My name is Fernando Arrascue Quiroz, and I am currently a private equity associate at Corsair Capital based in New York. Prior to joining Corsair, I was an investment banking analyst in the Global Technology Group at Stifel. I grew up in Venezuela and Florida. I graduated from Penn State University in 2019 with a major in Industrial Engineering. I am aware of how challenging recruiting processes are and how difficult it is to standout in a sea of well-prepared applicants. Having gone through both IB and PE recruiting, I would be happy to provide candid insight on each process. You should reach out to me if you would like more information on IB/PE recruiting, being an engineering major in wall street, being an international student applicant, working in NYC, networking, etc.

I am an Associate at H.I.G. Capital’s Infrastructure Private Equity Group in New York. Previously, I was an Analyst in Stifel’s Aerospace, Defense & Government Services Investment Banking Group in Washington, DC and, prior to this, was an Analyst at HSBC’s Mid Corporate Investment Banking Team in New York. I completed my undergraduate degree at Fordham University in New York where I majored in Finance. Growing up, my family moved around constantly, giving me the chance to live in South Korea, Indonesia, Los Angeles, and New Jersey, where I spent the majority of my childhood. I believe this helped me form a unique worldview and a desire to pursue a career that allows me to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds. I first became interested in Finance after speaking with professors, friends, and upperclassmen during my freshman year. Specifically, I was intrigued by the nature of the work, caliber of individuals in the field, career optionality, unique skill development, and ability to work with people from different backgrounds. My mentors, both senior and junior, provided crucial insights and advice that allowed me to break into the industry. Therefore, I’m looking to do the same for others looking for guidance. While I can speak to investment banking and private equity in general, I believe I can also add unique insights on lateral recruiting, especially to different geographies, and breaking into high finance from a non-traditional background. If you’re looking for help, please feel free to reach out!

My name is Anne Alexander and I’m a consultant in Accenture’s M&A Life Science Strategy group. I assist life science firms with strategic transactions that transform them into more successful entities. I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a double major in Business Honors & Finance. A restless academic, I decided that a career in consulting would slate my thirst for continual learning by exposing me to a broad range of industries and functions. Although I went into recruiting slightly underprepared, I quickly learned the process to secure multiple offers. As one of Accenture’s I&D recruiting chairs, I’m passionate about helping others navigate the challenges of consulting and the recruiting process. I try to empower my clients, peers, and students with the knowledge that they can achieve their goals, whatever they might be.

I’m currently working at Zipline an autonomous drone delivery startup focused on the business unit economics and global operations. Previously, I was an Associate in Growth Equity focused on B2B SAAS and Tech-enabled business services. I started my career as an Investment Banking analyst in the Real Estate, Gaming and Lodging group at Goldman Sachs in NYC. I graduated from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia where I studied Finance, Global Management, and Art History. I’m happy to talk to anyone about career paths in finance or all the other things I’ve considered along the way.

My name is Sumer Aggarwal and I currently work in Chicago, IL for Brookfield Properties doing Real Estate Development. I decided to seek a career in commercial real estate development & investments as I found this track to be the perfect mix of finance, strategy, architectural design, and project management. If you want to learn more about a potential career in commercial real estate or what I do, please don't hesitate to reach out!

My name is Samyog Adhikari, and I am originally from Nepal. I am currently pursuing a major in Business Economics with a concentration in Finance. Over the course of my academic journey, I’ve gained experience in Investment Banking, including a summer internship at RBC Capital Markets in New York City, where I worked on the Consumer and Retail Coverage team. I’ll be returning to RBC after graduation to continue my career in investment banking. Prior to this, I completed an internship at WestEnd Advisors, a boutique investment management firm in Charlotte, N.C. I chose to pursue a career in finance, specifically investment banking, because of my interest in working on high-impact transactions and the dynamic nature of the industry. I enjoy the fast-paced environment and collaborative problem-solving that the role demands. As someone who has navigated the finance recruiting process as an international student, I understand the unique challenges it presents, from visa hurdles to networking. I'm happy to share insights on navigating these obstacles, interview preparation, and making the most out of the recruiting cycle!

