Dominic J. Driscoll

University of California-Berkeley, Haas School of Business

“Huge nerd.” – Close friends 

“Is he the enthusiastic one?” – Former Professor

“Speaks his mind.” -T.A.

Fun fact about yourself: I run five miles, eat a box of cereal, drink 12 shots of espresso, and eat a pint of ice cream every day.

Hometown: Hinsdale, IL

High School: St. Ignatius College Preparatory

Major: Business Administration, concentration in Finance

Minor: N/A

Favorite Business Course: Corporate Finance and Financial Statement Analysis

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

• Cal Club Golf Team, President, Vice President of Operations
• Palo Alto Education, Finance Instructor & Investment Team Advisor for high school students
• Haas External Competition Team at the John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition
• CJ White Administration Grant & Haas Undergraduate Scholarship recipient 
• Greek Life Executive Board Member
• Berkeley Investment Group, Member
• Berkeley Finance Club, Member
• Berkeley Half Marathon, Competitor

Where have you interned during your college career?

• Audax Private Equity, Summer Analyst (San Francisco)
• G Squared, Spring Analyst (San Francisco)
• Alpine Investors, Evergreen Services Group Intern (San Francisco)
• Morgan Stanley, Private Wealth Intern (San Francisco)

Where will you be working after graduation? I’ll be joining Audax Private Equity as an analyst.

What company do you admire the most? I especially admire Audax Group for the people and the culture at the firm. The team is filled with the most intelligent and hardworking people I know. The work ethic of the employees is unmatched, and it shows through in the quality of work from all teams across the board. The collaborative culture provides an outstanding learning environment for the junior team and I attribute much of my professional growth to the mentorship I have received there.

Who is your favorite professor? Haas has an amazing undergraduate faculty, but of them all, my favorite professor is Stephen Etter. He worked hard to give all his students a better understanding of the corporate finance world and encouraged active discussions on finance topics that have directly helped me in the workplace. He’s always willing to help his students both in-and-out of the classroom, has a vast knowledge about the finance sector, and is an amazing mentor.

What did you enjoy most about your business school? The friendships and connections I’ve made at Berkeley have been the most enjoyable part of my business school experience. Whether it was helping me prepare for recruiting, working through economics problem sets, grabbing drinks after class, or talking and sharing stories late into the night, my friends and classmates have been with me every step of the way. I’m fortunate to call many of my former classmates my best friends today. I couldn’t have gone through recruiting without advice and counsel from Andrew Stahlhuth, and I’m still in debt to Chris Yip for his patience with me during mock interviews. The opportunity to work alongside my friends has made Berkeley fruitful from a professional and social perspective, and I know the relationships I have developed during college will continue long after I leave the campus.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? My time in college has taught me that the best ways to learn business are through experience and collaborative work with others. Haas’ focus on collaborative projects has given me the opportunity to learn from my peers, broadening my critical thinking and analytical skills. For example, through working on a valuation project with my classmates in investment banking, consulting, investing, and product management, I was able to learn from their different analysis frameworks, business strategies, and methods for approaching the problem. Working on strategy and operations cases with my peers, such as at Concordia University’s International Competition, has also helped me learn a variety of ways to approach problems strategically, and develop new skill sets through collaborative analytical work.

Outside the classroom, my internship experiences have provided an outlet for me to apply the theoretical concepts I’ve learned to the real business world. These work experiences enabled me to learn from my supervisors and mentors while working on projects, deals, and analyses with concrete impacts for the company.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? College gives you the unique opportunity to explore anything and everything you want – so take the time to explore the different fields within business, learn what you’re genuinely passionate about, and discover what excites you. Join clubs, talk with upperclassmen, make friends in different majors, and find ways to try careers you may be interested in. Your best asset will be the connections and friends you make during your college years; they’ll keep you in check and always be there to help you along the way.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? The Haas faculty’s willingness to go out of their way to help and connect with their students continues to amaze me. All my professors and lecturers were extremely valuable and central to my experience at Berkeley. Whether it’s helping with classwork or giving professional advice, the faculty have a wealth of knowledge and are more than happy to share with students. Having so many of them invest in my development as a student and professional has helped me thrive at Berkeley.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? During my junior year, I was selected by Haas to be a part of the External Case Competition Team. I was given the opportunity to represent Berkeley Haas at Concordia University’s JMUCC Competition with my classmates Jared Rosner, Korina Gaw, and Rani Mavram. Together, we competed against over 20 international business schools in a business strategy-focused case competition and were selected as a finalist for our corporate strategy pitch in the last round. Working for countless hours with my teammates during the months leading up to the competition was an enriching and rewarding experience, and I’m proud of our representation of Haas on an international stage.

Which classmate do you most admire? Deeksha Chaturvedi has my admiration and respect – her work ethic, motivation, and friendliness have made her remarkably successful at Haas. She has an outstanding resume and has accomplished so much in her leadership positions, including president of Berkeley Women in Business. She’s also a trustworthy and dependable friend, fun to be around, and can always be counted on for wise advice.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I’d like to thank my dad. I’m fortunate to have him as one of my mentors. He always led by example, instilled a strong work ethic in me, and taught me to stay dedicated and persevere regardless of how hard the situation is. His tireless work ethic, ability to grind it out when problems become difficult and abidance to his principles are traits he’s always exemplified, and I try to emulate them in my life today.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? I hope to mentor a young aspiring private equity professional one day in the future. It would be a great feeling to return the favor since I’ve been lucky enough to have amazing mentors of my own. Taking a more long-term view, I’m aspiring to work on a limited partner fundraise, as well as hold a board seat at a company I believe I can help improve.

What are your hobbies? I love golfing, running, skiing, and watching football and hockey in my free time.

What made Dominic such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2020?

“Dominic is one of Haas’ outstanding finance students. What sets him apart from his peers is his understanding of business strategy; more specifically his ability to define a business’ competitive advantage. His modeling/valuation assumptions were superior to his peers due to his high business acumen and understanding of companies’ core competencies. He performed exceptionally in his accounting classes as well, which gives him a strong understanding of financial statements. He has genuine compassion and admiration for his peers which makes him very effective working in groups.”

Stephen Etter
Haas Professional Faculty, Finance Lecturer 

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