Letter from the Director
Hello Nicholas Center community and friends,
As summer approaches, I find myself reflecting on what an extraordinary year it has been for the Nicholas Center. Earlier this month, I had the privilege of celebrating our Class of 2026 graduates—a talented, thoughtful, and resilient group who have brought curiosity, energy, and heart to everything they’ve done here. Watching them step confidently into the next stage of their careers is one of the greatest joys of this role.
This spring also brought a surge of fresh ideas and perspectives through our Nicholas Center blog, where we share insights from our students, alumni, and industry partners on current topics in corporate finance, investment banking, and leadership. These pieces capture the vibrancy of our community, and I hope you’ll take a moment to explore them.
This message is also a personal one. After several meaningful years with the Nicholas Center, I will be retiring at the end of June. It has been an honor to work alongside such dedicated students, alumni, employer partners, and colleagues. Your support—whether through mentoring, hosting treks, sponsoring projects, or sharing your expertise—has shaped not only our students’ experiences but also my own. In the coming months, we will share more about the transition as we hire a new director who will guide the Center into its next chapter.
Thank you for being such an important part of this community and for the countless ways you’ve helped our students grow. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served in this role and excited to see the Nicholas Center continue to thrive.
Wishing you a wonderful start to summer.
Warmly,
Barb
Class of 2026 Graduation
Congratulations to our nine Nicholas Center MBA students who graduated on May 9th from the Wisconsin School of Business. Our graduates are launching their finance careers at outstanding firms, including RBC Capital Markets (Matthew Winkler), R.W. Baird (Clare Sullivan and Andrew Sternaman), and Harris Williams (Noah Hurtado Rodriguez).
A few students are still actively pursuing opportunities, and we invite you to view our Class of 2026 resume book and connect with students directly if you have a role available.
Nicholas Center Honors Distinguished Graduates »
We celebrated the success of several graduating students during our end of year graduation dinner at Coopers Tavern. Nicholas Center students receiving honors included Jakob Monroe (Ab Nicholas Award), Andrew Sternaman (Howard Thompson Award) and Matthew Winkler (Stewardship Award). In addition, several CFIB students were honored during the Graduate Awards of Excellence ceremony late April.
Class of 2027 Internship Placement
The Nicholas Center Class of 2027 students are ready to embark on their summer internships. Our students have accepted internships at Oshkosh Corporation (Mariah Bader), Modine Manufacturing (Ken Bordes and Casey Gregorich-Trevor), Northwestern Mutual (Bushra Iqbal), AT&T (Liam Hirsch), R.W. Baird (Leah Wong and Michael Martinek), ExxonMobil (Kasey Morris), SWIB (Cale Pleak), Hoffmaster Group (Nathanael Pramadia and Scott Nalevac), and American Family Insurance (Surjo Sengupta).
If your firm has finance internship needs, please view our Class of 2027 resume book to connect with our students who are actively interviewing for roles.
Highlights from our Blog
Speaker Series elevates experiential learning »
The Nicholas Center hosts weekly speakers covering topics across investment banking, private equity, FP&A, treasury, investor relations, and shareholder activism and defense.
WSB’s Intro to Wall Street Workshop »
The Wisconsin School of Business hosted an Intro to Wall Street workshop, giving students a practical, behind-the-scenes look at careers in finance.
ACG Case Competition »
This year’s Wisconsin team—Ken Bordes (CFIB ’27), Lamarr Banks (TSPM ’26), Drew Douglas (CFIB ’27),and Bushra Iqbal (CFIB ’27),—competed against teams from UW–Milwaukee and Marquette University.
NFLPA Case Competition »
The winning team Kasey Morris (CFIB ’27), Mai Nguyen (MSBA ’26), and Deeksha Singh (TSPM ’27)—tackled a critical challenge: analyzing the effects of cumulative workload on player performance, injury risk, and earnings.
Student Spotlight: Mariah Bader, JD/MBA ’28 »
Future fifth generation business owner and crowned Miss Collegiate USA 2025 – Mariah Bader brings a standout and multifaceted background to the JD/MBA program.
Student Spotlight: Clyde Smith, MBA ’26 »
Clyde Smith’s journey from supervising bank risk at the U.S. Treasury to pursuing a career in private market investing reflects a clear commitment to deepening his impact in finance.
Advisory Board & Alumni News
Advisory Board & Alumni Meeting Save the Date
The Nicholas Center Fall Advisory Board meeting will be held on Friday, October 23rd, 2026 at the Fluno Center. Alumni & Board members will also be invited to a reception the evening before on Thursday, October 22nd. Meeting invitations and details will be shared soon.
Advisory Board Member Spotlight: David Hanley »
We’re proud to highlight Advisory Board member & alumnus David Hanley, MBA ’15 who recently joined FTI Consulting as Managing Director and was featured by the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship this past semester.
Alumni Spotlight: Xander Kessler, Corporate Development at Pfizer »
Xander Kessler (MBA ’24) exemplifies the power of combining scientific expertise with financial strategy, transitioning from a biochemistry background into a successful corporate development career at Pfizer.
Alumni Spotlight: Ezra Swanson, Finance Director at Modine Manufacturing »
Ezra Swanson, (MBA ’23) has been part of the core internal team that is supporting the anticipated $1B spinoff of Modine’s Performance Technologies business and its merger with Gentherm.
Alumni Spotlight: Jake Smith Partner at Cannage Capital »
Jake Smith’s (MBA ’18) journey from biochemistry to venture capital has been defined by curiosity and courageous pivots. Jake invests in early-stage companies across complex, high-growth sectors including AI, data-driven healthcare, and cybersecurity.
Support the Nicholas Center
Sponsor a Consulting Project
Each fall semester, CFIB MBA students work with a Corporate Sponsor who provides a project that has a finance and strategic element and high degree of complexity. Projects could also have operational, regulatory, governance and other elements. Students work on teams of 4-5 and typically begin their work in September and conclude in early December, depending on the complexity of the project, and their work is culminated with a professional presentation with the sponsor. Sponsors are also present on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to answer questions. There is no required fee to participate – contact Barb Bolens to discuss.
Join our Speaker Series
Our Speaker Series is part of a Current Topics in Finance class that all first year CFIB MBA students take during their fall and spring semester. We’re looking forward to bringing in additional finance speakers this fall and next spring to connect classroom learnings to real world application. Contact Andrea Sorenson to discuss your case study idea or proposal.
Mentor a Student
Each year, we pair our incoming CFIB students with an Alumni and Advisory Board member with a mentor who provides advice and support as the student begins the program and recruiting journey. Students are expected to initiate connections and conversations with their mentor. If interested in serving in this capacity, contact Barb Bolens to further discuss.
Give to the Nicholas Center
Making a financial contribution is one way to make an impact and help further the Nicholas Center’s mission. We welcome donations to the Don M. Condon and Linda M. Condon Graduate Fellowship Fund. Donations to this fund are used to provide financial support to students who exemplify Don’s spirit, commitment, and leadership in the field of corporate finance.
Engage on Social Media
The Nicholas Center is increasing its social media presence, and we’d love for you to connect with and follow our accounts on LinkedIn and Instagram to stay up on our news and other events.