Being in "The Room Where It Happens" at UC Davis-Financial Times Biz Quiz

Image

Oftentimes networking is about being at the right place at the right time to meet the right people.

This perfect storm recently put me at the same table for dinner and conversation with the CEO and chief investment officer of the global investment firm Franklin Templeton, where I am an advisor consultant based in Rancho Cordova.

My role at Franklin Templeton is to recommend mutual funds, ETFs, SMAs, and more to financial advisors for our clients. Our ultimate objective is to propel clients to reach their financial goals. I’m also a student and peer leader in the Sacramento Part-Time MBA program.

UC Davis-Financial Times Biz Quiz Sets the Stage

In early November 2022, the UC Davis Graduate School of Management hosted its inaugural UC Davis-Financial Times Biz Quiz, a “Jeopardy?”-like competition testing the business news knowledge of graduate students from four University of California business schools.

At the Biz Quiz kickoff event the evening before the team competition, I had the rare opportunity to meet the top executives at Franklin Templeton, who also happened to be Aggie alumni.

Talking Blockchain with My CEO/President

There I was, joining a table with Jenny Johnson and Wylie Tollette.

Johnson B.A. 87 is the world-renowned CEO and president of Franklin Templeton, whose career at the company has spanned over 30 years. She’s been named to Barron's “100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance” list for three consecutive years. The American Banker recently recognized her as the 16th most powerful female in finance. Today, Franklin Templeton is managing over $1.5 trillion in assets globally.

We had a delightful discussion about the real-world effects of blockchain technology and how it will disrupt the industry. It was memorizing to have the chance to speak with your company’s CEO/president face to face.

Image

Future-casting Multi-Asset Investing with the CIO

I met another Aggie alum Wylie Tollette B.S. 88, who is the CIO of Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions (FTIS). We had an intriguing conversation about the future of multi-asset investing and the new theory of a diversified portfolio. Our in-depth discussion allowed me to learn more about the firm I work for and its future endeavors.

It was a wonderful experience exchanging moments from our undergraduate careers at UC Davis. We connected about many of the unique and interesting experiences of the Davis community. (As an undergraduate, I was a defensive back for the UC Davis Aggies football team, which prepared me well for my demanding schedule as a part-time MBA student and full-time financial investment professional).

After dinner, I watched in person the live-streamed interview of Jenny Johnson by U.S. Managing Editor of the Financial Times, Peter Spiegel. During their conversation, she addressed several important and timely topics in finance, ranging from women in leadership, rising interest rates and consumer spending to alternative investments and blockchain technology.

Image

At the Biz Quiz, what I thought would be impossible conversations and encounters with high-level executives became possible. Thanks to Chancellor Gary S. May and Dean H. Rao Unnava for inviting influential leaders in the financial industry to meet MBA students.

The Biz Quiz event showed me that becoming a UC Davis MBA student opens doors to spaces and opportunities you once thought were off limits.

The song from the hit musical “Hamilton” says it best: “The Room Where It Happens.”

It’s a key advantage of earning an MBA from a school like UC Davis, with powerful and ever-growing alumni and corporate network. This was my first conversation with these two top executives, and I plan to use my MBA to get the spaces where this experience is common.