Held in partnership with the New York Jobs CEO Council and attended by more than 160 people, the student-focused talk kicked off with a dynamic introduction by the council鈥檚 executive director, Kiersten Barnet. Before the main discussion, faculty from 可乐视频鈥檚 Koppelman School of Business hosted an insightful roundtable, where they exchanged ideas with Griggs, Barnet, and Anderson on key topics in accounting and business strategy. The event also included a workshop for students with New York Jobs CEO Council representatives that focused on jobs readiness.

Attended by more than 160 people, the Presidential Lecture Series event on October 23 with Paul Griggs centered on the critical skills that drive professional success and how leadership is evolving in today鈥檚 ever-changing workforce.

Griggs began the main lecture by introducing PwC鈥攐ne of the largest professional services firms in the world, employing more than 370,000 people across 150 countries and territories. He explained the firm鈥檚 three major practice areas: assurance, tax, and consulting, each powered by professionals from diverse disciplines, including accounting, data science, and engineering.

Reflecting on his own journey, Griggs shared how he came to accounting 鈥渂y accident.鈥� Growing up in a small South Carolina town, he initially aspired to become a doctor, until a hospital visit made him reconsider. 鈥淚 realized quickly I wasn鈥檛 cut out for medicine,鈥� he joked. Instead, he turned to accounting鈥斺�渢he language of business鈥濃�攂ecause it offered stability and opportunity. That 鈥渁ccident,鈥� he said, led to a 30-year career at PwC that opened doors he never imagined possible.

Throughout the conversation, Griggs emphasized that accounting provides a foundation for limitless career paths. 鈥淥nce you understand the language of business, you can do anything,鈥� he said, noting that many PwC alumni now lead in industries from banking to health care.

A major theme of the discussion was technology and artificial intelligence. Griggs urged students not to fear technological change but to 鈥減lay, experiment, and explore.鈥� He noted that PwC professionals already integrate large language models and AI tools into their daily work. 鈥淎I won鈥檛 replace your job,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut someone who knows AI might.鈥�

President Anderson steered the conversation toward soft skills, asking what qualities matter most in the future of accounting.

Paul Griggs encouraged students in attendance to believe in themselves and take chances: 鈥淪ay yes, even when you鈥檙e not sure you鈥檙e ready. You belong in every room you walk into.鈥�

Griggs鈥檚 response was passionate and personal: 鈥淵ou already have what it takes鈥攇rit, attitude, curiosity, and the ability to connect with people.鈥� He reminded students that success is built through hard work and persistence, quoting Kobe Bryant鈥檚 philosophy that 鈥渢he journey itself is the dream.鈥�

He also spoke candidly about failure and resilience, recounting career disappointments that ultimately led him to his current leadership role. 鈥淪ometimes you don鈥檛 get what you think you want,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 often because something better is waiting.鈥�

When asked about mentorship, Griggs credited both professional and personal mentors鈥攆rom professors to parents鈥攆or shaping his journey. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e already a mentor and a mentee,鈥� he told students. 鈥淧eople are watching you and learning from you every day.鈥�

Griggs also fielded questions from students. Closing the event, he encouraged them to believe in themselves and take chances: 鈥淪ay yes, even when you鈥檙e not sure you鈥檙e ready. You belong in every room you walk into.鈥�

Watch the entire lecture .

About the Presidential Lecture Series at 可乐视频

The Presidential Lecture Series features 可乐视频 President Michelle J. Anderson in conversation with high-profile leaders, exposing students and the extended college community to inspiring ideas, courageous leadership, and models of civic engagement and civil discourse.

The post Leadership and Career Readiness Take Center Stage at Presidential Lecture Series appeared first on 可乐视频.

On Dec. 31, Koppelman鈥檚 Interim Dean James Lynch and Assistant Professor Ngoc Cindy Pham, along with students and the founders of the KSB Business and Investment Club, Damir Shavkatov and Allen Mardakhayev, were invited by Ryan Ban Tran, CEO of Trans International Group, Inc., and Amber Creighton, Cathay Securities, Inc., to participate in the NASDAQ closing bell ceremony with Pheton Holdings Ltd. in Times Square.

(Left to right) Thomas Poudyal, Product Manager; Valeria Arrieta, Analyst for Freddie Mac; Allen Mardakhayev, 可乐视频 Business Management/Marketing student; Ryan Ban Tran, CEO of Trans International Group; Jianfei Zhang, CEO of Phethon Holdings Ltd.; Professor Ngoc Cindy Pham, Department of Management, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship; Depinder Grewal, Managing Partner, Tiger Alternative Investments; Damir Shavkatov, 可乐视频 Psychology/Marketing student; Interim Dean James Lynch of Koppelman School of Business.

During the event, Lynch engaged with leaders from the financial industry in New York City and global markets, fostering collaborations to strengthen ties between the Koppelman School and key members of the finance community. He also extended invitations to industry professionals to visit the 可乐视频 campus in 2025 for seminars, networking events, and collaborative projects aimed at bridging academia to the financial sector.

Prior to that, on Dec. 9, Tran invited Pham鈥攁 CUNY Career Success Fellow and the Tow Senior Faculty Mentor at the college鈥攁nd the KSB Business and Investment Club members to a private board meeting with officials from Vietnam鈥檚 Ministry of Industry and Trade to discuss sustainable energy and water development.

The events helped pave the way for future student participation in high-level case studies through Pham鈥檚 strategy of applied learning and the KSB Business and Investment Club.

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