Manish Kapoor ’97 says St. Lawrence taught him how to collaborate and build consensus, two critical components in today’s work world.  A vice president at Lehman Brothers Inc. in New York City, the economics honors major works in proprietary structured derivatives. “Since the mandate is to create new products, the learning curve has stayed steep over the years,” he says. “I have had the good fortune of being responsible for working on a number of innovative trades where we implemented several groundbreaking ideas. Since the transactions are cross-border in nature, I exchange ideas with legal, regulatory and tax experts in numberous jurisdictions.”

Kapoor was the chair of the student government’s Student Budget and Finance Committee and treasurer of the Student Activities Fund. “It was challenging to allocate budgets to over 50 organizations, but it helped me learn to create consensus and appreciate differing viewpoints,” he says. He was also involved with the Forensic (debating) Society at St. Lawrence, which “has helped me to this day in quickly formulating arguments,” he explains.

“St. Lawrence excited an enthusiasm and passion for learning in me,” Kapoor says. “We have instant access to information. However, we need to have the ability to sift through it and convert it to knowledge. Success requires the ability to bridge differences between multiple groups, which may spread across different continents. My education at St. Lawrence was invaluable in inculcating these values in me.”

Kapoor is a new member of the Alumni Council, which he says gives him “a chance to stay involved, give back and visit St. Lawrence more often. I very much look forward to chatting and staying connected with the students, faculty and administrators,” he concludes.