Tag Archive: Business Careers, Page 4 | Business and Economics

Business Careers

Plan Now for Life after Allegheny – Here’s Your Roadmap

By Beth Ryan November 4th 2019

Students of all majors are invited to attend a special Lunchtime Learning event where Professor Chris Allison ’83, Entrepreneur in Residence, will illuminate the many opportunities available for students with interests in business and economics. “Your professional life will throw a lot of surprises at you, so planning is essential to respond to those setbacks quickly and effectively,” says Professor Allison. “So, failing to plan your educational journey is really planning to fail.”

Professor Allison will guide students in considering the many professional opportunities after graduation and offer suggestions on how to secure internships and achieve career preparedness by taking advantage of the multiple experiential learning activities offered through the Center for Business & Economics and the Allegheny Gateway.

Students in attendance will receive a copy of A Roadmap for Business & Economics, career guide along with along with an internship directory providing a brief overview of the internship opportunities most appreciated by Allegheny students with interests in business and economics. Students will find information to set goals, learn how to get the most of their studies, prepare for jobs and internships as well as evaluate the many career and graduate school opportunities available to them as Allegheny College students. Included in the Roadmap is a form for students to plan their courses and a career & co-curricular planning document – both forms will assist students with resume writing and setting goals for their journey after graduation.

We encourage students to attend this event prior to registering for spring classes.

The Roadmap for Business and Economics
Thursday November 14, 12:15 pm, Quigley Auditorium
Lunch will be provided

Professor Chris Allison, Entrepreneur in Residence and Co-Director for the Center for Business and Economics — *Professor Chris Allison ’83 conducts a series of workshops for students throughout the academic year*

Chris Allison ’83 Allegheny Trustee, Entrepreneur in Residence and Co-Director for the Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business and Economics

Professor Allison is the former Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Tollgrade Communications Inc. He is both the Entrepreneur in Residence and the Co-Director of the Center for Business & Economics. A published author of two books and multiple articles in the Pittsburgh media, his teaching and research interests include Managerial Economics, Entrepreneurship, Financial Literacy, Investing Theory, Writing and Public Speaking. He is the host of the Financial Literacy Challenge and the annual Big Idea Competition where he shares his valuable executive experience to provide guidance and support to Allegheny’s next generation of business leaders.

What Were They Thinking? How honest people go bad…a little at a time

By Beth Ryan October 9th 2019

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics and the Allegheny Law & Policy program will welcome Allegheny alumnus Mike Young, class of ’78. Mr. Young has spent 38 years as a Wall Street attorney investigating corporate wrongdoing. He returns to Allegheny to share his experiences of how good, decent, honorable individuals end up breaking the law – often without even realizing it. He will give concrete suggestions to aspiring business leaders about avoiding the pitfalls that have entrapped so many others.

The Allegheny Community is invited to Quigley auditorium on Thursday, October 17, 12:15 – 1:15 pm for this enlightening presentation; lunch will be provided.

Michael R. Young

Named by Accounting Today as one of the “top 100 most influential people in accounting,” Michael R. Young is a litigation partner at New York’s Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP where he chairs the firm’s securities litigation practice. Mike advises and defends boards of directors, audit committees, accounting firms, public companies, and company officers on issues of corporate governance and financial reporting.

His trial victories include the landmark jury verdict for the defense in the first class action tried to a jury pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. He has served as a member of FASB’s Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council, as chair of the New York City Bar Association’s Financial Reporting Committee, and as counsel to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Center for Audit Quality.

A prolific author on the subjects of financial reporting, audit committee effectiveness and the role and responsibilities of the independent auditor, Mike’s books include The Financial Reporting Handbook (Wolters Kluwer 2003), Accounting Irregularities and Financial Fraud (Harcourt 2000) and, most recently, Financial Fraud Prevention and Detection: Governance and Effective Practices (Wiley 2014).

Mike is a much sought after speaker and commentator on financial reporting issues, and has been regularly quoted in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fortune, Forbes, USA Today, The Washington Post, and The National Law Journal. He has also appeared as an invited guest on Fox Business News, CNBC, MSNBC, CNN, and BNN (Canada). Mike is a graduate of Allegheny College and the Duke University School of Law, where he was Research and Managing Editor of the Duke Law Journal.

Gators in Economic Development

By Beth Ryan September 17th 2019

Christian Walker ’20 and Ethan Graubard ’20 each interned this summer at different organizations pursuing the same interest – economic development.

Sales, Service and Economic Development

Ethan Graubard did double duty this summer working for Enterprise Rental as a customer assistance representative, and as a business liaison at the Bergen County Economic Development office. “It was a hustle all summer,” commented Graubard.

