They came, they saw, they networked

More than 200 alumni and parents representing their industries, companies and careers connected with more than 150 current students Friday at “Tulane Takeover: New York,” a full-scale career conference coordinated during fall break every year by Tulane’s Office of Career Wave Programs. This year’s all-day event featured structured networking sessions with professionals across all industries along with several industry-specific and topical breakout panels.

Takeover’s “Senior Executive Women in Business” panel included insights from Nancy Newman, senior vice president of human resources at Viacom; Melissa Smith, senior vice president of people and development at Ralph Lauren; Alison Brod, owner of Alison Brod Marketing and Communications; Jaryn Bloom, president of retail at Michael Kors, and Kathy Leo, chief legal officer and general counsel at Chobani. Avery Lipman, co-founder, president and CEO of Republic Records, and Barri Rafferty, president and CEO of Ketchum, closed the day speaking to students about careers in music and public relations. Other panels included executives and recent graduates speaking about careers in entertainment, sports, law, real estate, finance and consulting.

“This conference grows every year, and given that our students are skipping fall break and traveling to New York on their own dime to attend is a sign that we’re doing something right,” said Byron Slosar, director of Career Wave programs. “The success of this event as well as those we host in other cities is solely dependent on the incredible group of alumni and parents who donate their time to attend, showcasing real-word careers and providing valuable insights to our students. Whether a student is a first-semester freshman or a second-semester senior, we build these programs to impact students across all years and fields of study.”

Tulane Takeover D.C. also took place last week, and Takeovers Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Miami, Boston, New Orleans and Chicago are scheduled later this year. To learn more or to get involved, contact bkantrow@tulane.edu.