The Saint Anselm College Finance Club hosted a networking event with four Saint Anselm alumni currently working in the finance industry on Thursday, Oct. 6.  The event occurred in the Goulet Science Center and it was open to members of the club only. The four alumni that came to speak to the group of current students were Dan Puopolo (Class of 1998), Ryan Sullivan (Class of 2003), Michaela Scott (Class of 2009), and Kevin Fitzgerald (Class of 2000).

Finance Club President Autrey Gates stated the Club’s mission statement; “To create a much stronger networking platform for our members.”

The first guest to speak was Mr. Ryan Sullivan, Vice President of Global ETF (Exchange Traded Funds) Services at Brown Brothers Harriman (BBH).  While at Saint Anselm College he majored in politics but he entered the industry as a Portfolio Accountant at State Street Bank after graduation in 2003. Sullivan worked at many different positions under various companies within the finance industry and said that he loves his current position but also appreciated each position he has held.

Following Ryan Sullivan was Mr. Kevin Fitzgerald, Director of Cash Management Group at Blackrock, Inc.  Fitzgerald was previously the President of the Saint Anselm College Alumni Association and Chairman of the Alumni Council.  Fitzgerald majored in Criminal Justice. He became close with many of the members of the Saint Anselm Board of Trustees while a student and one of the Trustees assisted Fitzgerald in acquiring his first position at Merrill Lynch in August of 2000.  He received a laugh from the students when he explained that he was first informed of getting this position at Merrill on the first day of Senior Week and that it made his week even more unforgettable. Once he entered the industry with Merrill Lynch he never left the organization.  Blackrock merged with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers in September of 2006.  As an employee of Merrill Lynch in 2006, Fitzgerald simply moved over to Blackrock in a similar role.  He gave a testament to Sullivan by saying that he has loved every role he served, but added that he loved the organization so much that he has never departed.

The next guest, and only female of the 4, was Mrs. Michaela F. Scott, CFP, Vice President Business Development at Boston Partners Financial Group, LLC. Scott majored in Politics at St. A’s.  She stated on of the reasons she enjoys her current position is the flexibility that she has.  She is also currently the Chairwoman of the Saint Anselm College Alumni Council, where she took over for Fitzgerald in August.

The final guest to introduce himself was Dan Puopolo, managing director of fund implementation services at NextShares Solutions, LLC., a subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp.  Puopolo, similar to Fitzgerald, got his position at Eaton Vance Management after graduation from St. A’s in 1998 and has never left the firm.

Students in the finance club asked the guests: what strategies could students use to enter the industry after college, what is the differences between and advantages of becoming a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), and/or attaining your MBA, and what opinions are available for internships during college.

Puopolo explained that he thought interning at different firms during summers between school years and during the school year is definitely the best strategy for entering the industry from college.  Two members of the Board of the Finance Club, including the President of the Club, interned for Mr. Dan Puopolo at NextShares Solutions this past summer.  All 3 other guests agreed with Puopolo on this.

All 4 guests also agreed that getting some work experience is important before attempting to get an MBA or becoming a CFP.  Three of the guests also agreed that entering the industry now is not easy, it is hyper-competitive, so using connections in order to attain positions is extremely valuable.

Club members said they felt this event was a success because the mission of expanding the professional network of the club was accomplished. Club members also said it was interesting to learn about different positions in the industry and different opportunities available to Finance or Business majors from Saint Anselm College.  The Finance Club hopes to host another networking event in the future.

*The writer of this article is also a member of the finance club.