Smith Education Provides Foundation for Alumnus to Pursue a Career in Investment Banking

As the Managing Director and Group Head of Debt Capital Markets with Synovus Bank, Alan Grantham ’05 shares his journey from the Smith School to a career in investment banking and the advice he learned along the way. Grantham graduated with an undergraduate degree in finance from Smith.

Tell us about your path from graduation to your current job. 
My path to my current job was filled with trial and error. I was extremely interested in finance but did not know all the potential career paths that were available. My experience at the Smith School provided me with a baseline of the options available to me. I chose Investment Banking as my path. However, landing a job in New York City (NYC) was not that easy. I started my career in Finance as an intern at J.P. Morgan in Delaware in an internal consulting role. That summer allowed me to network with many individuals, most notably, the CFO of J.P. Morgan’s Asset Management division. I was encouraged to apply for full-time opportunities in NYC and landed a full-time role with J.P. Morgan Asset Management in NYC. Still eager to move into Investment Banking, I started to research careers where similar skill sets could be gained. After a couple of years in my initial role, my career path took me to Goldman Sachs. There I worked in the Private Equity Group, learning about valuation, deal structuring and financing. It was at this point in my career that I was able to interact with investment bankers as we partnered with them on transactions. This afforded me the opportunity to gain more insight into what investment bankers did on a day-to-day basis. I eventually realized that I needed to go back to business school to get in the door at the top investment banking training programs. After graduating from NYU Stern School of Business with an MBA, I joined Deutsche Bank where I was an Associate in the Leverage Finance group within the Investment Banking division. Working my way up the ladder I continued to hone my skills and execute more transactions over time. I continued to do this in a leadership capacity at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation prior to my current role as the Head of Debt Capital Markets at Synovus Bank.

Why did you decide to get a business degree and why did you choose the Smith School? 
I really like math, but did not like it to the point where numbers were fully replaced with letters! I had a passion for interacting with people and negotiating. I felt that a career in business would fit me well. The Smith School was very well respected, and the curriculum was top-notch. I knew obtaining my business education at Smith would position me well in my future career. Smith offered a lot of opportunities to interact with representatives of the best companies in the world on a weekly basis. This exposure was paramount to keeping me motivated to take advantage of these opportunities.

What Smith resources or relationships played a role in your career journey? 
Faculty and staff were great resources in helping me navigate how to best position myself to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. Working my student job on campus in the Smith School Office of Career Services proved to be a great resource. I was not only able to understand what the competitive landscape looked like, but I also built quality relationships with recruiters who came into the office daily.

How has your Smith education helped you with your professional career? Were there specific classes, experiential projects, team projects, or internships that have been especially helpful to you? 
My Smith education laid the groundwork for being a successful analyst in my early career. I had a strong technical skill set from the modeling courses coupled with the soft skills from the numerous presentations done individually or in teams for projects. I was able to build upon these skills at each stop throughout my career, but without that foundation Smith provided me, I do not think I would be as successful.

What about your personal journey has led to your success? 
My life is filled with important people who have encouraged me along the way. My family and friends have been incredibly supportive, which has been a guiding light when times were hard. My faith in God is also my foundation for everything. Without Him, I can do nothing. I have been blessed with numerous mentors who have opened doors for me in ways I cannot repay. They taught me how to be an active listener and speak less. This practice has paid dividends to my client relationships by allowing me to fully understand their needs and create the desired solutions.

What are some of the achievements that you are most proud of? 
Serving as the President of the Black Business Association at the University of Maryland. 
Being inducted to Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society. Recipient of the Mary McLeod Bethune Award at the Senior Awards Ceremony. Becoming a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, Xi Phi Chapter. Graduate of the 2009 Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) MBA Prep Class. Receiving my MBA. Dedicating my time and resources to give back to the communities that have served me.

What advice would you give to current students? 
Be scrappy, be resourceful, be relentless. Never give up on your dreams. Remember that someone has been there so find them and pick their brain. Stay humble and set your pride aside. Everyone’s journey is not the same, that is what makes you unique. You determine how far you can go and do not forget to reach back and lift as you climb.

“Real education means to inspire people to live more abundantly, to learn to begin with life as they find it and make it better,” – Carter G. Woodson