On Thursday, Feb. 4, the National Association for Black Accountants and members of the Black History Month Committee hosted Black in the Boardroom, an informative session geared towards corporate first impressions.
According to Ensi Rowe, a NABA member and coordinator of the event, the purpose of the event was to show what minorities should do to distinguish themselves from the competition.
Guest speakers included NABA’s former president Robert Pauley III and Nick Arrington, who discussed overcoming the “glass ceiling” in the business world, referring to the limits African American face in the corporate world.
Pauley and Arrington, who both currently work in corporate development for JP Morgan, discussed their success at the business firm. Arrington has a background in investment banks and is now working in global philanthropy.
Pauley graduated with a degree in history from Baruch, but despite his academics, he continued his interest in business and decided to stay with NABA.
“I knew I wanted to wear a suit, and a briefcase and be in my office,” said Pauley.
The audience was also invited to come on stage to participate in a game to see who could speak for two minutes on a topic without using speech utterances, which was later followed by a mini-fashion show on the do’s and don’ts of business wear.
Pauley is leaving for a three-year, full-time role with JP Morgan in Hong Kong.
“Coming into the NABA and seeing black professionals made me know I could do anything I wanted,” he said.
According to Arrington, laying the groundwork to enter a successful company is critical, which he believes can explain why only a handful of African Americans work in his field. He also emphasized that it’s especially important for minorities to improve on communication and networking skills, which “go a long way if one aspires to climb the corporate ladder.”
The fashion show featured male and female models in three separate business attires: business professional, business casual and casual Fridays. The audience was also invited to comment on the fashion mistakes and provide feedback on how the attire can be improved.
“You need only a minimal amount of money to look like a million bucks,” said Pauley.
Freshman Laniqua Colon, who attended the event, said, “A lot of students aren’t aware of the proper attire for interviews, they may do the slightest error and they didn’t know, so this helps them.”
“Baruch gives you academic experience but this club gives you the gives you professional experience and professional development,” said Frances Guerrier, president of NABA.
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