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Five Workshops & One Week: 177 Students Explore Business

Fullbridge team winners

The spring 2023 semester started off with 177 students participating in five concurrent virtual business workshops.  The week of January 18-22 was led by 70 alumni presenters and mentors in the following areas:

    • Fullbridge Professional Edge: This simulated workweek provides exposure to the basics of business and an opportunity to collaborate in teams through active learning culminating in a final presentation.
        • Special congratulations to Team Adidas for the innovative growth idea securing them each the top prize of a $300 Apple gift card! Will Croce ’25, Will Sampson ’24, Ignacio Sanchez ’26 and Thomas Foster ’26 let by cCoach Carmen! 
    • Corporate Finance & Banking: With virtual tours at top banks and overviews of corporate finance, corporate banking, and asset management, 20 students spent two days gaining a comprehensive understanding of the industry.   Opportunities to understand the application process and culture of the industry included a recruiter panel and a virtual networking event.
    • The new Entrepreneurship Fundamentals Workshop was led by Bob Allard ’91 and Michael Yatco ’06 where they discussed the entrepreneur’s mindset with 15 students working through business strategy and innovation..
    • Interview Prep: Personal branding and a core value proposition are key to successful interviewing.  60 students further developed their elevator pitch and practiced interview skills with the Center for Career Development followed by successful career tips from notable alumnae.
    • Marketing Communications & Sales: Alumni led 45 students through the practical exploration of advertising, marketing, sales, and public relations.  Teams competed in the PepsiCo Challenge, each tasked with bringing SodaStream to campus for individual use.

Many of the students participated in more than one opportunity as they worked towards Business Certificate Program completion, including the month-long Excel Tutorial offered during the month of January.
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Women’s Impact on Business World Celebrated at Holy Cross’ 17th WIB Conference

 

Fireside keynote chat on stage in the Hogan Balroom
(L-R) Nancy E. Andrews, associate professor of classics, and Erin Robert ’06, managing director of impact finance with JPMorgan Chase & Co., sharing their keynote discussion at the 17th annual Women in Business conference hosted by the Carlyse and Arthur A. Ciocca ’59 Center for Business, Ethics, and Society. (Photo by Rob Carlin)

Women’s Impact on Business World Celebrated at Holy Cross Conference
The 17th annual Women in Business event encouraged alumnae, faculty, staff and students to share experiences and learn from each other.

During the keynote discussion, Erin Robert ’06, managing director of impact finance with JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Nancy E. Andrews, associate professor of classics, reflected on their time on The Hill, how it shaped their careers and how they continue to encourage women as  colleagues and mentees.

“It’s incumbent on us that when we get to the tables, that we recognize that we’re there and what we can do to continue to open the doors and pull the women in behind us,” Robert said.

Robert shared that she uses her Jesuit liberal arts education to help implement and manage initiatives that incorporate the company’s goals of advancing racial equality, unraveling systemic racism in the financial markets, and combating climate change in emerging markets and putting them into action.

Read more in the Holy Cross Newsroom…

 

 
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Colman Benson ’24: Ciocca Center Intern

Student quote from text

My name is Colman Benson ‘24 and I am a junior at Holy Cross majoring in political science with a Certificate in Finance and Banking. Through the Academic Internship Program I am taking the class Policy and Politics: The Midterm Elections, taught by Tim Bishop and Peter Flaherty while I am working for the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society to fulfill my internship requirement for the Certificate. Throughout the semester I will be interviewing faculty and alumni to highlight their different career paths in the business world. I will also demonstrate how their liberal arts education and the values of Holy Cross have guided them through their respective business careers.

Towards Certificate completion, I have completed several workshops including Fullbridge,  Interview Prep, Banking Ethics and Corporate Finance and Banking  in addition to the Excel Tutorial.  I have been able to gain fundamental knowledge and useful business skills through my participation in the Ciocca Center workshops. During the Fullbridge Professional Edge Program I worked on a team to study the data and finance metrics of our company along with its competitors to develop a growth strategy throughout a fast-paced simulated work week. We pitched our final project to a panel of mock investors to show how our new product could penetrate the market and provide growth for our company. This workshop was very beneficial as it gave me the opportunity to solve a problem with my teammates and pitch our solution, including how and why our new product would increase our company’s revenue. The Corporate Finance and Banking Workshop has given me an insight into some of the top firms in the industry including Natixis and Wellington, asset management firms. I have been able to grow my connections and foster relationships with Holy Cross alumni that I have met at these firms through the workshop. 

