Month: March 2014

A question I commonly receive is whether being organized into blocks (a group of 70 students that you take core classes with) is a good or bad thing. Frankly I had questions about this as well because I was worried it would limit my ability to meet everyone that I could during my first semester on campus. If business school is about building a network, then why stop me from building that network in the classroom until I am already 25% finished with school?

Those are the questions, but this is the reality: the block system is the best thing that happened to my network.

The most valuable relationships I have at Stern are those with my block. By spending the entire first semester together, I was able to build bonds that were strong and lasted well after we left the core classes to take more specialized electives. Because of the block system I now have friends in Finance, Consulting, Luxury, Technology, Healthcare, etc. that I can safely refer to as my “go-to” people in those fields.

I also developed an especially strong network within my study group. Here is a list with the sex, hometown, job pre-Stern, and job post-Stern of the six members of my study group:

· Male, Los Angeles, sales background, Brand Management at Unilever
· Female, Hawaii, accounting background, Investment Banking at Wells Fargo
· Male, London, accounting background, consulting at Deloitte
· Male, Jamaica, insurance background, Sales & Trading at JP Morgan
· Female, Japan, artist, internal consulting at Samsung
· Male, Peru, corporate finance, investment banking in Peru

If I hadn’t been placed in a study group with these people the odds are that I would not have developed the bonds that I did because none of them take marketing classes with me. We did all our group work together first semester and got along so well that we are still doing group projects together today. This past spring break, four of us decided to go to Costa Rica and rent a house for the week. It was an amazing experience and let me know them even better.

In summation, I went back to school to get a job and build a network. With the strong bonds I have built between my block and my study group I am confident that I am leaving with both.

So I’ve been back in the country for less than 48 hours. No, I’m not complaining. Rather, I’m still marveling over my trip to Milan, Cinque Terre, and Florence. Over Spring Break, I participated in Doing Business in Italy. It is course that takes you to Milan to focus on luxury retailing and branding. We studied at Bocconi, which is a business school in Milan where we were taught by industry leaders in fashion and luxury. We had the privilege of visiting a silk factory in Como, the Versace Headquarters, and meet with one of the leading fashion PR and events firms, Attila and Co. In addition to delicious food, we also conducted a field study in teams of 4 or 5 students. We visited stores across Milan including Dolce and Gabbana, Prada, Tod’s, Louis Vuitton, Zegna, Versace, Armani, and several multi-brand stores. It was fascinating to see the differences in store layout, service, and branding within each location. With a critical eye, I found I learned a tremendous amount by making basic comparisons and traveling throughout the gorgeous city. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in luxury, I would highly recommend you enroll in this course.

Aside from the academic aspects, I was fortunate enough to travel to Cinque Terre with three of my classmates before class began. We hiked through three of five small towns on the coast of Southern Italy. The views were gorgeous and the food was beyond fresh. Due to our activity, we had few issues justifying our multiple trips to gelato shops. My only concern now is how I can find such delicacies in New York! Following the course, I also visited Florence. Simply stated, the city took my breath away. It was the best food during the whole trip. Plus, there were several beautiful cathedrals and museums. We even visited the Gucci museum. Lastly, I shopped in Florence. Conveniently located near the designer outlets, my classmates and I did some serious damage. It was the first time I’d shopped in some time, but it was worth the wait. Not only are the brands amazing, but you can find incredible deals (relatively speaking). Needless to say, if you visit, save in advance.

All in all, this was an incredible Spring Break. Regardless of whether you have an interest in luxury or retail, I recommend visiting Italy sometime if you haven’t already done so.

“That was awesome.”

The clock struck noon and Investment Banking was done for the day. We had just spend 90 minutes walking through a series of powerpoint slides titled ‘Investment Grade Public and Private Debt’. Prior to business school just reading that title may have made my head explode. I had zero knowledge of finance and could not have told you the difference between Hedge Funds and Investment Banks. All I knew was that they worked a ton of hours and made a lot of money.

But here I was in my Investment Banking class with a couple of prospective students equally as oblivious to Finance as I had been before I came to NYU Stern. When the lecture was over I turned to one of them and asked her thoughts on the class:

“That was awesome.”

I would normally be skeptical because how could someone really be that enthusiastic about a topic so mundane. But here is the thing… it WAS awesome! The reason is very simple: the person teaching the class was Professor Charles Murphy. A former head of Investment Banking at Credit Suisse, Professor Murphy is funny, engaging, and an amazing teacher. I know he is a great teacher because throughout the first 6 weeks of class this semester I have gone from zero understanding of the financial services industry to a deep understanding of investment banking, private equity, hedge funds, asset management, and how they all work together.

The point of this post is not to pat myself on the back. It is also not to heap praise on Professor Murphy (even though I could spend 3000 words doing it without breaking a sweat). The real point I want to make is that we have phenomenal professors here at NYU Stern. I am a marketer who thought finance was beyond my level of comprehension. What I’ve found is that if you have great professors that you can learn anything.

I stand before the community now as a graduate who feels comfortable talking about finance. This is no small feat and I could not have done it without my professors leading the way. I had the pleasure of speaking with an NYU Board Member recently about NYU Stern. When I asked him why he thought we have had so much success he said “anywhere you go at the top MBA programs you will have great professors, but I think what we have at NYU is Seal Team 6.” They are the Navy’s top operational task force and are the best at what they do. I can’t think of a better comparison for our faculty here and am happy to say that I have grown significantly as a student learning from them.

Hi all,

I was asked to give a brief talk today on my favorite Stern professor — so thought I’d share what I have written here on the blog as well. Happy Spring! -Matt

Q: Who is your favorite Stern faculty member and/or what is your favorite course taken so far?

Hi My Name is MATT and I am going to talk today about my favorite Stern professor A MAN A MYTH A LEGEND–who has mastered the mystic art of CONTROLLING THE VOLUME OF HIS VOICE and MODULATING THE PACE of his delivery. Who can turn even the driest material into engaging, dynamic, and–frankly–wonderful lectures.

Professor William L. Silber. The Marcus Nadler Professor of Finance and Economics. White-haired Legend of the core MBA-required Foundations of Finance class. Internationally-recognized scholar of dynamism in securities markets. And First class oddball.

Odd indeed–but in the best possible way. Hilarious, off beat, RANDOMLY LOUD, and more than anything passionate about his specialization.

Finance scared me. I didn’t think I could do it. If the landscape of MBA is organized in a Braveheart style binary between the Poets and the Quants (Or quantitative-leaning students), I am most definitively a poet… I majored in English in college. I worked in media reviewing film script and pitches for six years. I had forgotten almost all the math that once rented tenuous apartment space in my brain. I was worried.

But the most valuable lesson Silber has taught me isn’t about Arbitrage, CAPM, or interest rates, but rather the fact that just because you haven’t been exposed to something…doesn’t mean it has to dominate you. (Like a less risky, more rewarding portfolio would dominate a lesser security as an investment.)

Professor Silber’s PASSION for finance comes through in his lectures–and they are the most engaging I’ve had so far here at Stern. They made me WANT to learn.

And now I’m ready to come out and say it–my deep dark secret — I LIKE FINANCE.

Silber got me here. And that’s why he is my favorite professor. But then again, Thursday is our Midterm. So, depending on how that goes, I’ll revisit this issue next week.