Director, Head of Special Situations/Bank Sourcing – Barclays
Former Linebacker and Defensive End for the CU Buffs
Why did you decide to come to Leeds?
I originally wanted to pursue the medical field, but it was difficult to make my class schedule work with my football schedule. My football adviser and Coach Barnett were very supportive and were willing to make it work, but suggested I speak to Mary Banks who gave me a tour and introduced me to the staff at Leeds. I was drawn in and it helped that my good friend and teammate Brian Daniels was in Leeds along with some other teammates (Dusty Sprague, Tyler Polumbus and Stephon Robinson).
What is one thing you learned at Leeds that you will never forget?
I learned a lot of great things at Leeds, but the one thing that stood out the most to me was the collaborative culture amongst students, staff, and faculty; and the willingness to support each other.
How did being a part of the Buffs football team influence where you are now?
Being part of the Buffs made me who I am today. Without coming to CU to play football, I would not be married to my awesome wife Leah, and I would not have my lifelong best friends/family who are mostly Buffs. It opened up opportunities that otherwise would likely be closed or not apparent to me.
What was your favorite game or memory from your time on the field?
Every Rocky Mountain Showdown, especially those years they were played in Boulder. It doesn’t get any more electric than that.
What lesson/learning did you take from being a varsity college athlete into your life today?
I’d say perseverance as the four years at CU had ups and downs, which forces you to mature in your expectations of life, especially if things have always gone your way. I had to learn to fight through the tough times, relish in the good times and not take for granted any of the experiences during either.
Tell us about a particular professor or mentor that influenced you while you were at Leeds.
I actually have two, the first is Michael Stutzer (Fixed Income Seminar). Professor Stutzer took no prisoners (haha); the class was a hodgepodge of Finance/Accounting/Quant majors who had to test in, I believe. He pushed us all to think critically and to challenge conventional thinking as it pertains to problem solving. I think I barely made it through, but took so much away and was so intrigued that I chose to pursue a career in fixed income, and for that, I’m grateful.
Donald Lichtenstein (Marketing Statistics) taught one of those classes you weren’t quite sure of what to expect, but it was a real "come to Jesus" for us all. It was essentially an upper-level statistics class, which focused on using data to determine behavior patterns. It was one of the hardest, yet the most fun class, I’ve ever taken. Professor Lichtenstein was great at relating with the students, helping us through problems and situations that were tough to comprehend. The class was very interactive and engaged everyone, which allowed for some great laughs as well.
Both of these classes allowed me to realize how much I enjoyed analytical work and pushed me to pursue my current career path, so thank you to both professors Lichtenstein and Stutzer.
Where has life taken you since you graduated Leeds?
Since I left Leeds, I’ve been very fortunate. With solid coaching and mentoring from Leeds staff such as Mary Banks, I was able to obtain a job as a Credit Analyst within Union Bank’s last program, which lead to an associate role within their wholly owned sub UnionBanCal Equities, where I gained significant buyside Investment Banking experience. That eventually led to being recruited by the likes of Goldman Sachs/Bank of America Merrill Lynch/CitiBanko/Stifel Financial. I chose Bank of America Merrill Lynch's Global Credit Special Situations Group, where I honed my investing and origination skills and which led to being recruited by TPG, where I led the Bank & Special Situations Origination effort domestically, and now my current role at Barclays.
What advice would you give to students and young professionals?
Enjoy the time you have at Boulder, engage with as many different groups of people as possible, make personal connections with the staff, and start cultivating your future network. The world is massive, but it feels a lot smaller and is more enjoyable when you can identify with a smaller cohort with similar experiences. Those networks will impact your professional career and be the most important personal connections you may ever have.
What do you miss most about Boulder?
Everything! Boulder is and will always be a special place to me. From playing in the best stadium in all of college football, to floating Boulder Creek in the summer, flip night at the Sink, sandwiches at Snarfs, burritos at Illegal Pete’s, Cosmos spicy ranch, and hiking the Flatirons. There’s no better place to spend four or five years of your life, if you're lucky.