Undergraduate Blog / Career Development

Key Messages from Tim Ryan’s Babson Visit

This blog was written by Dan Macumber, Class of 2015. 

I had the privilege of attending a speaker event hosted by PwC, where I will have an internship this coming summer. The speaker, Tim Ryan, is the Vice Chairman and Markets, Strategy and Stakeholders Leader for the company, and he is a Babson Alumn. The fact that someone with that level of responsibility and leadership in the company was willing to schedule the time to speak a group of Babson students was a strong reflection on PwC’s investment in people. Tim Ryan even explained how that investment is what helps differentiate the company and lead to growth. I grew more and more excited as Tim and the other PwC partners shared their personal stories on all the small and big ways PwC invested in them: one didn’t know the right business clothes to wear on their first day of work, so another employee took them out shopping, one was allowed to create their own business within the firm because PwC fosters entrepreneurship, one was put on a specific project that would give him the experience to help him reach his goal to make partner. All of their stories gave the impression that PwC is a company that really cares about them and helps them continue to learn. I love idea of working in an environment that also provides continuing education after school. It keeps things interesting.

In addition to sharing PwC’s investment in their employees, Tim Ryan also provided insight into five megatrends that PwC has been integrating into its professional services: Accelerating urbanization, climate change & resource scarcity, demographic shifts, shift in global economic power, and technological breakthroughs. Tim explained how each of these trends are relevant to all of society, including PwC’s stakeholders. This has broadened the model for stakeholders and increased opportunities in the professional services industry from strategy all the way down to execution. I found Tim to be quite passionate and articulate about these insights. Not only that, but Tim gave advice on how to be an effective leader, make good business decisions, and evaluate your career and personal life.

While sitting there listening to Tim share his knowledge and experience, I felt I was taking an awesome college course on accounting, economics, management, leadership, and philosophy all it once. The whole session was informative and made me very excited to start my internship with PwC this summer.