FMA 2017-2018 Magazine

fma 

2017-2018 

MAGAZINE 

Reaching 

New 

Heights 

FMA 2018 MAGAZINE 1

2 FMA 2018 MAGAZINE

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 

22 

26 

38 

45 

FMA’s First 

Financial Summit 

Members, alumni, and guest executives came 

together for two days of education, networking 

and camaraderie. 

Duff & Phelps 

Case Competition 

FMA team of five takes second place and 

wins $6,000 in prestigious international 

case competition. 

FMA Heads Back 

to Wall Street 

Members pack a lot into 36 hours, including 

some time with FMA grads now working in 

the Big Apple. 

Alumni 

Updates 

Moving up, moving on and marrying – a lot 

has happened in four years. 

5 Director’s Message 

6 President’s Message 

7 A Look to Next Year 

8 Who Are We? 

10 What We’re Up To 

16 A Look at Our Students 

22 Leadership Summit 

24 Diversity & Inclusion 

26 Case Competitions 

30 Awards & Scholarships 

38 FMA NYC Trip 

42 Where are We 

Going Now? 

44 Supporter Spotlight 

45 Alumni Updates 



FROM THE 

FMA DESK 

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR 

FMA has made incredible strides over the last four years with the vested and engaged 

help of its student members, young alumni and backers. The organization, as I see it, is 

a dichotomy: a start-up that has accomplished significant feats with limited resources; 

and a growth company that is now faced with a choice between good quality and 

excellence. I believe that there are boundless opportunities for FMA to establish itself 

as a nationally respected elite finance program. We can do this by building on a strong 

foundation and thoughtfully establishing a competitive strategy that identifies critical 

areas of focus, creates a curriculum to support each of these areas, and masterfully 

integrates the focus areas as a streamlined and integrative program of excellence. 

Mission Statement: Provide a fully integrated program at Auburn University that combines 

education, career preparation, industry intellectual capital, alumni engagement and 

information resources to produce the best trained and prepared students for finance careers. 

The critical success areas for an elite finance program include: Industry Exposure, 

Technical/Academic, Alumni Engagement, Professional Preparation, and Branding. It 

is truly remarkable how far and definite our progress has been in these areas, driven by 

student members and alumni with a sense of ownership and abounding drive. 

However, when I compare our young organization to elite programs in the nation, I 

question, not the worth of what we have accomplished to date, but whether there are 

other domains…with which we do not as yet deal effectively. Rapid as our advance has 

been, the failure to capitalize on further areas of growth and advancement for our 

students would be neglectful. I propose that we use the mission statement to guide 

this program toward an integrated and purposeful curriculum that seeks improvement 

in areas of weakness and coordinates efforts between students, alumni and faculty. 

Target improvement areas are: practical industry and academic integration including 

structured supporting coursework and credit, additional focused alumni engagement 

and communication, and the addition of a thoughtfully planned elite student 

investment lab. These targets only seem wildly aspirational when one forgets the path 

that we have forged in the short time since inception. 

Finance Rocks! 


MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT 

PRESIDENT JORDAN CARR 

A Year 

of Growth 

Once again, it was a year of tremendous growth for FMA as 

this year’s group continued to build on the progress of former 

students. We actively invested in efforts to increase our 

name recognition with purposeful branding – not only of our 

student successes, but also of our program in general - taking 

ownership of the impressive results derived from four years of 

curriculum building, determination and hard work. Another 

major focus this year was fostering discussions with the college 

and FMA Advisory Board regarding FMA’s strategic mission 

and trajectory as we continue to push for additional resources, 

integration and infrastructure. As you’ll see throughout this 

Annual, our focused efforts paid great dividends. 

1. 100% full time job placement for 20 seniors 

2. 100% internship placement for 19 juniors 

3. 14 sophomore and freshman finance related internships 

4. 16 sophomore and freshman leadership program participants 

5. Instituted FMA’s Advisory Board that will serve as a 

governing body and source of strategic guidance for 

upcoming initiatives 

6. Hosted FMA’s first annual Financial Leadership Summit 

that included a full weekend of events for alumni, students 

and executives 

7. Established FMA’s first Investment Banking Preparatory 

Group that met on a weekly basis to prepare students for IB 

recruitment and internships 

8. Competed in 7 national case competitions - taking 1 st in one 

and 2 nd in two 

9. Hosted two open-invite forums for business and 

engineering students: 

• What is Corporate Investment Banking? Wells Fargo 

Executives Walk Through a Live Deal 

FMA 2017-2018 President Jordan Carr joined FMA 

as a sophomore and recently completed his major in 

Mechanical Engineering with minors in Finance and 

Business. He initially decided to pursue engineering 

professionally and completed an internship with 

ExxonMobil in Houston, TX. However, following his 

internship and multiple conversations with investment 

bankers, Jordan decided to alter his career path and 

pursue a career in investment banking. Jordan interned 

with Moelis & Co. in Houston last summer and accepted 

a full time offer to join Moelis in New York City as an 

investment banking analyst. 

10. Focused on branding and earlier education of FMA and 

finance careers with a visit to Hoover High School’s 

Finance Academy 

11. Recorded an average starting compensation for 2018 

graduating class of $93,600 

Knowing the plans that FMA leadership has for the next 

several years, I am excited to witness future growth and give 

back as an alumnus. As mentioned to my fellow 2018 graduates, 

FMA’s goal is to be a resource not only for current students, but 

also for alumni as they progress in their careers. Thank you to 

the students, alumni, guests and advisers who made this past 

year possible. Reaching new heights requires team effort and 

could not happen without your help. 

• Inclusion in the Workplace: Partnering Together for Success 


INCOMING PRESIDENT 

BAILEY SULLIVAN 

Looks to 

Next Year 

Thank you to our outgoing executive team – through 

your collaboration and hard work, FMA reached exciting 

new milestones in placement, branding, curriculum and 

recognition at both the university and national level. These 

accomplishments drove the title of this year’s FMA Annual 

Magazine: “Reaching New Heights.” Though our young 

organization has experienced tremendous growth, with an 

eye on the future we will continue to focus on value-added 

initiatives for our members. 

For 2018-2019, FMA Exec is targeting several key initiatives to 

support student development and growth. The first of these 

initiatives focuses on the career services we offer our members. 

We plan to create and publish an “FMA Career Guide” that 

will be available to all existing and potential members as 

well as other finance students seeking career preparatory 

advice. This formalized guide will lay out a four-year plan for 

students including track-specific career opportunities, course 

recommendations by year and ancillary training options and 

resources. FMA will use this guide in conjunction with insight 

from our executive speakers, alumni and peer advisors to 

expand the career services offered to our members. 

The second primary initiative is the establishment of an 

executive mentor program. This program will pair targeted 

members with an FMA alum or business professional based 

on their targeted career interests. Mentorship on a studentto-student 

level has been a core element of our members’ 

success; the purpose of this program is to expand this element 

externally between students and alumni. 

We also plan to enrich the content of our shared programming 

for all HCOB students and systemically raise the level of 

awareness and preparedness within the college. This includes 

offering annual informational content though various venues: 

FMA Financial Leadership Summit, Fall Information Session 

FMA 2018-2019 President Bailey Sullivan joined FMA 

as a freshman and is currently completing her degree 

in Industrial & Systems Engineering with minors 

in Finance and Spanish. Through the resources and 

guidance that FMA provided, she received invitations 

to participate in diversity programs at multiple firms 

including Blackstone, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan and 

Wells Fargo Securities. She spent two summers as an 

analyst with Wells Fargo Securities with their Financial 

Sponsors Group and Equity Capital Markets team in 

New York. Upon graduation, Bailey will return to New 

York as a full-time investment banking analyst with 

Goldman Sachs. 

