Business in Boston: Whitman Furthers Reach to Foster Alumni Relationships, Student Opportunities

 From biotech and fintech to banking and startups, companies in the Boston area are thriving along the same streets that once shaped a revolution. Business deals are made over lunches of clam chowder, and there’s sure to be a Dunkin’ on every corner for a mentor meeting or networking opportunity. Add to that almost 2,000 Whitman School graduates in the greater Boston area, and the city has great potential for students seeking internships and jobs, alumni opening their doors to recruit and host students, and the commitment of graduates who stay connected to Whitman through their talents and generosity.

“Boston is a booming city with a lot of opportunity,” says Interim Dean Alex McKelvie. “We are committed to furthering our engagement with alumni there, as well as solidifying relationships with them as mentors, speakers and those willing to help Whitman students explore career opportunities.”

Last March, 17 Whitman students took a career exploration trip to Boston to visit companies like Microsoft, Partner Capital, Deloitte, Wayfair, Converse, JLL and State Street, while also networking with C-suite leaders. According to Whitman Executive Director of Career Services and Employer Relations Kara Primrose, Boston is the No. 2 location for Whitman students to pursue internships and employment.

Gabrielle Harvey ’10, executive managing director at JLL, a Fortune 500 commercial real estate and investment management company, was one person to welcome students during this year’s trip.

Garbrielle Harvey

“I was very impressed with the Whitman students. The grit they have is different from other students I meet, and they also have a lot of the soft skills in business that we’re looking for,” Harvey says. “The most impressive take away, however, was the handwritten thank-you notes I received following their visit. That’s just not something you see much of anymore.”

Yvette Hollingsworth Clark ’94 MBA welcomed students to State Street Corp., a global financial services and bank holding company where she is executive vice president and chief compliance officer.

Yvette Hollingsworth Clark

A former member of the Whitman Advisory Council, Clark set up a panel discussion that included not only herself but also State Street’s chief financial officer and head of global delivery, who talked to the group about the banking and finance industry.

“State Street is not a retail banking name that everyone immediately recognizes. Because of that, we encourage students not to limit themselves but to explore the breadth of banking, such as institutional asset management, where State Street is a leader,” says Clark. “I am glad that Whitman has been making opportunities in Boston available to its students. And we are making a recruitment effort back to Whitman, too, because there’s clearly a lot of talent there.”

Other Boston-area alumni have also kept in touch with Whitman through student interaction and financial generosity.

Guy Daniello ’89 is an entrepreneur and CEO/founder of Peloton Consulting Group, a global leading management and IT services f irm helping drive digital transformation.

Guy Daniello

“Boston is a great place to do business, and a part of our strategy is bringing in talented students, including those from Whitman,” he says. “We like to be able to interact, mentor and help new hires develop and grow. I’m proud to say we’ve hired both Syracuse and Whitman grads and look forward to more in the future.”

Daniello has also given his financial support to Whitman, particularly to support its entrepreneurial focus, business leadership and artificial intelligence. “I like to tag my donations to these types of skills because they are important to the direction the business world is headed,” he says.

Many other Boston-based alumni have also given generously to Whitman, including Jerome ’99, ’13 MBA and Duyum Ryan ’99. Jerome is chief risk officer at Carbonaires, a carbon finance specialist, while Duyum is the finance chief operating officer/ senior vice president of the Cigna Group.

Duyum and Jerome Ryan

Both take the time to mentor and connect with Whitman students. Jerome recently joined the Whitman Advisory Council and last spring served as a judge for the Dean’s Sustainability Challenge.

In 2022, the Ryans, who are members of the Whitman Leadership Circle, created the Jerome ’99, ’13 MBA and Duyum Ryan ’99 Family Scholarship, which enables financially struggling students to participate in co-curricular activities that give them the full Whitman experience.

All in all, the greater Boston area is teeming with opportunity, and the Whitman School is eager to expand its pipeline to the resources available there through an alumni network that continues to be generous with time, financial resources and experience. 

WHITMAN’S EFFORTS TO INCREASE ITS BOSTON PRESENCE INCLUDE: 

• Whitman Day networking reception, held in April for the past four years. 
• Networking events before Syracuse/Boston College basketball games.
• Joint panel discussion and alumni networking reception with the School of Architecture, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and College of Arts and Sciences scheduled around the 2023 Management Association Academic Conference.
• Student/alumni networking night during this spring’s Boston career exploration trip.