Jeannie Hirsch first came to visit the University of Virginia after a particularly cold winter in her hometown of Rochester, New York. As she stood on the Lawn and saw students enjoying the mid-spring sunshine, she knew she wanted to come to UVA.
When Hirsch arrived that fall, student-run organizations helped her to focus her interests.
“I joined a couple of business clubs my first year, and those really lit a fire in me,” she said. “I was like, ‘This is absolutely what I’m passionate about,’ especially investing in particular, and that pushed me definitively toward the McIntire School of Commerce.”
One of those clubs was The Alternative Investment Fund, which focuses on investing in unconventional industries and markets. “We differentiate ourselves from other investing clubs by really valuing alternative viewpoints and strategies,” Hirsch said. “We look at special situations – merger arbitrage, commodities, and global events to fuel unique investments.”
Hirsch has served in several roles, including the meeting head of the Investment Committee and two years as the chief operating officer. In a male-dominated field, she believes her experience in the club gave her important management skills.
“In my role, I was guiding the conversation around our fund portfolio to a group of mostly men, which was a leadership experience in itself,” Hirsch said. “Our focus for the past year or two has not only been trying to get female representation up, but also trying to make sure everyone from all backgrounds feels integrated and part of the club.”