- What is Finance? A focus on industry tracks and career 

planning, FMA Diversity and Inclusion Forum, FMA Student/ 

Employer Meet & Greet (open to all 3.5 GPA finance majors) 

and an additional annual open presentation focusing on a 

specific area of the financial services industry. With this 

shared programming, we will continue to champion Auburn’s 

focus on inclusion by actively recruiting and assisting students 

from all areas of our campus and community. 

FMA has made remarkable progress since its creation in 2014, 

and we will strive to reach “new heights” throughout this 

next year. Thank you to all FMA supporters who make the 

growth of this organization possible – we truly appreciate 

your support. 

Best, 


WHO ARE WE? 

We are Auburn students who pressed 

for an organization that could identify 

top talent and provide focused 

preparation for a career in finance. 

FMA Graduation Party 2018 

We are a growing base of involved alumni 

that continue to give back, both financially and as 

mentors and advisors from inside the corporate world. 


We are involved ambassadors that continuously push for resources and training. We 

are a morning mock interview, an afternoon happy hour and a late night in the Bloomberg room. 

FMA Graduation Party 2017 

We are a source of honest feedback, 

a study partner, a mentor. 

FMA Graduation Party 2016 

We are a group of dedicated students who want 

the best opportunities for ourselves and our fellow members. 

FMA Graduation Party 2015 

WE ARE FMA. 


Reaching 

New Heights 

FMA On-Campus Presentations 

Regions Securities | Charlotte, NC 

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey | 

Atlanta, GA 

Turner Broadcasting | Atlanta, GA 

Wells Fargo Government & Institutional 

Banking | Washington, D.C. 

Wells Fargo Corp/Invest Banking| 

Las Vegas, NV, San Francisco, CA 

Stifel Equity Research | Atlanta, GA 

Welch Hornsby | Birmingham, AL 

Vulcan Value Partners | Birmingham, AL 

Training 

Two Training the Street on campus Bootcamps 

Wall Street Prep Online Courses 

LinkedIn workshop 

Student Mentor Program 

Investment banking prep group 

Team Building 

FMA Member Bowling Night 

New Member Social at AU Hotel 

FMA Christmas Party 

Annual Grad Party 

What we’re up to... 


Corporate Headquarter Visits 

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey | Atlanta, GA 

Delta Air Lines | Atlanta, GA 

Duff & Phelps | Atlanta, GA 

RSA | Montgomery, AL 

Goldman Sachs |New York, NY 

JP Morgan |New York, NY 

MUFG Securities |New York, NY 

Events and Engagement 

Financial Leadership Summit 

• Panel speakers included Raymond Harbert, 

Paul Jacobson (Delta CFO) and Steven Aldridge 

• Private information session with bankers from 

Goldman Sachs 

• Alumni and supporter luncheon and 

awards banquet 

• Supporter | Student tailgate 

FMA Meet & Greet – hosted 13 firms for a 

private career fair 

Inclusion in the Workplace Forum 

• Seminar and discussion surrounding diversity 

and inclusion in the workplace from Betsy 

Bagley with Catalyst New York 

• Breakout session for FMA Women followed 

Corporate Investment Banking Forum 

• Wells Fargo executives walk through deal flow 

on multi-company M&A transaction 

CFA Forecast Dinner | Birmingham, AL 

CSIC Conference | Tuscaloosa, AL 

Edward Tufte Data Conference | Atlanta, GA 

Power lunches with executives from investment 

banking, corporate finance, and private wealth 

FMA Meet & Greet – hosted 13 firms for a private 

career fair. All finance majors with above a 3.5 

GPA invited 

FMA Student Leadership Trip - NYC 

Members involved in 7 Case Competitions 



Work Hard... 


14 FMA 2018 MAGAZINE 

Play Hard.


A LOOK AT OUR STUDENTS 

DAVID BUCKO 

Senior FMA student 

David Bucko holds 

triple citizenship in 

the United States, 

Hungary, and Serbia, 

and credits much of his success to 

his arrival in the U.S. at the age of 12. 

David’s move from Hungary instilled in 

him a deep sense of appreciation for the 

opportunities he has been able to pursue 

here in the U.S. “I’m so appreciative of my 

experiences; I grew up in a country where 

opportunity is often hard to find.” Always 

with an eye on his future, David completed 

both his Life & Health Agent License 

and his Series 6 while still in college and 

landed a sophomore internship with 

Merrill Lynch. 

David’s advice to younger members? 

“Figure out as quickly as possible what you 

want to do and build your resume around 

that. If you have training or experience 

in a certain field, you are far more likely 

to be selected than someone who is just 

‘interested’ in that field.” David will join 

Regions Securities in Charlotte as a Debt 

Capital Markets Financial Analyst. 



KATIE 

GRUNDER 

With a curious mind and 

innate athleticism, 

Katie truly exemplifies what it means to be an 

Auburn student-athlete. The Dayton, OH native 

chose Auburn to continue her soccer career at the 

Division I level with a full scholarship. 

While at Auburn, Katie and the Auburn Women’s 

Soccer Team made four NCAA Tournament and 

four SEC Tournament appearances - posting two 

of the most successful seasons in program history. 

Katie also claimed the prestigious Spirit Award her 

senior year for best representing the Auburn Creed 

on and off the field. As the soccer season closed 

during her senior year, Katie decided to add another 

challenge to her resume by joining the Auburn 

Women’s Track and Field Team and competing in 

the 100m Dash. 

Katie’s athletic achievements are only part of the 

story. The talented athlete pursued membership 

in FMA her freshman year and went on to obtain 

an internship with Regions Bank as an investment 

portfolio analyst the summer of her junior year. 

Katie channeled her grit and determination toward 

landing a full time position. She will join JP Morgan 

Private Bank in Boston, MA this summer as a wealth 

management analyst. 

“Stay open-minded 

to new opportunities 

- small or large. You 

never know how 

many doors can be 

opened by the simple 

decision to take 

a risk.” 



NICK 

POPE 

Nick Pope, a junior double 

majoring in finance and 

accounting, may have grown up in Memphis, 

Tennessee, but he was raised a proud Auburn fan. Nick 

followed in the steps of his parents and two sisters when 

deciding to come to The Plains for college. 

Pope started on a pure accounting track but began 

rethinking his future career when he took his first 

finance class. A conversation with FMA member and 

friend Jordan Carr proved to be impactful for Pope and 

was a turning point in his decision to pursue a career in 

investment banking. Pope added finance as his second 

major, joined FMA and began actively networking with 

industry professionals. Nick’s hard work paid off when he 

secured an internship with Piper Jaffray for Summer 2018 

in the Diversified Industrials Group out of Charlotte, NC. 

Here, Nick gained valuable experience and worked on a 

When reflecting upon his time in FMA, Nick says, “This 

organization gave me the opportunity to learn so much 

about the finance industry and surrounded me with peers 

who are driven to succeed. The older students in FMA 

have had a profound impact on me and have pushed me 

to pursue a career that I am passionate about.” 

In his free time, Nick can be found hiking, mountain 

biking or planning his next travel adventure. Prior to his 

internship this summer, he participated in the Harbert 

College of Business’ “Intern Abroad Program” in 

Rome, Italy when he worked as consultant for two local 

restaurant entrepreneurs. 

Upon graduation, Nick will return to Piper as a full-time 

analyst in the Consumer Products group where he will 

work on M&A transactions, buy-side engagements and 

variety of sell-side M&A deals and pitches. 

capital raises. 

