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From Internal Audit to Investments

Meet Bryan, a private assets financial analyst in the Investment Group.

Before graduating, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my dual degree in Finance and Information Systems and Information Technology, but I met Allstate recruiters at a career fair and from a short conversation I realized this was the company for me. The commitment to employees was a huge selling point. So, I joined Allstate as an Integrated IT Internal Auditor after graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2018.

Bryan standing in the Allstate lobby

Bryan, a private assets financial analyst at Allstate.

The work I’m most proud of is my career journey at Allstate. I started in internal audit supporting various audit leads with IT-related testing with no prior audit experience but managed to be successful with my IT and general business background. During one of my audit engagements, I had the opportunity to work with the investments group. I quickly realized this was a group I would want to be a part of one day. The investments group is made up of nearly 300 individuals across a variety of investment disciplines including, fixed income, equities, private securities, commercial mortgages and derivative asset classes, as well as, finance and technology.

When I met with my manger, I expressed interest in moving to investments, and in what I thought would take months, only took a couple of weeks after quickly being connected with several individuals from the investment’s team. An opportunity came up as an Investments Expense Planning & Analysis Analyst. I joined the team and supported plan and analysis activities such as plan processes, cash forecasting and other internal management reporting activities for Allstate’s investments’ expenses.

Recently, I moved into the Private Asset team within the investment group as a Private Assets Financial Analyst. With my manager’s support, we decided this would be a great opportunity and move in the right direction regarding my career aspirations and journey at Allstate. Today, I’m primarily responsible portfolio monitoring, reporting and watchlist activities related to Allstate investments’ private assets. My team supports our front office portfolio managers through various reporting measures and as one of the primary contacts for other areas outside of the front office.

Outside of my day-to-day responsibilities, I’m prioritizing my development in building my investments and business acumen. My current position is a lot more technical and requires a lot of investment knowledge. I’m prepping for my Charter Financial Analyst (CFA) certification. I can take time to study and Allstate is fully reimbursing me for the exam costs and registration fees. This goes in line with Allstate’s commitment to developing their employees.

My advice for anyone looking to join Allstate is to try it out. If you’re curious and think outside the box, you’ll find a place that you will feel at home within.

Fun fact: I was in Rome a few years ago and I was walking toward the Coliseum I spotted Andrew Shaw (current Chicago Blackhawks player). Although I wasn’t able to get a picture with him, it definitely made for a memorable experience.

Interested in joining the team? Search open opportunities today.