Natalie Zapacosta

Natalie Zapacosta is a distinguished Senior Data Scientist in P&C Global’s Beverly Hills office, specializing in computational finance, quantitative analytics, AI, and machine learning. A proud Philadelphian whose maiden name, Strawbridge, traces back to 1868 with the founding of the iconic Strawbridge & Clothier department store in the city, Natalie brings a legacy of innovation and community stewardship to her work. Her expertise spans the Information & Data Sciences, Retail, Luxury Retail, Financial Services, and Travel & Hospitality sectors.

Natalie’s academic journey includes rigorous STEM training and advanced quantitative study at top U.S. institutions. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics & Statistics from the University of California, Berkeley and she holds a Master of Science in Financial Engineering from Columbia University. To complement her technical expertise with strategic vision, Natalie completed prestigious executive education at MIT Sloan School of Management where she earned an Executive Certificate in Strategy & Innovation and at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania where she earned a Professional Certificate in Fintech: Future Commerce & Finance. 

Natalie’s career demonstrates steady advancement through specialized roles. She began her career at Capital One as a Quantitative Analyst where she designed credit-risk scoring models using ensemble machine learning, reducing defaults by 12%. As a Data Scientist at Sephora (LVMH), Natalie developed recommendation engines for customer personalization, increasing conversion rates by 22%. Further expanding her expertise, Natalie held the position of Senior Quantitative Modeler at Bank of America where she built trade optimization models for wealth management, improving portfolio performance by 8%. Most recently Natalie served as Lead Data Scientist at Expedia Group where she engineered revenue forecasting and dynamic pricing tools, lifting booking conversions by 15%. At P&C Global, Natalie now leads complex AI projects, combining computational finance with NLP and ML, to deliver high-impact solutions for global clients.

Natalie has driven high-impact, data-powered transformations across Retail, Financial Services, and Travel & Hospitality—applying her computational finance, AI/ML, and NLP expertise to deliver measurable business outcomes.

1. AI-Driven Personalization Engine for Luxury Retail Chain
   A leading luxury retailer engaged Natalie to build a real-time AI personalization engine that merged browsing behavior, purchase history, and sentiment signals. The platform enabled customized product recommendations and marketing offers.
   
   Outcomes:
   • 22% increase in conversion rates via hyper-targeted recommendations.
   • 15% uplift in average order value, driven by intelligent cross-sell offers.
   • 18% boost in return-on-ad-spend, reflecting improved campaign efficiency.
2. Quantitative Risk Modeling for Financial Services Firm
   A major financial institution partnered with Natalie to develop an AI-powered credit risk engine using advanced quantitative finance techniques and NLP analysis of customer documentation.
   
   Outcomes:
   • 25% reduction in default rates, through more accurate risk scoring.
   • $150M freed in capital reserves, thanks to improved risk stratification.
   • 30% faster approval timelines, delivering enhanced customer experience.
3. Dynamic Pricing Platform for Global Hospitality Group
   Natalie led the deployment of a dynamic pricing and yield management system for a luxury hotel chain. The solution leveraged real-time demand analytics, competitor pricing feeds, and NLP-driven customer review sentiment to optimize room rates.
   
   Outcomes:
   • 20% increase in revenue per available room (RevPAR) through demand-sensitive pricing.
   • 30% reduction in manual pricing effort, freeing up staff to focus on customer service.
   • 12% improvement in guest satisfaction, thanks to better pricing fairness and transparency.

These engagements illustrate Natalie’s ability to synthesize quantitative finance, NLP, and AI/ML into practical, high-value solutions—turning complex data into competitive advantage and measurable outcomes across diverse industries.

Born in Philadelphia and rooted in a family legacy since 1868, Natalie takes pride in her Strawbridge heritage and its values of community and progress.  She and her husband—an Italian-American pediatrician—live in Beverly Hills with their two children and two golden retrievers. Their home is full of laughter, lively debates over family recipes, and weekends spent exploring California’s beaches or cheering for local baseball games.

Reflecting on joining P&C Global, Natalie says:

“What drew me to P&C Global was its fusion of deep technical rigor and genuine human connection. I didn’t just want to build models—I wanted to help clients make insightful, responsible decisions that shape futures.”

On her growth and gratitude within the firm, she adds:

“Since joining, I’ve gone from building models to mentoring data teams across continents. It’s humbling to see someone I coached share their own success story, like passing the CFA after midnight sessions—proving that analytics is as much about perseverance as it is about math.”

With a laugh, she reflects on her dual roles as a mother and modeler:

“There’s nothing like explaining to your toddler why price elasticity matters—while trying to finish a work call and prevent the dogs from eating the pear tart!”

Natalie’s blend of quantitative brilliance, strategic insight, family devotion, and grounded humor makes her a beloved leader at P&C Global. Colleagues and clients alike treasure her empathy, intellect, and ability to transform complex data into trusted guidance and enduring impact.