ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business today announced that it will host the inaugural event for the new Och Initiative for Women in Finance at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 22 at the school’s campus in Ann Arbor. The event will feature a keynote by Carla Harris, Vice Chairman, Global Wealth Management, Managing Director and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley; a panel presentation by senior BBA students; and several major financial institutions that will hold recruiting events at Ross that evening.

Michigan Ross created the new initiative to increase awareness among women about careers in finance and improve undergraduate students’ access to those careers through specialized curricular and co-curricular experiences. The school is creating a lineup of programs, special events and coursework that will incorporate alumni mentors, hands-on learning projects and professional development workshops. The initiative is made possible through a significant gift by Ross alumna Jane C. Och and Daniel S. Och of Scarsdale, N.Y., through the Jane and Daniel Och Family Foundation.

“We are very proud to inspire and empower students through this new initiative at Michigan Ross,” said Lynn Wooten, associate dean for undergraduate programs. “The type of programming and events we are planning will make a positive impact on students’ educational and career paths, as well as the finance industry.”

Harris’ keynote presentation will focus on themes from her book Expect to Win, which outlines strategies for long-term success in any career while climbing the corporate ladder. At Morgan Stanley, Harris is vice chairman for Global Wealth Management, managing director and senior client advisor, where she is responsible for forging strong client relationships to enhance revenue generation across the firm. She formerly headed the Emerging Manager Platform, the equity capital markets effort for the consumer and retail industries, and was responsible for equity private placements. Harris has extensive industry experience in the technology, media, retail, telecommunications, transportation, industrial and healthcare sectors.

The event is open to students who are interested in learning more about supporting women in finance, but is specifically targeted for undergraduate business students. Students interested in attending can email rossugprograms@umich.edu to register. Visit www.michiganross.umich.edu/bba to learn more about the Michigan Ross BBA program.

About Michigan Ross

The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is a vibrant and distinctive learning community grounded in the principle that business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in today's dynamic global economy. The Ross mission is to develop leaders who make a positive difference in the world. Through thought and action, members of the Ross community drive change and innovation that improves business and society.

Ross is consistently ranked among the world's leading business schools. Academic degree programs include the BBA, MBA, Part-time MBA (Evening and Weekend formats), Executive MBA, Global MBA, Master of Accounting, Master of Supply Chain Management, Master of Management, and PhD. In addition, the school delivers open-enrollment and custom executive education programs targeting general management, leadership development, and strategic human resource management.