Career Academies


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Finance Career
Academy Leadership

Catherine Zaharis Catherine Zaharis, CFA
Business Director
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Jon Garfinkel Jon Garfinkel
Faculty Director
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Mentoring

As a student in the Finance Career Academy, you already have a significant advantage over others in the same job market.

First, your academy faculty director, Professor Jon Garfinkel, is watching carefully over the finance curriculum to ensure it's relevant and doing its job: preparing you for your career.

The second differentiator: your personal coach, academy business director, Cathy Zaharis. Cathy uses her 23+ years of experience as a portfolio manager to help you develop as a leader and hone the soft skills required of the best finance professionals. Thanks to our carefully controlled class sizes, you'll have constant access to your coach, who'll give you her time and attention to maximize your potential.

Why Partner with the Academy Director Team?

The academy business director is a seasoned professional and an excellent mentor, not to mention a great resource for contacts in the finance industry. Jon understands finance inside and out, and will help ensure you have the mental acumen to climb the ladder. Both Cathy and Jon are here to make sure you're equipped with the right tools to succeed.

Personal Coaching & Mentoring

  • Collaborate with your coach to create a personal development plan to help you smooth any rough edges and achieve your career goals.
  • Meet regularly to review your progress and ensure you're on target to develop in areas where you need it the most.
  • Learn the right way to develop relationships with top employers.
  • Create a dialogue with key faculty regarding relevant and current finance topics, facilitated by your academy director.
  • Guide learning outside the classroom.

Placement Focus

The Finance Career Academy director team is an important link to connecting you to the fast-paced finance business network. Each of them has an extensive network in finance and will work with you to identify key contacts for your job search. Their network, enhanced by on-campus speakers, thousands of alumni, and Advisory Council professionals, helps make finding an internship or full-time position easier than ever.