Twelve members of the Big Red Investment Club, a student organization at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Business Administration, traveled to New York City to learn about the world of finance during fall break in October. They visited three businesses to meet with three CBA alumni who currently work in investment banking in the financial center of the United States, where Wall Street is located.
 
“We wanted to take the BRIC students to NYC in order to increase their understanding of investing and investment banking. We also wanted to develop relationships with banks in NYC who can provide future career opportunities for Nebraska graduates and expose them to the tremendous cultural opportunities in NYC,” said Glenn Williams, assistant professor of practice in finance and BRIC advisor.
 
The group visited BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager; Citigroup, a multinational financial services corporation; and Sumridge Partners, a principal-based fixed income brokerage firm that specializes in investment grade, high yield and municipal bonds.
 
Doug Waggoner ’75 and ‘77, managing director of US/Canada Institutional Pensions Client Team within the Global Client Group at BlackRock, NYC, spoke about the importance of interviewing and presentation skills. The group also listened during the daily morning conference call with BlackRock teams from NYC, New Jersey, London and Japan, and viewed the trading floor.
 
Jeremy Johnson ’99 and ’00, managing director for municipal financial products at Citigroup, NYC, talked about working in municipal securities and bonds. He also discussed the financial situations Detroit and Puerto Rico are in currently, and provided helpful job search advice and useful skills in this profession.
 
Ben Neumann ‘03, director at Sumridge Partners, NYC, spoke about the importance of internships, advanced degrees and talking on the phone with clients in this industry. He also explained the technological edge the company has over the rest of the industry.
 
“Visiting with companies like BlackRock, Citi and SumRidge Partners provides the opportunity for students to learn more about careers in investment banking and asset management. The alumni we visited provided an excellent experience that covered both in-depth industry knowledge and information on how to break into these fields. We are so blessed to have CBA alumni who are willing to pass their expertise on to the next generation of business leaders,” said Rachel Larson, assistant director of Career Services at CBA.
 
The students traveled to NYC with Williams, Larson and Laine Norton, development officer for the University of Nebraska Foundation.
 
“The trip to New York City presented some truly unique opportunities. Engaging with senior managers from globally recognized firms was a rare opportunity that few students get to experience,” said Will Wasserburger, senior economics and finance major. “Every professional we met provided insights into each business and how they fit into the financial industry as a whole. I came away from the trip with a more informed perspective on the financial industry and the business environment of New York City.”
 
Chris Spanel, senior finance major and BRIC president agreed. “I was inspired two years ago to get into investment banking because of my involvement in the Big Red Investment Club. Our goal for this trip was for members to gain knowledge and connections, and for them to pass their experience on to others so that they may gain from it.” Published: December 3, 2013