In the second installment of our series of alumni networking events, 30 Millbrook graduates connected to the finance industry gathered on a Zoom call hosted by Director of Alumni Engagement Nick Ugarte. Kate Jenkins ‘96, global head of talent acquisition at Ares Management, moderated an engaging segment in which she, along with additional experts Andres Coles ‘90 (director and private wealth advisor at First Citizens Bank) and Paul Simons '83 (founder and CEO of PureFi Wealth), shared experience and invaluable wisdom with the group.
Boarding school is an investment, and part of the return on that investment is lifelong inclusion in a tight-knit network of influential professionals. Wednesday’s networking event was a clear reminder of how being part of such a community can have a positive impact. “During the call, there was a real-life example of the power of the Millbrook network in which two individuals shared how they landed their roles through leveraging their Millbrook connections,” Ugarte explained.
In addition to detailing their professional journeys, participants discussed everything from the evolution of the wealth management industry to hard and soft skills needed to work in finance to self-marketing for job opportunities. A key takeaway was that while technical proficiencies are important, having the ability to attract clients is one of the most important skills a financial professional can have. "Wealth management is really about being a trusted advisor to individuals and families," notedSimons. "Simplifying their lives, creating positive outcomes, and ensuring their peace of mind. Of course, there are layers of complexity beyond that, but keeping it simple really boils down to those three things."
Here is more of the sage advice the mentors on the call offered their younger counterparts during the session:
“You've just created a connection with someone that I think before today, you never had. That could mean something, right? You're now moving. It's like little steps that you're moving towards something that you don't know what it is. … You have to put out these tentacles, like an octopus, out into the world, because you don't know which tentacles are going to pull in your next opportunity, your next relationship, your next deal, anything. But you're not getting it if you don't put it out there. The business world is very competitive.” — Teddy Karatz ’96
“It doesn't cost you anything to be nice, to be thoughtful, to be consequential. You know, that's what might differentiate you from the next guy.” — Andres Coles
Positive feedback poured in after the event, thanking Ugarte for bringing together so many high-caliber individuals for an evening of thoughtful engagement. We look forward to hosting more networking meetups, bringing together professionals for more fruitful discussions on how to live lives of meaning and consequence after Millbrook.
