Graduate Story: Steve Tusa ’97, J.P. Morgan
Dickinson helped me transform my work ethic and get me to a point where when I graduated, I was hungry and really willing to work for something.
—Steve Tusa ’97
For 24 years, Steve Tusa ’97 has been with J.P. Morgan, a leading U.S.-based financial services firm. There, he’s a managing director, the highest-level title attainable as a senior equity research analyst. You may have seen him on CNBC, when popular shows like Squawk Box and The Halftime Report turn to the former political science major for analysis of headline news and calls he’s made on certain stocks.
Tell us a little about your position.
My team plays a critical role at the center of most activity within J.P. Morgan’s investment bank. We advise institutional money managers, also known as the buyside, on which of the stocks in our coverage universe they should buy or sell through our in-depth research—a service that they subscribe to—many times through trades with our desk in the Sales and Trading Department. We also help our investment bankers stay informed on fundamental industry trends and client sentiment to help them advise their corporate clients. We also play a critical role in the IPO and capital markets activity through due diligence on new and secondary issues, helping bankers and investors with the price-discovery process.
My boss runs North America equity research, reports to the co-head of global research and then that feeds into the head of the investment bank, who reports to [CEO] Jamie Dimon. J.P. Morgan has built its franchise around its people and has engendered a lot of loyalty, and it’s a phenomenal place to have been for the last 20 years.
What was your Dickinson experience like?
At Dickinson, you definitely felt like you weren't just a number in the crowd. College was a tough transition for me, and they helped me through, and I think that’s one of the benefits of being at a small school. I met some phenomenal teachers, and it was challenging academically. All the opportunities to interact with people were there, and to have a little fun on the side, which I think is also important. I had the opportunity to play on the club hockey team, and we ended up winning the Mason-Dixon Collegiate Hockey Association championship back in 1996. That was a ton of fun and one of my best memories.
How did Dickinson help prepare you for where you are today?
At a place like J.P. Morgan, once you reach a senior level, a lot of the analysis becomes somewhat philosophical. There's a lot of emotion in the market, and there's a lot of sifting through data and information to combine that with to figure out what are the most important facts, what the mosaic and narrative is. Dickinson teaches you how to process and think in a bit more of an abstract way and not be so consensus-driven. Dickinson also helped me transform my work ethic and get me to a point where when I graduated, I was hungry and really willing to work for something.
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Published August 16, 2022