Founded in 1931, Tau Pi Phi recognizes the achievements of students in several academic disciplines. Students inducted at PC represented the School of Business' four fields: accountancy, finance, management, and marketing.

Inductees into the Omicron Chapter must maintain a minimum grade-point-average (GPA) of 3.50 in their major, as well as an overall GPA of 3.50 or higher. Inductees are awarded a certificate of membership and are asked to sign the society's Journal of Membership during the ceremony.

The program began with welcoming remarks by Kevin C. Higgins '10 of Hingham, Mass., Student Advisory Council president. The students, their families, and School of Business department chairs and other faculty then listened to remarks by Dr. Sue Lehrman, founding dean of the School of Business.

Lehrman also introduced the keynote speaker, Maureen Davenport Corcoran, C.P.A. '79, executive vice president of finance for State Street Corporation, an internationally renowned bank-holding company based in Boston.

Corcoran, who is a member of the College's Board of Trustees, joined State Street in 1989 as a customer service officer in the Mutual Funds Division. In subsequent years, she assumed roles of increasing responsibility in operations management, sales and marketing, client consulting, strategy development, and strategic sourcing.

In her current position as executive vice president of finance, she is responsible for the business unit finance function of State Street. She also serves as chief operating officer of the corporation's Basel II Program, which is focused on the implementation of a risk-based capital framework for the company on a global scale.

Speaker: Happiness is what counts
In her address to the honor society inductees, Corcoran reminded students that the goal of human beings is happiness. That message was impressed on her by one of her PC professors in an Ethics class, she said.

"As I've gotten older, I realize that it was pretty profound. Although we all profess to seek happiness, not everyone will find it," said Corcoran.

She cautioned students to aim for balance and not to get overly immersed in their careers to the exclusion of other priorities in life. She noted that as a business person, it is easy to get caught up "by the thrill of the chase … the next sale, the next project, the next deal. It's important to remember that no one on their death bed has ever wished they spent more time in the office."  

Corcoran briefly traced her career, beginning with accounting giant PriceWaterhouseCoopers and continuing to the last 20 years with State Street. Pointing to the dramatic changes in the banking and financial services sectors during the past year, she told students to recognize that the world is moving at "lightning speed."

"Strive to be nimble, flexible, and resilient," she said. "Position yourself to be ready for the challenges you will face today and tomorrow. Don't dwell on issues or insults … wrap it up and move on."

One of the most important gifts students have received is the presence of the Holy Spirit, said Corcoran. If students reflect on the gifts of the Spirit--wisdom, fortitude, piety, understanding, judgment, knowledge, and respect for the Lord--they will realize that their business education has been a bonus and that they already possess what they need to be successful in the business world.

"Use these gifts of the Spirit wisely and often," said Corcoran. "You have an unlimited supply to tap into." 

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