She conducted in-depth evaluations of global operational structures, crafting intercompany pricing strategies designed to mitigate tax risk, ensure regulatory compliance, and enhance operational efficiency. Her work involved utilizing tools like Power BI to transform data into actionable insights through clear, client-facing visualizations.
Through the MLDS program, Linda Arakelyan aims to deepen her technical expertise while engaging with ethical and strategic questions surrounding data use. She is particularly interested in the societal implications of machine learning, including data privacy, algorithmic accountability, and global regulatory challenges. She looks forward to contributing to a collaborative and interdisciplinary learning environment, where she can help bridge technical problem-solving with business insight. Beyond her academic interests, Linda finds balance through teaching and practicing yoga, and enjoys biking, gardening, and immersing herself in nature.
