By Adam Fivenson, MSFS’14
After graduating from MSFS in 1993, Ted Deutsch didn’t join the State Department, World Bank, Deloitte Consulting, or any of the conventional destinations for graduates of the program. Instead, he started a career in public affairs in Washington. Today, Mr. Deutsch is Corporate Communications Principal at Taft & Partners, a boutique marketing agency based in Princeton, New Jersey.
“MSFS helped to propel me into a career in public affairs,” he said over lunch in Manhattan last week. “Along the way I’ve worked in both the private and public sectors, but I’ve always carried that MSFS experience with me as a real asset. What I learned broadly about diplomacy and communications has served me well throughout my career.”
Deutsch is one of dozens of MSFS alumni who spent time with current students during MSFS NYC Career Week 2013, an annual event organized by MSFS administration to introduce current students to alumni in New York and to the possibility of a less-conventional post-MSFS career.
The week’s featured event was a conversation with Molly F. Ashby (‘83), Chairman and CEO of Solera Capital. Ms. Ashby discussed Solera’s investment philosophy and answered questions from students about leadership and her career, which began with a USAID position in Mali then saw her rise through the ranks of investors at J.P. Morgan’s private equity investment operations. In 1999, Ms. Ashby founded Solera Capital to support ethical ventures, like Annie’s Inc., on whose board she serves as chairman.
Beyond the conversation with Ms. Ashby, students enjoyed panel discussions on working at the United Nations, the finance industry, corporate social responsibility, human rights, and the communications industry, as well as a busy schedule of small group lunches with alumni.
(L to R) Igor Dabik (SSP ’12), Arno Gasteiger (MSFS ’14) and Ted Deutsch (MSFS ’93) share lunch in Manhattan.
Ana Calvo (‘14), an International Development concentrator from Spain, said she most enjoyed the United Nations panel: “The UN panel was the most valuable for me because everyone was so honest about the advantages and drawbacks of their work. Kevin Cassidy from the International Labour Organization was really inspirational; he’s so passionate about his work. Also, as an international student, it’s harder for me to find a job after graduate school because most US Federal Government jobs require US citizenship. Fortunately, there were panels this weekend for the private sector, NGOs, and international organizations, so that gave me a lot of extra confidence for my career search.”
Michael Podberezin, a first year from Israel and an International Relations & Security concentrator, said the alumni lunches were a highlight: “Izumi Nakamitsu (’89) was awesome. She had so many inspiring stories. I also had lunch with Ben Turner (‘09). He hasn’t taken the traditional career path; he developed his own technology startup, and stories like these give you a new perspective about what’s possible after graduation.”
“The best event of the weekend was my lunch with JoMarie Fecci (‘90), who is a photojournalist,” added Matt Weisbard (’14). “She’s taken so many risks in her career. I came in thinking I was going to be a Foreign Service officer, but her story made me think it might be worth it to take a risk myself and do something less conventional.”