Finance Networking Forum 2021
Daibelis Acevedo
Stillman News Section Editor
In October 13, 2021, the Stillman Business School held their 11th annual Finance Networking Forum. Mark D Schild, Elven T Riley & Bob France all greeted our leaders as they return.
In speaking with Bob Franco we learned that this event serves as an amazing opportunity for students to connect, network, and learn from alumni and faculty. He further explains that the annual event provides a firsthand experience for students to connect with people who are in the financial field. Although this event is finance based, students from all majors are invited.
This year we had appearances from companies like Morgan Stanley, Santander Bank, Prudential, and many more! At the event the invited alumni and the faculty shared personal experiences that can serve as a learning lesson for students. This year’s networking forum was a huge success. Associate Director of the Career Center, Bob Franco said “we are very happy to have an in-person event, the fact that we have about 25 outside mentors and 50+ students, it’s a nice ratio, indeed a great opportunity to really build relationships.”
Morgan Stanley employee and SHU Alum, Taylor Cutcliff emphasized how happy it made her to see students searching for opportunities and attending events like these. She shared how she can truly relate and connect with students because she was “once in their shoes.”
Furthermore, Ryan McNeilly who is an employee at Santander Bank. His valuable advice showed students the importance of being able to reach out to professionals and using the resources available. He invited students to connect with him on LinkedIn and be confident when speaking to employers. McNeilly said, “I already have so many LinkedIn notifications right now – they’ve done such a good job.”
The Annual Finance Networking Forum is an event for students to be able to expand their network while learning from professionals who were once in their position. Overall, the event was a huge success for the business school but most importantly, students were able to take away numerous lessons. An event like this not only provides students opportunities to connect but also a valuable practice on how to approach employers and potentially connect with company representatives.
Contact Daibelis at daibelis.acevedo@student.shu.edu