A World Bigger Than Finance
Malcolm Gladwell headlines the 16th annual Finance Conference
The 16th Annual Finance Conference
The annual Finance Conference returned to Boston College with a roster of influential speakers on Friday, May 12. Opening with a welcome reception on Thursday evening in Gasson Hall, the all-day conference focused on topics such as the economy, geopolitical conditions, climate change, and the challenges ahead for investors.
View the video recordings of this year's conference speakers within the panel on the right. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to read an account of this year's Finance Conference, and to see articles about last year's conference.
Keynote Speakers
THE DOROTHY MARGARET ROSE KNIGHT ECONOMIC KEYNOTE DISCUSSION
Malcolm Gladwell
Author of five New York Times bestsellers, host of the Revisionist History podcast, and Time magazine 100 most influential people honoree.
Richard Clarida
Managing Director and Global Economic Advisor at PIMCO, Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve (2018–2022), and C. Lowell Harriss Professor of Economics and International Affairs at Columbia University.
The Schedule
Thursday, May 11
Cocktail Reception
5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Boston College, Gasson Hall 100, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA
Friday, May 12
Conference: Morning program
7:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Boston College, Robsham Theater Arts Center, 140 Commonweath Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA
| 7:30 a.m. | Continental Breakfast for All Attendees |
| 8:30 a.m. | Welcoming Remarks Andy Boynton '78, P'13, John and Linda Powers Family Dean, Carroll School of Management, Boston College |
| 8:40 a.m.
| THE DOROTHY MARGARET ROSE KNIGHT KEYNOTE DISCUSSION: THE PROBLEM WITH MERITOCRACY Malcolm Gladwell, author of five New York Times bestsellers—The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, What the Dog Saw, and David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants. He has been named one of the 100 most influential people by TIME magazine and one of Foreign Policy’s Top Global Thinkers |
| 9:45 a.m. | Coffee Break |
| 10:00 a.m. | THE STATE OF THE GLOBE: A NEW GEOPOLITICAL LANDSCAPE Meghan O'Sullivan, Jeane Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International Affairs and Director of the Geopolitics of Energy Project at Harvard University’s Kennedy School |
| 11:00 a.m. | Coffee Break |
| 11:15 a.m. | CLIMATE CHANGE: CONFRONTING THE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF HARNESSING ENERGY Lawrence Makovich ’77, energy and environmental expert, author, and instructor |
Conference: Afternoon program
12:15 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Boston College, Heights Room, Corcoran Commons, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA
| 12:15 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1:30 p.m. | ECONOMIC OVERVIEW AND IMPLICATIONS Marc Seidner ’88, P’24, Chief Investment Officer of Non-traditional Strategies and Managing Director at PIMCO’s Newport Beach office |
| 2:15 p.m. | Break |
| 2:30 p.m. | TIME TO REWRITE OUR INVESTMENT PLAYBOOK? Richard Bernstein, Chief Executive Officer/Chief Investment Officer of Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC. Marc Seidner ’88, P’24, Chief Investment Officer of Non-traditional Strategies and Managing Director at PIMCO’s Newport Beach office |
| 3:30 p.m. | Closing Remarks Andy Boynton '78, P'13, John and Linda Powers Family Dean, Carroll School of Management, Boston College |
| 3:40 p.m. | Cocktail Reception |
| 5:00 p.m. | Program Ends |
Watch the Video Recordings
Missed the 2023 Finance Conference? Video recordings of all of the speakers are now available.
Malcolm Gladwell, "The Dorothy Margaret Rose Knight Economic Keynote Discussion: The Problem with Meritocracy"
Meghan O'Sullivan, "The State of the Globe: A New Geopolitical Landscape"
Lawrence Makovich '77, "Climate Change: Confronting the Costs and Benefits of Harnessing Energy"
Richard Clarida and Marc Seidner '88 P '24, "Economic Overview and Implications"
Marc Seidner '88 P '24 and Richard Bernstein, "Time to Rewrite Our Investment Playbook?"
Finance Conference Co-Chairs
Marc Seidner ’88, P'24
Chief Investment Officer, Non-traditional Strategies
PIMCO
Daniel E. Holland III ’79, P’07, ’08
Chief Operating Officer
Shield Capital
Jonathan Reuter
Associate Professor of Finance
Carroll School of Management
Boston College
Andy Boynton ’78, P’13
John and Linda Powers Family Dean
Carroll School of Management
Boston College
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