Laura Takacs ’15
Study abroad trips to Brazil and France changed Laura Takacs’ life.
“Those trips were amazing,” Takacs recalls. “They opened my eyes to international business, which is really what helped me figure out my career path.”
Fast forward to today, and Takacs has worked with clients all across Latin America ranging from Mexico and Brazil to Argentina and Urugay, as well as the Hispanic market in Miami. She has collaborated with family offices, foundations, endowments, RIAs, private banks and broker-dealers to deliver customized alternative investment solutions.
“I’m literally working with every kind of client from every culture possible, and I love it,” Takacs says.
As a student, Takacs majored in international business and learned to speak Portuguese, which she says opened doors for her career. She was part of student organizations such as the Phoenician’s Investment Group, which exposed her to the world of investment banking, and the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), which allowed her to prepare for interviews and continue building her professional network.
Through a weeklong roster of events that ALPFA hosted in conjunction with JP Morgan, Takacs found her first big opportunity. “I went to every single event,” she says. “At the end of the week, the recruiters knew me on a first name basis.”
She was selected for an internship at JP Morgan and later worked full-time at the company’s Latin American Private Bank. She then transitioned into a role at the Alternative Investments Group at JP Morgan’s Private Bank and, most recently, worked at Blackstone.
Takacs is an active Panther, mentoring FIU students and making it a personal goal of hers to speak with students at least once every single month, whether it’s through informal chats or other professional platforms and events.
She has spoken at ALPFA events, and when students or alumni in her network move to New York (her new home), she keeps in touch with them and offers mentorship. She also regularly sends internship opportunities to FIU folks who work in alumni relations, career services and other areas to spread the word among Panthers.
“I want to see as many FIU students as I can be in leadership and amazing roles in finance in New York,” she says. “The only way to do that is [by] giving back.”
Leave a Reply