NC State’s Poole College of Management welcomed nearly 100 MBA and master’s students, faculty, alumni and industry partners to the Park Alumni Center this fall for its first annual Finance Sector Summit, an evening of discussion, insights and networking.
Hosted by the Poole College of Management Career Center, the event featured a panel of senior leaders spanning commercial banking, real estate, and venture capital to discuss the most significant shifts in the industry, emerging trends, and strategies for building successful careers.
The panel, moderated by Dr. Richard Warr, associate dean for faculty and research, included Jennings Glenn ’96, chief financial officer of Kane Realty; Amir Mehr ’92, managing director of portfolio management at Barclays and a member of the Poole College Advisory Board; and Timothy McLoughlin, managing partner at Cofounders Capital. The evening opened with remarks from Poole College Dean Frank Buckless and an overview of finance graduate statistics and trends presented by Summit emcee Dave Solloway, associate director of working professional careers.
Industry Shifts
The discussion began with panelists highlighting how the industry and finance roles have evolved over the last decade. Glenn emphasized the shift from reporting and compliance to strategic partnership and analytics, noting the growing role of technology and AI in financial decision-making. “Our finance departments are less about reporting and compliance and more about strategy. We’re focusing on the analysis: what platforms we use, how we’re leveraging AI. It’s a shift toward being strategic partners rather than just a reporting function.”
McLoughlin discussed changes in venture capital, adding that many firms are now taking a more measured approach to investments and risk management. Rounding out the discussion, Mehr emphasized regulatory and technological shifts in banking, saying, “if you’re not staying current every year, you’re literally behind.”
Hiring and Leadership in a Tech-Driven World
When discussing hiring and leadership, the panel shared insights on the importance of differentiating oneself in competitive environments and emphasized that in today’s finance landscape, technical skills alone are not enough. The group also explored how AI is reshaping workflows, hiring practices and competitive strategies, stressing that technology is most effective when paired with critical thinking and human judgment.
“You need to be able to communicate and present well. You can have the best ideas, but if you can’t articulate them, they won’t go anywhere. The world is hard. You need to be able to pivot, find a plan B, and solve problems rather than wait for someone else to fix them,” Mehr said.
Jennings cautioned that while the pace of innovation is accelerating, critical thinking matters more than…
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