Know Thyself: Words of Wisdom at the 14th Annual GFA Conference
Michael Tarulli
Issue date: 11/17/09 Section: News
Know thyself. Words variously attributed to Heraclitus, Pythagoras, Socrates and more recently Professor Charles Murphy, the featured speaker at this year's GFA Conference. Professor Murphy's words underscored the philosophical tone of the day's speakers, each of whom discussed personal journeys, difficult decisions, and the importance of remaining true to oneself, all within the context of a career in finance.
On Friday, November 6th the Kimmel Center once again played host to the annual Graduate Finance Association Conference. Organized by conference chairmen Victor Hwei and Blake Stuchin, the event featured three speakers, a series of seven panel discussions and concluded with a firm expo and cocktail reception.
Jacob Silverman, Chief Financial Officer of Duff & Phelps, a provider of financial advisory and investment banking services, kicked off the event as the first keynote speaker. Mr. Silverman, who began his career as an analyst at Furman Selz LLC and was instrumental in bringing Duff & Phelps public in 2007, spoke about his early desire to "be his own boss". It was this determination that drove him to leave various jobs before finally establishing his own M&A advisory firm and ultimately joining Duff & Phelps as CFO in 2004. Mr. Silverman urged attendees to know who you are, understand what drives you, and find a role that complements you as a person. As GFA President Marsha Kublall said, "Jacob perfectly conveyed Professor Murphy's message of knowing yourself when it comes to managing your career. He has built a very successful career even though he chose not to follow a conventional path. I hope everyone, especially students who may still be on the fence about what career to recruit for, takes this valuable message to heart."
As the featured speaker, Professor Murphy shared with attendees some anecdotes and words of wisdom from his over three decades on Wall St., which began in 1976 as a research associate at First Boston. During his storied career, he held various positions across the Street, eventually rising to head Credit Suisse's global investment banking department. Professor Murphy spoke candidly about his experiences and regaled the audience with musings about both investment banking and life in general. But perhaps the most poignant moment in his speech was when he urged attendees to "know thyself". He went on to explain the importance of knowing and understanding yourself early in life. Know what drives you, know when you need a change, and most importantly know when you're burning out. Professor Murphy emphasized that it's possible to work in a demanding field, such as banking, and still maintain a stable family life. He pointed out that he himself is evidence of this notion and went on to describe his life as, "same house, same wife, same kids…boring." Attendees certainly didn't find Professor Murphy boring and clearly enjoyed his unique and thoughtful perspective.
On Friday, November 6th the Kimmel Center once again played host to the annual Graduate Finance Association Conference. Organized by conference chairmen Victor Hwei and Blake Stuchin, the event featured three speakers, a series of seven panel discussions and concluded with a firm expo and cocktail reception.
Jacob Silverman, Chief Financial Officer of Duff & Phelps, a provider of financial advisory and investment banking services, kicked off the event as the first keynote speaker. Mr. Silverman, who began his career as an analyst at Furman Selz LLC and was instrumental in bringing Duff & Phelps public in 2007, spoke about his early desire to "be his own boss". It was this determination that drove him to leave various jobs before finally establishing his own M&A advisory firm and ultimately joining Duff & Phelps as CFO in 2004. Mr. Silverman urged attendees to know who you are, understand what drives you, and find a role that complements you as a person. As GFA President Marsha Kublall said, "Jacob perfectly conveyed Professor Murphy's message of knowing yourself when it comes to managing your career. He has built a very successful career even though he chose not to follow a conventional path. I hope everyone, especially students who may still be on the fence about what career to recruit for, takes this valuable message to heart."
As the featured speaker, Professor Murphy shared with attendees some anecdotes and words of wisdom from his over three decades on Wall St., which began in 1976 as a research associate at First Boston. During his storied career, he held various positions across the Street, eventually rising to head Credit Suisse's global investment banking department. Professor Murphy spoke candidly about his experiences and regaled the audience with musings about both investment banking and life in general. But perhaps the most poignant moment in his speech was when he urged attendees to "know thyself". He went on to explain the importance of knowing and understanding yourself early in life. Know what drives you, know when you need a change, and most importantly know when you're burning out. Professor Murphy emphasized that it's possible to work in a demanding field, such as banking, and still maintain a stable family life. He pointed out that he himself is evidence of this notion and went on to describe his life as, "same house, same wife, same kids…boring." Attendees certainly didn't find Professor Murphy boring and clearly enjoyed his unique and thoughtful perspective.
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resume writing experts
posted 12/01/09 @ 11:44 PM EST
This annual GFA conference gives a lot of useful information and really helped to know ourselves.
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