The Bell
Gordon College Hosts First-Ever Finance and Faith Forum at State Street
Overlooking a breathtaking view of Boston Harbor, over 100 business and finance professionals gathered last night at State Street Financial Center for the inaugural Finance and Faith Forum hosted by Gordon College.
The Forum is designed to connect, equip and mobilize Christian professionals to integrate their faith and their work for the flourishing of Boston and beyond. Donald Sanya ’05, managing director at RBC Global Asset Management, began the speaking portion of the event with a brief personal testimony about his experience as a Christian in the world of finance.
Sanya was followed by featured speaker Bob Doll (pictured above, right), senior portfolio manager and chief equity strategist for Nuveen Asset Management. Doll discussed the relationship of religion and the marketplace, and shared his personal approach to philanthropy.
“The Dolls are incredibly generous people who give away the majority of what they have,” said Alexander Lowry (pictured above, left), executive director of the Master of Science in Financial Analysis at Gordon and chair of the board of the Finance and Faith Forum. “Bob is a friend to everybody,” continued Lowry, who first came to know Doll through their mutual involvement in the New Canaan Society’s New York City chapter.
Last night’s event also featured a time of connecting and networking for Gordon alumni and members of the broader financial community of Boston. Part of Lowry’s vision for the Forum is to see business and finance alumni “pay it forward” by helping shepherd the next generation of talent into the industry by, for example, becoming mentors in programs such as Gordon’s investment club.
The Finance and Faith Forum will continue to run on a quarterly basis to help the Boston finance community integrate Christian faith into their day-to-day work in the marketplace. Future events promise a star-studded keynote line-up, including Hope International CEO Peter Greer and Morgan Stanley’s April Tam Smith among others. The next Forum will take place on July 19 at Daintree Advisors in Boston and will feature State Street Bank’s Asia Pacific CEO Wai-Kwong Seck.