Originally from Lake Tahoe, California, Christine has been employed as Investment Associate at Avenir Capital in Sydney, Australia for the past four years.
After finishing her BA degree as an International Management & Finance with a minor in Economics 2013, she relocated to Australia and “literally went door to door handing out my CV.” It did not take long to land a job at Kennedy Investments in Australia, after which she was “poached by Avenir Capital” in 2014. In addition to working in international investments, she has also filed a patent for a RFID code (the type of chip on a credit card), and was recently invited to the New York Stock Exchange for ringing of the opening and closing bells.
According to Christine, her exposure to experiential learning, Academic Travel, and the practical skills she learned as a student at Franklin are useful “on a regular basis in my job”. She explained, “It is one thing to do a discounted cash flow calculation in theory, but it’s a very different proposition to apply that to different real life, real time, businesses and economic situations. Franklin exposed me to these skills and this knowledge.”
Additionally, Christine actively utilizes Franklin alumni to assist in information and insight in companies that are under consideration for investment by Avenir Capital. “I’ve spoken to alumni in the Ukraine, Italy, China and other countries, which gives me a more well-rounded perspective on potential investments. One time, when we were looking at a particular company, a relative of Franklin actually worked there, which definitely gave us valuable insight.”
When asked to impart some advice for new or returning Franklin students, she encourages them “to always pursue their unique path (and be honest with themselves about their passions) and network and learn from as many people as possible”. In her opinion, “Franklin students benefit from an extremely diverse alumni base, and I recommend learning from that vast knowledge. Push yourself out of your comfort zone in small ways every day, and you’ll trust yourself in the future to do it in big ways.” She obviously lives by her own words.