Last month, Queens College in Flushing was honored to host Jamie Dimon, the Chairman and CEO of J.P. Morgan Chase and Executive Chair of the New York Jobs CEO Council, for an engaging “fireside” chat.
A proud Queens native, Dimon engaged in a dynamic discussion with Queens College President Frank H. Wu, as part of an event that drew over 200 students from the Queens College School of Business. This engaging conversation was a highlight of the New York Jobs CEO Council’s Speaker Series, aimed at bridging the gap between academia and industry leaders.
The event commenced with welcoming remarks from CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez and Kiersten Barnet, Executive Director of the New York Jobs CEO Council.
The heart of the event was the insightful dialogue between Dimon and Wu, covering a range of pivotal topics such as leadership, the cultivation of talent and fostering collaborations between the public and private sectors to enhance job opportunities for graduates.
Dimon emphasized the critical role leaders play in equipping students with the skills necessary for the workforce post-graduation. “We bear the responsibility of ensuring that students, particularly those from under-resourced communities, gain access to the skills in high demand in today’s job market,” Dimon remarked during the discussion.
In alignment with this vision, Queens College and the Jobs Council have embarked on a collaborative initiative aimed at enhancing the services available to students for their job search endeavors.
The initiative underscores the importance of internship programs at large corporations, including those within the Fortune 500, as a vital step towards career readiness for students, even at the early stages of their college journey.
President Wu highlighted the unique position of Queens College as a beacon of opportunity, particularly for students who are first-generation college attendees. “Queens College stands as a testament to the power of education to transform lives, serving as the foundation for countless success stories,” Wu stated. “Our partnership with the visionary Jobs Council opens doors for our students to forge their paths to success, inspired by leaders like Jamie Dimon.”
The New York Jobs CEO Council, established in 2020, represents a commitment from the city’s leading corporate executives to hire 100,000 New Yorkers from low-income backgrounds, including a targeted goal to integrate 25,000 CUNY graduates into the workforce. Since its inception, the Council has successfully placed approximately 30,000 job seekers, with nearly 6,000 of those positions being filled by CUNY graduates. The CEO Speaker Series serves as a conduit for introducing students and faculty across the CUNY system to the insights and experiences of business leaders from across the city, further enriching the educational landscape.