I am very excited to continue expanding my alumni network and to learn more about their experiences in the business world. I believe this will give me a great opportunity to enter the field of finance in the future. 

Check out the following faculty and alumni interviews:
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Ciocca Center Announces New Director

Rob Murner at head of class

“I’m very honored and excited to take part in continuing the excellent programs that David, Cassie, and Kathy have developed” shares Rob Murner, new director of the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society “and we’re already in the planning stages for where we take the Center next!”

Rob joined Holy Cross in the spring of 2019 as an adjunct professor to teach the Business Fundamentals Lab. Commenting on his new role at the College, Rob states “I’m especially looking forward to meeting and interacting with the students and my door is always open.”

Prior to teaching he spent 30 years as a strategic and global executive where he focused on building enterprise value for public, private, and start-up organizations in the aerospace & defense, materials sciences, healthcare, manufacturing, and software industries. His work included engineering, program management, sales/marketing, company turnarounds, teaching/coaching, and corporate financial management to include international banking.

Drawing on these experiences we can foresee the Center to develop “an alumni-student mentoring program, and various efforts to connect with local business communities.” Rob goes on to share that “we will be initiating an outside-in look at what we have to offer and will be soliciting input from students, parents, alumni, businesses, and partner organizations within the College.”

Rob is a graduate of the University of Michigan (aerospace engineering), and Wright State University (MBA). He is a life member of the Beta Gamma Sigma academic honor society and U of M alumni community. He has conducted business in several countries including China, Taiwan, Canada, Europe, and Russia.

Rob started his career in the United States Air Force where he took part in the development of several aircraft, space, and jet propulsion systems. He lives in Shrewsbury Mass with his wife of 32 years, Christine.
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English & Art History Major Pursues Career in Investor Relations

My name is Audrey (Qianqian) Wang ‘25 and I am a rising sophomore at Holy Cross, majoring in English and Visual Art History with a Certificate in Business Fundamentals. This summer I am an office intern at the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society. Some of my responsibilities include digitizing the Center’s files, drafting promotional materials, and identifying statistics to support the College’s celebration of coeducation next academic year.  

Earlier this summer I participated in the Fullbridge Professional Edge Program, a weeklong intensive, virtual program (online due to a COVID-19 surge) designated to pave the way for Holy Cross students to succeed in the demanding business world. Since its founding in 2011, the Fullbridge program has been uniquely positioned to help aspiring individuals at every level bridge the knowledge and skills gap with immersive, affordable training, reaching over 350,000 learners worldwide. Born into a business family in a metropolitan, fast-paced Chinese city and growing up in both Massachusetts and China, I felt the Fullbridge program has empowered me to step out of my comfort zone. I can now confidently analyze the discrepancies between Chinese and American business cultures.

The majority of my cohort were also first-year students exploring business. On the first day of the program, I was immediately fascinated by the face-paced yet highly interactive learning environment made possible by experienced coaches and passionate participants. We built relationships through daily virtual webinars, Zoom office hours, and breakout room discussions. Additionally, it was a great opportunity to make new friends on campus who share the same passion. 

We developed skills like data analysis, business IQ, design thinking, emotional intelligence, real-world problem solving, idea flow, and situational awareness which all matter to organizational excellence, test decisions made under pressure, and correlate with outstanding performance.

Continue reading “English & Art History Major Pursues Career in Investor Relations”
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Fenwick Scholar Awarded to Certificate in Finance & Banking Student

Fenwick Scholar Max Hendrix 23

Fenwick Scholar:  Max Hendrix ’23

Studies: Philosophy,  Economics, Certificate in Finance & Banking

Advisors: Prof. Karsten Stueber, Philosophy &  Prof. Kolleen Rask, Economics

Project: Max will undertake a philosophical analysis of human agency under rational choice theory – the theory in mainstream economics that human beings are fundamentally rational and use this rationality to recognize and pursue goals that align with their own self-interest.  Rational choice theory can be useful for its powerful predictive abilities, but contemporary work in both behavioral economics and social psychology have recently begun to critique these assumptions and question the limits of this theory.  Max would like to approach the question from a philosopher’s perspective, particularly those philosophers who emphasize the intrinsically social nature of humans.  Of interest, for example, is Adam Smith’s often overlooked belief that empathy if a fundamental part of our human agency.