Ethan interned in 2018 at Enterprise as a management trainee, then advanced in 2019 to a Customer Assistance Representative where he gained experience in sales, customer service, management and logistics. “I have always been interested in urban planning and economic revitalization,” he said, “in fact, I did my senior project on public/private non-profit organizations.” He then earned a position at the Bergen County, NJ economic development office team whose goal is to attract business and promote tourism in the county, completing both internships in one summer.

Ethan is an Economics major with minors in Political Science and Community & Justice Studies, a student-athlete (varsity football), and a mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization.

Entrepreneurship in Hermitage, PA

Christian "Dubs" Walker — 2019 Big Idea Winner, Christian Walker ’20 (right side, second from the end) interned for the second year at the eCenter @ LindenPointe, a non-profit business incubator dedicated to helping early-stage startups.

Christian Walker interned for the second year at the eCenter @ LindenPointe, a non-profit business incubator dedicated to helping early-stage startups. He participated along with other interns and entrepreneurs both teaching and attending seminars designed to improve the group’s skills at creating new business start-ups and growing existing businesses.

Christian owns and operates animatr, a brand that destigmatizes the negative misconceptions surrounding Japanese “anime” animation fans with aesthetic streetwear.

“I learned that it’s not just about having a good idea,” said Walker, “it’s about how you implement it.” He added, “My business revenue increased by 350% thanks to the accelerator and hard work.”

Christian is an Applied Computer Science major with a minor in Economics, a Bonner Scholar, and the 2019 Winner of the Big Idea Competition, Allegheny’s annual contest that emulates the experiences seen on the popular CNBC broadcast, Shark Tank.

Allegheny College is grateful for the many opportunities extended to our students through organizations like the eCenter @Linden Point, Enterprise and the Bergen County Economic Development office. The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics works in partnership with Allegheny Career Education to mentor students on how to locate and apply for internships, secure housing and apply for funding sources to defray costs.

Project Management in the Medical Device Industry

By Beth Ryan September 5th 2019

Do you think it’s hard to juggle priorities as a college student? Meet Eric Jones

J. Eric Jones, Operations Manager Imagine what it would be like to be the site manager for a 172,000 square foot manufacturing facility and lead a team of 6 managers, over 300+ labor assemblers and 3 tactical buyers – that’s just another day in the life of Eric Jones.

Attend this presentation to learn more about how Eric approaches project management, leadership and strategy to contribute to $750 million in annual revenue as the man responsible to oversee the assembly, testing and packaging of 1.2 million CPAP devices, 91,000 communicators and 275,000 personal help buttons.

The Allegheny community is welcome to attend the first in the series of Lunchtime Learning presentations on September 10 at 12:15 pm in the Henderson Auditorium, Quigley Hall. Don’t miss this chance for a free lunch and the opportunity to meet this key advisor and thought leader in the medical device industry.

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics sponsors this series to provide students with opportunities to gain valuable information on topics and industries related to internships and careers in business and economics. Speakers often choose one of two broad areas to discuss with students. The first is career oriented, and the second is issue oriented. Both topics enable students to navigate and explore job options, understand the steps necessary to pursue opportunities and learn how to self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace.

Ryan Clydesdale ’20 Wins the Prestigious Cornerstones Summer Analyst position

By Beth Ryan August 19th 2019

Mathematics major with a double minor in Economics and Chemistry, Ryan Clydesdale ’20, was awarded the prestigious Cornerstone Research summer internship experience. According to Clydesdale, “and I had a great ten weeks as a Summer Analyst at Cornerstone Research. From gaining an understanding of the daily workflow of economic and litigation consulting, to acquiring some of the skills that come along with the job, and developing as a professional in general, I benefited immensely from this experience. I am now comfortable with coding in multiple programming languages, using Microsoft Office at a more sophisticated level, and collaborating with others to function as a productive member of a project team.”

Navigating the Application Process

To apply for this position, Ryan submitted his resume, transcript, and a cover letter to Cornerstone through Allegheny’s Career Education office. He was then called back for a phone interview, where he further discussed his interest and qualifications. The next step was a Skype interview, where he took part in two mock case studies. During the latter he was given background information on mock cases and the interviewers asked questions about his approach to investigation and analysis. As part of the process, Ryan was interviewed by multiple Cornerstone employees at various levels of management.

Cornerstone Research

Cornerstone Research is a leading economic and financial consulting firm specializing in the analysis of complex economic, financial, accounting, and marketing issues that arise in the context of various kinds of litigation. Cornerstone Research has 700 staff and offices in Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington.

Cornerstone Research values the professional growth of its summer analysts and recognizes their contributions to clients and the firm. Consequently, many summer analysts choose to join Cornerstone Research full-time upon graduation. The analytical depth of assignments, the breadth of industry exposure, and experience working in case teams offer outstanding preparation for analysts applying to top graduate programs in business, economics, and law, and for ensuing careers in consulting, finance industry, and academia.

