Gray Little was born and raised in Halifax, and did his undergrad at the University of King’s College and Dalhousie University. He completed the Foundation Year Program at King’s and graduated last May from Dalhousie with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in chemistry. During his undergrad and into the CRMBA program, Gray played rugby with King’s, which won its first championship this past November.

Back in April, you and other Dal students went to New York for a finance conference. How was it? What was it about?

The purpose of our trip to New York was to attend the Quinnipiac University G.A.M.E. conference. Twelve of us attended including undergrads, MBAs and Prof. Rick Nason. The conference focused on Global Asset Management Education, and we heard a host of speakers including Abby Joseph Cohen, senior U.S. investment strategist at Goldman Sachs. They covered a variety of topics including the Federal Reserve, the global economy and corporate governance in business. Individual breakout sessions were held on topics of interest, including real estate, market volatility and the uses of technology in investing. This was all mixed together with some networking for a great experience. One of the lessons that really stood out for everyone was the power your own brand can have on your career and we saw this throughout the trip.

 

 

What is your dream job, and what are your plans post-MBA?

During my residency I’ve been working in Capital Markets Risk with Bank of Montreal focusing on international financial institutions. The residency has been fantastic and I’ve learned so much about the inner workings of a bank. I’ve also been allowed to freely interact with other areas and learn what best suits my skills. As a result, I want to come back and work with BMO after I graduate. Before I start any job though, I’d like to spend a little time traveling and see another part of the world.

Tell me about the fun things you did on the trip.

We went to see the Rangers play the Penguins, went for steaks at Smith & Wollensky, and Rick provided a tour of famous financial landmarks and restaurants around the city. The highlight of the trip for me though was the trip to Yankee Stadium to see the Yankees take on the Red Socks during opening week. It was a great experience and I was happy to share it with some of my classmates.

 

 

Talk about the Dal MBA Investment Society and what you would to see for the Society in the future.

The Investment Society is going to transition from the publication it’s been in the past to a paper hedge fund. We’ll be keeping the original publication as a way to show the progress of the fund for each quarter and to highlight some of the best trades made by the students. As well. we’re planning to make the trip an annual affair, going either to Chicago next year or back to New York.

Final thoughts?

I honestly believe if I hadn’t gone to Dalhousie, I wouldn’t be where I am today. It’s given me such a great opportunity in an area I want to work, I’ve been able to travel and see a city in a new light and I’ve been fortunate to make some great friends.