Summer Internship Spotlight: Brian Zhagui
Brian Zhagui, a 2021 ATLAS Fellow and a sophomore at the University of Michigan, joined ATLAS with the goal of building his network within the financial industry and improving his skills to be prepared for the workforce.
During Brian’s first summer in the ATLAS program, he interned at Balyasny Asset Management with a Macro Portfolio Management team. This past summer, Brian interned at Baird in the Equity Research department where he learned about data collection and visualization. He said, “My internship with Baird was a great fit for a young student that is looking to explore various career options within finance. I was given the opportunity to explore various business units within Baird while also developing a deep relationship with my team and department.”
In addition to the substance of the experience, Brian also appreciated Baird’s culture. “I got the opportunity to speak with many directors and senior associates demonstrating a flat firm. Some knew my name before even meeting them. Overall, it was a great environment that was supportive and invested in my growth.” Brian’s manager had a similarly positive summer experience, noting that “Brian is an all-star” and “an incredibly impressive young man with a very bright future.”
Baird was one of nine partners to host a 2021 ATLAS Fellow this past summer. Although these Fellows were rising sophomores and oftentimes the youngest of their intern class, ATLAS received tremendously positive feedback about their contributions. In the words of one partner, “Everyone was blown away by the Fellows’ professionalism and endurance! The consensus is that the ATLAS program provides wonderful talent” and another noted that “it was great to have a candidate that was well vetted, coming to us with experience and structure. With ATLAS, you’re almost guaranteed to have a great experience.”
Brian has some advice for firms who are considering employing Fellows in the future: “Having trust in Fellows is important. Through the ATLAS program, Fellows are becoming very competitive professionals and are as competitive as other professionals within the industry. Trust is important for building an inclusive and positive relationship that will help Fellows feel more confident to express their ideas.”
Interested in hosting an ATLAS Fellow as an intern next summer? Contact Phoebe Anderson, executive director at panderson@bamfunds.com.
