Dozens of students turned out Oct. 19 at the Lillis Business Complex for the Careers in Banking event co-sponsored by the student Financial Management Association club and the local chapter of the professional's Risk Management Association. The annual event is just one of the great employer engagement opportunities our students are offered each term.

Advisor Jon Moulton noted the robust representation from top organizations at Careers in Banking and thanked representatives from those groups for generously sharing their time and insights with students.

This year featured an exceptional group of senior level panelists:

• Rick Axtell, SVP, Sr. Relationship Manager, Umpqua Bank
• Sally Bruggeman, SVP, Market President, Wells Fargo Bank
• Ross Carey, EVP, Business Banking Division, Community Banking and Branch Delivery, US Bank
• Ashley Horner, VP, SBA Program Administrator, Summit Bank
• Kate Salyers, SVP, Special Assets Manager, Pacific Continental Bank
• Erik Vingelen, SVP, BSA/AML/OFAC Officer, Banner Bank

“We have been blessed by many of our alumni in banking to come and share their experiences with our students," said Jon Moulton, a senior instructor of finance at the Lundquist College of Business. All the panelists except one are Ducks.

“This year's group, similar to the prior year, come from all phases of the banking organizational tree, while sharing the common theme of how exciting a career in banking can truly be," Moulton said. “From involvement for less than a decade to senior bankers on the verge of retirement, all professed an amazement at the difference between perceptions of banking being boring and their experience of daily challenge and intellectual engagement. Many students left the night with tentative meetings with various presenters for informational interviews and follow-up."

One of those students is Nolan Simmons, president of the Financial Management Association student club.

“This event definitely helped further my realization that I want to pursue a career in commercial banking," Simmons said. “I plan to meet with a few of the panelists in the coming weeks to learn more about different career paths with the respected banks."

Another student, Seth McClaflin, said learning about personal and professional journeys of University of Oregon graduates in the banking industry was inspirational and thought provoking.

“It was fun hearing stories told by alumni Ducks who do great work in the banking industry," he said. “Careers in Banking also provided me a great opportunity to network with well-connected professionals in the industry."

The Careers in Banking evening jump started several weeks of job acquisition programming for students.

During the second week of November, more than 100 organizations came together for the University of Oregon Fall Career Fair. Info sessions, employer spotlights, and professional development workshops that week are supplied additional programming for students looking to get facetime with hiring firms.