18 FMA 2018 2017 MAGAZINE FMA 2017 MAGAZINE 18


Lauren Spiwak, a 

junior from Sugar 

Land, Texas, didn’t 

grow up thinking she 

would attend Auburn. 

But, after touring 22 colleges across the 

United States, she knew Auburn was the 

place for her. Auburn has given Lauren 

so many professional and extracurricular 

opportunities during her undergraduate 

career. Within the business school, 

Lauren is a member of the Financial 

Management Association and the HCOB 

Executive Society. Outside of the business 

school, Lauren has served in a variety 

of organizations including the Student 

Government Association and in multiple 

positions on Panhellenic Council. Lauren 

currently serves as the Administrative Vice 

President on Panhellenic’s Executive Board 

where she leads an 18 member Panhellenic 

Cabinet in putting on programs and 

initiatives for over 5,000 Greek women. 

LAUREN 

SPIWAK 

Lauren joined FMA during her sophomore 

year and spent that summer as a 

manufacturing finance intern at Shell Oil 

Company. FMA provided Lauren with 

resources to supplement her studies and 

prepare her for the summer. The internship 

at Shell solidified Lauren’s desire to work in 

oil and gas and the Texas native decided to 

pursue an internship in energy investment 

banking the following summer. FMA 

senior members helped Lauren prepare for 

a variety of investment banking interviews 

and super days. Lauren accepted an offer 

to intern with Bank of America Merrill 

Lynch in their Energy & Power group as an 

investment banking summer analyst and 

received a full time offer at the end of her 

internship. Following graduation, Lauren 

will return to the bank as a full-time 

investment banking analyst in the Natural 

Resources group. 



CHRIS COSTELLO 

Chris Costello, a junior FMA 

member, is the owner of BALI Media, LLC and 

subsidiary SpectSocial. Both companies aim to help businesses 

and marketers grow their brand presence on social media and 

online. BALI Media, LLC not only focuses on social media 

management, but also on web development, content creation, 

app development and digital consulting. Costello came up with 

the idea after growing his entrepreneur themed Instagram page 

to 101,000 followers in less than 8 months. “That was when I 

recognized a market for helping brands and businesses obtain 

the optimal exposure,” Costello said. SpectSocial works with 

smaller, independent marketers while BALI Media focuses on 

small businesses and larger corporations. Over the last year and 

a half, Costello’s businesses including LeadFriend, a business 

he co-founded, have generated in excess of $600,000.00 in 

revenue and have worked with famous musicians, clothing 

brands, journalists and comedians. 

Costello says the biggest challenge going forward is keeping 

the momentum, and continuing to take advantage of updated 

technology. What’s next for Costello as an entrepreneur? 

Partnering with bigger brands and companies, while marketing 

himself into a full time career at a top tech firm. 



Jenny Herrell, a 

freshman at Auburn 

University, discovered 

her interest in investing 

when she took a 

macroeconomics course 

in high school. The Madison, 

Alabama native enjoyed mathematics 

and history and viewed finance as the 

intersection between the two - allowing her 

to analyze companies both fundamentally 

and qualitatively. Intrigued by the field and 

wanting to learn more, Herrell found an 

internship at a local retirement fund and spent 

her senior year absorbing all that she could 

about investment strategy. Entering Auburn, 

she knew she wanted to major in finance 

and quickly became involved in the Auburn 

Student Investment Fund. After joining FMA, 

Jenny was encouraged to apply to the Girls 

Who Invest Summer Intensive Program, an 

organization that advocates for greater female 

presence in the financial services industry and 

seeks to provide women with the tools to make 

this initiative possible. Jenny was ultimately 

accepted by Girls Who Invest – becoming the 

first woman from the SEC to participate in the 

program. As a summer scholar, Herrell spent 

four weeks completing asset management 

training at the University of Pennsylvania 

and was then matched with an internship 

at Prudential in Atlanta, Georgia where she 

worked in mezzanine debt and real estate. 

Jenny will be joining Point72, a hedge fund 

headquartered in Stamford, CT next summer 

and hopes to eventually pursue a career in real 

estate investing. “I’m looking forward to the 

rigor and growth opportunities the next three 

years in FMA will bring and helping other 

Auburn women utilize the organization to 

explore possibilities once thought out of reach.” 

Along with her interest in personal investing, 

Jenny loves presidential autobiographies, 

podcasts, and cooking – when her HelloFresh 

box arrives. 

JENNY 

HERRELL 


REACHING NEW HEIGHTS—PROGRAMMING 


LEADERSHIP SUMMIT 

Inaugural FMA Leadership Summit featured guest 

panelists, awards luncheon and alumni involvement 

Jennie Powers 

It was a homecoming weekend, of 

sorts, for Harbert College’s Financial 

Management Association alumni. 

Nearly half of the program’s 48 alums 

descended upon The Plains to attend 

FMA’s first annual Financial Leadership 

Summit – a two-day event that included 

the group’s first advisory board meeting, 

an alumni luncheon, an executive panel 

of distinguished industry leaders, an 

investment banking focused information 

session, an evening alumni networking 

event and a Saturday morning tailgate on 

the Lowder Hall Lawn. 

“It was great to have our alums back for 

the weekend,” said Tracy Richard, finance 

instructor and FMA Director since its 

inception four years ago. “We established 

the Summit in order to increase exposure 

for our finance students and to create an 

annual event that will bring our finance 

alums, supporters, and students together.” 

Throughout the year, FMA members have 

the opportunity to hear first-hand career 

advice from industry professionals, meet 

with financial executives and gain insight 

on the training necessary for a successful 

career in finance. Members also receive 

career coaching, resume guidance and 

mock interview opportunities. 

Jimmy Brewster, a sophomore FMA 

member from Atlanta, noted that 

providing students with “the proper 

framework and guidance” is an integral 

part of FMA’s mission. “When a student 

comes into the business school and is 

willing to put forth the effort to achieve a 

successful career in finance, FMA provides 

the tools and opportunities that will help 

them succeed. The organization provides 

not only a framework for success, but also 

the mentorship and support.” 

The Summit kicked off on Friday with 

the group’s first advisory board meeting. 

According to Tracy Richard, “Our board 

will be a critical source of support for 

us and will play an important role in 

identifying and addressing students’ needs.” 

Current students, alums and industry 

executives then gathered for a luncheon, 

where the organizations’ first three 

student presidents were honored. Later 

that afternoon, all HCOB students were 

invited to an open panel featuring three 

finance alumni and prominent industry 

executives: Raymond J. Harbert, CEO of 

Harbert Management Corporation, Paul 

Jacobson, Chief Financial Officer 

of Delta Air Lines, and Steven Aldridge, 

an investment banking executive at 

Cantor Fitzgerald. 

“We’re trying to expose the students that 

are interested in a career in finance to 

various segments of the financial services 

industry from private equity to corporate 

finance and to highlight successful and 

engaged alumni who can tell that story 

best,” Richard said. 

“We plan to establish the Summit 

as a continuing source of education, 

engagement and fellowship for students 

seeking a career in finance,” said FMA 

President Jordan Carr. “None of this would 

be possible without the support of the 

Finance Department, the Harbert College 

of Business, and our sponsors and alumni.” 

The finishing touch for FMA’s inaugural 

Summit? Visitors were treated to an 

Auburn victory over Georgia. 


REACHING NEW HEIGHTS—PROGRAMMING 

Diversity & Inclusion 

This April, FMA welcomed Betsy Osterling 

Bagley (AU College of Business ’88), 

Catalyst Vice President of Consulting 

Services to campus for an open-invitation 

forum on diversity and inclusion in the 

workplace. Approximately 200 students 

gathered in Lowder Hall for a co-ed session 

that was no-holds-barred informative, 

honest and relevant. 

