Imagine being a CFA candidate, walking into a room full of CFA charterholders…
That was me last Thursday — and I couldn’t be more grateful.
I was honored to be selected as one of the students representing University of Connecticut School of Business at the CFA Society Stamford Annual Dinner 2026. Being chosen for this was already special. What happened inside the room made it unforgettable.
The evening featured a fascinating discussion on AI in financial services, anchored around Morgan Stanley’s AI journey from Jeffrey McMillan and Paul Sweeney.
A few things that stuck with me:
➖The biggest challenge with AI isn’t the technology — it’s the organization.
➖Human accountability must stay at the center. AI assists, but a human always “presses the button.”
➖Employee education matters more than any tool. Morgan Stanley’s Head of AI said he’d spend 90% of his budget on education before building anything.
➖AI doesn’t fix broken workflows — it exposes them.
In a world obsessed with models and agents, the real differentiator is whether your organization has the literacy, structure, and culture to actually deploy AI responsibly.
Oh… and there was golf.
Apparently, finance dinners come with putting greens. Nobody warned me it would be my first time holding a club. I approached it with full confidence and zero technique. The ball went… somewhere. The charterholders were very gracious about it. Professionally gracious.
Getting humbled on the golf course by some of the sharpest minds in finance might be the most on-brand way to start a career. 🏌️♂️
A huge thank you to Prof. Katherine Pancak, Prof. Jeffrey Bianchi, CFA , Mrs.Beth Williams for the opportunity and all of your support throughout our journey.
Thank you to CFA Stamford Society Victoria Konstantinova, CFA, Margaret Kelleher for organizing this amazing event and welcoming students into the room.
Moments like these don’t just build networks. They build conviction. 🦾
