Ashley Crandall, '16

"After graduation, I was given the opportunity to join Johnson & Johnson's Finance Leadership, Development Program (FLDP) -- a highly competitive program that provides you with two 1-year rotations. Each rotation provides you with varying experiences and allows you to gain exposure to a different function of Finance/Accounting (Supply Chain, Corporate, etc.) as well as a different business segment (i.e. Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices or Consumer Products). My first role was in Marketing Finance for the Consumer Segment (a very commercial facing role with key business partners in Marketing, Sales & Supply Chain functions). This role was phenomenal and allowed me to apply my financial expertise in a "creative way." I owned forecasted to actualized data for brands such as Neosporin, Band-Aid and Compeed. My current role (2nd rotation) is a Corporate function supporting External Reporting/Investor Relations. My primary responsibilities revolve around Enterprise Sales Reporting for both top internal management (Executive Committee/Board of Directors) and the external investment community (SEC filings, earnings press releases & analyst presentations, etc.). On the IR side, I am responsible for corresponding with JNJ's ~ 20 equity analysts, leveraging their models to track estimates and perform comparative analytics vs. our internal forecasts. In addition to this, I analyze the earnings releases of JNJ's ~30 competitors and summarize each company's performance/changes to financial guidance in a schedule sent directly to Alex Gorsky (CEO) & Dominic Caruso (CFO). In addition to the mentioned responsibilities, I work on many ad-hoc projects for the CFO, Corp. Controller, VP of Investor Relations and other senior executives, which provides significant learning in framing and communicating, as well as understanding issues and concerns regarding our business, macro-economic conditions, regulatory issues, or investor concerns from the perspective of a senior leader."

"I am very fortunate to have gone through the Cooperative Education Program at SJU. This is how I was connected to J&J. After changing my major (from accounting to finance), I did my 2nd Co-op term with Johnson & Johnson (spring/summer of my junior year). After this experience, I was provided a full-time offer in September of my senior year. Having this offer (among others), enabled my senior year to be much more relaxing and enjoyable. I was able to focus on my studies and extracurricular activities, while knowing I had a job lined up post-graduation. Much of this success is attributable to the Co-op program and the leader of it. The Co-op program set me up for success and provided me with the opportunity to prove myself, my knowledge and my skills to 2 fantastic companies (Bank of NY Melon and Johnson & Johnson)."

"SJU allowed me to develop and learn the skills necessary to be successful in my areas of concentration: Finance & Economics. The professors within each field were extremely hands-on and challenged me to continually become better & better. Many of the professors worked in their respective fields prior to becoming educators, therefore, their perspectives & experiences enhanced my learning. In addition to developing me into a financial leader, SJU shaped me into a well-rounded business woman, who can "wear multiple hats." In the business world, I am expected to lead the "finance seat" at the table, but because of SJU, I have been able to provide and challenge situations with multiple views (accessing many perspectives & opinions). The community at SJU fosters collaboration, team-work and a 'home away from home' mentality, which I try to embody and bring with me each and every day I go to work. #THWND"

"As previously mentioned, I was involved in the SJU Co-op Program. While in this program, I was able to complete two 6-month Co-op terms and each of my academic semesters within 4 years. Applying your in-class learning to 'real-life situations' provided me with endless opportunities and allowed me to gain more in-depth knowledge of my field. For me, being a hands-on learner, this program was perfect! It allowed me to learn what it really meant to be an Accounting professional or a Finance professional, and because of this, I was ultimately able to determine, which route/major I wanted to pursue. Overall, my experience within the program was fantastic and I am thankful for the opportunities I was given. In addition to the Co-op program, during the summer of my sophomore year, I did an internship with ING Financial Partners (McAdam Financial). This opportunity fell upon me through my SJU network (as I was recruited and hired by SJU Alums)."