Economics students at the Stamford campus were excited to meet two executives from Slalom, Thomas Kauffman, Head of Account Management and Sales, and Saken Kulkarni, Managing Director, on Thursday, October 28, 2021. Slalom is a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation. Their office for New York, New Jersey, and Southern New England is located in White Plains, NY, so they are considered to be a local business for our Stamford campus.

During their visit to ECON 3431-Financial Economics class, Mr. Kauffman and Mr. Kukarni described Slalom’s business model, answered students’ questions, and provided an overview of the project acquisition and management stages.

This was a remarkable opportunity for Economics students who, in this class, study financial management and stock valuation. They were able to get a sense of actual real-life application of their analytical skills in the business world. The conversation focused on nuances of various projects that Slalom has been undertaking.

After this class, Thomas and Saken participated in the College Fed Challenge UCONN-Stamford team meeting (ECON 3492-Practicum course). Students shared their presentation that was submitted as an entry to the competition. Our guests constructively critiqued the presentation and gave suggestions for improvement. This was an invaluable contribution to team’s preparation for the Q&A portion of the competition. Students reported that they have learned a lot during this event as Thomas and Saken shared many stories of their career in general and work at Slalom in particular.

Such formal and informal interactions with community business leaders are very important as they connect the University to business and our students to prospective employers in the area. Additionally, students gain a sense of business landscape and expand their understanding of potential careers available to Economics majors.