Allegheny College is grateful for the many opportunities extended to our students by Cornerstone Research and their continued support of undergraduate experiential learning. The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics works in partnership with Allegheny Career Education to mentor students on how to locate and apply for internships, secure housing and apply for funding sources to defray costs.

#OneYearOut with Kyle O’Connell ’18

By Beth Ryan March 21st 2019

This interview is one of a series of interviews conducted by the Center for Business and Economics Fellows with recent Business & Economics graduates about life after graduation. It was conducted during the Fall 2018 semester by CBE Fellow, Troy Elphinstone ’19 with recent graduate, Kyle O’Connell ’18.

Troy: Where are you currently employed— How did you hear about this position?

Kyle: Currently, I am employed at Highmark Health where I am part of the Leadership Acceleration Program. I heard about the position after speaking with Highmark at the West Pacs career fair.

Troy: What do you do on a day to day basis?

Kyle: For the Leadership Acceleration Program, I rotate through four different areas of the company every six months, so my day to day will change. In my current rotation, I work on the Highmark Health Innovation Team where I’m tasked with both creating and implementing innovative ideas. These ideas typically address an existing problem within our organization/health care or attempt to revolutionize the industry in the future.

I’m currently leading a few major projects as well as a couple minor ones, so my days tend to vary. As an example, one day I might spend 4 hours out at one of our hospitals meeting with patients and clinicians followed by a 2 hour meeting to consolidate the information we found. On a different day, I might present the results or findings of a project to one of our senior leaders in the morning, meet with my team and other leaders around lunch, and then finish the afternoon with more heads down/individual work.
To summarize it briefly…No two days are the same.

Troy: How did Allegheny help prepare you for your current job?

Kyle: In my experience, people tend to question the value of an Economics/liberal arts degree due to its lack of specificity. While I’m yet to draw a MC curve (or any curve at that), Allegheny taught me more advanced skills that have allowed me to adapt in unfamiliar territory. I would say the “big two” I learned are critical thinking and business mindedness. I’m able to tackle projects and think through business processes that address some of the greatest challenges in healthcare—a skill people with more concentrated backgrounds seem to lack. There’s that saying out there about giving a man a fish versus teaching a man to fish—Allegheny provides you with the right tools to succeed even with limited experience.

Troy: What advice would you give to current Allegheny students?

Kyle: Find the thing or experience that separates yourself from others and use that as a major selling point. Put things in real terms—tell people what they need to hear and not what they want to hear. Constantly evaluate yourself and your work to determine if value is actually being created. Don’t be afraid to question ‘why’ because the status quo isn’t always the right way to do things.

#OneYearOut with Celena Turiano ’18

By Beth Ryan February 19th 2019

This interview is one of a series conducted by the Center for Business and Economics Fellows with recent Business & Economics graduates about life after graduation.

This interview was conducted during the Spring 2019 semester by CBE Fellow, Jack Goodman ’19 with recent graduate, Celena Turiano ’18.

Jack: Where are you currently employed? — How did you hear about this position?

Celena: PNC Bank in the Greater Washington D.C. Area — I heard about the position through Allegheny Career Education as PNC came to campus to recruit prospective associates.

Jack: What do you do on a day to day basis?

Celena: At PNC I am a Retail Banking Development Program Associate where over an 18 month period I have the opportunity to grow my skills and knowledge of the retail banking industry which will prepare me for a career in branch management or business banking. My day to day role includes experiential learning opportunities such as servicing clients to provide financial solutions as well as shadow partners in mortgage, investment, business banking and wealth management.

Jack: How did Allegheny help prepare for your current job?

Celena: Overall Allegheny has provided me with knowledge and quantitative skills, but the opportunity I had to develop soft skills to build and maintain relationships with professors, alumni, community members, and peers have added value to my everyday interactions with colleagues, clients and the community where I now reside. The leadership and communication skills I acquired through extracurricular activities at Allegheny provided me the skills to lead and connect with a team. Lastly, the Economics senior comp improved my time management skills. The ability to manage multiple priorities and perform well under pressure has been vital.

Jack: What advice would you give to current Allegheny students?

Celena: My advice to currently Allegheny students is to be yourself and believe in yourself. You may be presented with challenging opportunities, but embrace and learn from every experience because that is how you will grow and evolve.

Allegheny Students Learn Real-World Banking & Finance in Cleveland

By Beth Ryan January 31st 2019

Allegheny College Students, Faculty and Staff on tour at the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank

On a brisk January day, Allegheny students attended a banking and finance panel organized by Blue Point Capital Partners, attended a networking lunch, and finished the day with a tour of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank.

