Blake Balsamo ’15

Following in the footsteps of countless successful graduates of MMC’s Business program, Blake Balsamo ’15 is an outspoken advocate for the business courses that helped launch his career.

“The faculty in the business division go above and beyond. The classes they curate are rigorous and challenging, and push students to think more like entrepreneurs and marketing or banking professionals,” he says.

Now in his fifth year at Citigroup, the recently promoted Vice President works in the Commercial Banking Division. This department lends capital and fulfills the banking needs of large corporate clients. Balsamo’s areas of interest and expertise include the automotive and packaging sectors, among others.

Although he now resides in his home state of New Jersey, his career has required a temporary residency in both Dallas and London—an experience Balsamo holds in high regard. “I would recommend for everyone to live away from home and your comfort zone for at least a year after graduation—I learned so much.”

While in Texas, Balsamo volunteered with the Prison Entrepreneurship Program. “I would visit the prison monthly and speak with incarcerated individuals about the world of business and how to build a business proposal,” he says. “It was informative and enriching for them and for me.”