Canterbury Business Association Explores Careers in Finance at J.P. Morgan Private Bank

Being a Saint is all about building connections—with fellow students, faculty, alumni, and even industry leaders from a variety of different professions. On May 12, students from the Canterbury Business Association (CBA), accompanied by their advisor, History and Social Sciences Teacher Stephen Johnson P '29, visited the J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Greenwich to meet with employees and learn more about investing, financial analysis, and building a career in finance.

The first meeting of the day was with the bank’s analysts. They offered valuable advice on making a smooth transition from college to career, sharing what university-level courses they found useful and how to pursue meaningful internship opportunities.

“Being able to ask analysts questions in an open forum was my favorite part of the visit,” says Grayson Mengold ’26. “They had recently graduated and had unique and timely insight into the current job market. They were able to share how they set themselves up for success in college and what it is like to work at a private bank.”

The CBA then met with associates—more senior employees who managed the analysts—who explained the day-to-day life and operations of working at a financial institution, the current state of global markets, and the outside forces that can affect them. 

The final meeting of the day was with the Private Bank’s managing directors, entrepreneurial leaders responsible for developing new business opportunities for J.P. Morgan. They discussed the ins and outs of client meetings, including how they find potential clients and prepare to do business with them.

By meeting with a diverse array of employees at different points in their careers, the CBA gained a comprehensive view of the industry and a clear vision of what a career in finance might look like.

“My main takeaway was that in jobs that require a connection with clients, soft skills are just as important as hard skills, and that going above and beyond early in your career can pay dividends long term,” says Grayson.

“Everyone was very generous with their time and gave careful thought to all of our questions,” says Mr. Johnson. “I appreciate their candor and willingness to discuss their personal experiences in the industry with students. They were all very genuinely interested in finding ways to help the students and offered to be connected to them moving forward. ”

The CBA has already taken advantage of their generous offers: many have already connected with bank employees on LinkedIn!

Experiences like this reflect the Canterbury community’s commitment to learning beyond the classroom and building meaningful relationships along the way. For the members of the CBA, the day in Greenwich was an inspiring glimpse into the many possibilities that await them after life on the hilltop.