Catalyst is a global nonprofit 

headquartered in New York that works 

with some of the world’s most powerful 

CEOs and leading companies to build 

workplaces that work for women. The 

company helps organizations remove 

barriers and drive change with pioneering 

research, practical tools, and proven 

solutions to accelerate and advance women 

into leadership. Catalyst focuses on 

three areas to drive workplace change: 

accelerating women at work by building 

inclusive cultures; addressing workplace 

issues at the intersection of gender, race 

and ethnicity; and engaging men as 

champions to help women advance 

and succeed. 

The co-ed forum addressed relevant 

issues for students preparing to enter the 

workforce by starting at ground zero – 

awareness. Men and women alike were 

taken back by the information presented. 

Prior to the forum, Ms. Bagley sent a 

student survey out to check awareness 

and perceptions. Seventy FMA students 


esponded; the results sombering, yet inline 

with similar surveys conducted across 

the nation. When asked if they believe 

that men and women have equal access to 

career opportunities, 73 percent of men 

answered “yes” compared to 44 percent 

of women. Responses also indicated 

that Auburn men feel more comfortable 

approaching faculty for help and speaking 

out in class. 

Betsy did not hesitate to dig in, 

encouraging students to start a dialogue 

about the differences and focus efforts 

on understanding perspectives. At one 

point, the Catalyst maverick drew a circle 

on the board and asked students to shout 

out positive and negative words associated 

with each of the sexes. “It was a great 

visual” said one male student. “Words are 

powerful, but we don’t really think about 

the fact that what’s often seen as a strength 

for a guy, like speaking up or taking charge, 

has a negative connotation when applied 

to a woman. That display really hit home 

for me.” 

Following the open session, FMA hosted 

a women-only coffee-hour and provided 

each member with a copy of Sheryl 

Sandberg’s book, Lean In. “Sometimes it’s 

easier to open up in a women-only setting” 

said Betsy. “I wanted to be frank about the 

challenges and give the women a chance to 

ask questions. This is such a critical time 

in their lives - I’m passionate about helping 

these young women navigate systemic 

disadvantages and launch their careers.” 

Betsy Bagley, Catalyst, NYC 

Betsy’s message hit home with male and 

female students alike. One female student 

followed up with Ms. Bagley after the 

forum: “Women’s equality in the workplace 

is a topic that is not typically discussed 

but is crucial that it is evaluated and 

talked about. I especially enjoyed the final 

point about insuring that you are having a 

discussion rather than a debate.” 


Reaching New Heights— 

Case 

Competitions 


FMA TEAM takes second place, 

wins $6,000 at prestigious international case competition 

Five students representing Auburn 

University’s Financial Management 

Association took second place 

internationally out of 77 teams and won 

$6,000 in scholarships Feb. 1 at the 

prestigious Duff & Phelps YOUniversity 

Deal Challenge in New York City. 

“To pursue competitive careers out of 

school, students need to express a drive 

that extends beyond the classroom,” said 

Jimmy Brewster, a sophomore finance 

major in the Harbert College. “Auburn’s 

team viewed this challenge as an 

opportunity to do just that.” 

Other team members included Jordan 

Carr, a senior majoring in mechanical 

engineering and minoring in finance, 

Bailey Sullivan, a junior majoring 

in industrial systems engineering 

and minoring in finance, Ben Yost, a 

sophomore majoring in finance and 

electrical engineering, and Ty Lamar, a 

junior majoring in finance. 

“The students that were on the Duff 

and Phelps team are incredibly driven 

and hard working,” said Harbert College 

finance instructor and FMA Director 

Tracy Richard, “This competition 

was rigorous and required a deep 

understanding of all aspects of the 

valuation process, including distinct 

valuation approaches, and the ability 

to build and explain models within 

each. These students were required to 

use valuation models to value not only 

tangible assets, but intangible assets 

as well. They immersed themselves in 

investment banking and valuation selfstudy 

opportunities provided by the 

FMA and also relied on their internship 

experience within the investment 

banking industry.” 

The Duff & Phelps case study put students 

into consulting roles and gave them a long 

list of objectives to meet in preparing a set 

of multi-million dollar recommendations 

to present before judges. 

This year, teams played the role of 

investment banking consultants 

and were tasked with valuating a 

newspaper publishing company (the 

team recommended the company 

value between $350 and $385 million), 

determining what type of buyer it should 

be sold to, and then recommending the 

precise purchaser. 

“There are several different types of 

buyers that you might see,” Carr said. 

“You might get a strategic buyer, which 

is another big company with a similar 

operation. That would be like an Exxon 

purchasing a smaller oil company. Then 

you have financial buyers, which are like 

private equity firms looking to invest.” 

The team recommended selling to a 

strategic buyer. 

“What we tried to focus on was how the 

entire presentation flowed together,” 

Carr said. “It’s real important to have a 

common theme that backs up the whole 

presentation and ties it together. When 

you’re pitching to a board of a company, 

you want the theme to run through 

everything and creates a story that backs 

up what your final recommendation is.” 

Brewster noted that meeting a 

demanding deadline with a laundry list 

of recommendations was just nature of 

the business. 

“Duff & Phelps looked to incorporate 

this theme in their challenge because of 

the nature of the investment banking 

industry,” he said. “Investment banking 

is a very client-facing business, and 

therefore the client can be extremely 

demanding and ask as many deliverables 

as they choose. 

“The experience we had in this challenge 

helped us prepare for careers in 

investment banking because we improved 

our multi-tasking, teamwork, and timemanagement 

skills.” 

Richard likened case competitions to 

‘real-life experiences that challenge 

students to go beyond the textbook.’ 

“Seldom will they encounter a 

competition of this rigor where they 

don’t have to build on their existing 

skills. The skills required for analysis and 

presentation are relevant and applicable 

to what they will see in the market.” 


FMA Mambers At CFA Institute 

The CFA Institute Research Challenge is 

a global competition, providing university 

students with the opportunity to work 

with industry mentors and develop 

their skills in financial analysis. Over 

the course of several months, a team of 

Auburn students, along with the help 

of professor Albert Wang, crafted an 

in-depth equity research report on the 

United Parcel Service (UPS). Through the 

competition, the students were able to 

analyze industry trends, cost structures, 

competitive differentiators, and value 

drivers for the Company. It was a great 

opportunity to apply classroom material 

into a real-world scenario, and have the 

student’s opinion evaluated by a panel of 

CFA-licensed professionals. 

FMA members competed in 7 case competitions 

in 2017-2018 and brought in $46,000 in 

scholarship and corporate funding. 

2017-2018 FMA Case Competitions 

• Duff & Phelps - $6,000 (2nd) 

• eFest 2017 - $25,000 (3rd) 

Jenny Herrell, Matt Hultstrand, Emily Kravec, and Gary Gray 

represent Auburn in the UGA Stock Pitch Competition. 

• EO GSEA Atlanta Regionals (1st) and 

Nationals (2nd) - $5,000 

• UGA Entrepreneur of the Year - $10,000 (1st) 

• UGA Stock Pitch Competition 

• CFA Equity Research Competition 

• Southeastern Hedge Fund Competition 


Chris Maurice and his start-up company 

Yellow Card, continued to impress the 

entrepreneurship business world this 

year, taking top awards in three major 

business competitions. Maurice and his 

business partner Justin Poiroux took 

third place nationally in the E-Fest 2017 

competition and brought home $25,000. 

E-Fest is the largest undergraduates-only 

business plan competition established to 

promote and support entrepreneurship 

education. Yellow Card also placed first 

at regionals and second in the nation at 

the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards, 

claiming $5,000. Additionally, Chris and 

Justin took first place ($10,000) at UGA’s 

Entrepreneur of the Year Competition. 

