By John Marcante, CIO and Managing Director, Vanguard Information Technology

This summer, Vanguard hosted our first Information Technology Explore Day, tapping into some of the best and brightest IT talent in the Greater Philadelphia region. More than 50 students representing 20 local colleges and universities participated in a day-long workshop on Vanguard’s Malvern campus.

These college students have a passion for technology and are pursuing a variety of technical majors ranging from cyber security to computer science. The packed agenda for the day included challenging case studies, inspiring lectures, and collaborative working sessions with senior Vanguard leaders.

Personally, I also had the opportunity to speak about the exciting opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for a career in the IT profession. As I interacted with these bright young minds, I reflected on what has proven to be the formula for success in an IT career, particularly at Vanguard.

The first ingredient is passion—hand-in-hand with compassion. Ideas generated in Vanguard’s IT & Security division are turned into technology that helps our investors save and invest their hard-earned dollars to fulfill their dreams. All of our technology is driven by our core purpose: to give investors the best chance for investment success.

At the heart of delivering on this mission is the passion of our people. Throughout IT Explore Day, the students were presented with scenarios to show how they can innovate and impact the lives of others.

For example, in one of the morning sessions, a number of Vanguard’s IT leaders and students engaged in an energetic brainstorm on a new application geared toward digitally-oriented, novice investors that is making it easier for young people to save for the future.

The students asked thought-provoking questions and challenged not only each other, but our in-house technical experts as well.

The next essential quality of our IT professionals is ingenuity. At the intersection of technology and business lies fertile ground for new ideas. Each of the participants demonstrated ingenuity as they took part in a simulation in which they had to unlock a box using codes and riddles.

The exercise prompted collaboration and spirited debate—vital skills for realizing world-changing ideas. The atmosphere of the day was reflective of Vanguard’s working environment: collaborative, creative, and engaging. I was honored to take part, and witness the emergence of this burgeoning Philadelphia talent.

Finally, success in the IT world requires balance. Vanguard’s IT professionals take on challenging and versatile careers that require a diverse set of skills. Just like IT Explore Day offered opportunities for the students to flex both technical and interpersonal skills, Vanguard places enormous emphasis on cultivating well-rounded leaders.

Specific to IT, we know it’s not enough for our leaders to be strictly technical. Our IT professionals must manage relationships, communicate effectively, and develop business acumen.

For this reason, training and development programs such as Vanguard’s Technology Leadership Program (TLP), a two-year development program for budding IT talent, are an integral part of our culture. The students demonstrated an indisputable intellectual curiosity and met every challenge of the day, technical or otherwise, with excitement.

I was impressed by the demonstration of these essential qualities—passion, ingenuity, and balance—throughout the day. This event builds on a strong partnership with our Greater Philadelphia community to foster up-and-coming talent. As the largest employer in Chester County, Vanguard has long been a benefactor of the vast amount of talent right here in our backyard.

I am continuously inspired by our local students’ passion and hunger to learn. It is truly a sign of a bright career ahead.