{"id":2291,"date":"2023-04-20T09:17:35","date_gmt":"2023-04-20T13:17:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/business\/?p=2291"},"modified":"2023-04-20T09:18:08","modified_gmt":"2023-04-20T13:18:08","slug":"making-the-montclair-connection-at-prudential","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/business\/2023\/04\/20\/making-the-montclair-connection-at-prudential\/","title":{"rendered":"Making the Montclair Connection at Prudential"},"content":{"rendered":"

MSU + Pru Connect is building a platform and a valuable workforce pipeline between the Feliciano School of Business and Prudential, one of the country\u2019s most respected, value-driven corporate leaders. As the initiative grows, it will become a template for affinity relationships between the University and top employers nationally.<\/em><\/p>\n

For nearly 150 years, Prudential has maintained its Newark headquarters, contributing to its home community while building a highly-admired multinational financial services corporation. Likewise, over the course of its 115-year history, Montclair has become New Jersey\u2019s second-largest institution of higher learning as well as one of its most diverse \u2013 a highly regarded university with a public purpose. It follows then, that these iconic institutions would find ways to become partners in creating opportunities for New Jersey students while strengthening workforce pipelines for the state and the country.<\/p>\n

The institutions\u2019 newest shared endeavor, MSU + Pru Connect, is taking their partnership to a new level, connecting and engaging Montclair alumni who work at Prudential. The organization\u2019s goal is to create meaningful opportunities for alumni at Prudential to support the University, its students, and each other.<\/p>\n

According to Michele Ansbacher \u201980, executive in residence and chair of the Feliciano School of Business Advisory Board, the timing is right. \u201cA Board of Trustees member and I were kicking around the idea,\u201d she explains. \u201cWhen I mentioned the idea to Kent Sluyter, the recently retired president of Prudential Annuities who was named to the Montclair State University board, he took up the cause in a big way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ansbacher drew on her deep Prudential connections to organize the launch. Before joining Montclair as executive in residence, Ansbacher enjoyed a 34-year career at the company, most recently as Prudential Financial\u2019s vice president of the Eastern Territory in Agency Distribution (now Prudential Advisors).<\/p>\n

A working group of Prudential employees emerged to support Ansbacher and Sluyter that included Stephanie Geannakopoulos \u201917 MBA, director and HR business partner, Global Technology; Evelyn Hudson-Dorrah \u201990, senior business risk and control manager; Vincent King \u201914 MBA, director of Abandoned Property Operations; and Patrick Whittam \u201993, communications director, Prudential Communications. Susan Chegwidden, Prudential\u2019s vice president and chief human resources partner, currently serves as the initiative\u2019s executive sponsor.<\/p>\n

When the group tested the waters with a November 2019 event held at Prudential\u2019s Newark office, they realized the initiative\u2019s potential. King points quite specifically to the event as the moment he knew that MSU + Pru Connect was going to be big. \u201cI was amazed at the response,\u201d he says. \u201cMore than 120 Prudential employees expressed interest in the event, and alumni were interested in further participation \u2026 I am very proud of all we have accomplished these past few years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hudson-Dorrah also saw the potential. \u201cIt was an eye opener to see how many Montclair graduates were working at Prudential, and yet we were meeting each other for the first time,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Ansbacher\u2019s enthusiasm springs from her own experience as a new Montclair graduate. \u201cAt my graduation, as a student officer, I was seated on the dais,\u201d she recalls, \u201cand was placed next to a Prudential executive who invited me to apply to Prudential. For me, the encounter was fortuitous and led to a very rewarding career. Our goal is to build a platform for many such conversations and many such opportunities for students.\u201d<\/p>\n

King echoes Ansbacher: \u201cI was part of the first graduating class of the MBA cohort-based program,\u201d he says. \u201cAt the time, formalized mentorship was not part of the curriculum. An affinity group like this within an industry of interest would have been invaluable to me in planning my career.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMSU + Pru Connect is a terrific example of our commitment to creating a path for students from college to successful career,\u201d says Feliciano School of Business Dean Kimberly Hollister.<\/p>\n

