Tobey Bill

Lehigh University College of Business

“Finance and engineering double-major with an entrepreneurial mindset and a want to do good.”

Fun fact about yourself: I am a US/Great Britain dual citizen.

Hometown: Weston, Connecticut

High School: Weston High School

Majors: Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE) Finance and Industrial & Systems Engineering (ISE)

Minor: Computer Science

Favorite Business Course: MGT 243: Leadership in Organizations

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

Extracurricular Activities / Leadership roles:

Founder/CEO of Unify Studios

Consultant with the Lehigh Enterprise Systems Center

TA for the IBE Freshman Seminar and Freshman Workshop courses

President of the Lehigh Consulting Group

President of Beta Gamma Sigma

Executive Board Member of the New Ventures Club

Portfolio Manager on The Dreyfus Portfolio

Portfolio Manager on the Thompson International Portfolio

Rossin Junior Fellow with the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science

Member of Tau Beta Pi

Member of the College of Business Student Council

Member of the Industrial & Systems Engineering Student Council

Fraternity Brother of the Theta Chi Fraternity

Awards / Honors:

Lehigh ISE Department Integrated Business and Engineering Junior of the Year

Lehigh College of Business Nelson Leighton Bond Memorial Prize

Lehigh ISE Department Integrated Business and Engineering Sophomore of the Year

Dean’s List

Where have you interned during your college career? (List Companies, Locations and Roles)

Bain & Company – New York, NY – Associate Consultant Intern

GoGoGuest – San Francisco, CA – Business Development Intern

Memido – Remote – Business Strategy and Financial Analyst Intern

Where will you be working after graduation? I will be at Bain & Company as an Associate Consultant in their New York City office.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The biggest lesson has been how important relationships are in a business environment. Even thinking back to a business communications course that I took in my freshman year, it was instilled in us that how one speaks with someone else is of utmost importance in the business world. It can be easy to think about capability in terms of technical knowledge, but it is the soft skills that are even more essential. I learned that, even if I could talk through a financial model front-to-back, I would find success in business extremely difficult without the ability to effectively communicate.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? I would advise that the student chooses a major that aligns with their personal interests and that they explore those interests outside of the classroom. If that interest is Finance, join one of the finance portfolios on campus. If the interest is accounting, join the accounting club or another related involvement. You learn so much from these experiences¾potentially even more than in the classroom. The best part is that, for those who don’t know where their interests lie, this is the perfect opportunity to explore them too. Finding a major that aligns with what you’re passionate about is the absolute best thing you can do.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? I have been most surprised about the variety of applications that business knowledge can be relevant in. Before coming to Lehigh, I had barely considered consulting as a career. Now, it is mentioned in most of my classes and has become my chosen field. This is one of a plethora of opportunities that are available to business students. Before becoming one, I knew there were many, but I had no idea how vast the possibilities were.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? Looking back, I wish I would have spoken to professors more about the work they were doing outside of the classroom. Every professor I’ve had has done some sort of interesting work outside of teaching students, whether that is research or an outside job, and I would have loved to learn more about them. When in courses, it’s extremely easy to get caught up in the work that they require and not build that kind of relationship with the professor. I wish I knew all that these faculty members were accomplishing when they weren’t teaching me about business.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of Unify, the company I have run alongside my other responsibilities for the past five years. Completing my degrees and developing professional experience outside of academics has required a lot of time and effort, but I have still found the capacity to work on my business as well. Being able to explore my passion for entrepreneurship has been an amazing experience. I am extremely proud of the success of the company as well as what I have learned from it.

Which classmate do you most admire? I most admire Wes Patel. I have been friends with Wes since high school, and he’s now one of my roommates, so I have been able to see first-hand how well he is able to balance his schoolwork with his other interests. He is a chemical engineer and, even with the workload that comes along with that, he still manages to spend time doing the things he enjoys. From going to the gym, to golfing, to spending time with friends, he always manages to make time for what is important to him.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I most want to thank my brother for my success. He is a year younger than me, but continues to set a high standard and show me what it’s like to pursue what you are passionate about. He went to university in Scotland, a decision that deviates from the normal path students at my high school take. While there, he started a band and has become one of the best musicians at the school, playing with other artists who travel in from as far as London. When he noticed a gap in the music market, he started a business to fill it. Repeatedly, he shows me what is possible when you put your mind to it, and that message drives me. I have learned a lot from him, and I continue to.

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

• Start my own business in the environmental space.
• Work abroad for enough time to learn another language.

What are your hobbies? Running, soccer, tennis, skiing, graphic design, 3-D modeling, investing, entrepreneurship, travel

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

“I have known Tobey Bill since his first year in the Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE) Honors Program. He is an outstanding student.  He was a student of mine in the IBE 50 Workshop (3 credits) and the IBE 380-385 Capstone Program (6 credits). The mission of both the workshop and capstone courses is to address a technical issue in a business context from an entrepreneurial focus. In the freshman workshop, students work in a team environment to invent a new-to-market product. Tobey’s ability to investigate the market and then create a product to meet the needs of the targeted customers is a testament to his critical thinking skills. Tobey demonstrated that he knows how to work in a team environment and his efforts were instrumental in bringing his project to a positive conclusion. In the capstone program, students work with an outside entrepreneur to help bring their dream to reality. In this instance, Tobey worked with InsurTech NY, a startup company that works with high-tech insurance company startups. The consulting skills that he exhibited as president of the Lehigh Consulting group certainly came into play in this project. Tobey was by far the leader on the 8-student team of IBE students and helped the project sponsor establish a national business incubator system for insurance startups.

This semester, Tobey is giving back to the IBE Honors Program by serving as a student mentor with the IBE 50 Workshop.  He will pass on the IBE approach to critical thinking and problem solving to these first-year students.  Tobey exhibits the kind of work ethic and personal integrity that makes everyone associated with him a better student and better teacher because he is part of our community.”

Pat Costa
Professor of Practice
Integrated Business and Engineering Program

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