Dennis Zhuo '17 Talks about Lemma Senbet Fund

Victor Mullins, associate dean of the undergraduate program at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business, recently interviewed Dennis Zhuo, ’17 to discuss his involvement with the Lemma Senbet Fund and how it is part of his SMITH JOURNEY. Successful navigation of the Smith Journey requires involvement with colleagues, professors, professionals, clubs and organizations here at the Smith School, across campus and in the outside “real” world of business. Here is what students are challenged to do in each of their four years at Smith:

Freshmen: “Build Your Brand” through the SmithStart program.

Sophomores: “Pioneer Your Path” to success by focusing on an overall academic and career strategy.

Juniors: ”Command Your Career” to ensure that you are well positioned for your professional journey.

Seniors: “Embrace Your Experience” with an arsenal of tools, knowledge, and networks, so that you are able to embrace your experience and celebrate your success.

Dean Mullins: Tell us about your involvement with The Lemma Senbet Fund, Why did you apply for it and what are you learning?

Dennis: The Lemma Senbet Fund is a $950,000 university endowment that provides senior finance majors with the opportunity to make equity investment decisions with real money. The Fund consists of two portfolio managers and 10 equity analysts, each covering one or two sectors corresponding to the S&P 500 market index. I cover Telecommunications and half of our Information Technology holdings, and am responsible for keeping up with company and industry news, as well as pitching new investments that will help appreciate the Fund’s value. I applied to Senbet during my junior year with the goals of keeping my capital markets knowledge polished and also collaborating with some of the brightest finance minds at Smith. From my experiences with the Fund, I have learned advanced financial modeling skills, sector and industry specific information, and most importantly, the significance of backing up assertions with concrete data, trends and other evidence.

Dean Mullins: Tell us how your participation in The Senbet Fund is helping and/or has helped you navigate the Smith Journey.

Dennis: Senbet is an ideal example of how I am “embracing my experience” during my senior year. Having all of my upper-level finance and economics courses, other Fellows Programs, various clubs, and a Wall Street internship under my belt, I have been able to utilize the skills and knowledge I garnered from all these areas to my advantage for Senbet. That being said, I still continue to learn, improve, and be challenged every single time we meet for Senbet. All of my fellow Fund members, in addition to our faculty champion, Sarah Kroncke, have served as invaluable resources for me throughout every step of the process. I am extremely happy with my decision to participate in Senbet – it has truly been the perfect senior capstone.

Dean Mullins: Reflect on your other involvements and activities here at Smith that have been a part of the Smith Journey.

Dennis: Coming into college, I was an undecided general business major. Consequently, I attended various club meetings during my freshman year to get a feel of what each major was all about and see what I might be interested in. Early in my sophomore year, I started participating in FBIS and CASH meetings more frequently, which piqued my interest in finance and opened my eyes to potential career paths in finance. Having formally declared my finance major going into junior year, I knew that the next step for me was to land a summer internship in the finance industry. As a result, I applied to and was accepted by both the Junior Wall Street Fellows (JWSF) and Banking and Private Wealth Management Fellows programs. JWSF was instrumental in helping me develop my networking and interviewing skills, and also matched me with a Smith alumnus mentor who worked on the Street. Banking Fellows sharpened my knowledge on the important finance topics such as the role of the Federal Reserve and how it uses monetary policy to affect interest rates. Ultimately, both of these fellows programs helped me land my dream internship at Morgan Stanley during the summer of my junior year.

Dean Mullins: What advice would you give to your fellow Smith peers and community?

Dennis: Talk to a lot of people and ask a lot of questions. Networking is tremendously important in the business world, especially in finance. The common expression of “it’s not about what you know, it’s who you know” is unequivocally true. However, the two parts of that statement work in tandem. Having meaningful conversations with people will shape your knowledge on certain topics, and the more information you know about those topics, the more well-equipped you are to seek out meetings with new people. Whether you are talking to a friend who recently got a job or internship, a professor with years of experience in his or her field, or a guest speaker in one of your classes, everyone will have something important to say and you will find something valuable to take away from the conversation.

Dean Mullins: What is your dream?

Dennis: Professionally, I hope to continue my career in the Private Banking/Private Wealth Management industry. After graduation, I will be returning to Morgan Stanley in New York as a first year analyst in their PWM arm, and I intend to progress through their analyst program there. Eventually, I aim to attend graduate school to earn my MBA and return to the industry in a management or executive type role. Personally, I dream of being able to provide my family with all the resources they need to pursue their own goals, whatever they might be. My parents have worked tremendously hard to support me and have made countless sacrifices so that I have the opportunities that I have today. Therefore, there is no excuse for me not to work hard to do the same for my own children and also give back to my parents as they begin to enter retirement.

Dean Mullins: Why are you passionate about the Smith School?

Dennis: I’m passionate about the Smith School because it has provided me with so many of the resources that helped me get to where I am today. The undergraduate clubs, various networking events/career fairs, Fellows programs, faculty/staff, alumni, and my fellow Smith students have helped me learn so much and develop so many crucial skills that will position me for success in the future. As Smith continues to expand its programs, attract talented minds, and rise in the rankings, I am excited to see what Smith will be like when I come back to visit as an alum.

Students in one of the Smith School’s many one-year Fellows programs join a cohort of like-minded peers to engage in an intense study of a specific area of business, ranging from major-specific topics such as finance and supply chain to general interests such as sport management or global consulting.

Out-of-the-classroom and reality-based learning experiences are at the forefront of the Fellows programs. Whether through special speakers, workshops, site visits, case competitions, or networking events with corporate partners and Smith alumni, students gain practical insights into the business community.

Small class sizes in reserved Fellows sections of business courses are a hallmark of all Fellows programs, facilitating strong working relationships among Fellows students and the faculty who advise and teach in the programs. Students engage, explore, and experience the Smith Community through Fellows!

For more information on the 15 unique Fellows Programs available, go to: www.rhsmith.umd.edu/programs/undergraduate-programs/academics/fellows-sp....