In addition to claiming top honors, Chris 

and Justin met some influential business 

leaders at the competitions and were 

invited to speak in April at Gathering 

of Titans (http://gatheringoftitans.com/ 

who/), a nationwide gathering of seasoned 

investors and entrepreneurs at MIT. 


REACHING NEW HEIGHTS— 

AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS 

Zachary Spencer 

Internship Scholarship 

HCOB Graduation Marshall 

Bailey Sullivan 

W. James Samford, Jr. Foundation Scholarship 

McWane Foundation Scholarship (Plainsman Prestigious) 

Auburn University Presidential Scholarship 

Edward and Catherine K. Lowder Scholarship 

Duff & Phelps Case Study Scholarship 

Tyler Fraebel 

Spirit of Auburn Presidential Scholarship 

Alabama Young Bankers’ Endowed Scholarship 

East Alabama Medical Center Endowed Scholarship 

Summa Cum Laude Graduation 

Matthew Duggan 

PNC Finance Scholarship 

James Brewster 

SunTrust Scholarship 


Chris Maurice 

W. James Samford, Jr. Foundation Scholarship 

Harbert College of Business Annual Internship Scholarship 

National Merit Finalist Presidential Scholarship 

Harbert College of Business President’s Award 

University of Georgia Next Top Entrepreneur 

Entrepreneurs’ Organization Global Student Entrepreneur 

Award Winner (Atlanta), Finalist (U.S. Nationals) 

Emily Kravec 

National Merit Presidential Scholarship 

Kench Lee Lott, Jr. Endowed Scholarship 

J.W. Triplett Memorial Endowed Scholarship 

Alabama Power Scholarship 

Rheem Manufacturing Scholarship 

Neptune Technology Group Scholarship 

Nadine Moussalli 

Neptune Technology Group Scholarship 

Jordan Carr 

American Cast Iron Engineering Scholarship 

O’Neal Austin - Best Student Award 

Auburn Male Student Leader of the Year (2017) 


Caleb Carter 

Auburn University Founder’s Scholarship 


Russell Noletto 

Auburn University Founder’s Scholarship 

Auburn Athletics Scholarship 

Kathleen Leavitt 


Wilda W. And Roy Lee Farish Endowed Scholarship 

Joseph McCormick 

Spirit of Auburn - Founder’s Scholarship 


James “Hunter” Collier Endowed Scholarship 

Lauren Spiwak 

Doris Tanquary Memorial Accounting Scholarship 

Honors College Compass Bank Honors Endowed Scholarship 


Chris Costello 

Dudley Scholarship 

J.W. Triplett Business Scholarship 

Trent Baggerly 

McDaniel Presidential Scholarship in Business 

Brady Johnson 

Drummond Company Honor’s Endowed Scholarship 


Matt Hultstrand 

Spirit of Auburn - Presidential Scholarship 

John Edward Wiatt Fund for Excellence 

Guiles E. Maxwell, Jr. and Jean Fields Maxwell Scholarship 

Delaney Kennedy 


Sam Schuessler 

Harbert College of Business Annual Internship Scholarship 

Brittany Clark 



Colonel Donald T. Jones Scholarship 

P.E.O. STAR Scholarship 



Ben Yost 

National Merit Presidential Scholarship 

E.Z and L.G. Huff Endowed Scholarship 

Polly McAdams Alldredge Scholarship 


Riley Bell 

John and Linda Havron Mengelt Endowed Fund for 

Excellence 

Academic Heritage Scholarship 

Mengelt Distinguished Honors Scholarship 

Ethan Reback 


Jack Albert 

Alabama Young Bankers’ Endowed Scholarship 

Taylor Hardin 


Regions Bank Endowed Scholarhsip 

Josh Horton 

Wilda W. and Roy Lee Farish Endowed Scholarship 

Spirit of Auburn University Scholarship 

Ty Lamar 


Kate Bagley 

Aubun University Academic Charter Scholarship 

Blanchard H. Stallworth Endowed Scholarship 

Nathan Stein 

Spirit of Auburn University Scholarship 

Auburn University Legacy Scholarship 

Nick Pope 


Jenny Herrell 

Spirit of Auburn - Presidential Scholarship 

Nelson Endowed Scholarship 

Hightower Endowed Fund for Excellence Scholarship 

Ari Alexander 

Auburn University Board of Trustees Scholarship 

Alabama Power/Southern Company Scholarship 

Kevin and Kathy Mims Scholarship 

Sarah Green Memorial Scholarship 

Charles Barkley Scholarship 

Dustin Watts 

SOA Founders Scholarship 

Regions Bank Scholarship 




How successful was Auburn’s Financial 

Management Association chapter this year? 

JOSEPH MCADORY 

The Auburn chapter was named FMA 

Superior Chapter by FMA National. 

Add that national recognition to the 

fact that they were nominated for 

five of the university’s 12 Student 

Involvement Awards – and won three. 

FMA members participated in seven 

national case competitions – and won 

more than $45,000 in scholarships and 

equity funding. There’s more -- outgoing 

chapter President Jordan Carr was 

named Auburn University Male Student 

Leader of the Year and Tracy Richard, a 

finance instructor at the Harbert College 

and the FMA Director, earned Auburn 

University’s Corey Edwards Organization 

Advisor of the Year and Parents’ 

Association Faculty and Staff Awards. 

In addition, Tim Monte, a member of 

FMA-Auburn’s advisory board, was 

selected as FMA National Finacial 

Exceutive of the Year. 

Carr, a rising senior in engineering, 

reflects on the association’s achievements. 

“FMA was founded three and a half years 

ago when Tracy saw a need to develop and 

train top students interested in finance to 

be more competitive in the job market,” 

he said. “What was created with her 

students has grown into an organization 

that is far more than just a professional 

society – it is a support network for 

students that exposes them to different 

areas of finance and helps them get to the 

area they decide on.” 

Members agree that the organization 

gives students the tools necessary 

to compete with peers from the core 

investment banking schools. “The finance 

department has an amazing faculty. As we 

grow and strengthen FMA, so too are we 

focused on tangentially drawing on the 

available academic expertise to create an 

integrated major – one that includes both 

outstanding teaching and excellent career 

preparation,” Richard said. 

How does FMA succeed? Ownership, 

drive, and attitude, Richard said, giving 

the students credit. “How can you not be 

amazed by a group of students that seek 

challenges, work tirelessly to accomplish 

their goals and then turn around and 

help the next in line?” she said. “Our 

seniors spend countless hours helping 

our younger members, and it doesn’t 

stop there. FMA alumni are incredibly 

engaged. They recognize what the 

organization provided them, and they 

have a vested interest in its future.” 



“What don’t you do?” 

would be an appropriate 

question for FMA’er 

Chris Maurice who was 

honored with the 2017- 

2018 President’s Award 

for the Harbert College 

of Business. 

Chris, who has passionately pursued his love 

of entrepreneurship since 5th grade, has 

dabbled in just about everything from shoe 

manufacturing to search engine optimization 

and professional writing services. Then, in his 

sophomore year, Chris discovered Bitcoin and 

hasn’t looked back (or stopped talking about 

it) since. 

In 2015, alongside longtime friend Justin 

Poiroux, Chris founded Yellow Card Financial 

with the vision of making cryptocurrency 

readily available to anyone, anywhere. In 

the years since, Yellow Card has grown to 

accommodate cryptocurrency exchange in 17 

countries across Africa, the Middle East, and 

the United States, offering exotic currency 

pairs and liquidity for local exchanges. They 

will be launching their namesake product, the 

Yellow Card, in retail stores across Africa 

this summer. 