Since 2019, MSU + Pru Connect has hosted a series of in-person and virtual events. At a 2022 event, MBA students visited the Prudential campus. A half dozen speakers from sales to actuary provided sessions on company structure, career paths, and culture. Prudential Vice Chair Robert M. Falzon was on hand to meet and greet participants.<\/p>\n

In addition to events, MSU + Pru Connect has formed online communications groups within the Prudential network and as part of the University\u2019s MONTCLAIRConnect network.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur students and community win with so many stakeholders working together. We look forward to continuing to expand and deepen our relationship with Prudential,\u201d says Chad Brown, executive director for Corporate Partnerships and Development, Feliciano School of Business.<\/p>\n

MSU + Pru Connect represents an expansion of Prudential\u2019s long-time support of career initiatives and student success at Montclair.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrudential has a very inclusive culture that encourages affinity groups,\u201d Sluyter notes. \u201cThe company has a values-driven history of helping people connect. This is the backdrop. When I became a trustee of Montclair, I began to learn more about the University and its alumni. The alumni I met wanted to connect with each other, and they wanted to know more about what was going on at their alma mater.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was confident that this initiative would thrive and would be a value add for both Prudential and Montclair,\u201d Sluyter continues. \u201cPrudential\u2019s talent pipeline \u2013 the single-most important element in the company\u2019s success \u2013 gains an excellent source of diverse talent, and Montclair students gain access to excellent career opportunities at a great company, as well as a warm welcome from fellow Montclair alumni.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hudson-Dorrah has a first-hand appreciation for what newly employed Montclair graduates stand to gain from a robust affinity group within the company. \u201cIt would have meant a great deal to me as an undergraduate stepping into the business world,\u201d she says. \u201cThe corporate environment can be intimidating. Knowing that I could reach out to fellow Montclair alumni at the company would have been monumental.\u201d<\/p>\n

MSU + Pru Connect is bringing together the University\u2019s champions from the corporate community and from within its alumni community, with the goal of engaging a network of dedicated professionals who are ready to support students\u2019 career goals. The initiative\u2019s founders see several opportunities for expansion.<\/p>\n

Prudential recruits its workforce from a diverse array of disciplines, extending well beyond the expected business and MBA degree graduates. \u201cMy degree is in broadcasting, and rather than joining a major network I made my career in corporate communications at Prudential,\u201d Whittam points out. \u201cBefore I joined the company, I had no idea that they housed top-of-the line video production facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sluyter agrees. \u201cThere are great things happening in every corner of the university, and so many opportunities for leveraging this partnership across disciplines. I can also see this partnership as a resource for forecasting employers\u2019 workforce needs going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

MSU + Pru Connect is moving forward, full steam ahead. \u201cThe word is getting out,\u201d says Hudson-Dorrah. \u201cMore and more Montclair alumni are raising their hands, and they represent all levels at Prudential \u2013 junior level, mid-management, and senior executive. It is a wonderful way to encourage alumni to give back to Montclair, and to share what they have learned in the business world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are already lining up activities for spring employee recruitment, as well as the fall internship recruitment season,\u201d adds Whittam, who is leading the team of alumni at Prudential.<\/p>\n

With Montclair\u2019s talented alumni working at many major employers, it is expected that the initiative will grow.\u00a0\u201cI envision this partnership expanding at Prudential, and also expanding into other corporations throughout New Jersey and beyond,\u201d says Hollister.\u00a0\u201cWe are already in conversation with ADP, another corporate leader based in New Jersey.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MSU + Pru Connect is building a platform and a valuable workforce pipeline between the Feliciano School of Business and Prudential, one of the country\u2019s most respected, value-driven corporate leaders. As the initiative grows, it will become a template for affinity relationships between the University and top employers nationally. For nearly 150 years, Prudential has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":2292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-services","category-feliciano-school-of-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/359"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2291"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2291\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2294,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2291\/revisions\/2294"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}