How it all began
The Finance Mentorship Program was founded in 2019 by a dedicated group of alumni who were having lunch with the dean of the College of Business. They sought to find ways to get finance alumni more involved at Lehigh. The group wanted to tap into the positive, powerful, and impactful education and experience Lehigh offers. They knew they could help connect dots professionally since so many of them had a lot in common and spent time moving in similar circles. One of them drew a schematic that became the foundation for the program. The plan could help Lehigh alumni across the industry and also assist Lehigh undergraduates, whether it was job opportunities, career advice, resources, mentoring, or support. The Lehigh Finance Mentorship Program was born.
Alumni Mentors
Jonathan Abramson ‘09
Mr. Abramson holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Lehigh University and graduated in 2009.
Jonathan Abramson is a Managing Director and Credit Trader for Sculptor Capital where he has responsibility for all Institutional Credit Strategies loan trading in the U.S. He is a member of the Investment Committee for the performing credit business and also works closely with the distressed and opportunistic credit team. In addition to trading, Jonathan handles most of the capital markets needs for the business working alongside syndicate desks, banking teams, and sponsors in the leveraged finance market.
Before joining the Firm in 2015, Mr. Abramson was a Vice President, High Yield Loan Trader with Barclays Capital.
Charlie Bustin '04, '05G
While at Lehigh, Charlie was a member of the varsity soccer team.
Charlie Bustin '04, '05G is a partner, portfolio manager, and equity research analyst at Douglas C. Lane and Associates, Inc., a registered investment advisory firm in New York City that provides customized investment management services to individuals and institutions. Before joining Douglas C. Lane and Associates, Inc. in 2010, Charlie worked in the assurance practice at Ernst & Young. Charlie graduated with high honors from Lehigh in 2004 where he was a Presidential Scholar, earning a B.S. in accounting and a minor in Psychology. He also earned an M.S. in accounting from Lehigh, graduating in 2005. While at Lehigh, Charlie was a member of the varsity soccer team. He is a CFA® charterholder and a licensed CPA. Charlie also serves on the board of Soccer Without Borders, a nonprofit organization that helps underserved youths overcome obstacles to growth, inclusion and personal success.
Robert Camacho '04
Mr. Camacho graduated from Lehigh University and is a CFA® charter holder.
Robert Camacho is the head of Blackstone Asset Based Finance within Blackstone’s Structured Finance Group and a member of the Asset Based Finance Investment Committee.
Before joining Blackstone, Mr. Camacho was a partner at Goldman Sachs responsible for financing transactions across multiple asset classes including corporate credit, structured products and fund finance. Mr. Camacho spent over 14 years at Goldman Sachs, most recently in the structured funding investing and lending business.
Greg Geiling '94
Mr. Geiling earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Lehigh University.
Mr. Geiling joined Bayview in 2020 as Co-Chief Operating Officer. Before joining Bayview, Mr. Geiling was a Senior Managing Director of The Blackstone Group, where he served as Head of the Hedge Fund Solutions Special Situation Investing Group. In this role, Mr. Geiling was a member of the Investment Committee for the Blackstone Strategic Opportunity Fund (BSOF) and Blackstone Alternative Asset Management (BAAM). Prior to joining Blackstone in 2011, Mr. Geiling was a Portfolio Manager at Duquesne Capital Management, overseeing investments in technology, media, and telecoms. Mr. Geiling started his career in the Equity Research Department of J.P. Morgan, where he was responsible for several technology industry segments, including wireline equipment, wireless equipment, and data networking. Mr. Geiling was ranked each year (from 1997-2002) on the Institutional Investor All-American Research Team for his coverage of several technology sectors, including being ranked the #1 analyst on Wall Street covering the telecommunications equipment industry. After Chase Manhattan acquired J.P. Morgan, Mr. Geiling was promoted to the role of Chief Technology Strategist.
Daniel Pietrzak '97
Mr. Pietrzak serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Lehigh University College of Business
Daniel Pietrzak joined KKR in 2016 and is a Partner and serves as the Global Head of Private Credit and a portfolio manager for KKR’s private credit funds and portfolios. Mr. Pietrzak is the Chief Investment Officer of the KKR / FS Investments joint venture and Co-President and Chief Investment Officer for FS KKR Capital Corp. (FSK), which trades on the NYSE. He also serves of the board of directors of FSK and several KKR Credit portfolio companies, including Oodle Car Finance, Pepper and Toorak Capital Partners.
Before joining KKR, Mr. Pietrzak was a managing director and the co-head of Deutsche Bank’s structured finance business across the Americas and Europe. Previously, Mr. Pietrzak held various roles in the credit businesses of Societe Generale and CIBC World Markets. Mr. Pietrzak started his career at Price Waterhouse in New York. Mr. Pietrzak holds an M.B.A. in Finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Accounting from Lehigh University. Mr. Pietrzak serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Lehigh University College of Business, is a member of the Advisory Board of the Scholars of Finance and serves on the Board of Directors of First Tee – Metropolitan New York.
Christopher Scott ’94
He has a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Lehigh.
Appointed trustee at Lehigh University, Christopher Scott ’94, of Manhasset, NY, is a managing director in Morgan Stanley’s fixed income division, where he is responsible for residential mortgage trading, warehouse lending & financing, and securitization & underwriting as head of the U.S. Residential Mortgage Business. Before joining Morgan Stanley, Chris worked for Ally Financial Inc. for 11 years, where he was an investment management executive responsible for Ally Bank’s investment and mortgage portfolios. Before that, Chris spent 14 years at Bear Stearns & Co. Inc., where he was a senior managing director in the mortgage trading department. Chris is past chair of the College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council and a current member of the council. He also served as a member of the Lehigh Leadership Council from 2003 to 2008.
Young Alumni
Mentors looking to grow their careers and students who seek to find their place.
Young alumni mentors have stepped into the finance sector and are eager to grow their careers and share their insights with those coming up behind them.
Future alumni mentees are students studying finance at Lehigh who seek to enter the industry and find their place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Distinguished alumni mentors are paired with young alumni mentors who are paired with future alumni mentees. The mentors share their expertise, insights, experiences, advice, and firsthand knowledge to support mentees navigating their academic and professional journeys.
It starts with creating some goals and then committing to regular check-ins between mentors and mentees whether over coffee, the phone, or virtual platforms.
If you need reasons, consider these:
- Connecting with industry professionals
- Networking opportunities
- Professional growth
- Enhanced leadership skills
- Improving communications
- Better shape your career path
- Tailored guidance
- Interview preparation
- Resume reviews
- Insights in careers
- Sounding board for aspiration and challenges
- Inspiration
- Sharing your love of Lehigh
Joining the Lehigh Finance Mentorship Program is easy! Simply sign up through Lehigh Connects and complete the program registration. Upon completion, young alumni mentors will be matched with a distinguished alumni mentor while future alumni mentees will be paired with young alumni mentors.