Chris has presented Yellow Card and their 

vision in Minnesota at eFest 2016, in Dallas 

at the Entrepreneurs’ Organization GSEA, in 

Boston at the Gathering of Titans Conference 

at MIT, and in Lagos, Nigeria, at Blockchain 

Nigeria. Chris recently returned from Nigeria 

to raise more money, after which you might be 

able to catch him in Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, 

Kenya, Zimbabwe, Botswana, or South Africa, 

in no particular order. Chris plans to spend 

the fall in Africa finalizing plans for their 

Lagos office and getting things ready to go 

across the continent. 

CHRIS 

MAURICE 



BY STEPHEN LANZI | CAMPUS WRITER, 

AUBURN PLAINSMAN 

Male student leader of 

the year, mechanical 

engineer finds himself 

in investment banking. 

Excerpt taken from full article that appeared 

in The Auburn Plainsman 

In most cases, a rising junior studying 

mechanical engineering would think they 

had their life all but figured out when they 

secured an internship with ExxonMobil. 

Jordan Carr found himself in this situation 

a few years ago, but he had no idea that 

by the end of his senior year, he would 

find himself pursuing a career in 

investment banking. 

After a friend in FMA invited him to 

a private information session with a 

representative of Goldman Sachs, Carr 

started to reconsider what he wanted to 

do. He went into the internship with the 

mindset that if he didn’t love engineering, 

he would pursue investment banking. 

Although he enjoyed the experience 

and people at Exxon, Carr realized 

engineering wasn’t for him. On his 

return to Auburn, he decided to keep 

the mechanical engineering major and 

pick up a minor in finance. “It was either 

I stick with something that I liked, and 

yes, I’d probably be happy there, or do I 

risk it for something an Auburn kid hasn’t 

done in the past several years? And I’m 

engineering. I’m not the typical finance 

kid. And I have no idea if I even have a shot 

against these Penn and Harvard kids, but I 

really want to do this.” 

The story of Carr’s transition to a radically 

new career can’t be told without telling 

a story of his involvement on campus, 

which began with being elected president 

of his fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta, his 

sophomore year. “I grew up a lot during 

that and made a lot of mistakes, but I think 

JORDAN 

CARR 

that’s what you learn from,” Carr said with 

a chuckle. Carr’s long list of involvements 

throughout his time at Auburn also 

included serving as a treasurer for IFC, 

a director of ODK, member of SGA 

Elections Board and member of his 

fraternity’s judicial board. 

“That’s when I started with the coffee,” 

Carr said pointing to his large iced 

Americano. 

However, one of his prouder experiences 

at Auburn has been getting involved with 

Financial Management Association, a 

growing student organization meant to 

optimize finance students’ pursuit of 

their career. FMA is where Carr had the 

realization that finance was the career 

that he really wanted to pursue. He found 

mentors in FMA, which Carr said was key 

for him finding his feet. 

This past year, he decided to give back 

to the organization that had given him 

so much, and he was elected president of 

FMA. He was ecstatic about being able 

to help form an organization that was 

still in its infancy. “That made it really 

fun — getting to apply what I feel like 

I’ve learned from other things and now 

getting to make such a substantial change, 

hopefully, on the organization,” Carr said. 

Through passion and hard work and with 

the aid of peers and advisors, Carr helped 

bring the organization to new heights, 

which recently won him the award for 

Male Student Leader of the Year at the 

2018 Involvement Awards. 

“At some universities, it seems like it’s a 

negative thing to be involved, but for me, 

I wouldn’t have had the entire student 

experience if I didn’t get involved, and I 

think involvement at Auburn has radically 

changed my experience at Auburn, but 

also what I want to do for the next four 

years of my life and has taught me more 

than the classroom,” Carr said. 


Financial Management 

Association members 

start out with an 

average salary of 93K - 

The Auburn Plainsman 


The following is an excerpt from the 

full article that appeared in the Auburn 

Plainsman on 4/20/18 

Through providing training and business 

connections to students, Auburn 

University’s Financial Management 

Association is in its fourth year of giving 

students a head start in their career. 

This year, 18 FMA members will graduate 

from Auburn, and their average starting 

salary is almost $94,000. The average 

starting salary for Auburn business 

graduates is around $55,000. 

“If you think about the difference in 

the top students and where the average 

finance student is,” Carr said. “I believe 

that a large portion of that nearly $40,000 

difference is from value that FMA added.” 

Tracy Richard, a lecturer for the school of 

business and FMA Director, talks highly 

of the program: “We had a lot of talented 

students that were highly interested in 

careers in finance, but we didn’t have 

a solid vehicle for getting them there,” 

Richard said. “I get a call at least once a 

week from an Auburn alumnus who wants 

to turn around and help finance students 

successfully navigate a career.” 

Carr said that FMA focuses on recruiting 

freshmen and sophomore students to 

have sufficient time to prepare them for 

graduation. “They’re interested in finance, 

and they’re willing to put in the work to 

get to next level – those are the two big 

things that we look for in applicants,” 

Carr said. “They’re clearly interested in 

the topic, they want to put in work to be 

successful and be competitive in these 

career paths, and also they have the 

academics to back that up” 

“The resources that we offer includes 

training - we bring a company down from 

New York twice a year to do Excel training 

for our students, we have a mentorship 

program, we do case competitions, we 

have an advanced modeling class, we 

host seminars for the HCOB and arrange 

corporate visits for our members” Carr 

said. “There’s a lot of stuff that we do 

beyond the classroom.” 

“With FMA you really receive support in 

two ways, there’s the industry exposure 

where FMA helps each student figure out 

what area of finance they want to pursue,” 

Carr said. “FMA then provides senior 

mentors and online training courses and 

resources that equip members for an 

internship and ultimately a full-time job.” 

“I joined FMA as an energetic freshman 

who had some time to devote toward 

something, but I didn’t know what,” said 

Jimmy Brewster, sophomore in finance. 

Brewster is interning in NYC for the 

spring semester, and he has already 

secured another internship in NYC for this 

upcoming summer. “One of the biggest 

things that FMA has given me is they’re 

genuinely excited and interested in my 

career and my success,” Brewster said. “I 

think that’s one thing that is commonly 

overlooked - Tracy and Jordan and the 

members of this organization care so 

much about each other’s success.” 



Harbert College 

graduation marshal 

‘personifies excellence’ 

When instructors and fellow students are asked about 

Harbert College of Business senior Zach Spencer, they 

often quickly point out the finance student’s initiative. 

“He personifies excellence, hard work, heart and 

determination,” said Tracy Richard, an instructor 

within Harbert College’s Finance Department 

and director of Auburn’s Financial Management 

Association (FMA) student honor society. “Never 

have I seen a student combine all of these qualities 

so masterfully.” 

Not only was Spencer instrumental in transitioning 

the Auburn Student Investment Fund from virtual 

to real money, but he served on the SGA Academic 

Grievance Committee, interned at SunTrust Robinson 

Humphrey and later served as a White House intern 

within the Office of American Innovation. 

It’s no wonder that Spencer, who will soon become an 

investment banking analyst at Wells Fargo Securities, 

was selected as this spring’s Harbert College 

graduation marshal. 

ZACH 

SPENCER 

WRITTEN BY HCOB PUBLISHER, 


Spencer offered much credit to his involvement in 

the FMA. “I was the only freshman in the inaugural 

class and wasn’t sure what area of finance I wanted 

to pursue or how to begin preparing for my future,” 

he said. “FMA was instrumental in all aspects of my 

growth and career preparation, from creating an 

impactful cover letter to preparing for investment 

banking interviews. Membership also provided 

talented peer mentors and opportunities to compete 

in case competitions. 

