Brandeis International Business School

How did you get interested in finance when you were younger?

My father was a small-business owner and my mother taught second grade in Accra, Ghana. Whenever they gave me pocket money, I saved it while my friends and brothers spent theirs on candy. Any time they wanted to buy some toy they couldn’t afford, they would come to me for a loan, and I would give it to them—with interest, of course. It was a good business.

What did you do after graduating from Brandeis?

Between my first and second years, I got an internship at PwC in Boston. Then they hired me after I graduated as a deals associate. My team’s primary goal was to value companies’ intangible assets, such as their trade names, customer relationships and non-compete agreements. Now I’m an associate at Credit Suisse in Boston.

What sort of career help did you get from the International Business School?

I saw the posting for my internship on the school’s career database, and the Career Office worked with me to sharpen my resume and make sure I was presenting myself in the best possible way. They also did mock interviews with me so that I was prepared for face-to-face meetings. I owe a lot to that team. The school also provided me with the technical and quantitative skills I needed to operate in the current financial landscape. When I was hired at PwC, I was able to hit the ground running.

Tell us about your favorite classes at Brandeis.

In Global Economic Environment, where we did in-depth case studies of economic issues in Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa, Professor John Ballantine always stimulated a lively debate. Oftentimes, we had to argue a side we didn’t necessarily agree with, which forced us to consider other perspectives and evaluate the virtues of competing strategies. In Field Projects in Consulting, we developed marketing materials and built a financial model to analyze the impact of strategic decisions on Mass Innovation’s financial performance. That course taught me a lot about leadership—what it means to work on a team, how to effectively communicate with colleagues, and how to manage client needs and expectations. I also studied beginning Chinese (I’m fluent in French and Twi). That’s what I love about the International Business School — it gives you the freedom to explore.