This past Wednesday, I had the chance to attend a conversation between one of RBS’ professors and Co-COO of Goldman Sachs. Yes, you read that right. It might not be a ticketed event like Joe Biden’s visit or Hillary Clinton’s visit, but it was well worth it, as Mr. Schwartz’s worth was listed as $21.3mm in 2014.
While many people may not be too familiar with Wall Street or its complex operations, we are familiar with buzzwords, one of those being the name of elusive and magical investment bank, Goldman Sachs. Its success and prestige for managing billions of the world’s wealth and producing sought-after analyses of the market have made it famous and well-respected. Having the opportunity to hear from one its C-suite execs came with expectations that this would be a buttoned-up and somewhat dry and technical event, however, it was anything but. Mr. Schwartz, as a fellow Rutgers alum, did us proud in his professional yet laid-back demeanor that resembled nothing short of authentic charisma. His approach and responses were not only for those geared towards landing in Wall Street, it was an inclusive conversation for any individual seeking enlightenment and some laughs. From faculty, professionals, our own Rutgers students, and a brave hearted high school senior from my own alma mater, this was an event like no other. Knowing how to tie in the personal to technical, he recounted his own upbringing which included bouncing at Knight Club and unique path to Wall Street that was unconventional and filled with life lessons, he was truly inspiring. In response to a professor’s comment about students’ disheartened positions about our world, Shwartz stated that “Hope and confidence and power are incredibly important convictions,” which gave insight into how such an influential individual from a different generation places trust and believes in the future of today’s generation. When asked about educational and career paths, Mr. Schwartz responded that he personally believed that “Being passionate is different than finding your passion,” an extremely candid perspective in an environment where buzzwords like company culture and passion are toted. With a high number of startups and entrepreneurialism culture, people are feeling pressured to find their passion and work within that realm, but that’s not as clear-cut for everyone and I certainly appreciated it. As for when asked about his retirement plan, I more than loved his answer, “The best plan is no plan,” like straight out of a motivational book. Sometimes we are so caught up in planning and tracking with our fancy tools that we don’t give ourselves the opportunity to allow life to happen and point us in an organic direction. Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge planner and deadlines kind of person but I have definitely seen the validity and value of “floating” a little.
The Rutgers Business School holds a variety of events like these with prominent executives of major companies, so keep up with their announcements if you are interested in attending a talk or event like this in the future!