Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society Blog

May 16, 2022

Chris Man ’00 is Passionate Advocate for Better Business and Greater Good

Welcome to Season 3 of the Mission Driven Alumni Podcast! New episodes will be released throughout the spring and summer of 2022.

The first episode of season 3 features a conversation with Chris Mann ’00. Chris has built his career around making a difference in the lives of others. He’s joined in conversation with JP Cunningham ’23. They discuss Chris’ time at Holy Cross and how he has carried the HC mission to serve others throughout his life and career.

Listen to the interview with Chris Mann ’00, VP & Head of Community Affairs at Bain Capital, by JP Cunningham ’23, fall 2021 Ciocca Center intern.

Interview originally recorded in November 2021.

May 12, 2022

Business Social on the Hoval Celebration

There is a growing number of students on the hill pursuing business. This year the Ciocca Center awarded 82 Certificates, up from 64 last spring. To celebrate this milestone, and the retirement of Prof. David Chu, the campus community was invited to the inaugural Business Social on the Hoval held on Monday, May 2 from 1-3pm.

Business Certificate Program graduates were invited to pick up their hard copy certificates and graduation pins. Underclassmen interested in learning more about the program were encouraged to chat with Ciocca Center staff for more information and to register for a Business Certificate Program.

Faculty and students took this opportunity to meet up with other Business Certificate Program students, recharge before finals and say goodbye to Prof. Chu before retirement at the end of the academic year.

Everyone enjoyed delicious food truck fare with Mrs. Moriconi’s Ice Cream and Say Cheese! A number of students lined up to get their professional headshots taken, and others mixed with peer Business Certificate Program students under the tents. It was a celebratory afternoon and we look forward to doing it again next spring!

May 2, 2022

Open Letter to Business Certificate Program Graduates

Dear Business Certificate Program graduates,

Congratulations! After years of workshops, tutorials, internships, coursework, and job shadowing experiences, we are proud to name you as a graduate of the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society at the College of the Holy Cross.

As a graduate, you are among a select group of students who will be receiving a Certificate in Business Fundamentals, Certificate in Entrepreneurship, and/or Certificate in Finance & Banking.

While others were vacationing, you had decided to immerse yourself in business, expose yourself to new concepts, build transferable skill sets, and network with successful alumni in the field. This dedication has made all the difference. Your liberal arts education from Holy Cross has equipped you with the skills to communicate effectively, problem solve, and think critically – the soft skills you can’t learn on the job. To complement this, your business certificate will be a differentiator in the job market and has provided you with competitive technical skills. Take this opportunity to appreciate all that you have accomplished.

The journey from Holy Cross is a shared experience – past, present and future. Much like the time you spent with alumni professionals, our hope is to one day welcome you back to campus to speak with current students. Your story will be one others can relate to because you have chosen to achieve both your academic interests and unique career goals. We are extremely proud of you and your pursuits, and wish you the best as you embark on your next journey!

Please be sure to stop in Stein 129E to pick up your hard copy certificate, graduation pin and say farewell.

Congratulations again on this tremendous achievement and please stay in touch,

Prof. David Chu, Cassie Gevry, Prof. Ja-Naé Duane & Kathy Kinnarney
Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society Continue reading “Open Letter to Business Certificate Program Graduates”

April 27, 2022

Prof. David Chu Announces Retirement After 31 Years

David Chu, associate professor of accounting and director of the College’s Carlyse and Arthur A. Ciocca ’59 Center for Business, Ethics, and Society has announced that he will be retiring at the end of this academic year, closing a 31-year career at Holy Cross.

Chu joined the Holy Cross faculty in 1991 and was promoted to associate
professor in 1997. “I have had a wonderful 31-year career at Holy Cross, starting in the fall of 1991 as an accounting professor in the economics department, and subsequently directing the business program for the last 16 years,” he says. “I am extremely grateful for all the support and camaraderie given to me by the administration, colleagues, and alumni.”

Cassie Gevry, associate director, and Kathy Kinnarney, program coordinator, of the Ciocca Center, share that he will be missed for his leadership, support, and friendship over the years. Students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni should continue to connect with the Ciocca Center through these contacts.

The College community wishes David a happy and healthy retirement!

- Share your good wishes for his retirement on the Kudobard.

Read the announcement in the Holy Cross Magazine and the interview by Conor Joslin ’23 on the blog.

April 25, 2022

Prof. Chu Reflects on Career at Holy Cross

Group of students with Prof. Chu — Prof. Chu with participants of the 2011 Summer Business Program.

Conor Joslin ’23, the student intern for the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society, interviewed Prof. David Chu upon hearing about his retirement at the end of the current academic year.

CJ: Let’s start with a little background about your pre-Holy Cross life.

DC: I grew up in Hong Kong and came over to the United States for college. I went to a small college called Anderson College, where there were 2,000 undergraduate students. Anderson College is a liberal arts institution and I majored in accounting and business, which enabled me to study accounting and business while fulfilling all of the liberal arts requirements; so I had a very well rounded education. Then I went to graduate school at Indiana University in Bloomington where I got my MBA and went on to get a PHD. I then taught at Indiana University while my wife was finishing up her medical training. After that, we decided to look around, and Holy Cross offered me a position, which I was very thankful for. My wife also got a job at what was then called the Fallon Clinic, and we moved out here. I started in the fall of 1991, and it has been a great career since.

