Fifteen students from the Financial Economics Institute at Claremont McKenna College traveled to downtown Los Angeles last week to meet with executives at Trust Company of the West and The Capital Group Companies, two asset management firms headquartered in Los Angeles. In the morning, the students met with senior-level managers at TCW, whose CEO and chairman of the board is CMC Trustee Robert A. Day '65.
Coordinated by FEI Board advisor and TCW managing director Stephen Burlingame '99, the morning meeting was an opportunity for students to learn from portfolio managers, and also from the chief operating officer of the company, says Brian Dennis, FEI assistant director and associate director of CMC's Robert A. Day 4 + 1 BA/MBA Program.
Following a lunch hosted by Burlingame, students then drove to the headquarters of The Capital Group Companies for an overview of the firm and to learn about specific job opportunities. Students also heard from Todd Wagner '88, vice president of Capital Group's international assets division, who offered an alumnus perspective.
"The students benefited by having the opportunity to contrast two prominent asset management firms headquartered in Los Angeles, while receiving exposure to senior level managers and learning about potential career paths at each of the firms," Dennis said.