School of Business Hosts Alumni and Student Professional Development Forums

Approximately 100 students attended the professional development forum with Valley Bank. 

The Caldwell University School of Business and Computer Science recently held a number of professional development forums for  students and alumni to learn about emerging business opportunities and network. 

On Sept. 22, the School celebrated the opening of its state-of-the-art Bloomberg Labs and  new academic majors including the Bachelor of Science degrees in Supply Chain Management and Business Analytics.  

Alumni, friends of the University, faculty, staff and students heard from professionals in the industries, toured the Bloomberg labs, and reconnected with old friends.   

Attendees appreciated hearing from guest speakers, Steve Leeds, vice president of business analytics for Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, and Murat Koksel, director of liner activities in the National Cargo Bureau’s New York headquarters. The speakers provided information on the history of their fields,  perspectives on their businesses today and  professional advice for students and alumni.  

Alumnus Joe DiCarlo ‘17, senior manager, product strategy, at American Express in Manhattan, appreciated the program and seeing his former professors and other alumni. He said the speaker and discussion about analytics has great relevance for his work. As business evolves and matures it is important for a professional in his type of role to know “what it means to be a good partner with an analyst.”  DiCarlo earned his Bachelor of Science in Marketing degree from Caldwell. 

Shyam Sharma ‘17, offer manager at Globals at VMware, said it is incredible to see the growth the School of Business and Computer Science has made in a short time.  “The Bloomberg terminals are an exciting resource which will help students gain exposure to real world tools and data used by financial professionals.”  Sharma holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Management  from Caldwell. 

Alumnus Sjoerd Blankenstein ‘17 also agreed that the Bloomberg lab will provide students with essential tools in the marketplace “and will be attractive for future students to join the Caldwell program. I wish we had the lab during my time!”  An investment research and planning analyst at Bleakley Financial Group in Fairfield, New Jersey, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Financial Economics from Caldwell. 

Virginia Rich, J.D., associate dean of the School of Business and Computer Science, was delighted to welcome the guests to a night to celebrate the extraordinary growth of their department, which now has 14 academic degree programs at the bachelor and master levels and 18 minors. Rich said she and her colleagues stay informed of cutting edge industry and business needs and make sure their students have essential skills to get out and be successful.  She noted that the School’s significant facilities growth including the Bloomberg Financial Markets terminal is “a game-changer” that provides every Caldwell student with the opportunity to earn a Bloomberg certification to add to their resumes.  This certification, and others that students earn in the business school, she said, can “open up doors on Wall Street and any part of the business industry.”

VALLEY BANK  

On Sept. 19, executives from Valley Bank presented to approximately 100 students about the bank’s culture, different business areas, internships and women in business.  Anusha Pandey, a computer science major, spoke about her summer internship working in web development at Valley’s headquarters in Wayne, New Jersey. Her experiences went well beyond her department’s work; she was mentored by a professional, took part in the company’s volunteerism efforts and hosted a women’s empowerment and diversity event with a Valley Bank team. 

CRUM AND FORSTER 

On Sept. 26, Crum and Forster (C&F) professionals participated in a forum with the School of Business and Computer Science, providing to the undergraduate students invaluable career advice including internship and advancement opportunities. C&F has a history dating to 1822 of providing specialty and standard commercial lines insurance products. Professionals spoke to the students about rewarding career paths in the insurance industry, including roles in actuarial, claims, regulatory, procurement, IT, risk engineering and property and casualty underwriting. Students networked after the presentation with the vice president of human resources and other senior managers of C&F.

The Valley Bank, Crum and Forster and Bloomberg Lab events were supported by the Caldwell University Office of Development and Alumni Affairs.