Sean Tobin ('92)

Not many people are as well versed in terms like "swaptions" and "exotic derivatives" as Sean Tobin. Director of Cross Rates Sales for Deutsche Bank's San Francisco office, he quickly rose as a financial analyst, becoming a salesperson for West Coast accounts for Lehman Brothers by the time he was 25. Today, Sean works to identify investment opportunities for large institutional clients. In aggregate, his customers manage almost $2 trillion across various investment disciplines. Sean is at work at 4:30 a.m. each day, but says it's worth it to be able to leave early in the afternoon to spend time with his family and coach his daughter's soccer team. He also gives back to his community through Autism Speaks. Sean praises his JMU finance degree for preparing him for professional success, and he has served for three years on the College of Business Executive Advisory Council. In 2005, he established the Tobin Family Endowment in honor of his parents.

"I think the classes I took, the teachers I had, and the people I went to school with helped me learn how to talk to people about any variety on subjects on an intelligent but also well grounded level. I learned not only quantitative skills but how to interact and work with people."