My name is Michael Likogiannis and I am currently a Strategy Consultant at Bank of America covering Global Markets and the Private Bank. I began my career at Bank of America as an analyst in the Mergers & Acquisitions group focused on technology companies, initially based out of the Palo Alto office and later transferred to the NYC office. My interest in investment banking was driven by my desire to work in a challenging, fast-paced environment that taught me a strong foundational skillset I could later use as an investor, operator or founder. I graduated from Rowan University magna cum laude in 2020 with a B.S. in Finance and Accounting. Despite attending a non-target school, I creatively found a way into the industry. I would be happy to share my playbook or discuss various career topics such as recruiting now that I’ve been on the other side of the process – just reach out!

I am a Private Equity Investment Manager at H.I.G. Capital (London) and was previously a Private Equity Associate at H.I.G. (NYC). Before H.I.G., I was a Private Equity Associate at Main Street Capital (Houston) and prior to that, I was an Investment Banking Associate (and Analyst) at BMO Capital Markets (NYC).

I grew up in Queens, NY in an immigrant household and had little exposure to people with white-collar jobs / professional careers. I studied finance at Villanova University which is where upperclassmen mentors introduced me to the world of finance. I was immediately hooked because the finance industry values hard work, dedication, and creativity and the roles available in the industry make it a priority to reward this effort with compensation and extremely versatile/transferrable professional experiences.

My goal is to increase transparency and awareness about careers in finance like my mentors did for me, and I believe I can help you by: (i) teaching you the framework of how the finance industry and recruiting works, (ii) assisting you in developing your personal narrative so that you can communicate your story in a more impactful manner, and (iii) showing you some non-traditional approaches as you look to successfully navigate an intricate, opaque, and competitive field.

I am very approachable and friendly (or I try to be at least) and enjoy talking about finance, personal/professional development, and various other topics, so please reach out to me!

Hello! My name is Rachael Overland. I am currently an investment banking analyst in the Industrials Group at Stifel in NYC. I graduated from the University of Richmond in December 2018 as part of the Class of 2019 with a B.S. in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Management. My journey to finance took a roundabout route, from international relations and Arabic to sports development, corporate finance, sales & trading and finally investment banking. I ultimately pursued banking because I wanted a challenge. Very few other industries provide the same level of experience, responsibility and exposure as banking provides within the first couple of years. As a woman coming from a non-target school without a specific picture of what post-grad would look like, I can provide advice on how to look at different options, help you think about what fits you personally and tailor your answer to “why banking” based on your skills and experiences. I am very lucky to have received fantastic mentorship and support so far in my career, I hope I can pass along some of what I have learned.

Hi, my name is David Chong. I’m currently an investment associate at Point Field Partners. Before this, I spent 1.5 years with Truist as an investment bankings associate, 1.5 years with T. Rowe Price as an equity research associate, and 1.5 years with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey as an investment banking analyst. I graduated from the University of Richmond with a BSBA in Economics with a concentration in Finance. Growing up in an Asian household, I was encouraged to pursue a career in medicine or law. However, the more I learned about finance, the more I realized a career in the industry would be both intellectually stimulating and personally rewarding. Many investment banking analysts move to the buy-side and stay there. I’m the anomaly in the PFF team in that I made the switch initially to buy-side equity research, went back to banking, and then finally landed upon my current family office / private equity role. I can be a resource to you by speaking about equity research, investment banking and / or family offices / private equity, and more generally, how to position and market yourself for a change in roles. I have also been through multiple arduous recruiting processes, from networking to preparing for interviews. I look forward to chatting!

