My name is Sophie Fries, and I am a current Summer Analyst in the Financial Services Investment Banking Group at Piper Sandler. I am a rising senior at Washington University in St. Louis, where I study Finance and Political Science with a minor in American Culture Studies. Prior to my summer at Piper Sandler, I was a Credit Risk Summer Analyst at Goldman Sachs in Salt Lake City, UT. I am pursuing a career in Investment Banking because I believe it provides a strong foundational knowledge of finance and expands the breadth of my technical skillset. As a woman and a candidate from a non-target school, I understand the challenges that arise with investment banking recruiting and would love the opportunity to help you navigate your path!

My name is Will Fergesen and I’m an Investment Banking Analyst in Piper Sandler’s consumer coverage group in Minneapolis, MN. I graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a BBA in Finance a year early in May 2023 and completed my Summer Analyst program that summer following. More than happy to answer any and all questions regarding IB and the recruiting process. I hope I can provide specific insight on navigating non-traditional graduation timelines and recruiting at a non-target school.

Hi, my name is Aakash Tummala. I am currently studying Finance at Rutgers University in New Jersey and will be interning at Piper Sandler in NYC as an Investment Banking Summer Analyst. I was born in India but grew up on the east coast in an immigrant household with two parents working in tech and I had little exposure to the finance world. But, after growing up as an athlete who always liked being in fast-paced & team-oriented environments, and taking my first economics class in high school, I realized that a career in finance seemed like the perfect fit. Coming into college, I knew no one in the industry, but through upperclassmen, the PFF network, networking with alumni, & doing multiple part-time internships, I learned so much about the recruiting process and what I needed to do to put myself in a position to succeed. It was a constant grind recruiting from a non-target school, but I realized I would not have been able to do it without the help of some really helpful & genuine mentors I met along the way. As someone fresh out of the process and still in college, I really want to give back in any way I can with any advice or insights! I am definitely pretty easygoing, and I know I had a ton of questions when I was stressed out with recruiting. Feel free to reach out I am happy to chat & be a resource in whatever way possible!

My name is Tim Peyser, and I currently work at Piper Sandler covering financial services as an investment banker. Previously, I spent two years at RSM advising private equity clients in a consulting capacity. I joined RSM after graduating from the University of Richmond ('19) where I majored in international business and finance with a minor in French. I have worked in a number of roles in finance from boutique venture capital to Morgan Stanley's wealth management practice and would be happy to be a resource to you.

I am currently a private equity associate at The Riverside Company based in San Francisco, CA. Prior to joining Riverside, I was a private equity associate at Comvest Partners in West Palm Beach, FL and I began my career in investment banking at Piper Sandler in Minneapolis, MN. I graduated from St. Olaf College, a liberal arts school in Northfield, MN, with a B.A. in math and economics with a finance emphasis. Initially, I decided to pursue finance because I saw it as a combination of my two majors, math and economics, and looked at finance as a way for me to apply what I was learning in the "real world" (rarely talked about at a liberal arts school!). I then decided to pursue investment banking (i) because of pure luck that I was introduced to it my sophomore year by a few seniors during investment club and (ii) because I wanted to start my career somewhere where I would be constantly challenged and learning. Feel free to reach out if you are looking to get into middle market investment banking or private equity. Additionally, I am happy to speak to anyone who is interested in lateraling between private equity firms as I went through this process in the transition from Comvest to Riverside.

My name is Kush Shah and I am currently an investment banking analyst at BMO Capital Markets’ Middle Market M&A team which focuses on industry-agnostic sell-side and buy-side for middle market clients. I studied Finance with a minor in Real Estate at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business. I pursued a career in investment banking because it is the greatest platform for a young finance graduate to understand the nuances of a business while combining the aspects of being on the fore front talking to clients and processing analytical information. Prior to my current experience, I worked with the public finance team at Piper Sandler. For those who are thinking about a career in general with finance, I would be more than happy to walk through my multiple internship and full time experiences, along with how to prepare for interviews.