When the Executive President of the Finance Banking and Investment Society (FBIS) first came to the
Robert H. Smith School of Business in fall 2008, the fall of Lehman Brothers had created a scene that was
nothing short of panic, he said.
At Sam Pulitzer’s first FBIS meeting, a former Merrill-Lynch investment banker spoke and outlined what
one needed to do to be successful in the industry, which helped get rid of that uneasy feeling for him.
“Financial services can be confusing,” Pulitzer, now a junior, said. “Talking about the federal
government, about hedge funds, it can be daunting to a lot of freshmen.”
FBIS tries to help with that confusion by getting speakers who are as diverse as possible, covering a wide
range of subjects, from investment banking to accounting, consulting and other areas. Members can
figure out what they want to specialize in after graduation, and have some knowledge about what that
career will be like.
“We’re career oriented, just trying to fill that void that you don’t really fill in the classroom,” FBIS Vice
President of Finance Jeff Williamowsky said. “You don’t learn about real life and careers in class.”
FBIS tries to provide as many services as it can for members, Pulitzer said. In addition to hosting
speakers, the club provides resume clinics and valuable networking opportunities.
“A cool thing about the Smith School is that students network and work together,” Pulitzer said, “[FBIS]
is a good way to get plugged in.”
The club will be traveling to Baltimore on March 4th to visit finance firms, including Constellation Energy,
Pulitzer said.
Meetings are every Wednesday at 5 p.m. and the fee for new members is $20 for the first semester,
then $15 each semester for returning members.