What We’re Up To

A Coffee with… Dan Levitan, Executive Vice President

September 17th, 2019

Dan Levitan, Executive Vice President

☕️ We grabbed coffee with Executive Vice President Dan Levitan to talk about leading our Technology practice, working with some of the world’s top innovators, his favorite (and wild!) concert experience and “Cars 3.” Yes – the Disney movie.

How do you like your coffee? 
The cappuccino machine here is quite good – now thinking in retrospect… I should’ve gone with that.

What do you like to do outside of work? 
Rock climbing, chasing my kids, sleeping. I started rock climbing about three years ago when I reconnected with a college friend who’s obsessed with it. I usually go to Brooklyn Boulder and the Gunks in Upstate NY. And no, I don’t free solo, but it’s quite a good film. You should see it.  

Why did you join BerlinRosen?
I was working at a BerlinRosen client and heard that they were looking to hire. I thought “all the smartest people I know work there, that’s where I should go.” 

Over the past 8 years, I’ve learned so much and been able to grow a team I’m really proud of. When I joined there were only a dozen of us, now there are almost 200. But what hasn’t changed is our mentality of bringing a campaign-style discipline across all of our work.

What’s your day-to-day like at BerlinRosen? 
The fun thing about this job is that almost every day is a little bit different. Obviously, there are a lot of calls and emails, but what’s exciting is the opportunity to meet new people with big ideas. Clients who are trying to change the world and to be able to understand their stories and their vision and help explain them to the world.

What are you most proud of doing since joining the firm?
I’ve been able to work on everything from introducing first-of-its-kind products to startups with big dreams, and working with some of the biggest innovators in the world as they try to continue to push the boundaries of technology.

Tell me a life-changing moment that helped shape who you are today. 
If I’m being honest the moment that changed my life the most is the birth of my kids. It continues to change my perspective every day in new and surprising ways.

Another thing that has helped me stay here for so long is that BerlinRosen really provides an incredible balance between working on tough and interesting projects and at the same time, being able to have time for my family.

What advice would you give to candidates applying to work at BerlinRosen’s Technology and Innovation team?
We’re looking for candidates who are really hungry to help innovative people tell complicated stories. People who feel passionate about getting in deep with our clients to understand their world, their technology, customers, audiences and be able to tell their stories in compelling and strategic ways.

⚡️ Fast Facts

  • Last TV show I binge-watched: Chernobyl
  • Restaurant I’d only recommend to close friends: Kimvhi Taco in Prospect Heights
  • Best concert I’ve ever experienced: Extra Action Marching Band. It was insane, I saw them in NY. I think I got hit in the face a couple of times.
  • Movie I’d pay to see again and again: Cars 3.
  • Book that changed me: “Eyes to the Wind”, a memoir by a friend of mine, Ady Barkan, who’s dying of ALS. It’s an incredible meditation on living a purposeful life.
  • My hero is… My wife.
  • Advice I’d tell my young self: Everything’s gonna be fine.