Sekou Kaalund '97,
bank examiner

"I moved quickly," Kaalund says, his subtle southern accent defying his message. Thirty-three stories below his office the streets of New York's Financial District rumble under the heels of bankers and brokers rushing to work. "I'm constantly seeking new challenges. And the Fed has been great at giving me that."

Sekou Kaalund began his career at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York-one of the most influential banking entities in the world-only five years ago. Since that time he has ascended from the Banking Application division to the Financial Examinations division to his current position as examiner-in-charge and senior relationship specialist. He currently manages bank examinations of foreign banks in five countries-the recent addition of Italy to the list being the latest challenge the Fed has afforded him-with total US assets of over $18 billion.

Sekou Kaalund '97

A veritable baby in the world of big-time banking, 28-year-old Kaalund supervises U.S. operations of banks from these countries and leads a team of examiners who assess specific risks within the individual banks. Using these findings Kaalund ultimately rates these banks and make recommendations based on industry trends, best practices, and regulatory guidance to address any areas of concern.

Rating foreign banks is a complex and towering task, but one of his most formidable challenges is leading a team of examiners who in all likelihood have been in the field longer than Kaalund has had a checking account. While the former challenge requires a certain degree of technical knowledge and specialization in various risk areas, the latter requires personal skills and emotional intelligence.

"It's all about relationships," he says. "A brilliant mind will only get you so far without interpersonal skills."

Kaalund's ability to relate to all types of people, from secretaries to CEOs, has afforded him a vital degree of credibility with his teams, with senior management, and with the banks he examines. "It's a balance that a lot of people in this field do not strike," he says. "But when you relate to people, you build their confidence and earn their trust. And the world of business is about trust.

"In addition to trust, a key component in Kaalund's relationship formula is communication. "My writing experience at Hampden-Sydney has served me well at the Fed," he explains. "The ability to analyze and synthesize arguments and numbers and make it clear to someone who doesn't have time to read a 20-page report has been extremely valuable."

Kaalund also cites the value of a public speaking class with professor Lowell Frye. He specifi cally recalls an assignment for which he and Tim Beatty '97 performed a rendition of the famous debate between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois. They ended up taking the routine on the road, presenting it at various venues on campus and in the community.

Kaalund's flair for public speaking also earned him the 2002 Orator of the Year award in a competition sponsored by Urban Financial Services Coalition (UFSC), the largest association of minority professionals in the financial services industry. Competing at the national level against a motivational speaker and a prominent politician, Kaalund used his undergraduate background in the Classics to relate ancient concepts with present business examples.

In addition to focusing on the Classics and majoring in Spanish at Hampden-Sydney, Kaalund was in the second class of students to participate in the James Madison Public Service Certificate Program. That outlet provided a perfect match for Kaalund, who as a student directed an after-school mentoring and tutorial program for local youth at risk. His interest in community development as an undergraduate attracted the attention of the National Economic Development & Law Center, who invited him to speak at an economic development conference in his senior year.

Kaalund says that part of his life has only grown stronger. He is currently active in Banking on Our Future, an organization that partners with inner city public schools to teach students about economic education and empowerment. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the New York Chapter of UFSC and the Kappa Foundation's Community Involvement Program-through which he spends his lunch once a week reading to elementary school students-and is vice-president of NextGen Network.

"Serving others is an important part of my life," he explains. "In the process, I've been blessed tremendously. I'd feel empty if I only focused on my career.

"Hampden-Sydney's Public Service Program also helped place Kaalund in government internships with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Treasury's Community Development Financial Institution Fund, and the White House.

After Hampden-Sydney he received his Master's in Public Policy at Duke University, where he was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow in Public Policy as well as a Donnelly Foundation Fellow. While at Duke he also operated a consulting firm, SK Solutions, that provided fundraising, financial analysis, and media relations management services for non-profit institutions.

Kaalund learned that his professional passion lay at the intersection of public policy and private enterprise. When the Federal Reserve Bank-an institution whose focus is on governmental policy but whose practices align with the private sector banking industry-recruited him, he knew he had found an ideal fit.

In his relatively short time at the Fed, Kaalund has received a number of performance awards, including the esteemed President's Award. And he is no stranger to media recognition. Having appeared in USA Today, Fortune magazine, and various other publications, he was most recently recognized in the February 2003 edition of Ebony magazine as one of 22 "Young Leaders of the Future."

All of this attention has garnered Kaalund some big job offers within the investment banking market. But the private sector's lure has not swayed him. "The money might have been nice, but I had to ask myself: do I want to work 100 hours a week and be divorced in the first few years of marriage, or do I want to continue on a solid trajectory?" says Kaalund, whose wife and former high school sweetheart is director of provider services for Cigna Healthcare in New York.

"A lot of us chose careers in college based on money. But that perspective changes," Kaalund says. "The point is that money itself will never fulfill you if you don't choose a career that allows you to act on your passions. That means thinking beyond the numbers, thinking instead about the questions that religion, philosophy, or the Classics force you to consider. In order to be happy-in order to choose a career you're passionate about-you have to know yourself. And the humanities play a critical role in that."