4 <strong>FMA</strong> <strong>2021</strong>-<strong>2023</strong> MAGAZINE
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR FROM THE IFLP DESK In the constant push for excellence and advancement, it’s often a blindly enduring struggle to pause and recognize how far we’ve come. As I sat down this summer, surrounded by the organized chaos that defines my office, I looked beyond my computer screen, to the innumerable student faces that helped build this program – looking back at me from framed photos given as gifts, candid prints memorializing various <strong>FMA</strong> events, and numerous <strong>FMA</strong> travel memory books. Adding familiar faces to the menagerie each year, I settled in on a photo of our inaugural graduating class, taken in my backyard at the annual grad party. Dressed in derby attire, the soon-to-be graduates wore broad smiles that signaled pride in their accomplishments, and anticipation for their future. This inspired me to go back to the first <strong>FMA</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> to see what I had written in 2018. An excerpt follows: 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. I propose that we use our 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. From the beginning, <strong>FMA</strong> focused on the critical success areas for an elite finance program: 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. With the support of Auburn University BOT, and HCOB leadership, we continued to push for excellence, which in 2022 and <strong>2023</strong> resulted in <strong>FMA</strong> student teams again taking home international first place titles in elite global case competitions (KROLL, and Harvard), a sixth consecutive national superior chapter ranking, and a new high for total first year compensation at $148,400. But the greatest physical reminder of how far this program has come was unveiled in Fall of 2022, with the opening of the Harbert Investment Center. The College now has a state-of-the-art education, collaboration, and training space that reflects the quality of our finance students. As I look to the future, there is palpable momentum, reflected in the determination of <strong>FMA</strong> members to build on the legacy of ownership, drive, and excellence that powers our students and alumni. In line with our practical application focus, this fall the Program will be adding BlackRock’s Aladdin training to the ASIF curriculum. This tech platform unifies the investment management process to enable scale, provide insights, and support portfolio management. In addition, <strong>FMA</strong> will add an advanced investments course, which will culminate with all student members sitting for the SIE exam. Thank you, as always, to our supporters and alumni. I encourage each of you to stay actively engaged with our Program, not only as we collectively celebrate ongoing accomplishments, but also chart our future and, along with it, the future of our <strong>FMA</strong> grads past and present. Finance Rocks! <strong>FMA</strong> <strong>2021</strong>-<strong>2023</strong> MAGAZINE 5