The Touro Finance Alumni Network connects alumni from Lander College for Men (LCM), Lander College for Women (LCW), and Lander College of Arts & Sciences (LAS) who are working across the financial sector in areas ranging from investment banking and accounting to insurance and real estate at top firms and companies, including PwC, Deloitte, Forvis Mazars, Citi, Mercer, S&P Global, Aon, KKR, Prudential and many others. What began as a small gathering has grown into a thriving professional community for alumni to develop a finance and accounting network. At the same time it helps current seniors make connections, gain career advice, and build relationships that can benefit them long after graduation.

“This network was built to bring alumni together to grow with, learn from, and support one another,” said Jodi Smolen, director of career services at LCM and the network’s founder and organizer.

Relationships That Open Doors

For Eric Lehmann, CFA, a 2015 LCM graduate and member of the Touro Finance Alumni Network Executive Committee, the greatest value of the event lies in the relationships it helps foster.

Lehmann, who works in real estate and recently launched a business focused on converting warehouses into self-storage facilities, said networking should be approached with patience and generosity.

“It’s not about the quick result,” he said. “It’s about knowing people and developing those relationships over the years.”

He added that students should not approach networking by immediately asking for a job, but rather by seeking advice from professionals whose careers they admire.

“Don’t view it as, ‘What’s in it for me?’” Lehmann said. “For one thing, you can’t measure the value of networking. But it’s also important to be part of something that makes it worthwhile for everyone else.”

Finding Mentors and Inspiration

For current students, the event offered a chance to meet accomplished alumni in a more relaxed setting than a traditional job fair.

“The main thing is the connections,” said Yonatan Blumenstrauch, a senior accounting major at LCM. “It feels like a family that comes together to help each other out.”

Blumenstrauch said he had already connected with several professionals, exchanged contact information, and received advice about entering the accounting field.

Cindy Gros, a 1999 LAS graduate and Senior Vice President and Client Service Executive at BNY Mellon, attended to share lessons from nearly 27 years in financial services, though she wouldn’t necessarily recommend students follow her career path.

“Go to a firm, learn as much as you can, stay for five-to-eight years, then go somewhere else,” she said. “Don’t stay anywhere for too long, because when you move around you have more opportunities to learn and adapt to different workplace cultures.”

A Changing Industry

The evening also featured a panel discussion on artificial intelligence and its growing impact on business, moderated by Touro alumna Sandi Gerstein, Business Transformation & Data Analytics Group Manager at Citi Wealth.

Panelists included Touro alum Jonathan Rhine, who leads AI strategy and implementation at PwC, and Scott Weitz, co-founder and CEO of Driver Studios, who discussed how emerging  technologies are reshaping the workplace.

In his closing comments, Rhine offered a succinct takeaway from the panel: “AI raises the floor. Humans raise the ceiling.”

Building the Next Generation

Following the panel, attendees broke into smaller networking groups focused on tax, accounting, real estate, and investment management, giving students and alumni the opportunity to connect directly with professionals in their areas of interest.

For Blumenstrauch, the breakout sessions demonstrated the strength of the Touro community and the willingness of alumni to support those who are just getting started.

“This is an incredible community, and it’s just in its infancy,” he said. “As more students get involved, the more of us will come back after we graduate, and I’m excited to be that person coming back here and sharing what I know.”