Growing up in Jay, N.Y., a rural town of about 2,500 people an hour south of Montreal, Canada, Eric Potthast saw very little emphasis on secondary higher education. Farming was a more popular way of life in his hometown, but Potthast wanted to take a different path and applied to Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies.
“Syracuse was a really big deal for me,” he said. “I jumped on the opportunity, and those choices I made then forged the path leading to where I am today.”
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in information management and technology in 2021, Potthast was recruited by JP Morgan Chase in New York City. He moved to Manhattan and began working in an analyst-level role in the technology and transformation space under the corporate investment bank. He has since changed roles at JP Morgan and now works as a client management analyst with the investment banking business management team.
“The last two years have definitely changed my definition of success for myself and where I want to see myself in the near future,” he said. “Having two extremely diverse experiences in very different roles has been a great way for me to begin to understand my strengths and interests and where I can best utilize them.”
In his first role out of college, Potthast was part of JP Morgan’s internal consulting team that helped engineer new technology to impact the day-to-day operations for clients and internal processes of the bank itself. His team focused on product strategy and oversaw efficiencies and modernization efforts.
“This role got me interested in financial markets and how they impact both institutional and retail-level individuals, which led me to pursue moving over to my current role,” Potthast said.
In his current role, he sits on one of the business management teams on the FIG (financial institutions group) desk in the investment bank.
“This has been a great opportunity for firsthand client exposure to leaders of the largest companies in the world, as well as supporting deal teams and gaining some transaction experience as I continue my professional journey forward,” he said.
Adjusting to life in Manhattan, more than 4 hours south of his hometown, has been fun and challenging at times, but Potthast is proud of the work he is doing. He credits the iSchool with helping him forge his career path.
“One of the things I like most about Syracuse is that if you are looking for the opportunity to build yourself into a leader, you will have endless opportunities to do so if you are willing to do the hard work that others will not,” he said. “Syracuse is definitely a great place to grow your network, break boundaries and pursue success.”
