Currently working at a company called SymphonyAI Media, Floyd Pierce from the 2013 PLC Cohort fills the role of Senior Financial Analyst. SymphonyAI Media performs auditing services and financial analysis for various media and entertainment clients, such as Warner Bros., Disney, Spotify, etc. Pierce didn't think he would end up working here and he is still uncertain about his long-term career goals. While he attended CU, he double majored in economics and applied mathematics. Pierce chose these because he liked numbers but wasn't sure what to do with them and believed economics and applied mathematics to be flexible majors. After graduating, Pierce was contacted via LinkedIn to work as a recruiter for a technology staffing agency. He absolutely hated it. It was simply a large call center and consisted of him reading resumes and cold calls to make sales. After 4 months, he networked with a friend to find a new job at a registered investment advisor called Colorado Financial Management (CFM). CFM managed investments for wealthy families. Pierce worked his way up from Client Service Manager to Financial Analyst/Trader. He studied for the Charter Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, a certification that demonstrates a financial analyst's competence in subjects such as accounting, security analysis, economics, portfolio management, ethics, etc. Pierce wanted to earn his CFA because it catered to his analytical side and could open more doors in the future. He worked at CFM for 4 years, the required work experience for the CFA, before leaving. He found SymphonyAI and was excited as the industry was more entertaining and fun. While he was applying, there were no open positions for someone with his experience, but Pierce applied anyways. This gamble paid off because SymphonyAI liked him enough to offer him a higher-level position.
There were two main reasons Floyd Pierce joined PLC. He wanted to push himself outside of his comfort zone to grow as a leader and to surround himself with people who had different perspectives. PLC gave him more confidence in his personality and leadership which he applied in his professional life, on reality television, and as board chair of the YMCA of Northern Colorado. He also met some of the coolest people in PLC and stays in touch with many of them to this day! Pierce remembers the great time he had in Multi-Level Issues in Leadership, a class taken by most second years in PLC. He found it fun to tackle a specific subject from multiple, sometimes wacky, perspectives. Pierce's topic for the semester was 'urban sprawl' which led to him giving a presentation about what would happen if we colonized the moon. He considers Angela Thieman-Dino, the professor for Multi, as one of the best professors he's ever had. Also, Pierce's current roommate/landlord is the twin brother of his CA from Multi which proves the strong connections Pierce maintains with other PLC'ers!
With PLC admissions just around the corner for hopeful future PLC students, Floyd Pierce has this to say about the importance of the interview process.
"PLC interviews are crucial as they give students an opportunity to put a personality behind the resume. After a certain level, there are numerous resumes that have high GPAs, dozens of extracurriculars, impressive accomplishments, etc. Therefore, in order to set yourself apart from others, it's important to be able to express your personality and passions. I think this is what helped me be successful in nearly every interview I've had, from competing for a Boettcher Scholarship to interviewing with CBS executives for a spot on The Amazing Race. I know this advice sounds simple, but I've encountered many high school and college students who don't understand this. Don't focus on making yourself seem scholarly and impressive, just be yourself."
As for leadership and continuing the importance of personality, Pierce holds sticking to personal values and maintaining personality in all situations in high esteem. The idea that leaders need to dress a certain way, be "prim and polished", and speak a certain way tires Pierce. He believes effective leaders are the ones who know who they are and show up as themselves in any given situation. Even when Pierce worked in investments he would constantly find himself challenging the "sterile" culture and being more lighthearted. This made him stand out and be seen as more personable than others. Working with the YMCA, Pierce runs a teen leadership program called "Lead Colorado" and a core message of "be yourself" is something he emphasizes with the students. While hard skills of leadership shouldn't be ignored, it's the soft skills that will help you rise above the rest.
