Lizzie Reedy

University of Richmond, Robins School of Business

“Whitest smile you’ll ever see for a coffee addict.”

Fun fact about yourself: I hold the career low scoring average for Richmond’s women’s golf program.

Hometown: Marietta, GA

High School: Pope High School

Major: Business Administration major with concentrations in Finance and Marketing

Minor: N/A

Favorite Business Course: Marketing and Media Disruption, my second of four marketing courses with Professor Bergman.

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

• University of Richmond Women’s Golf Team
  • Holds the career low scoring average for the school
  • WCGA All-American Scholar
  • Patriot League First-Team All-Conference
  • Patriot League Rookie of the Year
  • Patriot League All-Academic Team and Honor Roll
• Head Growth Manager of the Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF)
• Vice President of Gateway Capital Management
• Secretary of Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)
• Dean’s List with All A’s Distinction
• Beta Gamma Sigma
• Phi Eta Sigma

Where have you interned during your college career?

• Freshman Internship: Deloitte, Atlanta, GA, Pioneer Intern
• Sophomore Internship: Bank of America Merrill Lynch, New York, NY, Debt Capital Markets Summer Analyst
• Junior Internship: Perella Weinberg Partners, New York, NY, Investment Banking Summer Analyst

Where will you be working after graduation? Investment Banking Analyst at Perella Weinberg Partners

What company do you admire most? Patagonia’s commitment to innovating eco-friendly products through sustainable measures is admirable. When making corporate decisions, Patagonia’s management team first examines whether a proposal aligns with their corporate mission and upholds their values. Their genuine commitment to sustainability is palpable and many of their initiatives inspire consumers to adopt green strategies themselves. In a time when many companies are driven solely by the bottom line, founder Yvon Chouinard’s commitment to activism over profits is a breath of fresh air.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? You are the master of your fate. If you want something, put your head down and do it.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Keep your options open! As a freshman at the Robins School of Business, I initially planned on majoring in Accounting and concentrating in Finance. However, as I progressed through my coursework, I realized that I really enjoyed the creative, innovative topics discussed in my Introduction to Marketing course with Professor Bergman. I found that it offered the perfect balance to my technical finance courses. Flash forward a few years and I’m concentrating in Marketing and enrolled in my fourth course with Professor Bergman.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? I was blown away by the collaborative nature of students in our business school and how willing everyone is to help each other. Instead of being a cutthroat environment that I hear about at other universities, the students here genuinely want others to succeed and will go the extra mile for you.

I will always remember the help I received from other students during the IB recruitment process my sophomore spring semester. Sophomore spring was my most stressful semester: I would fly up to New York City for diversity externships and superdays on Thursdays or Fridays and then turn right around to fly to golf tournaments on the weekend, so I was basically only on campus and attending courses for half the week. The night before I went up for my Perella Weinberg superday, two seniors from my finance club, Bobby and Matt, spent hours grilling me on technicals and conducting mock interviews. They gave me the confidence I needed to believe in myself and earn the internship offer. I am so thankful for the friends and mentors that I have gained from my time in the business school and strive to foster a collaborative environment by mentoring younger students.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? Wish I had discovered the Red Pepper Gouda soup at Lou’s earlier…

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of earning a full-ride golf scholarship and the contributions I have made on both fronts as a student and as an athlete at the University of Richmond. Personally, I view myself as a nerd who got into sports to cover up the glasses. As a student, I have maintained a near perfect GPA and pursued my interest in finance by holding leadership positions in two student groups: Head Growth Manager of the Student Managed Investment Fund and Vice President of Gateway Capital Management. On the course, I hold the school record for the career low scoring average and have been named an All-American Scholar, First-Team All-Conference, and Conference Rookie of the Year. Student-athletes have tremendous draws on their time and must learn to juggle tasks and uphold commitments. Working hard to pursue both your passions at the highest level without having to sacrifice one is very rewarding.

Which classmate do you most admire? Ryan Tuorto is the type of person you can turn to for anything. Besides being one of the brightest people I have met at Richmond, he is dependable, honest, trustworthy, and kind. Ryan and I became close while serving on the executive team of Gateway Capital Management. No matter how many finance club meetings he had (he served on the executive team of three) or how demanding his classes were, Ryan always remained calm and even keeled, serving as a rock for many students.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? My mom has always been my biggest role model. From navigating the male-dominated world of banking when she was the only female on the entire floor to raising twins, I have always admired her strength, courage, and resilience all with the largest heart. While she inspired me to go big, set lofty goals, and achieve my dreams, she has also kept me grounded and reminded me to never lose sight of what truly matters. I am grateful for our long phone calls, hugs on the 18th green, and Bravo memes.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

• Be in a position to mentor others
• Become an MD without going to med school

What are your hobbies? Outside of golf? Burning items in the kitchen, overwatering succulents, rubbing the fur off adorable dogs, and draining iced coffees.

What made Lizzie such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2021?

“Lizzie is one of the growing number of Marketing & Finance double concentrators in the Robins School of Business. She is also a scratch handicap golfer who is a member of the Women’s Spider golf team, head growth fund manager of the Robins School Student Management Investment Fund (SMIF) that just topped $1 million, and an honor student with a 3.94 average.  While analytically strong, Lizzie also possesses a breathtaking creative side. Now in her fourth straight marketing class with me as her instructor, I watch in awe as Lizzie develops fresh and impactful traditional and digital ideas and communications that would easily be admired by New York creative directors. Lizzie is a remarkable talent.

There is more depth to Lizzie than being the classic intellectually gifted and perfect student athlete who everyone admires. Beneath her always pleasant and cheery exterior is enormous strength of character and generosity. I have watched her struggle and conquer challenging physical injuries caused by too many rounds of golf. Through all of her physical tests, she displays a generous heart always wanting to find ways to give back including her volunteer work at Bon Secours Reinhart House in Richmond, Virginia. In fact, virtually every class project Lizzie has undertaken in my courses has always been related to not-for-profit companies.

Lizzie is one of the brightest and most intellectually diverse students I’ve had the pleasure to teach. She is also a natural born leader who uplifts her peers and instructors as well with her gracious demeanor and intensely strong work ethic. Rest assured, she will someday lead a major corporation who will benefit from her multiple talents.”

Bill Bergman
Instructor of Marketing 

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