Joe Saunders, who joined the Questrom Feld Center in 2014, describes his role as one that connects finance industry leaders with BU in a variety of ways, the majority resulting in experiential learning opportunities for students

Campus Life

For More than a Decade, Joe Saunders Has Helped Questrom Students Take Their Next Big Leap

“Whatever the students are interested in, that’s what I’m interested in,” says Feld Center for Career & Alumni Engagement industry relations manager

Quick: how many financial institutions can you name off the top of your head? A handful of big banks, probably, maybe up to a dozen if you’re especially savvy? Maybe it would surprise you to find out that there are tens of thousands of banks around the world—and more than 4,000 in the United States alone. 

For finance students in Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, it pays to know about all these opportunities—literally. In a highly competitive job market, landing a role after graduation is easier with a wider net. And for more than a decade, there’s been one person tirelessly helping to open those doors and broaden students’ horizons. 

“Whatever the students are interested in, that’s what I’m interested in,” says Joseph Saunders, industry relations manager at Questrom’s Feld Center for Career & Alumni Engagement.

Saunders, who joined the Feld Center in 2014, describes his role as one that connects finance industry leaders with BU in a variety of ways, the majority of them resulting in experiential learning opportunities for University students. 

To use a current example, Saunders recently accompanied a group of 20 or so students to the field office at Suffolk Downs, one of the largest redevelopment projects in Boston’s history. Over the next 20 years the East Boston site, once the home of a thoroughbred race track, will be transformed into a neighborhood community that includes housing, retail, and office space. Students in Saunders’ group met with developers from HYM, the lead real estate development firm, to get an overview of the project, tour the site, and learn what it really takes to manage a project of such scale. 

Other times, he’s introduced students to the Red Sox or the Celtics front office staff. He’s brought representatives from some of the best-known financial institutions (such as Fidelity, Bank of America, or Goldman Sachs) to campus to meet students where they are. With every trip, event, or discussion, Saunders is seeking to expand his students’ horizons and opportunities while also introducing them to some of the top employers in Boston and beyond. 

“These aren’t companies that want to talk to the average finance student,” Saunders says. “They’re interested in the 1 percent of the 1 percent. And we have a lot of those at BU—it’s amazing to me. The students’ accomplishments at such a young age, and their poise—it makes my job a lot easier.”

Before he joined BU, Saunders worked in the industry he now coaches students through. He spent 18 years at Fidelity Investments, advancing from project manager to vice president. After he retired, he spent some time managing business development at a couple of boutique firms. 

All that experience—more than 25 years—is a rich resource for the students he coaches, beyond the excursions and events he organizes. 

“Joe is always there for our Questrom students,” says Feld Center colleague Paige Parsons, the center’s industry relations manager. By her count, Saunders organized more than 50 events during the 2023-2024 academic year. These events introduced nearly 2,000 students to more than 80 employers—and even these figures capture only a fraction of Saunders’ work. 

Their offices are next to each other, so Parsons has a front-row seat to the seemingly endless stream of students in and out, all seeking advice or counsel from Saunders. 

“He comes in early and stays late; he’s deeply committed to helping students achieve their goals,” she says. “He has the thickest Boston accent you’ve ever heard, and he’ll give it to them straight. He’ll be honest with them—he’ll let them know if they’re not dressed appropriately for an event, but he’ll also give them the jacket off his back to fix it.” 

Parsons and their Feld Center teammate Misty Start say that Saunders’ unassuming support extends beyond the students, too. 

“He’s a crucial resource for our career coaching team, especially in helping us stay informed and connected within the financial services and real-estate sectors,” says Start, the center’s senior director of career services and strategy. “Early in my career, when I mentioned wanting to expand my knowledge of real estate, he thoughtfully invited me to a real estate-focused lunch with alumni and faculty, ensuring I could make connections and deepen my understanding.”  

Saunders is always looking for opportunities to bring people into the fold, including his twin sons, Nick (CGS’24, CAS’27) and Danny (CAS’27) Saunders, both BU students. Although neither is pursuing business careers—Nick is studying architecture and Danny economics—Saunders encourages them to join when he organizes events that dovetail with their interests. 

For him, seeing his students (and his sons) blossom into capable, confident adults is the reward for the hard work throughout the year. He works closely with the executive boards of several student-run finance clubs and gets to know these high-achieving students closely, as well as the many who come to his office for advice. 

“I remember them all, and I kind of think of them as my own children,” he says. Those connections, for him, can be bittersweet.

“This is the part of the job that I don’t like the most: once they graduate from here, I lose them. They come in and I work with them for a couple of years, and I get to be proud of what I’ve done with them, because it works—they’re pulling a six-figure job out of college, and that’s impressive. But then, they have their lives, and maybe they move away, and they start their families, and I only see them occasionally after that, when they come back on campus for some event or other.”

Still, he says, “it’s worth it. It’s always worth it.”