In this latest edition of our Intern Spotlight Q&A series, we're pleased to highlight Verger's spring 2024 investment interns. We hope you enjoy learning about Nick, Andrew, and Clare, what brought them to Verger, and what they're taking away from their experiences.
Andrew:
For me, my favorite project that we worked on was the Intern Capstone Project. As interns at Verger, we got to sit in on external manager meetings and help analyze the funds that Verger is invested in. The Capstone Project allowed us to not only do all of those, but it took it even further by allowing us to pitch our own investment to Verger’s investment team. We were given a universe of fifty real estate funds and had to narrow our recommendation down to one. We did so by running various quants on eVestment and scheduling manager meetings with these funds. This was an amazing experience, as it allowed me and my fellow interns to take control of and run our own project. I learned so many things from how to value/read these funds while also gaining experience in a professional environment. This project was everything that I had hoped for and more.
Clare:
My favorite project during the semester was Verger’s philanthropy event at City With Dwellings, a local non-profit that serves un-housed community members. I had so much fun cleaning, organizing, and moving furniture with the team as they prepared for an event in their space. It was a fulfilling day and the perfect way to celebrate Verger’s 10-year anniversary. As an intern, I felt incredibly included in company culture, and our matching t-shirts were a fashionable bonus.
Nick:
My favorite project I worked on was the Internship Capstone Project. We worked to make an investment recommendation from a universe of fifty managers, by looking at performance, in depth quantitative analysis, and ultimately speaking with some of the managers. Pitching our recommendation to Verger's Investment team and working alongside the other interns was a cool experience.
Andrew:
Everybody who works at Verger is super nice and genuinely cares about each other’s wellbeing. One of my favorite events that highlighted Verger’s culture was their 10-year anniversary celebration. They hosted a dinner where they invited both current and previous interns to join them to celebrate this milestone. Everyone there was super nice and I am glad to say that I have been a part of the journey thus far. Verger has highlighted exactly what I want my ideal workplace to be like, and I hope to carry these core foundations with me wherever I go next!
Clare:
I was presented with the opportunity to study Verger’s culture through a semester-long project I had in my organizational behavior class. Verger allowed my project team to interview members of their Investments, Operations, and Client Relations teams, and I learned something new with every conversation. From hilarious Halloween costume contests, traditions they have to recognize staff contributions, and the individual "why" that brings each person to work, there are so many aspects of Verger that are deeper than surface-level observations. Asset management is intriguing, and I learned so much from the investment team, but the environment at Verger is ultimately why my experience was so rewarding.
Andrew:
I feel like I learned countless things during my experience at Verger. One thing that I will always carry with me is the experiences I was able to gain in a professional environment. Regardless of where my future takes me, there will always be environments where I will have to carry myself professionally. Being able to be a part of conversations and real-world situations at such a young age was more than I could have asked for. Not only that but being able to then follow up and see how the investment team does their due diligence and research when making portfolio decisions has been something I will also always carry with me.
Nick:
Through the Internship Capstone and conversations with the Investment Team, I now know the role that manager due diligence and in-depth research play in making allocation decisions. I didn’t realize the number of factors that play into performance, and what is important for asset managers to look for until the internship. I’m excited to take what I’ve learned to the rest of my experiences from here.
Clare:
While I have learned many financial concepts and equations during my time at the Wake Forest Business School, I had limited knowledge of asset management and investing before my internship at Verger. Previously, I pursued internships in the STEM field, and my role last summer as a clinical trials intern was completely unrelated to finance. Finally, I was able to “connect the dots” between financial terms and real-world needs – something that was very insightful during my time at Verger.
Thank you Nick, Andrew, and Clare for your many contributions!
For more information about Verger's Internship Program, including how to apply, please visit our Careers page.