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Second-year MBA student Greg Craft began his career in accounting, but he has always had an interest in finance and investments. After earning his degree in accounting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1997, he started his professional career as a corporate accountant, working in commercial and retail real estate in the Chicago area. In 2004, he accepted a position as a senior investment accountant with a hedge fund in Chicago.
As Craft gained more exposure to finance and investments in his new role, he eventually decided he wanted to become more involved in those fields rather than accounting. Negotiating such a career change, he realized, would require more schooling.
"I chose to pursue my MBA at the Cox School of Business because it has a very solid reputation within the business community, a renowned faculty, and a strong Cox alumni network. The school's location in Dallas was also a key selling point," he said.
Craft is looking forward to building upon the finance framework he has gained at Cox. "My first-year core classes and finance electives have given me an expanded business and investment foundation, which I believe has enabled me to make a meaningful contribution from the outset of my internship," he said.
Craft took another big step in transitioning his career by completing a summer internship with EnCap Investments, L.P., a private equity firm in Dallas. At EnCap, he gained firsthand experience performing investment valuation and portfolio management, analysis of debt and equity services, and industry market research.
"This internship has enabled me to gain valuable insight into the day-to-day operations of a highly successful private equity firm," Craft said.
Craft advises others hoping to succeed in investment finance to be patient and persistent. "It's not enough to be a 'numbers guy' in order to succeed," he noted. "You must be a well-rounded and complete professional."
After he completes his MBA program in 2008, Craft hopes to begin a career in private equity or a related investment field and advance within that sector.
"I am confident that my SMU Cox education will provide a very meaningful return on investment, both financially and through my continued growth as a business professional," he said.
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