Allegheny alumnus Sean Ward ’89, Partner, Blue Point Capital organized a banking panel in Key Tower with Greg Ward ’94, Senior Vice President – Institutional Commercial Real Estate, Huntington National Bank and Stacy Moritz Corbin ’89, Managing Director Syndicated Finance, Key Banc, to share their career journey with students along with information on how they use economic theory and data on a day-by-day basis. Key Tower colleagues with liberal arts degrees joined the panel to encourage and confirm to Allegheny students that liberal arts graduates are not only highly valued in banking and finance, liberal arts students are in high demand.

The group traveled to a networking lunch with local Allegheny alumni where students were able to get career advice and make life long connections. After lunch, the group attended a special tour at the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank where students learned a great deal about the history of banking and the role that Federal Reserve Banks play in the banking industry.

Here’s a sample of what students had to say:

“I think the trip was amazing (despite the howling winds in downtown Cleveland), and that others should really look at trips like these in the future. I think it was great for the department to help organize it, and I want to make sure you know I had a great time and felt as if it gave me a lot of insight [into] the real financial world.”

“I really enjoyed the trip to Cleveland. My favorite part was the lunch and being able to converse with alumni.”

Major City Trips are designed to enable students to travel to a major metropolitan area, visit leading corporations and interact with business leaders. Students can explore first-hand internship and entry-level opportunities, interview for open positions and meet with successful Allegheny alumni.

Major City Trips are made possible through the generosity of Allegheny Trustee Bruce Thompson ’86, Vice Chairman, Bank of America.

Business with a Mission: Careers in the Non-Profit Sector

By Beth Ryan January 10th 2019

Eileen Webb '06 Manager Ernst & Young — Eileen Webb ’06
Manager, Ernst & Young

On January 17, the Center for Business and Economics and the Allegheny Gateway will welcome Eileen Gallagher Webb ’06, Manager, Exempt Organization Tax Services at Ernst & Young LLP. Active in community service during her college career at Allegheny, Eileen will address issues and career choices in the non-profit sector during her Lunchtime Learning talk from 12:20 – 1:15 pm in Quigley Auditorium entitled, “Business with a Mission: Careers in the Non-Profit Sector.” A complimentary lunch will be served on a first come, first served basis.

Eileen will have open office hours with students beginning at 2:15 pm in Pelletier Library, Career Education, room 253. Check in at the Career Education office to reserve your time slot. Students with interests in the Davies Leaders program, EL experiences, AmeriCorps VISTA, alternative spring break and other civic engagement opportunities provided by the Gateway should take advantage of these opportunities to meet with this alumna whose participation in these programs led her to opportunities in the non-profit community.

Eileen Gallagher Webb

Eileen is a tax manager in Ernst and Young’s Pittsburgh office and a member of the national Exempt Organization Tax Services team. Eileen has over ten years of experience working with various types of tax-exempt organizations including large health care systems and other health care organizations, community development financial institutions, education, and other community and charitable organizations.

Eileen provides tax compliance and advisory services to tax-exempt organizations related to a variety of matters including federal, state and local tax compliance; unrelated business income identification and reporting; application for tax-exempt status; change in public charity status; application for state sales tax exemption; international tax; tax due diligence; and issues related to compliance with Section 501(r) and Affordable Care Act provisions. Prior to EY, Eileen worked at a community development financial institution in Pittsburgh. Eileen received a BA in Economics from Allegheny College and an MBA from Brandeis University. She is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Pennsylvania.

#OneYearOut with Margo Birol ’18

By Beth Ryan January 2nd 2019

This interview is one of a series of interviews conducted by the Center for Business and Economics Fellows with recent Business & Economics graduates about life after graduation.

This interview was conducted during the Fall 2018 semester by CBE Fellow, Emma Black ’20 with recent graduate, Margo Birol ’18.

Emma: Where are you’re currently employed— How did you hear about this position?

Margo: Currently, I work at UPMC as a financial analyst within the Finance Management Rotational Program. I heard about this opportunity through another alum, as well as on campus recruiting.

Emma: What do you do on a day to day basis?

Margo: My team supports two hospitals through a series of routine reports that offer insight into revenue drivers and cost productivity. Additionally, we provide ad hoc reports to our operational partners to help them make informed decisions. We are in the process of getting ready to budget for the 2019 calendar year.

Emma: How did Allegheny help prepare you for your current job?

Margo: In short, Allegheny taught me how to learn. While I learned a lot about Economics at school, I also learned how to think about the bigger picture and consider the impact of my work. Through my various classes, I learned how to think analytically and balance multiple assignments at once. My professors encouraged me to dive deeper into the work I was doing and ask questions when necessary.

Emma: What advice would you give to current Allegheny students?

Margo: My biggest piece of advice would be to remain open-minded and be proactive during the internship and job search. Additionally, utilize the strong alumni network. A lot of doors will open, so don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone for an opportunity.