CJ: What are your roles and responsibilities as the director of the Ciocca Center? What are the more challenging aspects of your job? Continue reading “Prof. Chu Reflects on Career at Holy Cross”

April 7, 2022

Conor O’Reilly ’18 Reflects on the Holy Cross Advantage

Conor O’Reilly ’18 – psychology major
Account Executive, Oracle NetSuite
Interviewed by Ciocca Center intern, Conor Joslin ’23

“You have to recognize that you have an advantage. Having gone through that major and learning all of those essential skills is a benefit that not a lot of people get to learn through their college education if they’re not going to a school like Holy Cross”.

Please share a bit about your background, where you’re from, and why you decided to attend Holy Cross?

I am from Andover, MA which is just about thirty minutes north of Boston. Growing up, Holy Cross always had a fantastic reputation. I had toured it one spring day and it was a beautiful sunny day on campus. Students were out and I just kind of felt at home there. So I applied to Holy Cross kind of knowing that was where I wanted to go. I had no idea what I wanted to study at that point in high school, but I knew that it was the place for me. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Can you speak a little bit about what your major was and the impact that it had on your professional career?

Continue reading “Conor O’Reilly ’18 Reflects on the Holy Cross Advantage”

March 31, 2022

Alumn Shares Path from History Major to Tech Sales

Brendan Sullivan ’86 took the time to answer some questions regarding his experiences on the hill and career upon graduation. Brendan was first introduced to Holy Cross by his grandfather, Bill Brennan ’30, and uncle, Jeff Brennan ’60, who both attended Holy Cross as student-athletes. Brendan really wanted to attend an institution with a strong academic reputation and was looking for a college that stood out upon other colleges and universities. His trip to campus, hosted by the football team, solidified his decision to attend Holy Cross due to the experience that he had upon his visit.

“I think studying history and just the entire experience at HC helped me become a much better communicator and gave me insight on what joining the business world would require to be successful” Continue reading “Alumn Shares Path from History Major to Tech Sales”

March 31, 2022

Conor Joslin ’23 Facilitates Alumni Panel for Club Hockey

On Wednesday, March 30, 2022, the Holy Cross Club Hockey team hosted the first-ever Club Hockey alumni panel coordinated by Conor Joslin ’23, intern for the Ciocca Center.

We are so fortunate that Joe Darcy ‘11, economics major, and Matthew Krebs ‘11, political science major, took the time to meet with current Club Hockey players to share their Holy Cross experience and careers in business. Both alumni speakers emphasized the importance of networking and connecting with fellow Holy Cross alumni to achieve success in the business world. Darcy is currently an Investor at IDEA Fund Partners and Krebs is a Director of Operations at Garrison Investment Group. Both provided current players with valuable feedback in regards to using your liberal arts education to your advantage, as it differentiates Holy Cross students from other applicants. By attending a liberal arts education like Holy Cross, students learn to communicate, read, write, analyze, present, and critically think at a very high level that other large business school students may not learn. Furthermore, they talked about the importance of networking and utilizing the Holy Cross alumni network. Holy Cross alumni love helping current students, so it is extremely important to put yourself out there and introduce yourself to multiple alumni. Continue reading “Conor Joslin ’23 Facilitates Alumni Panel for Club Hockey “

March 25, 2022

Entrepreneurship & Innovation Week Awards Over $15,000 in Prize Money

Congratulations to all of the students who competed during the annual Entrepreneurship & Innovation Week: March 26 – 31, through the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society and the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Program at Holy Cross.

Sustainable Innovation Challenge

HC Launch held its bi-annual Innovation Challenge in partnership with the Office of the President, Environmental Studies Department, Political Science Department, Ciocca Center, Office of Sustainability, Green Fund, and Eco-Action. The challenge tasked Holy Cross students with developing and presenting creative ways to advance sustainability on our campus. With 8 teams pitching their ideas to a panel of 3 judges, students developed detailed applications of sustainable practices in an effort to lower the college’s ecological footprint and to inspire green-thinking on campus. Nick Bettenhauser ‘24, Sasha Paradise ‘24 & Eileen Evans ‘24 ultimately won first place with their innovative and feasible pathway towards the installation of solar carports. Eco Saders and Green Addition placed 2nd and 3rd respectively. HC Launch and other organizations are now collaborating with these teams to implement their ideas.

Congratulations to the 2022 Innovation Challenge winners! Continue reading “Entrepreneurship & Innovation Week Awards Over $15,000 in Prize Money”

February 9, 2022

Ciocca Intern: Conor Joslin ’23

My name is Conor Joslin and I am currently a junior at Holy Cross majoring in Political Science while pursuing a Certificate in Business Fundamentals.

This semester, I am interning at the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics and Society while taking the course Business of Sport with Doctor Robert Prior as a part of the Academic Internship Program, a requirement for the Business Certificate Program.

Throughout this semester I will be connecting and interviewing various Holy Cross alumni to learn about different career paths and how each used their liberal arts education to succeed in the business world. Through the Business Certificate Program at Holy Cross, the multiple workshops I have completed, and the variety of clubs, there is such a vast network of successful alumni that I am eager to connect with. On a more personal level, I am very interested in the sales industry, along with some interest in real estate, which is why I am so fortunate for this opportunity to connect with so many brilliant alumni and learn about different career paths.

Take a look at these interviews by Conor!