Chatham Students Learn Finance From Industry Experts

CHATHAM, NJ - Twenty-four students from Chatham High School closed out November by visiting Barclays Bank in New York City for information sessions on the investment business and career networking.

The group was comprised of students from Chatham High’s Investment & Portfolio Management class and members of The Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club.

Sponsored by The SIFMA Foundation, the sessions afforded students a chance to learn more about the financial industry, how to pursue internships, and the keys to successful career networking. During the meetings, students heard from multiple high-ranking guest speakers and held personal conversations with employees from various departments within Barclays.

The student attendees were:

• Aditya Polavarapu
• Jack Kuppenheimer
• Peter Versh
• Sean Leonard
• Matthew Nall
• Katie Redmond
• Vani Gupta
• Felipe Izurieta
• Ryan Yeakel
• Aidan Davenport
• Liam Holland
• Kyle Koehler
• Matthew Reilly
• Daniel Witthuser
• Jackson D’Costa
• Kyle Kressler
• Luke Fekete
• Cameron Druhot
• Jack Casano-Boris
• Trey Tully
• Harrison Dinnhaupt
• Krishna Bliss
• Adam Ankel
• James Platek

The students were chaperoned by John Ahsler, finance teacher at CHS, and Dan Moskovitz, founder of Chatham Wealth Management, also of Chatham.

The first keynote speaker was Chatham resident Matt Larson, CFO of the US unit of Barclays Bank, who spoke to CHS students about the importance of recognizing and pursuing opportunities. Larson shared the story of his own, unique career path and how he worked in many different jobs in the financial markets around the country before he arrived at Barclays’ New York office. He also talked about the importance of having a “human” quality when interviewing for positions.

“It doesn’t matter if you have a perfect resume. I want to work with a person who I’m able to have a conversation with and talk to everyday,” Larson said.

The second keynote speaker was Arturo Ortiz de Zevallos, Managing Director of Equities, who talked to students about the importance of having a strong, visible work ethic. Originally from Panama, he mentioned how the demand and competition for finance jobs has increased tremendously from when he was applying for entry level jobs. He emphasized how all employers are looking for people who are eager to learn and can demonstrate the ability to do so.

Chatham resident Ken Abbott, a retired Managing Director at Barclays, talked about his 35+ years in the financial industry and how exciting the atmosphere can be for people who work in the markets. One of Abbott’s main messages: “You don’t find finance, finance finds you!” Mr. Abbott was also a co-worker of Mr. Moskovitz in a New York firm nearly 35 years ago.

Students were then invited to partake in various roundtables and have lunch with Barclays employees. The roundtables were led by a series of Barclays employees. They taught students what it is like getting a job in finance and how to work your way up the ranks. These employees also gave students an insight into a variety of different fields of finance such as risk management, trading, and project management. Students were able to learn how Barclays and other investment banks work and how they can pursue different career paths within the industry.

Assistant Vice President of The Regional Sara Bryant programs at The SIFMA Foundation organized the field trip including the schedule of events, touring of the employee workspace and trading floors, and coordination of guest speakers.

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