Patrick Davis '16 Returns to Campus to Speak with the BFI Club

Thanks to MBS alumnus Patrick Davis ’16, who returned to campus on Tuesday, April 2 to speak with members of the BFI (Business, Finance, and Investment) Club about his career path and his work in alternative investments. Patrick is currently Assistant Vice President, Alternative Investment Sales at Morgan Stanley.

At MBS, Patrick was a member of the BFI Club and was also an outstanding baseball player. In his senior year, he led MBS to a dramatic Morris County Championship win over Randolph and was named Tournament MVP.

After graduating from MBS in 2016, Patrick earned a degree in international business & management at Dickinson College, where he was captain of the Red Devils baseball team. During his college years, he was also able to study abroad in in Málaga, Spain and work as an intern at Ares Management in New York City, an alternative asset manager. “I loved this internship because it was a rotational program that allowed me to gain hands-on experience in various parts of the business, ranging from real estate credit to direct lending and private equity,” he said.

Shortly after graduating from Dickinson, he was hired by Morgan Stanley as an analyst, a position that gave him the broad perspective that he valued. “In that role, I was able to learn about different asset classes and focus from there,” he said.

Two years later, he was promoted to an associate before being named an Assistant Vice President for Alternative Investment Sales in January 2024.

Patrick offered four tips for MBS students as they transition to college and the workplace:

·      It’s fine that you don’t know what you want to do yet.
·      Use the time to explore your areas of interest and network with people.
·      Find an internship in an area that fits your interests.
·      Utilize the resources and connections that you have.

He also discussed his five take-aways from the early stages of his career:

·      Work harder than your co-workers and differentiate yourself from them.
·      Accept the fact that you don’t know everything. Be willing to learn.
·      Find and mentor and make sure it’s genuine.
·      Build your network and form connections with people.
·      Be a person that people want to work with. Be a team player and have a positive attitude.

After answering a variety of questions, Patrick gave each student his business card. 

“If you don’t have any connections in the business world, I’m glad to be your first connection,” he told the students. “This is where the value of a school like MBS comes into play.”