Bryan Feraric
Bryan Feraric
Class Year
’16
Current home
New York City, N.Y.
Major(s)
Finance
Current Position
Financial Analyst, Oncology with Pfizer pharmaceutical company
Bryan Feraric works for Pfizer pharmaceutical company in New York City as a Financial Analyst for the Oncology Medical Unit. In this position, Mr. Feraric supports the Oncology Medical Affairs organization within Pfizer through forecasting and reporting and advises research and development investment decisions.
While at Carthage, he was a Kenosha Oaks Scholar and was named a Distinguished Senior in Finance while at Carthage.
Mr. Feraric appreciates the support he received from his professors during his time at Carthage, crediting them for helping him find internship opportunities and preparing him for his current role at Pfizer.
What have you enjoyed most about your career?
“I joined Pfizer as a finance rotational, which allowed me to rotate through four unique finance functions early on in my career. I have gained a more complete picture of how the company operates, which has increased my ability to understand the connection between different functional processes within greater Pfizer and add value to my team and the organization we support.”
How did Carthage prepare you?
“In addition to all of the technical skills required to do my job, what Carthage truly taught me was to think critically and challenge the norm. Just because a process has always been done the same way does not mean it’s the best way to do it. This has driven me to improve many of my roles’ processes in terms of efficiency and effectiveness.
“[Economics] Professor Cassie Lau was always supportive throughout my time at Carthage, advising our team for the CFA Challenge and reviewing my thesis. Even now we catch up a couple of times a year and discuss all things finance. Carthage professors introduced me to both of my internships with the latter resulting in my current career. The relationships with faculty at Carthage enable a smooth transition from learning the material in class to utilizing the material in your career.”
How has your liberal arts education benefitted you?
“When I first started my current role, the Oncology Medical Unit had just gone through a reorganization and was lacking adequate finance support. To add to that, my manager was also new, having only been in his role for a few weeks. Quite a bit of organizational knowledge was lost in the transition to what was now a two-man team. Despite this, I was able to adapt, learn quickly, and bring finance’s partnership with the business to a steady-state.
“Recently, my efforts were recognized as a 2018 accomplishment of the Oncology Medical Organization. I attribute this to my ability to adapt quickly and learn on the job, both of which are skills I learned through some of the comprehensive projects I was a part of at Carthage, including the CFA Challenge.”
Tips for current Carthage students?
“I was born in the suburbs of Chicago and went to school right over the Wisconsin border. I spent most of my life living in the same 50-mile radius. When I attended Carthage, I went to China for an internship; after graduation, I started my career in Kansas, and am happy to now call New York City my home.
“I learned the most about myself and about life when I ventured outside of the bubble where I grew up. I already see it opening doors in my career. I encourage all young professionals to be open to the possibility of letting their careers take them to new places with new experiences.”