Megan C. Kempf

Villanova University School of Business

“Passionate leader exploring the intersection of finance, analytics, and entrepreneurship in driving inventive business decisions.”

Fun fact about yourself: I appeared on TV in the background of “Mad Money with Jim Cramer” on CNBC while I was on a tour of the New York Stock Exchange!

Hometown: Princeton Junction, NJ

High School: West-Windsor Plainsboro High School South

Major: Finance and Business Analytics

Minor: Real Estate and Engineering Entrepreneurship

Favorite Business Course: Student Managed Funds

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

Extracurriculars & Leadership

• Committee Leader, Honors Program Student Advisory Board, Fall 2019-Present
• Office Assistant, Villanova School of Business Department of Marketing and Communications, Winter 2020-Present
• Council Member, Dean German’s Undergraduate Student Advisory Council, Fall 2020-Present
• Committee Member, Villanova Women in Tech, Spring 2022-Present
• Founder and CEO, Engineering Entrepreneurship Alumni Mentorship Network, Spring 2021-Present
• Consumer Discretionary Portfolio Manager, Villanova Wildcat Investment Fund, Spring 2022-Winter 2022
• Selected Participant, Cornell Undergraduate Women in Investing (WIN) Stock Pitch Competition, Fall 2021
• Scholar, Girls Who Invest Online Intensive Program, Summer 2021
• Microeconomics Tutor, Villanova School of Business, Fall 2020-Spring 2021
• Research Associate, Davis Center Honors Research Associate Program, Summer 2020-Spring 2021
• Project Manager, Vanguard Digital Advising Marketing Challenge, Fall 2020

Honors

• Member, Beta Gamma Sigma International Business Honors Society, Spring 2022-Present
• National Semifinalist, KPMG Ideation Challenge, Fall 2020
• 1st Place, Global Accounting Firms Case Competition, Spring 2020-Fall 2020
• Honors Global Scholar, Villanova University Honors Program, Fall 2019-Present
• Recipient, Saint Augustine Merit Scholarship, Fall 2019-Present
• Dean’s List (all semesters), Fall 2019-Spring 2023

Where have you interned during your college career?

Blackstone Alternative Asset Management Summer Analyst, New York, NY, Summer 2022

• Summer Analyst for the Business & Financial Evaluation Team, performing operational due diligence for the underlying hedge fund managers of Blackstone’s Alternative Asset Management fund, which culminates in ~$79 billion across a diversified set of businesses

FTI Consulting Future Leaders Summer Intern, Remote, Summer 2021

• Rotational intern with a concentration in Corporate Finance & Restructuring
• Prepared presentations on high-profile engagements, assisted in liquidation analyses, and gained exposure to the business units of Technology, Performance Improvement, and Telecommunications, Media, & Technology

Where will you be working after graduation? The Blackstone Group as an Analyst in the Blackstone Alternative Asset Management (BAAM) division for the Business and Financial Evaluation (BFE) team

Who is your favorite business professor? Dr. Liedtka is an exceptional professor who truly cares about his students. I am fortunate to have known him since my freshman year when he was my professor for Financial Accounting. Not only is he an excellent professor, but he made the class into an exciting opportunity for collaboration, career exploration, and self-growth. I also appreciated his dedication to assisting students with their educational and professional development outside the classroom. Dr. Liedtka embodies the passion, inspiration, and inclusivity of the Villanova community, and I am so glad to consider him a lifelong friend, mentor, and role model.

 What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? I learned about the value of mentorship through my business classes and societies. By being a mentee in my earlier years at school, I learned about my peers’ vastly diverse journeys through school,. This inspired me to try many activities, from serving on a seed fund committee to creating marketing materials and graphic designs. As I transitioned into a mentor role, I learned the importance of paying it forward and building a community around the field of business. Mentoring younger students on class choices, career options, and other business-related issues has strengthened my interpersonal skills and allowed me to meet peers from schools across the region.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? I would advise students to get involved early on and be flexible about how they view various fields of business. In freshman and sophomore year, you will gain so much from attending various club meetings and events, networking, and learning about potential career opportunities. With this foundation, by junior and senior year, you will be well-positioned to narrow down your passions and start transitioning into a mentor role based on your experiences in navigating your interests and developing your career path.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? (I did not expect my college studies to be such an interpersonal experience, but I am so glad that it has been. By starting as a mentee in societies and internships, and now serving as a mentor to younger students, I have learned so much about how the field of business is changing and how multilayered a business education truly is.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? I would have explored more courses outside of my majors in Finance and Business Analytics. After my internship at The Blackstone Group in the Summer of 2022, I gained new insight into the field of real estate and decided to pursue a minor in this subject. I have learned a lot in this area, and I wish I had considered exploring other interests outside of my majors earlier on.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of serving as the Founder and President of the Engineering Entrepreneurship Alumni Mentorship Network. After completing the Engineering Entrepreneurship program in the Summer of 2020, I connected with Dr. Lauri Olivier at a Women in Tech Conference and we spent hours brainstorming how we can enhance the Engineering Entrepreneurship Program. We decided upon the Alumni Mentorship Network, which is now in its second year and has successfully hosted design workshops, speaker events, recruitment events, and even a podcast. Stemming off of this organization, we also launched a seed committee in the Spring 2021 semester which provides funding and resources for student ventures.

Which classmate do you most admire? I admire my classmate, Michaela Ford. Michaela and I were Co-Portfolio Managers in the Consumer Discretionary Sector for the Villanova Wildcat Investment Fund. We have known each other since serving as Analysts for the fund during sophomore year. Michaela is a confident leader who is patient, extremely bright, and always willing to help those around her. I am thankful to have worked alongside her, from leading weekly sector meetings to traveling to New York City together to give our final Investor Presentation.

Who would you most want to thank for your success?  I would like to thank my parents most for my success. They always encourage me to push myself and follow my passions, and their support is never-ending. I am very grateful for the example they set for me to be ambitious, hardworking, and confident in myself, and I look up to them for inspiration and motivation.

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

• Serve on the board of a publicly-traded company
• Launch a venture with an impactful mission

What are your hobbies? I love being creative through many outlets such as classical piano, embroidery, painting, calligraphy, videography, graphic design, and prototyping.

What made Megan such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2023?

“Megan is brilliant. What truly sets her apart is how she shares her gifts and inspires others to greatness. Villanova constantly calls on Megan to attract students to our campus, to mentor existing students, to advise our business school leadership, and to help manage student organizations. She keeps rising to these leadership positions because of her incredible interpersonal skills and remarkable ability to balance endless activities with a smile. And Megan has done all these things while working campus jobs every semester!”

Stephen L. Liedtka, PhD, CPA
Associate Professor of Accounting

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