The student-run UConn Finance Society hosted its 10th annual Finance Conference on Friday at Morgan Stanley headquarters in Manhattan, an event which, by all accounts, was a tremendous success.
Nearly 100 UConn finance students attended the day-long event, as did 60 alumni Wall Street professionals, double the attendance from last year.
“The energy and passion in the room were amazing,’’ said professor Yiming Qian, finance department head and the Toscano Family Chair in Finance. “The students looked and acted like finance professionals. They were actively engaged, and asked great questions. They were very, very impressive.’’
“The alumni panelists, selected by our students, were top-notch,’’ she said. “They all had interesting insights and stories to share, and offered tremendous career advice.’’
The Finance Society is one of the largest student-run organizations at UConn. Event organizers Gianna Draghi ‘26, President of the Finance Society, and Alex Cameron ‘26, Conference Director, said the event, which was a year in the planning, went off without a hitch. Students were responsible for the entire conference, including inviting speakers, organizing the presentations and keeping the program on schedule.
Finance Major Continues Popularity with Undergraduate Students
Finance is currently the most highly enrolled major in the School of Business, with 882 students as of Fall 2025. The Finance Department has seen impressive growth, with a 40 percent surge in the last five years. The growth reflects both student interest in the field, and a strong and relevant curriculum, Qian said.
This year’s conference affords some additional seats to underclassmen, said Finance Society adviser Laurel Grisamer. “They were so excited to be there. What an experience for them!,’’ she said.
Draghi agreed.
“One of the biggest takeaways was to bring students to the city and to see the Financial District,’’ Draghi said. “Until you go, you don’t really know what it’s like. Our students got to interact with very knowledgeable alumni in a very comfortable environment, make connections, and learn more about what they do daily.’’
Despite leaving Storrs at 6 a.m., and Stamford a little bit later, the excitement never waned, she said. The students were very grateful to the alumni who took the time to explain what’s happening in the market and connect with students, she said.
For Cameron, the opportunity to learn from and network with some of the industry’s top professionals was invaluable.
“It was a really awesome day. My favorite part was the alumni lunch and the chance to reconnect with friends and mentors, and to meet new people. There were some great opportunities to network,’’ he said. “All our alumni were so pleasant. One alumnus even flew in from California to participate.’’
For the second consecutive year, the Conference was hosted by alumnus Chris Walker ‘19, Credit Risk Management Associate at Morgan Stanley.
“It was an absolute joy and pleasure to host the Finance Society Conference for a second year. The success of the first year was clearly reflected in the level of student and alumni interest for this year’s iteration, and there was a real sense of energy in the room throughout the day,’’ he said. “The panelists, alumni, and students all brought thoughtful perspectives that made for an engaging and enlightening discussion.
“Events like these highlight what makes UConn alumni stand out in the finance world—a strong sense of community, intellectual curiosity, and a genuine willingness to support the next generation as they find their footing across different areas of finance,” Walker said.
Conference Drew Impressive Finance Experts
The Conference keynote speaker was alumnus Bob Diamond MBA ’77, CEO of Atlas Merchant Capital, who offered career advice for students, discussed his career path, how he’s navigated changing market conditions, and current trends underpinning the industry.
The event also included two fireside chats. Drew Figdor ‘83, Portfolio Manager at TIG Advisors, LLC, discussed public market investing, how his firm researches mergers, and how he thinks about broader market trends. Nathan Anderson ‘06, the founder of Hindenburg Research, spoke about creating his own company and shared interesting investment stories.
The event also featured panels on Merger & Acquisition trends, and an Executive Leadership panel focused on how public companies navigate volatility and growth.
Alumnus Dan Toscano ‘87, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and Chair of the UConn Board of Trustees, stopped by to greet students and encourage them in their professional pursuits.
“It was great to see how many alums really wanted to help us,’’ Draghi said.
‘They Came Ready to Learn’
Alumnus Shap Smith, a retired Global Head of Asset-Based and Transitional Finance at Citi and now an adjunct professor at UConn, said the conference was first-rate.
“I thought it was a great turnout from the UConn students. Their questions were thoughtful and insightful and clearly showed that they were paying attention to the presentations. The overall content was terrific with many important topics covered during the course of the conference,’’ he said.
Interim Dean Greg Reilly also attended the event and had high praise for both the students and the event.
“Our students represented UConn extremely well — they were thoughtful, prepared, and highly professional in how they engaged with alumni and industry leaders throughout the conference,’’ Reilly said. “It was clear they came ready to learn, ask good questions, and build meaningful connections. I left very proud of how focused and polished they were.’’