The wind and rain did not stop the Saint Peter’s College alumni from gathering in the heart of lower Manhattan’s Financial District for the latest event hosted by the College’s Alumni in Finance Network.
On October 19, more than 50 alumni, ranging from the class of 1963 to the class of 2011, gathered for an evening of networking and camaraderie. Attendees mingled with former classmates, future business partners, potential members and even undergraduate and M.B.A. students.
The group also had the opportunity to hear from the keynote speaker, John J. Licata ’95, CEO/chief commodity strategist of Blue Phoenix, Inc., as he addressed the theme of Tomorrow’s Commodities.
The Alumni in Finance Network, now in its second year, is led by Robert A. Cutro ’75, managing director (retired) of Barclays Capital; Tom Jordan ’63, president and CEO of Jordan & Jordan; John J. Licata ’95, CEO/chief commodity strategist of Blue Phoenix, Inc.; Justin McKeon, CPA ’97, director, Corporate Audit, of Pfizer, Inc.; and James G. Rizzo ’81, managing director of Dahlman Rose & Co. The Network unites Saint Peter’s College graduates and friends from all fields of finance and provides opportunities for individuals to participate, learn, exchange ideas and explore new professional relationships while connecting and engaging with the College.
Andres Cifuentes ’04, who currently serves as the vice president of the Foreign Exchange Brokerage Team at Morgan Stanley was looking forward to the evening after attending the launch event last year. “Every job opportunity I have been offered over the course of my career path has been a result of networking through Saint Peter’s College,” said Cifuentes. “These events offer great chances to meet with alumni and other professionals that are affiliated with the College. It truly demonstrates the College’s prominence in the finance industry.”
Cutro served as the emcee for the exclusive event which was held at Bayard’s in Hanover Square. “We started the Network a short time ago in light of the economic crisis in our country. We wanted to pull the Saint Peter’s College community together to offer any resources we could during these challenging times.”
Michael A. Fazio, vice president for advancement and external affairs at Saint Peter’s College, also welcomed the crowd and thanked the group for their continued support and participation. “We are very pleased to see these events continue to grow and we look forward to engaging more alumni in the future.”
Licata provided the audience with an in-depth look on the status of commodities and what unexpected trends to look out for in the near future.
After studying economics at Saint Peter’s College, Licata held a number of research, trading and strategy positions at Dow Jones, Salomon Smith Barney, BrokerageAmerica and R&M Futures before founding BluePhoenix, Inc., a leading research firm in independent energy and metals.
He shared his valuable insights which are backed by significant research from his company with those in attendance, such as the potential of nuclear power and electric cars. He then encouraged alumni to open up opportunities for interns and recent Saint Peter’s College graduates as he shared his extremely positive experience of working with his current intern. He also stressed the importance of networking on the Saint Peter’s College Alumni in Finance group on LinkedIn, “We are very pleased to see the membership continue to grow, but it would be great to see some more discussions about our successes and experiences.”
Licata then invited the group to participate in a Q&A session which was followed by a closing note from Mark Kahrer ’83, vice president of finance at PSE&G and chair of the Saint Peter’s College Board of Regents. Kahrer left the group with some final words of encouragement, “The accomplished speakers and attendees at tonight’s event are all graduates of Saint Peter’s College. It is extremely motivating to see what we can accomplish and where we can go as alumni of the College.”
Guests continued their discussions with former classmates and future mentors over coffee and dessert.
Sheniecia Edwards ’11, a graduate student currently enrolled in the M.B.A. program at Saint Peter’s College, found a tremendous amount of value in the event, “This is a great opportunity for networking and I am now thinking about new career paths that I hadn’t considered before.”
The next Alumni in Finance Network event is scheduled for March 2012. Those interested in contacting fellow alumni in the finance industry can join the Saint Peter’s College Alumni in Finance group on LinkedIn.