Investment Management Club - Panel Discussion with Career switchers

• How to break into investment management and equity research?
• How to network and get first rounds? How to secure interviews for internships and full-time positions?
• How to stand out from a non-investing background?
• How to prepare for my first stock pitch? What are the resources available at Booth to better prepare me for that? (Hint: SMIF fall recruiting starts in mid September)
• What to expect in a job interview?
• Are you aware of pitfalls that you can avoid in your recruiting strategy?

You will find the answers to all the questions above in this career switcher event co-hosted by Chicago Booth Investment Management Club (IMC) and Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) part-time team. We have invited current members and alumnus of SMIF team to share with you how they succeed in professional development during their time at Booth to help you develop your recruiting strategy. Come to the panel discussion with your questions!

Panelists Bios

Ken Blickenstaff is the Senior Credit Analyst on the investment team at Geneva Advisors, a $8.5 billion RIA offering equity mutual funds ranging from All-Cap to MLPs to individual fixed income strategies encompassing Total Return and Municipals.  Prior to Geneva, he spent 3 years at Busey Capital starting as a fixed income analyst and eventually achieving Portfolio Manager of the Large-Cap Equity Strategy.  He started his investment career in sales, working as a stockbroker at Charles Schwab.  Ken graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management.  He joined the Chicago Booth Weekend MBA program in the fall of 2013 and his intended concentrations are Finance, Analytical Finance, Econometrics & Statistics, Entrepreneurship, and Accounting.  He is a CFA Charterholder, and a member of the CFA Institute as well as the CFA Society of Chicago and CFA Society of Indianapolis.      

Bradley Albrecht is a Vice President on the investment team at Gore Creek Asset Management, a single family office with an endowment-style portfolio invested across hedge funds, public & private equity, fixed income and real assets.  Previously, he was an Analyst on the investment team at J.P. Morgan Alternative Asset Management, a fund of hedge funds platform that managed over $7 billion.  He started his career in investment banking at Bank of America where he worked in the Consumer & Retail group.  In 2014, Brad graduated with an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business with concentrations in Analytic Finance and Accounting.  During his time at Booth, he served as a Portfolio Manager for the Student Managed Investment Fund, a $1.6 million long-only equity fund.  He also holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Chicago.  He is a CFA Charterholder, and a member of both the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Chicago.

William Harman is currently a Research Associate on the sell-side at Robert W. Baird.  He recently joined the firm and is covering real estate, specifically, mortgage, shopping mall, and triple-net REITs.  Prior to Baird, he spent 7 years working in the Healthcare industry both as a management consultant and within various accounting, finance, and treasury roles.  Will graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business in 2007 with majors in Finance and Operations Management.  He joined the Chicago Booth Evening MBA program in the summer of 2013 and his intended concentrations are Finance, Entrepreneurship, Accounting, and Strategic Management.  Since being at Booth, he has been involved with the Student Advisory Council and part-time Student Managed Investment Fund. Will has also passed level I of the CFA exam.

Ryan Vaughn is a student at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He will be joining the Fixed Income trading research team at BNP Paribas in New York upon graduation. Previously, Ryan spent six years in the fund of hedge funds industry, most recently covering hedge fund managers executing relative value strategies for Mesirow Advanced Strategies in Chicago. Ryan holds a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from DePaul University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst charterholder.