“Zach is a driving force not only for the Financial 

Management Association, but also for the entire 

Harbert College of Business. He was the only 

freshman selected to this prestigious group in its 

inaugural year, and he continues to inspire and 

prepare students pursuing careers in finance,” 

said Richard 



BAILEY 

SULLIVAN 

Incoming FMA president Bailey Sullivan 

awarded with Samford Scholarship 

WRITTEN BY HCOB PUBLISHER, 


Bailey Sullivan’s grandfather sold bonds 

on the New York Stock Exchange and her 

father is a financial advisor at Morgan 

Stanley. It makes sense that Sullivan, 

a rising senior from Tampa, Fla., and 

incoming president of Harbert College’s 

Financial Management Association (FMA), 

plans to follow in her family’s footsteps 

and pursue a career in investment banking. 

Sullivan, who will intern for a secondconsecutive 

summer at Wells Fargo 

Securities in New York City, credited her 

experience with the FMA for “challenging 

me to reach my full potential as a 

young professional.” 

“Through my relationship with the 

organization and its members, I have 

learned the importance of hard work, in 

addition to the skills necessary for success 

in my future career,” she said. 

Sullivan has served as an SGA at-large 

senator, vice president of operations for 

the War Eagle Girls and Plainsmen, and 

is currently FMA’s Director of External 

Engagement. As a result of her dedication 

to leadership and service, she was presented 

with the prestigious W. James Samford, Jr., 

Memorial Scholarship in February. 

“When I initially applied for this 

scholarship, I was struck by the legacy that 

Mr. Samford left behind,” said Sullivan, 

who is pursuing a degree in industrial 

and systems engineering with a minor in 

finance. “He was an honorable Auburn 

man who made a lasting impact upon this 

university through his hard work, vision 

and determination.” 

Sullivan, who will participate in the 

Auburn Abroad program in China and 

a half-marathon in San Diego over the 

summer, was a member of FMA’s awardwinning 

team at the Duff & Phelps 

YOUniversity Deal Challenge, looks 

forward to her upcoming role as 

FMA president. 

“This organization has challenged me as a 

leader, student, and individual, and I look 

forward to continuing its growth,” she said. 


FMA NYC TRIP 


For the second year in a row, FMA sent student members to 

New York City for two full days of learning, networking and 

immersion in the financial services industry. 

Building on last year’s trip, the group got an even closer look 

at the intricacies of the New York Stock Exchange. Danny 

Cannon, Managing Director at Oberon Securities met our 

students on the exchange floor last year and offered to host 

this year’s group. With more than 30 years of experience 

across multiple sectors, Danny made sure that the students 

got a good look at the various players on the floor. “The 

stock exchange visit was an eye-opening experience,” said 

A.J. Stanley, sophomore. “We were able to talk with market 

makers and traders alike. Being on the floor and talking 

to professionals in the field helped to make sense of the 

transactional process that’s presented in the classroom.” 

The group even got to visit with Delta Air Lines’ Designated 

Market Maker, John McNierney. 

In addition to visiting the exchange, FMA students were 

hosted by executive teams from Goldman Sachs, MUFG 

and JP Morgan. One of the things that made the visit so 

meaningful was that current members and alumni alike took 

a vested interest in the programming. Stan Harris and Kelly 

Cash, both Auburn alumni, arranged for the students to hear 

FMA members with NYSE Host, Daniel Cannon 


from several executives across different 

groups at Goldman Sachs. 

“We’re making moves - thoughtfully,” 

said FMA senior Timothy Strader. “As 

our students get out and accept positions 

at firms where we don’t have strong 

placement history, it’s critical to reach 

back and widen the door of opportunity 

for the next in line.” Strader and Kathleen 

Leavitt, both FMA graduating seniors, 

arranged info sessions and executive 

presentations with their soon-to-be full 

time employers, JP Morgan and MUFG. 

The visit to JP Morgan included an 

invitation to sit in on the morning market 

debrief - where JP Morgan executives 

across the nation digitally present market 

updates, strategy and best practices to 

employees across the globe. 

“The trip was a whirlwind,” said Leavitt. 

“We missed the first day of meetings due 

to a bad winter storm - leaving Auburn at 

2 pm on a Tuesday and finally arriving in 

New York at 1 am Thursday. We packed 

a lot into the 36 hours we were there!” 

MUFG hosted the Auburn students for 

an informational lunch that included 

presentations on investment grade credit 

sales, debt capital markets and US equity 

sales and trading. 

The highlight for many was the Auburn 

alumni event, which was coordinated to 

line up with the FMA student visit. It was 

here that students got to connect with 

Auburn alumni and former FMA members, 

now working full time in New York City. 

Seven FMA alums made it to the social, 

including Rushton Scott (FMA ‘17), who 

works in Atlanta but happened to be in 

New York with STRH that week. “It was 

pretty impactful to look around the room 

and see seven FMA alums - knowing that 

number will continue to grow, along with 

the FMA program. It makes you feel good 

about what we’ve done and where we’re 

going.” FMA will add seven additional 

members to the NYC population this 

summer, between full time starts, 

internships and summer training. 


The FMA-NYC alumni base continues to grow. 


Reaching New Heights 

WHERE 

ARE WE 

GOING 

NOW? 


AGC Partners - Boston 

Thomas Collier - intern 

American Airlines - Dallas 

Matt Swedenburg - intern 

Matthew Dowd - intern 

Angel Oak Capital - Atlanta 

Mitwa Patel - intern 

Ethan Reback - intern 

Arlington Wealth - Birmingham 

Daniel Robinson 

Ashford Advisors - Atlanta 

Abby Gipson - intern 

Bank of America Merrill Lynch - 

Houston 

Lauren Spiwak - intern 

BASF – Raleigh 

Dustin Watts 

BBVA - Birmingham 

Sam Schuessler 

BB&T – Winston-Salem 

Braden Pichel 

Cobbs Allen - Birmingham 

Josh Horton 

Cornerstone Investment Mgmt. 

David Thomas – intern, Birmingham 

Credit Suisse - Houston 

Jimmy Brewster - intern 2019 

Crestmark – Boynton Beach 

Brittany Clark - intern 

Delta Airlines - Atlanta 

Emily Kravec - intern 

Matt Hultstrand - intern 

Duff & Phelps - Atlanta 

Mark Bergmeister 

ExxonMobil - Houston 

Kate Bagley - intern 

Eddie Neyman - intern 

Fenwick Brands - Birmingham 

Cole Crumrine - intern 

Founders - Birmingham 

Nathan Stein- intern 

Girls Who Invest 

Jenny Herrell - intern 

JP Morgan 

Timothy Strader - Los Angeles 

Katie Gründer - Boston 

Tyler Fraebel - Dallas 

LP Partners - Dallas 

Jack Albert - intern 

McKinley & Associates 

Russell Noletto - intern 

Moelis & Co. - NYC 

Jordan Carr - M&A 

MUFG Securities - NYC 

Kathleen Leavitt - S&T 

New Capital - Birmingham 

Price Delk - intern 

Northwestern Mutual – Jacksonville 

Carson King - intern 

Office of Alumni Affairs - Auburn 

Cameron Rice - intern 

Piper Jaffray - Charlotte 

Nick Pope - intern 

Regions 

David Bucko - Charlotte 

John Tapp - Atlanta 

William Cole - Atlanta 

Joseph McCormick - intern 

AJ Stanley - intern 

Annie Gigliotti - DPO, Orlando 

Brady Johnson - FDP, intern 

Sabre - Southlake, TX 

Toby Snook - intern 

Southwest Airlines - Dallas 

Matthew Dowd - intern 

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey - 

Atlanta 

Madison Langman 

Haley McDonnell - intern 

Ty Lamar - intern 

Stephens Investment Bank 

Judson Smith - Dallas 

Sysco - Atlanta 

Matthew Campbell - intern 

University of Chicago - Masters 

Ben Morgan 

Unum Group - Atlanta 

Trent Baggerly 

Valence Group - NYC 

Jimmy Brewster - intern 

Victoria’s Secret - Columbus 

Abby Jardine - intern 

Wealth Strategies, LLC 

Michael Byron - intern 

Wells Fargo Securities 

Bailey Sullivan - intern NYC 

Ari Alexander - intern NYC 

Zach Spencer - Charlotte 

Yenni Capital - NYC 

Jimmy Brewster - intern spring 


SUPPORTER SPOTLIGHT 

Joseph McAdory 

STAN LEWIS 

This year, Auburn FMA nominated 

Stan Lewis (Auburn ’05 graduate) 

