Saint Peter’s University alumni and friends in the business and financial sector recently gathered in the heart of lower Manhattan’s Financial District where they discussed and learned about one of the hottest trending industries: data science.
The latest Alumni in Finance (AiF) Network event was held at the Trinity Bar & Restaurant in the Financial District on Tuesday, December 8 where individuals networked, made connections and received the opportunity to engage with guest speaker Gerardo Menegaz, chief technologist in the financial service sector of IBM Global Technology Services. That evening, Menegaz presented Big Data: Revolutionizing the World of Finance.
Menegaz, a recognized leader in the financial services industry, has more than 20 years of IT leadership experience, formulating strategies and exploiting proprietary technologies in fast-paced, challenging environments. During his discussion, he addressed topics such as data analytic strategies of forward-thinking companies and hedgefunds as well as the importance of variables, volume and velocity of data that are crucial in decision-making.
“A friend of mine has a hedgefund and he needs that volume of data to be there to be able to make predictions on the market in order to make money,” explained Menegaz.
He went on to emphasize the importance of Big Data and how it enables companies and organizations in all industries to better understand and appeal to their customers and clients. He reinforced his point by explaining how many companies today are adopting a business model that involves selling data whether it is social media data or data from school districts. He also touched upon current data science trends and the benefits of a strong data science infrastructure.
“Big Data lives in an ecosystem with a lot of components to it,” he added. “All of these components help make that system go.”
In addition, Menegaz explained how smaller investment houses can use Big Data to compete with larger corporations, provided advice on what steps smaller companies can take to adopt Big Data and touched upon Big Data from a compliance standpoint. He also addressed the ever-important subject of privacy.
“Companies jump through hoops to create sound environments for financial firms to be able to do their work,” he added.
Every Alumni in Finance event features a dynamic speaker, however the true purpose is to gather individuals in related fields together for a night of networking. On Thursday, the restaurant was filled with alumni from classes ranging from the 1960s to as recent as 2015.
“The Alumni in Finance Network continue to grow and we are incredibly delighted to see the strong presence of our most recent graduates at this event,” said Gloria Mercurio, executive director of alumni engagement.
While many of the individuals had previously attended Alumni in Finance networking events, a great deal of alumni were there for the first time, such as Ali Hassan ’13, investment analyst at Goldman Sachs. Hassan decided to attend because he wanted to network with Saint Peter’s alumni who were seeking career opportunities and advice. As a former member of the Saint Peter’s University men’s swim team, Hassan launched Swim Academy, a private swimming consulting company. Through networking from his business, he connected with representatives from Goldman Sachs who helped him secure a full-time investment analyst position upon graduation.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Saint Peter’s and I came tonight because I want to give back and help others do the same,” said Hassan. “This evening provides the perfect forum for connecting with fellow alumni and represents everything Saint Peter’s stands for.”
David Chiang ’90 ’15 decided to attend the event because of his interest in the theme of the evening.
“Big Data is gaining greater significance in every industry, but I was specifically interested in hearing from Gerardo Menegaz on how it is revolutionizing the world of finance,” said Chiang.
To learn more about future Alumni in Finance events, join the Alumni in Finance group on LinkedIn or contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at alumni@saintpeters.edu or (201) 761-6122.
