Approximately 75 of Providence College's future business leaders gathered to listen to alumni business professionals at the 3rd annual "Pathways to Success" conference on March 28, presented by the undergraduate organization Future Friar Executives.
The event, which featured a keynote speaker, several breakout sessions, and a panel discussion, was held in collaboration with the School of Business, the Office of Career Services, and the Office of Alumni Relations.
This year's keynote speaker was Brian Potvin '91, a senior account executive at Procter & Gamble Co. Currently responsible for $150 million in sales of Gillette and Braun products at CVS/Caremark, Potvin's career has taken him to Philadelphia, Connecticut, Seattle, and Boston.
He has served in various roles in sales and sales management, customer and brand marketing, retail management, and business development.
During his address, Potvin described the challenges and rewards of a career where "being 95 percent right gets you fired." He also shared advice on employment opportunities and finding professional success.
One of the points he stressed was that, especially during these difficult economic conditions, new graduates must be willing to start at the bottom and work their way up--as he did after starting out with Duracell years ago.
"It was not glamorous, it was drudgery, it stunk, and it was a great learning experience," Potvin said.
He encouraged students to be enthusiastic when searching for a job, noting that firms are looking for "bright student leaders with a passion for winning."
"That really shines through in my colleagues," he said.
Potvin closed by discussing 10 guidelines for achieving success in the business world, including making any assignment a great assignment, developing networking and mentoring relationships, treating feedback as a gift, and constantly striving for self-improvement.
Alumni offer reflections, guidance
Following Potvin's speech, students participated in two breakout sessions, each consisting of three presentations that were led by alumni. Topics ranged from the importance of sales in today's workplace to choosing a career path.
The alumni presenters were: David Mailloux '86, branch manager, LPL Financial; Blair Fish '95, partner, Mayo Advertising Group; Kevin Cashman '01, sales manager, Cintas Corporation; Kristen Parsons '98, HR communications officer, State Street Corporation; Robert Penney '89, vice president, portfolio manager, U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Manager; and Taniedra McFadden '96, litigation senior, Berdon LLP, CPA's & Advisors.
The conference concluded with a "3 under 30" panel, featuring recent graduates discussing their career paths and how their experiences at PC shaped them.
Taking part in the panel were: Karissa DeLisle '03, director of marketing and training, HallKeen Real Estate Management and Investing; Ashley Niven '07, operations specialist in central pricing, Brown Brothers Harriman; and Brian Rys '04, financial consultant, Independence Financial Partners.
Conference co-chairs Kevin Higgins '10 of Hingham, Mass., and Elizabeth Ross '09 of Breezy Point, N.Y., were both pleased with the conference.
"It was another great success that brought together students and alumni in a professional setting," said Higgins. "The conference has really tried to embrace the PC network and work toward allowing students of all majors and years to learn more about the business world from fellow PC grads."