My name is Anna Zhang and I am currently an associate at Rockpoint Group, a real estate private equity firm headquartered in Boston. Prior to my current role, I was an investment banking analyst in the Real Estate, Gaming & Lodging group at BofA Securities in New York. I grew up in Singapore before graduating from New York University's Stern School of Business in 2022. After college, I pursued a career in investment banking because I wanted the opportunity to build a foundation of technical knowledge and transferable skills, and the role provides a great platform to start learning about the finance industry. Real estate, in particular, was really interesting to me in how it underpins and connects to other sectors. Happy to connect! 

Hi! My name is Donna Wong, and I’m an associate at Zenyth Partners. Before Zenyth, I was in Jefferies’ Healthcare Investment Banking group based in NYC. I’m originally from Hong Kong and I graduated from Tulane University in December ’21 with a BS in Economics. During college, I also took on leadership roles within CHAARG (Changing Health, Attitudes and Actions to Recreate Girls) and Consult Your Community. I decided to pursue healthcare investment banking for its exposure to all kinds of public/private transactions across the healthcare universe and the various learning opportunities. As a former international student who did not formally intern in banking in the summer prior to graduation, I encountered all the usual obstacles during the recruiting process due to my visa status, on top of limited openings in the full time cycle. I can be most helpful in discussing recruitment strategies as an international student, breaking into banking from a liberal arts background, and/or full time recruiting.

Hi, I’m Aakash Patel. I’m currently an Associate at H.I.G. Capital in the San Francisco office, where I joined in the latter half of 2024. Before H.I.G., I worked in Investment Banking—first in Seattle, and later with Perella Weinberg Partners in San Francisco. I was born and raised in India, lived in the U.K. for some time after that before moving to the U.S.  I started undergrad at a community college before transferring to Haas at UC Berkeley, so it’s fair to say my path to private equity hasn’t been the most linear or traditional. Now, I wouldn’t claim I was born to generate alpha for my LPs, but I’ve always been drawn to what this job really cultivates: (1) qualitative/quantitative roundedness, and (2) independent, critical thinking. Always happy to chat—about the job, recruiting…or European soccer (bias towards CR7 fans!)

My name is Justin Huang and I am currently an analyst at BDT & MSD Partners, where I work on transaction analysis and execution of investments and strategic advisory assignments. I graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration and a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. I'm originally from Sydney, Australia, and moved around a few different countries, so I'm able to speak to recruiting as an international student. Happy to chat about recruiting, interviewing, and career paths in general.

My name is Drew Duff and I am currently a Senior Consultant at Deloitte, based out of New York City. My journey began when I moved to Brazil to live and work for several years at the U.S. Department of State. Around this same period, I chose to double major in Economics & International Affairs at Wake Forest University. Consulting offered the prospect of addressing complex social, financial, and health issues through private-sector solutions. I found this opportunity fascinating and consequently, at Deloitte I now focus on helping clients make strategic choices to solve challenges within the Financial Services and Life Sciences industries. In addition, as a member of Deloitte’s ALPFA committee (Association for Latino Professionals) I have worked hands-on to champion dozens of students and professionals from non-traditional backgrounds. I would be happy to chat on anything related to the consulting life and recruiting process.

Hello, my name is R.J. Shamberger, and I am a private equity associate at A&M Capital (an independent affiliate of Alvarez & Marsal Consulting) based in Greenwich, CT. Prior to my current position, I spent three years in Partners Group’s rotational analyst program based in Denver, CO where I spent time across their secondaries, private credit, and buyout business services teams. In my current role, I focus on executing majority buyouts in the middle market for transactions up to $200 million.

I am originally from Charlotte, NC and earned my BA in Economics from Williams College in Massachusetts. I spent my first-year post-grad as a teaching assistant at a New England boarding school before transitioning into private equity. As someone with a non-traditional background, I can relate to the daunting task of breaking into finance and am always happy to share the ins-and-outs of how I worked my way from the classroom to the desk as well as the lessons I learned along the way.