Between its location, facilities, administration, faculty and innovative curriculum, Poole College of Management might be one of the best kept secrets in the world of business schools. At least that’s what Ashu Vats, one of the youngest advisory board members in the history of Poole College, thinks. But the secret won’t stay under wraps for long – not if Vats has anything to say about it.
As one of the newest members of the board, Vats brings a wealth of enthusiasm – and an impressive career path – that he hopes will serve future generations of Poole students.
I feel as alumni, we have the responsibility to set our students up for success.
“I am focused on how we continue to build the Poole College brand so we are recognized for everything our excellent business program has to offer,” Vats says. “I feel as alumni, we have the responsibility to set our students up for success. We need to make their path easier than ours. Continuing to raise the profile of our college will benefit our students when they enter the competitive business world. So my personal agenda is to help us continue to grow our brand and extend our reputation on a national level.”
Vats graduated from Poole College in 2008 with a degree in business administration and concentrations in finance and marketing. He currently serves as senior vice president at New York-based ICR Capital, where he applies over a decade of diverse finance and growth technology experience to advise management teams, boards of directors and financial sponsors through strategic capital markets activities.
“My current role is the culmination of all my experience working in finance, technology, start-ups and more,” Vats says. “I advise boards and senior executives on how to navigate the IPO process, which is something I really enjoy.”
He joined ICR Capital from tZERO Group Inc., a digital security and crypto focused FinTech startup. During his time with tZERO, Vats helped lead business development and capital markets efforts and played a key role in onboarding the company’s first third-party asset. Prior to joining tZERO, Vats was a member of Barclays’ Equity Capital Markets team. Focused on the technology sector, he executed IPOs, follow-on offerings and block trades for a diverse client base including companies such as Uber, Pinterest, Blue Apron, Crowdstrike and MongoDB. In addition to his capital markets experience, Vats has an extensive background in operations and risk management from his time at Goldman Sachs and Bank of America.
I would like our students to have a diverse set of exciting job opportunities available to them right out of college.
“I would like our students to have a diverse set of exciting job opportunities available to them right out of college,” Vats says. “I’m helping lead the board’s student success task force to continue improving job placements and incomes.”
Moreover, as one of the younger members of the board, Vats believes he has a good pulse on the current generation of students – giving him a unique position to build a connection with them.
“I want to be a board member that our students feel comfortable engaging with,” Vats says. “I told Dean Buckless that I have an open-door policy for any student who wants to talk about their career development.”
And if folks are willing to brave the cold winters and maneuver the subway, Vats thinks he has a place for them.
“We don’t have a lot of alumni here in New York, but we have lots of high-quality jobs,” Vats laughs. “I know the Triangle is a great area but I think Poole College can provide the foundation for new business leaders across the country.”
