On May 22nd, thirty-six members of the CFA Society Chicago gathered at Petterino’s to enjoy a progressive networking luncheon. Participants mingled casually prior to taking their seats for the salad course and first round of networking. The sound level rose as individuals each introduced themselves and conversations flowed easily around a myriad of industry related topics. Attendees held a wide range of job titles. Beyond traditional investment management roles, there was a transactional actuary and another whose advisory firm assists small businesses with financial planning and analysis.
Moving tables to the entrée course, I was greeted with another diverse group, this time in terms of nationality (Uruguayan and Israeli) and firm focus (Japanese value stocks). The other individuals were from local firms William Blair and Northern Trust but the discussion was globally-oriented and provided interesting insights around international investing.
The third round of networking took place over a slice of key lime pie and a shared interest in making new connections while exchanging thought provoking ideas and advice. At this point I was feeling pretty good about the new connections I had made and what I had gained from the discussions over the last hour and a half. Suddenly that seemed inconsequential when I met tablemate Haoen, who had graduated from University of Illinois on Saturday with four majors (Mathematics, Statistics, Finance and Accounting) and started an internship on Monday (this was Tuesday). I was in complete awe, but that wasn’t all, he had already passed all three levels of the CFA exam and was halfway through the 10 CPA exams!! Wow.
The key benefit of the luncheon was having the opportunity to meet and interact with over a dozen fellow financial professionals with experience ranging from entry level to senior executives. The goal of any successful networking event is walking away with new connections and mingling throughout the group. That objective was certainly achieved in a comfortable environment for all, including those who are a bit more apprehensive about working their way through a room to meet and build rapport with others.