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Katherine Kalill ’21 Interns at the Ciocca Center

Student headshot.

My name is Katherine Kalill ’21. I’m a current junior at Holy Cross, majoring in Political Science with an Africana Studies concentration and working towards a Certificate in Entrepreneurship through the Ciocca Center. 

I recently returned to campus after working under the programming team at CBS Sports in New York City. Living in the city also allowed me to explore the various new market opportunities available. As a result, I am interested in learning more about the future of entrepreneurship and what it takes to turn an idea into a prosperous business. In addition, I would love to research what people have found to be the most successful way to pitch ideas and what separates successful ideas from the rest in the increasingly competitive global world of business. I hope to explore potential strategies of growth and conclude principles that hold true across industries.

Through the Academic Internship Program this semester, I am taking a seminar called “Boards and CEOs: Governing America’s Businesses” with Professor Dan Ricciardi and interning at the Ciocca Center. In my time here, my focus is to identify alumni who embody the spirit of entrepreneurship through their business endeavors and identify how their liberal arts education has complimented their success.

Stay tuned to see Katherine’s progress this semester!
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Alumna Spotlight: Seton McFarland ’16
Seton McFarland ’16, second from right, on an alumni panel at UBS.

Alumna: Seton McFarland ’16
Major: Accounting
Profession: Analyst, UBS

Who/What inspired you to enter the business world?  Both of my parents worked in business, so I definitely gravitated to what I was familiar with coming out of college. Within the business world, I chose to enter into the financial services industry because it complemented my strong interest in economics. Continue reading “Alumna Spotlight: Seton McFarland ’16”
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Ciocca Center Intern: Leif Johnson ’21

Each semester the Ciocca Center hires a new intern to complement the Academic Internship Program through the JD Power Center on campus.  Partnering again with Prof. Dan Ricciardi’s course offering, Leif Johnson ’21 is currently enrolled in “Managing Business in Society” and is interviewing alumni to show how a Jesuit liberal arts degree is an excellent foundation for a career in business.  Check out his fall alumni interviews:

STUDENTS: Interested in the internship? View the description and consider applying next semester.

ALUMNI: Interested in being interviewed? Reach out to business@holycross.edu
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Ciocca Center Intern Interviews Bill Abbott ’84

Bill Abbott ’84
President & CEO of Crown Media Family Networks

“This is where being a major in English really comes in handy.  I feel like I learned story, characters, and emotion and all the things that comprise great storytelling at Holy Cross.”

Bill Abbot Headshot

On March 29, 2019, Ciocca Center Student Intern Sarah Anderson ’20 interviewed Bill to learn about how he turned his English Major into a career in the entertainment industry.  Bill is the President and CEO of Crown Media Family Networks.

What did you want to be when you grew up?  Did you always know you wanted to work in the entertainment industry?  No, not at all. I was an English major, with a lot of political science classes mixed in there.  I was really focused more either on law school or teaching when I was at school. But, after college I felt like more school wasn’t really where I wanted to be my first year out.  So, I was fortunate enough to get a job in the media world, loved it from the beginning, and decided that’s what I would focus on. Entertainment is not something I intended on, but the liberal arts education provided me with a great backdrop for really anything I wanted to do because it teaches you and gives you a good sense of how to communicate and critically think and write.  All of those are crucial aspects to any job. Continue reading “Ciocca Center Intern Interviews Bill Abbott ’84”
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Ciocca Center Intern Interviews Bob Guillocheau ’82

Bob Guillocheau ’82
Chairman & CEO of Ascensus

“We are very much a mission based company, values driven, and a lot of that came from my learnings at Holy Cross.  The ‘men and women for others’ very much resonated with me and it’s something I bring with me everyday when I go to work.”

Bob Guillocheau headshotOn March 22, 2019, Ciocca Center Student Intern Sarah Anderson ’20 interviewed Bob Guillocheau ’82 to learn about his journey from HC into the financial services industry.  Bob was an economics and accounting major and currently serves as the Chairman & CEO of Ascensus.

Who/What inspired you to enter the business world?  I graduated Holy Cross with an economics accounting degree and, typically if you have a accounting degree, you get recruited by what was back then the big eight accounting firms.  There have been mergers and today it is the big four accounting firms. The world has changed a lot from 1982 when I graduated, but getting recruited is what got me into financial services and the business world.  I took an accounting class in high school, taught by a woman by the name of Mrs. Ellis. She made it really fun and interesting and she was a businesswoman who explained to us how the world works and how accounting and finance plays into any aspect of company. Continue reading “Ciocca Center Intern Interviews Bob Guillocheau ’82”
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Ciocca Center Intern Interviews John Andreoli ’82

 

John Andreoli ’82
President & CEO of Sullivan Group Insurance

“With an economics background, I knew I wanted to be in business for myself at some point, so this opportunity gave me the chance to build a business from the ground up and join a firm that had already been in existence, and then have built that for the past 35 years.” 

Andreoli Headshot
On February 25, 2019, Ciocca Center Student Intern Sarah Anderson ’20 visited John’s Worcester office for an interview and to learn about his journey from HC into the insurance industry.  John was an economics major and currently serves as the President & CEO of Sullivan Insurance.

Who/What inspired you to enter the business world?  My path was a little unconventional.  My dad was in the business on the life insurance side for 56 years. And I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do. I wanted to play football when I got out of HC, which I did.  For 2 ½ years I played professionally with the USFL (a league that’s not around anymore). I spent a little bit of time with the Patriots on injured reserve. So, I knew I wanted to get involved in the business world at some point, but I wasn’t sure exactly where.  And I had my insurance licenses, and I decided that while I was playing, I would get into this business on a part-time basis in the off-season, which I did in 1983. It’s been continuous since then. With an economics background, I knew I wanted to be in business for myself at some point, so this opportunity gave me the chance to build a business from the ground up and join a firm that had already been in existence, and then have built that for the past 35 years. Continue reading “Ciocca Center Intern Interviews John Andreoli ’82”
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Ciocca Center Intern Interviews Rick Patterson ’80

Rick Patterson ’80
Founder of Coniston Capital

Rick Patterson ’80 was an economics major and currently serves as the chair of the Holy Cross board of trustees and is a director of Global Weather Corporation and RedShelf Inc.  Rick has been a trustee on the Holy Cross Board since 2011 and became chair in Aug 2018. As a first generation student, Rick’s time on the hill was dedicated to working hard and knowing he wanted a career in business.  After Holy Cross, Rick went on to earn his M.B.A in finance and international business from Columbia University.  Rick began his career in 1982 as a banking officer at Mellon Bank, where his first assignment was actually as a driver for a corporate golf event!  Before founding Coniston Capital, Rick was a founding partner of Spire Capital (1999-2015) and previously a partner at Waller Capital Corporation (1986-1999).  As founder of Coniston Capital, Rick drove investment opportunities within the media and communications sectors. Based in New Jersey, Rick dedicates much of his time to the Holy Cross community.  Since becoming chair of the board in September 2018, Rick’s visit to Worcester in February 2019 marks his 8th trip back to the hill.

Most important qualities of CEO/President:

Rick values natural leaders with a vision and the ability to express that vision.  The best CEOs are people who “can select and motivate talent.”
Continue reading “Ciocca Center Intern Interviews Rick Patterson ’80”