Insights from the Financial Sector at Career Development Committee Networking Breakfast
On October 20, Rivers’ Career Development Committee hosted its 2nd interactive panel discussion on Insights from the Financial Sector at the offices of Bain Capital. Moderated by Committee Chair Gregory Stoller ’87, and featuring four speakers each with a Rivers connection, it was a second in an ongoing series of themed panels.
“It’s nice to see the momentum building, both on and off campus,” explained Stoller. “This was our highest attended event, both in terms of RSVPs and the guests who joined us on Tuesday morning. We changed to an extended Q&A format and there seemed to be some nice buzz in the room, even after the panel concluded. While we try to finish by 9 AM, so folks can get to work, some people even stuck around until 9:45!”
The planning efforts were spearheaded by Larry Glazer, president of the Alumni Council, and the team in the Rivers Advancement Office.
“I consider an event to be successful when people are discussing it before and after it occurs,” said Glazer. “Lots of people approached me, either on email or in person, wondering if there was still room. It’s great to see so much energy from our alumni and we look forward to the next panel on 11/10 focused on Career Planning.”
A 20-minute breakfast reception was held as an icebreaker, with the panel itself beginning shortly thereafter. Jared Perry ’95 of Bain Capital was the host at Bain Capital. Ben Bloomstone, a founder of Cross Shore Capital Management, John Porter, Managing Director at Seaward Management, Peter Saperstone, Fidelity Investments Portfolio Manager; and Dennis Marasca, Rivers’ Controller, each provided remarks to opening questions, and then responded to follow-on queries by Stoller, and the audience, regarding different aspects of the financial markets. Each panelist also provided some networking tips at the end, focused on advice for any Rivers alumni interested in pursuing financial careers.
“I really liked the fast paced nature of this type of panel,” commented Charlie Abrams ’88. “Greg really moves things along and I really enjoyed its energy. In the future, though, we might need a dictionary since acronyms and terms like TPP, MLP and basis points don’t routinely come up first thing in the morning.”
Panelist Ben Bloomstone offered a similar review: “Glad to participate. Nice crowd and everyone seemed engaged.”
Jared Perry agreed. “The US Army notes that they get more done before 9 am than most people do all day. For once, it’s nice to have an event, which promises to get everyone out on time, and then actually does. I really love the back-and-forth between the panel and the attendees. It almost has the feel of a Sunday morning TV talk show!”
The Career Development Committee’s charter is to attract Rivers alumni from any era who are looking to re-connect with one another and the school. It holds events throughout the academic year in Boston, New York, California, and DC. The committee publicizes its events on the Rivers website through interactive media, and pushes them out to the alumni network and business community by leveraging social media.
If you have questions about the January event, or have other event or speaker ideas, please contact Heather Jack at h.jack@rivers.org.
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