Congratulations to Max Hendrix ’23,  a double major in philosophy and economics pursuing a Certificate in Finance & Banking, for receiving the Fenwick Scholar.   This award is the highest academic award that the College bestows. With advisors, the Fenwick Scholar designs a program of independent research or a project that will complete their undergraduate education in the most challenging, creative, and meaningful way.
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Thomas Cotter 17 and Brendan Quinn 06 Advocate for Learning and Discovery

Headshots of one students and two alumni.

Welcome to Season 3 of the Mission Driven Alumni Podcast!  New episodes will be released throughout the spring and summer of 2022.

In this episode, Conor Joslin ’23 interviews Thomas Cotter ’17 and Brendan Quinn ’06.  Thomas and Brendan met while Thomas was a student at Holy Cross. Their professional journeys converge thanks to the app INDX, a startup co-founded by Thomas and funded by Brendan. Through INDX, they hope to channel their energy and create a product that fosters learning, discovery and growth for all. True entrepreneurs at heart, they show us what’s possible when you take a problem and focus your efforts on finding a solution.

Interview originally recorded in March 2022.

 
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Chris Man ’00 is Passionate Advocate for Better Business and Greater Good

 

Mission Driven Podcast Season 3 Episode 1 Welcome to Season 3 of the Mission Driven Alumni Podcast!  New episodes will be released throughout the spring and summer of 2022.

The first episode of season 3 features a conversation with Chris Mann ’00.  Chris has built his career around making a difference in the lives of others.  He’s joined in conversation with JP Cunningham ’23.  They discuss Chris’ time at Holy Cross and how he has carried the HC mission to serve others throughout his life and career.

Listen to the interview with Chris Mann ’00, VP & Head of Community Affairs at Bain Capital, by JP Cunningham ’23, fall 2021 Ciocca Center intern. 

Interview originally recorded in November 2021.
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Business Social on the Hoval Celebration

Students with Professor

There is a growing number of students on the hill pursuing business. This year the Ciocca Center awarded 82 Certificates, up from 64 last spring.  To celebrate this milestone, and the retirement of Prof. David Chu, the campus community was invited to the inaugural Business Social on the Hoval held on Monday, May 2 from 1-3pm.

Business Certificate Program graduates were invited to pick up their hard copy certificates and graduation pins.  Underclassmen interested in learning more about the program were encouraged to chat with Ciocca Center staff for more information and to register for a Business Certificate Program.

Faculty and students took this opportunity to meet up with other Business Certificate Program students, recharge before finals and say goodbye to Prof. Chu before retirement at the end of the academic year.

Everyone enjoyed delicious food truck fare with Mrs. Moriconi’s Ice Cream and Say Cheese!  A number of students lined up to get their professional headshots taken, and others mixed with peer Business Certificate Program students under the tents.  It was a celebratory afternoon and we look forward to doing it again next spring!
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Open Letter to Business Certificate Program Graduates

Dear Business Certificate Program graduates, 

Congratulations! After years of workshops, tutorials, internships, coursework, and job shadowing experiences, we are proud to name you as a graduate of the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society at the College of the Holy Cross.  

As a graduate, you are among a select group of students who will be receiving a Certificate in Business Fundamentals, Certificate in Entrepreneurship, and/or Certificate in Finance & Banking. 

While others were vacationing, you had decided to immerse yourself in business, expose yourself to new concepts, build transferable skill sets, and network with successful alumni in the field. This dedication has made all the difference.  Your liberal arts education from Holy Cross has equipped you with the skills to communicate effectively, problem solve, and think critically – the soft skills you can’t learn on the job. To complement this, your business certificate will be a differentiator in the job market and has provided you with competitive technical skills. Take this opportunity to appreciate all that you have accomplished. 

The journey from Holy Cross is a shared experience – past, present and future. Much like the time you spent with alumni professionals, our hope is to one day welcome you back to campus to speak with current students.  Your story will be one others can relate to because you have chosen to achieve both your academic interests and unique career goals. We are extremely proud of you and your pursuits, and wish you the best as you embark on your next journey!

Please be sure to stop in Stein 129E to pick up your hard copy certificate, graduation pin and say farewell.  

Congratulations again on this tremendous achievement and please stay in touch,

Prof. David Chu, Cassie Gevry, Prof. Ja-Naé Duane & Kathy Kinnarney
Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society Continue reading “Open Letter to Business Certificate Program Graduates”