Prepare. Launch. Thrive.
To Susannah Gustafson, this simple mantra serves as the roadmap for student success in the Department of Finance, Investment, and Banking at the Wisconsin School of Business. As finance program director, Gustafson believes student preparedness is rooted in a holistic understanding of the industry.
“In order to be savvy enough in the recruiting process, students need to understand the innerworkings of the financial landscape in a more comprehensive way,” Gustafson says.
That philosophy was the driving force behind the recent event Introduction to Wall Street. Hosted in partnership with the Undergraduate Program’s Career Engagement Team and Badgers in Finance, the afternoon provided students with a practical, “nuts and bolts” look at what a career in finance entails.
The event featured two panel discussions representing the key pillars of Wall Street: “Lifecycle of a Deal: How the Sell Side Works,” moderated by Brad Chandler, Investment Banking Pathways Director and Finance Lecturer, and “An Introduction to Buyside Roles,” moderated by Betsi Hill, fixed income director for the Hawk Center for Investment Analysis.
“The sell side is the part of the finance industry that works with corporate clients to provide advice and to facilitate transactions, while the buy side makes investment decisions for clients who have financial resources to invest,” Gustafson says. “What we’re trying to do with these two panels is to help students understand how a transaction comes to fruition—the sell side—and then show how the buy side makes decisions that might include investing in a particular set of securities issued in a transaction.”
Julie Meyerowich, senior director of the robust alumni network Badgers in Finance, says the panel idea grew from a conversation she had with Marissa Palmer, senior finance lecturer, about ensuring students understand the connectedness of the Wall Street ecosystem. “As students explore their interests and learn about finance careers, it’s important for us to demonstrate how these rolls work together and collaborate,” Meyerowich says. “What better way to help them conceptualize this than to leverage our powerful and compassionate network of alumni and friends, who can share real examples.”
The event was also created to be an educational “exploratory opportunity” that still aligns with the finance industry’s more fixed timelines and recruitment cycle, says Ashley Wilcox, assistant director of employer engagement in the Undergraduate Program Office. Additionally, it was designed to give students a chance to explore the finance industry now in order to be prepared for the accelerated recruitment timelines that occur once the new school year kicks off.
“We’re encouraging students to think a bit differently about year-round career readiness,” Wilcox says. “While many may already have a summer internship lined up by fall, spring is still a great time to ask questions, build skills, and start preparing for the next recruiting cycle.”
The panelists spoke to a packed audience in Kellner Hall. Among the speakers was alum Patrick Sweeney (BBA ’20), an associate on the Distressed/Opportunistic Credit team at Littlejohn & Co.
Sweeney was last year’s recipient of The Thomas A. Costello Character & Courage Award, a scholarship given to outstanding University of Wisconsin–Madison sophomore and junior honor students in either finance, risk management, or economics.
As the recruiting landscape continues to accelerate, providing this kind of “exploratory opportunity” is essential. It’s about more than a single internship; it’s about giving students the savvy and the ecosystem they need to prepare, launch, and thrive in their chosen career pathway.
“We hear pretty consistently from employers and alums that our students are strong contributors as employees,” Gustafson says. “Our students are capable and we prepare them well. We want prospective finance students to know that if you’re interested in this area, we know what to do to help you be successful. We are here to help you.”
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