Thank you to everyone who attended our first meeting of the semester! Several employees from Prudential Financial presented to Finance Society members about their company, upcoming Finance Industry Immersion Program, and more. Students were able to network and ask questions about the company and their opportunities for UConn students.

The last meeting of the semester was a current events discussion led by Abby and Jack. They provided an engaging presentation on the markets, news on the Saudi Aramco IPO, and more. Members were given the opportunity to ask Jack and Abby questions about the topics presented, which stimulated further discussion and additional questions.

This week’s meeting was the final round of the Finance Society Stock Pitch Competition. The top 4 teams pitched Disney, Match Group, McCormick, and Walmart. Taishi Kato of HIMCO and Joe Cotton of Sikorsky, both former SMF participants, returned to judge the competition along with Professor Paul Gilson. The winner of the fall 2019 Finance Society Stock Pitch Competition was McCormick!

This week’s meeting was led by Shapleigh Smith of Citi. He gave an informative presentation on the banking industry, his career, and the opportunities for UConn students at Citi.  Shapleigh highlighted the accelerated timeline associated with the banking industry jobs, and gave advice on how to stay ahead of the curve. Members were given the opportunity to ask Shapleigh questions and network with him after the meeting.

This week’s meeting was led by Trevor Russo, UConn alum and former SMF member. He currently works at Ironwood Capital, a private equity firm in Avon, CT. Trevor gave members an overview of the private equity industry along with how Ironwood Capital operates. Students were engaged in asking questions about how the company decides which deals to pursue, if private equity is here to stay, the CFA process, and more. Members were given the opportunity to network with Trevor as well.

This meeting was the first round of the Finance Society Stock Pitch Competition. Seven teams competed for three spots in the next round of the competition. This was an opportunity for those looking to learn more about stock pitch competitions and how to execute a stock pitch successfully. We look forward to seeing the results of the first round next week!

This meeting was filled with workshops! Julia, Jack, Sam, and Andrew led insightful presentations on recruiting, resume building, and the basics of a stock pitch. Members were exposed to the recruiting timeline, an Executive Board member’s resume as an example, and databases/useful resources for a stock pitch. This meeting was packed with many learning opportunities for Finance Society members.

This meeting was a current events presentation led by Jordan and Paul. They discussed unicorn IPOs, thoughts about the Fed and what they think the Fed is going to do, the oil industry, and more. Members were engaged and asked thought-provoking questions concerning the nature of IPOs and what they thought was going to happen in the oil market.

We were pleased to welcome Robert Flug, former CFO of J.P. Morgan Wealth Management to the this meeting. Robert shared his experiences working for the company, the path he took to get there, and other general advice. He provided students times to ask questions and he welcomed members to introduce themselves at the end of the meeting.

Mark Gelinas, Vice President of Talent Management at Virtus Investment Partners, gave Finance Society members a wonderful presentation on his company and the asset management industry. He highlighted internship and full-time opportunities for UConn students. He detailed how the company operated, who they were, and invited a Finance Society member to speak about his internship experience this past summer.