Political Science

Anthropolgy

Senior Director, Global Infrastructure and Project Finance

Fitch Ratings

Master of Public Administration & Certificate in Latin American Studies from University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs

I provide credit ratings, commentary, and research on energy projects (wind, solar, hydropower, and fossil fuels) financed in the bond and bank markets.

How did you get your start in the field?

After I graduated with a MPA my jobs have all been linked by the theme of credit risk analysis, though I have worked in different disciplines.  I worked as a credit analyst at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on small business and single-family housing.  I went on to become Deputy Director for Microfinance at the US Agency for International Development. Then I left government to work in the financial sector in NY where I currently assess credit risk of energy projects financings.

Critical thinking skills help me identify similar themes across disciplines, objectively analyze problems, and propose practical solutions in my professional life. I am glad that Ursinus emphasized written and oral communication skills because they are often distinguishing factors of employee performance.  I have observed people who have learned a specific technical skill in college but may have difficulty adapting to new workplace demands that require them to stretch their abilities. Because of my liberal arts education, I believe that I have been able to adapt to changing demands in the workplace over the years. 

Don’t wait for someone to mentor you and don’t expect that it is someone else’s responsibility to advance your career.  Reach out to respected, high-performing people.  They may be busy so your challenge is to manage their time well so they will want to continue mentoring you.  Prepare for brief discussions with a clear purpose in mind.  If you seek advice follow up with the mentor on how you applied their advice. Keep them abreast of your accomplishments.  Always show your gratitude because mentors are volunteering and giving you the precious resource of their time.

Throughout my career I have mentored high school and college students and junior staff in my various jobs.  I offer increasing responsibility to junior staff as they demonstrate a willingness and ability to learn more.  Fitch Ratings offers summer internships, as it is always willing to offer professional opportunities to college students.  I have mentored some of our college interns at Fitch.