Launching Futures: Whitman’s Finance Career Accelerator Prepares Students for Industry Success
This fall, the Whitman School launched its inaugural Finance Career Accelerator Program (FCAP), a 10-week, cohort-based initiative designed to help students build the industry knowledge and professional skills required to compete for internships at top-tier financial institutions.
Led by Christine Waby ’09 (FALK) in the Whitman Career Center, FCAP blends career discovery, experiential learning, exposure to leading firms, engagement with industry professionals and individualized mentorship. The inaugural Fall 2025 cohort included 59 sophomores, selected through a competitive application process.
Bridging the Gap Between Coursework and Recruiting
FCAP addresses a critical challenge in business education: the gap between academic preparation and increasingly early finance recruiting timelines. The program supports the goals of the school’s Transformation 2030 strategy by enriching the student experience through high-impact experiential learning and meaningful professional connectivity.
Success in competitive finance internships requires early preparation. Professional polish, industry knowledge, technical skills and strong networks are essential to standing out in a rigorous application process. FCAP is designed to complement Whitman’s finance curriculum and broader career development programming, helping students distinguish themselves to potential employers.
Program Highlights
Recruitment Preparation and Professional Development
Students receive comprehensive guidance on finance recruiting timelines, processes and strategies, including preparation for HireVue and Superday interviews. Workshops emphasize behavioral, technical and markets-focused questions, as well as resume and cover letter development and effective networking.
Industry Certifications
All participants earned Bloomberg Market Concepts certification through the Ballentine Investment Center, demonstrating proficiency in financial principles and market analysis tools. Additionally, 32 students opted into a Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) preparation course, providing an early advantage in the internship recruiting process.
Experiential Learning in Action
A signature component of FCAP is the Stock Pitch Competition, where students apply their developing markets expertise in a practical setting. Teams present investment recommendations on a stock using Bloomberg terminals as a key resource for research and analysis. This fall’s competition was judged by Jeff Schor ’87 (MAX), executive director of equity derivatives sales at UBS, and Justin Tannenbaum ’09 (MAX), director of institutional equity sales at Bank of America.
Students also explored finance pathways in consulting, through a corporate finance case led by Will Russo ’03, managing director at Berkeley Research Group. Working through a real bankruptcy restructuring scenario, students gained insight into finance roles beyond banking.
Alumni and Industry Engagement
Alumni and industry engagement is central to the success of the Finance Career Accelerator Program. Each student is paired with an individual alumni mentor—a component that students consistently cited as the most valuable aspect of the program. The 59 mentors represented a wide range of finance and consulting sectors, providing tailored guidance aligned with students’ career interests and goals.
Beyond one-to-one mentorship, alumni and friends of Whitman generously led industry-focused sessions throughout FCAP this fall. These included a Let’s Talk About Markets discussion with Nika Kaminski ’22, founder of EX4 Financial Education, and Kaden Warner ’24, investment banking analyst at BNP Paribas; an Overview of Corporate Finance Careers led by James Choi ’11, ’12 M.S., senior director and head of finance transformation and systems at SitusAMC; and an Acing Technical Interview Questions workshop led by Divya Gada ’24 (WSM/MAX), investment banking analyst at Lincoln International, and Haig Chakamian ’24, sales and trading analyst at NatWest Markets.
Students also participated in small-group coffee chats with alumni leaders including Jason Lilien ’03, senior managing director at Kroll Bond Rating Agency; Andrew Kellerman ’88 (MAX), partner and president at Saba Capital Management; and James Choi ’11, ’12 M.S., creating space for candid conversations and meaningful professional connections.
Building Confidence, Competence and Connections
The Finance Career Accelerator Program reflects Whitman’s mission to prepare students for success by connecting academic learning with industry practice. Through collaboration among faculty, staff, alumni, corporate partners and friends, FCAP equips students with the confidence, competence and connections needed to navigate the evolving global finance landscape.
To align with early recruiting timelines, FCAP will expand in Spring 2026 to include 60 first-year students. The Whitman Career Center welcomes continued alumni and corporate engagement. Those interested in serving as mentors may contact Christine Waby, associate director of career advising and employer relations, at cawaby01@syr.edu.