Golden Key Board of Directors: Peter Veruki

Back in 1988, Golden Key Board of Directors member Peter Veruki was contacted by the then Owen Graduate School of Management dean Marty Geisel to come work at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. The two met when Veruki was recruiting and training MBAs on Wall Street and Geisel was looking for Wall Street jobs for his MBA candidates at the University of Rochester. Although he was not initially interested in leaving New York for Nashville, Geisel eventually won him over, and Veruki came on board to not only lead up the Owen’s Career Center but also use his New York connections and relationships to create opportunities for Owen students.
Upon his arrival, Veruki immediately adjusted the manner in which the career center operated. Rather than wait to be contacted by companies, like most career centers do, he would take students, or at least their resumes, with him out on the road to present to companies. The Owen School’s reputation quickly improved, and the school went from a regional institution to one of a national status. Even in a desolate job market, Peter Veruki helped students find roles after Owen.  One of these was Eric Noll, a MBA ’90 graduate who is now the Executive Vice President of NASDAQ OMX Group’s Transaction Services. “’When I left Owen, I had an offer from the Chicago Board Options Exchange. Before I started at Owen, I didn’t realize that such jobs existed. But Peter and Hans Stoll really opened my eyes. They educated us on what kinds of jobs were out there and how to get them.’”
The culture at Owen is now a renowned culture- one that is appreciated by today’s employers. Vanderbilt MBAs have shown incredible success in the workforce, and this has become apparent across the country. Many graduates can be found in boardrooms across the globe. In light of Veruki’s impact at Owen, it was announced last year that there will be a scholarship named in his honor. For now, the scholarship will maintain the title as the Wall Street Scholarship until Veruki retires, in which it will be given his name.