Alumni Spotlights are Q&A's with former Brandeis student-athletes, across a myriad of disciplines, as they reflect on their Brandeis experience and how it has shaped their lives today. Read more spotlight features here.
Name: Dan Suher '08
Job Title: Director of Global Sales and Marketing
Organization: COROS
A native of Wilmington, Delaware, Dan Suher was a four-year member of the men's track and cross country teams at Brandeis. He was an All-UAA member of the 4x800-meter relay and All-New England in the 1,000-meter run as a senior.
Ever since graduating, Suher has worked in the sporting goods/running world. He was a field marketing specialist at Saucony in the Greater Philadelphia area from 2009 to 2014 where he helped establish the brand's team sports licensee. From 2014-2018, he worked for running accessories manufacturer Nathan Sports which at the time was based in Philadelphia, serving as the Eastern Regional Sales Manager, responsible for the Specialty Running and Outdoor accounts in the eastern half of the United States.
After earning his MBA from the University of Delaware in 2016, things really picked up for Suher in 2018, when he jumped to an unknown startup in the Sports Wearables/GPS watch category - COROS. He has risen to the title of Director of Global Sales and Marketing, managing the brand during a time of incredible growth from under $1M in sales in 2018, to an expected 2020 revenue of $10-12M. His role includes managing COROS's professional athlete team, which includes Olympians, summitters of Mount Everest, and some of the best trail runners in the world.
Describe your overall experience as a student-athlete. What does it mean to you now/what did it mean to you while you were an undergraduate?
When I first applied and walked onto campus, I expected running to be something I did, but not something that necessarily defined my college experience. In high school, I ran, and I was an okay runner, but it was not something I took extremely seriously. Four years later, running was as big a part of my college experience as anything. I graduated with a degree, but I also graduated with a massive network of teammates and alumni. I graduated with a passion for the sport and an outlet for my competitive personality. The dedication necessary to become a better runner translated as it helped me mature as an individual. Obviously, that running experience has also translated into a career. I knew I would never become a professional runner, nor did I necessarily have a desire to become one. Through the sport and in part then-coach John Evans, I was exposed to the business side of the sport and saw an opportunity for a career even if I didn't know exactly how it would shape itself.
How did your time as a student and student-athlete at Brandeis prepare you for your career and life after college?
I believe a liberal arts education teaches you, above everything else, how to think. I am not sure I realized how much Brandeis prepared me in this way until I started my career and was forced to think critically and creatively on several topics. The business world is not like academia, but the ability to think about and evaluate important topics is paramount, and I learned these skills at Brandeis, even if subconsciously.
On the student-athlete side, there is the obvious and the perhaps less-tangible preparation. While working in the running industry does not require one to be a runner, it certainly helps. I have a leg up (no pun intended) on knowing what our core customer is looking for and needs in a product. As cliche as it may sound and I am sure everyone says this, the ability to work as a team, and more importantly, to lead is something that comes directly from being a student-athlete. Even before the pandemic, I worked remotely in my current role, and I don't think there is a better sport than running to prepare you for a leadership role without much physical interaction. Running is both an individual and team sport, and in my current role, I certainly am competitive with myself to achieve my goals, while also focusing on the brand and my teammates to make sure we collectively achieve our benchmarks...so far, so good.
Do you have any advice for current or future Brandeis Student-Athletes?
Take a risk! As an individual, I am fairly risk-averse. In some cases I think it held me back earlier in my career. Coming to COROS at the time seemed like the biggest risk I had taken in my career, jumping to a virtually unknown brand with major competitors. Fast forward, and it was the best decision I have made professionally, and it has also created a great confidence that has rolled over into my personal life. They say when you save for retirement, you can be a little more risky in the early years than closer to your retirement date - take this advice for life in general. If things don't go your way, you have plenty of time to "catch up," but if they do swing in your favor which I am sure they will - you will set yourself up for a great career and life.
What originally attracted you to Brandeis as a student-athlete?
A few things stood out. Brandeis is a fantastic academic institution so that certainly played a role as did the proximity to Boston and the ability to take advantage of such a great city while also having a campus. As for running, I saw a place and a coach - John Evans - that would allow me to grow as a person and an athlete.
What lessons did you learn as a student athlete that have benefited you as a professional? As a person?
It's a trait I am still learning, but I started to learn to listen and trust those around me and that other people might actually know more than me. I still remember my first indoor track meet and John had me seeded in the 800 at 2:05. While I was by no means a great 800m runner, I felt a little insulted - this was slower than my high school best, and I had certainly improved since then. Fast forward and about one lap into the four-lap race, I decided to take the lead and push the pace. The last lap was a struggle and I would get passed and finish in you guessed it...2:05. Thankfully I had many better races after that, but I learned a valuable lesson in that race that sometimes I don't know everything even if I occasionally like to think I do.
What do you miss most about your Brandeis experience?
100 percent, the people, my teammates. There was nothing better than having a big group of guys to go out on a run with or work out with. Sitting around after practice, or jamming as many people as we could around a table as Usdan (the exact opposite of social distancing), these are some of my fondest memories, and something you really can't replicate once you graduate.
Do you still keep in touch with any of your former Brandeis teammates?
Absolutely, although perhaps not as much as I wish, especially since many are still in the Boston area and I am in Philadelphia. That said, anytime I am up in New England I do my best to see teammates, sometimes even going for a run. In fact in 2019, several of us ran the Boston Marathon "together". While most of us did not have the race we were looking for, the lead up to race day was amazing as we checked in on each other and followed each other's progress not unlike we used to with our summer training. I am also fortunate to be engaged to Grayce Selig (Class of 2011), so pandemic permitting, I hope to see several former teammates at our wedding.
This interview was lightly edited for clarity.