I am an Associate at H.I.G. Capital’s Infrastructure Private Equity Group in New York. Previously, I was an Analyst in Stifel’s Aerospace, Defense & Government Services Investment Banking Group in Washington, DC and, prior to this, was an Analyst at HSBC’s Mid Corporate Investment Banking Team in New York. I completed my undergraduate degree at Fordham University in New York where I majored in Finance. Growing up, my family moved around constantly, giving me the chance to live in South Korea, Indonesia, Los Angeles, and New Jersey, where I spent the majority of my childhood. I believe this helped me form a unique worldview and a desire to pursue a career that allows me to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds. I first became interested in Finance after speaking with professors, friends, and upperclassmen during my freshman year. Specifically, I was intrigued by the nature of the work, caliber of individuals in the field, career optionality, unique skill development, and ability to work with people from different backgrounds. My mentors, both senior and junior, provided crucial insights and advice that allowed me to break into the industry. Therefore, I’m looking to do the same for others looking for guidance. While I can speak to investment banking and private equity in general, I believe I can also add unique insights on lateral recruiting, especially to different geographies, and breaking into high finance from a non-traditional background. If you’re looking for help, please feel free to reach out!

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!