for the Auburn University Young 

Alumni Achievement Award. The 

following article was written as 

part of that nomination. We are 

truly grateful for Stan’s support, 

mentorship and involvement. 

Stan Lewis believes in giving back … to his talented employees 

and his alma mater’s top talent. Not only does the chief of staff 

and CFO for Goldman Sachs Real Estate Investment Banking 

help motivate and retain investment bankers, but he also serves 

as a key professional source for Auburn Financial Management 

Association students. 

“It’s making sure that students can know that they can call me and 

a number of other people here in New York or other financial hubs 

and ask, ‘Hey, I’m looking into this. What do you think?’ or, ‘What 

do I need to know about investment banking or trading?’” said 

the 2005 Harbert College graduate. “A lot of students don’t have 

access to this information without having access to somebody 

who’s been through it.” 

Lewis started at Goldman Sachs in New York City in 2008, and 

served in executive capacities with Goldman in Hong Kong and 

London before returning to New York last year. 

“It would be naïve for anybody to think that they have made it on 

their own,” Lewis said. “It would be incredibly selfish & shortsighted 

not to help other people, as well. Your career is not 100 

percent yours. You need people helping you and I’ve had plenty of 

people along the way, whether it was conversation or writing an 

email to help get me where I am. I enjoy doing that for others.” 

Lewis is particularly impressed with Auburn’s award-winning 

FMA Honor Society and the recent finance graduates coming out 

of the program. 

“I think that the caliber of people that I have met through 

Auburn’s finance program … I would put them up against 

anybody,” he said. “They have some incredibly bright, dedicated, 

humble, and inquisitive young people. It will be very exciting to 

see where they are five to ten years from now. 

“When I was at Auburn, getting to New York as a graduate was 

difficult, if not impossible. But what FMA and the Harbert College 

of Business has done there is incredible. They have rallied the 

Auburn alumni family’s support and done so much, changing 

the mindset to ‘You can make it to New York. You can work for 

Goldman Sachs. You can work at JP Morgan, or equivalent.’” 

Part of Lewis’ everyday challenge at Goldman Sachs is retaining 

top-level talent. He said a culture of new undergraduates in the 

field have the mindset to transfer “after two years and move on to 

something else.” 

“We’re saying, ‘Look, this is a long-term career for our best and 

our brightest, and we want to make sure that we keep the people 

that fit that bill.” 

Lewis said part of his job is helping employees figure out for 

themselves, and the company, what their goals are, and what can 

be done to help facilitate these goals. 

“A lot of my time is focusing on how I maximize good will for 

our corporation and our clients by giving people what they are 

looking for out of their careers and minimizing things that they 

are looking to avoid, where possible” he added. 


ALUMNI 

BY THE NUMBERS 

7 Number of case 

competitions that members 

participated in this year 

Alumni 

Updates 

15 States where FMA grades 

are now working full time 

(plus Seamus in Dublin!) 

93,600 Average starting 

compensation for 2018 FMA 

grads 

101 Applications to FMA this 

academic year 

23 Number of new members 

accepted 

14 Sophomores with 

internships 

FMA hosted its first 

regional alumni event in 

Atlanta this summer. 

FMA alums enjoy a tailgate 

16 Student diversity 

leadership programs attended 

35 Finance/career related 

books available for FMA 

members to read & return in 

the FMA library 

Garrett Clemons ‘15 joined 

PriceWaterhouseCoopers, LLC 

as a Senior Manufacturing IT 

Associate in Birmingham. Garrett 

has grown to be one of the 

leading Subject Matter Experts on 

Smart Manufacturing and Digital 

Manufacturing. 

697 Cumulative student 

hours spent on Wall Street Prep 


ALUMNI 

Alumni 

Blake Martin ’15 married 

Kelsey Curet on 6/30/18 

Updates cont. 

Cory Brinkman ’17 arranged for 

FMA to visit with Hoover High’s 

Finance Academy this spring 

Gehrig Nelson ’15 married Melanie Harris on 12/9/17 

Kaitlyn O’Connor 

’15 is now attending 

Vanderbilt’s Owen 

Graduate School of 

Management 

Krista Alexon ’17 

(previously with Wells 

Fargo) joined Silicon 

Valley Bank in Atlanta 

as an associate in their 

Credit Solutions Group 

Paul Aukstolis ’15 got his 

masters at Georgia Tech 

and is now with Prudential 

Global Investment 

Management in Atlanta 

Sagar Leva ’16 

is attending 

Northwestern 

Pritzker School 

of Law 

James Kay ’16 (previously with 

Stephens Inc.) is an Associate 

at Insight Equity in Dallas. 

Insight Equity makes control 

investments in strategically 

viable, middle market, assetintensive 

companies across a 

wide range of industries, and 

manages approximately 

$1.5 Billion 


Reaching New Heights—Support 

We want 

to thank 

you. 

STEWARDSHIP 

Alumni Sponsors 

We raised $3000 in the 2017-2018 

academic year and used the funds to 

help offset some of the Training the 

Street expenses for our members. 

Your donations helped to make these 

training sessions more affordable for 

our students. This training helps to 

set our members apart from other 

applicants in the field. 

Rachel Abel ‘15 

Neil Kinnebrew ‘15 

Peter Lund ‘15 

Blake Martin ‘15 

Kaitlyn O’Connor ‘15 

Caroline Clothiaux ‘16 

Austin Howard ‘16 

Thank you for showing your commitment 

to Auburn FMA. The additional training, 

programming and opportunities afforded our 

student members could not be done without our 

amazing alumni. We are especially grateful to 

those alums that not only gave financially, but also 

reached out to help our members with mentoring 

and recruitment. Our graduates in the field have 

been critically instrumental in the growth and 

recruitment of our current members. 

FMA Executive Sponsors 

We would like to thank our executive donors, Chris Baker, John Bright, Betsy 

Bagley and John Hornsby, who have invested not only monetarily, but also 

of their time. These individuals believe in our mission to support motivated 

students with the tools that they need to reach their full potential. 

Hudson Joyner ‘16 

James Kay ‘16 

Sagar Leva ‘16 

Benjamin McCooey ‘16 

Shane Mulqueen ‘16 

David Alderman ‘17 

Krista Alexon ‘17 

Cory Brinkman ‘17 

Andrew May ‘17 

Jason McKinley ‘17 

Kelly Morris ‘17 

Drake Pooley ‘17 

Daniel Robinson ‘17 

Rushton Scott ‘17 

Darby Steinberger ‘17 

Corbin Tips ‘17 

Haley Walraven ‘17

FMA 2017-2018 Magazine

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