Representatives from RGA Stephanie Kut (left) and Edmond Deuser talk with UMSL Business students at the collaborative fintech event last Tuesday. (Photos by Derik Holtmann)

The origins of an innovative, collaborative event held last Tuesday in Anheuser-Busch Hall on the campus of the University of Missouri–St. Louis can be traced back to the Information Technology & Cybersecurity Club’s annual Spring Social in May.

There, the Accounting Club’s incoming president, Angela Truesdale, was chatting with ITCC representatives, brainstorming ideas about what the clubs could learn from – and how they could help – each other in the fall semester. A recurring theme in the conversations was the impact of technology on the current and future job market.

With an idea brewing, they looped in the Finance Club and that’s how an event focused on exploring career opportunities in the world of financial technology was born.

“The Accounting Club’s main effort is to prepare students for a successful transition into the professional world after graduation,” Truesdale said. “However, with the world of accounting getting more and more intermixed with software and technology, the role of accountant is changing – less of a bookkeeper, more of a data analyst. Students see this and are eager to meet this change as they graduate.”

The event, jointly hosted by all three College of Business Administration clubs, was a success. Representatives from Moneta, Reinsurance Group of America and FinLocker provided the insight and expertise for the event, which was packed despite having to be rescheduled from the original date. The official sign-in list at the front of the room included 60 students, but more attendees than that filed into Room 002, with students lined up along the walls. Truesdale said she and others had to go get more chairs from Room 004 three times.

Anheuser-Busch Hall Room 002 was packed for the new fintech career event, which was jointly hosted by the Accounting Club, the Information Technology & Cybersecurity Club and the Finance Club.

“Even being that full did not deter students who arrived later from finding a space,” said Truesdale, who spearheaded the event and led the planning efforts. “We made sure there was somewhere for everyone.”

Moneta was represented by Kevin Blankenship and Anthony M. Pietroburgo, RGA was represented by Stephanie Kut and Edmond Deuser and FinLocker was represented by Bryan Garcia. All three spoke about the ever-evolving ways that financial technology impacts their daily work and how their companies plan for the future.

“A lot of students don’t really understand what fintech is,” said Marcia Countryman, who has been the faculty advisor for the Accounting Club for a decade. “It’s kind of like artificial intelligence in that it changes so fast that even the experts are constantly learning what’s going on and how you can apply it in different types of organizations. That’s why I love having the three clubs here, because fintech is being used all over the board in business. Students from the different clubs can find out how it’s being used, and, if they’re interested in it, how to align their business classes in their programs to meet the needs of the employers.”

Truesdale said one point of emphasis was bringing in companies that are hiring, whether for internships, part-time or full-time roles. The company representatives also answered questions from the students during the event and after.

“Seeing the interactions between students and the speakers was certainly a highlight of the event,” said Timothy Dombrowski, the Finance Club faculty advisor and assistant professor of finance. “In addition to that, each of the presenters brought valuable insights and advice for students to consider as they progress through their academic and professional careers. We had three different companies that varied in size and focus all talking about the importance of fintech and the skills that they value from prospective interns/employees. This provided students with a broader understanding of what fintech entails and the opportunities in this growing industry.”

Countryman said the event was beneficial for her, as well as the other faculty advisors who attended, Dombrowski and Shaji Khan with ITCC.

“Our goal as faculty here at the university is always to prepare students for their careers, so we need to keep up to date on what’s going on, too,” she said. “My job is to help students get the skills they need for their dream jobs, so the more we can bring firms like Moneta and RGA and FinLocker on campus, the better chance they’ll have to get to know people and network and find those internships and the jobs they want.”

The collaborative event offered a chance for officers in each club to contribute to the planning.

“The students did a great job building the collaboration for this event from the ground up and dividing out the work among the officers of the three clubs,” Dombrowski said. “In addition to splitting out the speaker recruitment work, the students worked together in forming the budget, developing promotional materials, and managing the logistics for the event.”

In addition to Truesdale, Accounting Club Vice President Grant Ebert and Treasurer Alex Paubel helped, as did ITCC President Pavani Laxmi Priya Maheswarapu, Vice President Kimathi Njoki, Treasurer Matt Garland, and officers of the Finance Club including President Addison Eaker, Treasurer Tommy Gerding, Director of Outreach Ted Niemann and Director of Engagement Anisha Inaganti.

“We love to have joint meetings at the College of Business,” Countryman said with a smile. “It gives our officers a chance to get to know the other groups and what they’re doing and find ways to innovate like they’re doing here, coming up with new ideas.”