News
Christopher Marquez, an associate in the firm's Commercial Finance Group, is quoted in "CFA's Young Professionals: Ready to Launch," published in the November 2014 edition of The Secured Lender
The article features CFA chapter members starting their own young professional groups to foster networking, career advancement and education.
Chris is interviewed as a member of the CFA Midwest Chapter Young Professional Committee, which was formed in 2012.
“We thought it was important to start encouraging greater involvement of younger professionals in the CFA and building networking relationships early on," says Chris. "We formed a young professionals committee and nearly all founding members remain active in the group. Our total membership has grown significantly to about 200 people.”
Chris notes that a Midwest Chapter young professionals event will draw 50-75 attendees. Three events are typically held a year — one educational and two social.
“For networking events, we pick an up-and-coming bar in the city, and once a year we host an evening river boat cruise," says Chris. "At past educational events, we have had panelists, including lawyers, private equity groups and senior bankers in the commercial finance industry, give discussions to junior bankers and junior members of the industry, about lending issues that arise for somebody in their position."
This year the Chapter’s first young professional event at Roadhouse Tavern was the most highly attended event yet. “Our philosophy is to keep the CFA young professional group open to all members of the finance industry…essentially anybody who might ever touch a deal during its lifecycle, including bankers, accountants, consultants, workout and restructuring professionals, attorneys and insurance specialists," says Chris.
In addition to business development opportunities, Chris says that attending these events allows him to meet people who are working on different sides of a transaction so he gains a different perspective of what they view as important or how they view a transaction.
"It’s been great to have conversations with different members of the industry and get a better understanding of what’s important to them on each deal,” says Chris.
“It’s also easy to communicate with somebody at your level because you’re typically involved in the same parts of a transaction, so you have that in common; and then, also, you may be at similar points in your personal life, too.”
