Alum inspires societal change through finance and public policy leadership
Themba Shongwe ’18 is making impactful strides in finance and public policy as a Financial Markets Advisory (FMA) associate. His diverse client base includes governments, banks, and public institutions. FMA is a division of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager.
Shongwe, a native of the southern African country Eswatini, attended Skidmore as a Davis United World College scholar. Inspired by his mother’s nursing career, he expected to study health sciences. But after he read Dambisa Moyo’s book, “Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa,” Shongwe turned his interest toward management and business, focusing on finance and public policy to drive societal change.
“The book is based on the well-known adage ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime,’ and that really spoke to me,” says Shongwe, agreeing with the book’s premise that increasing trade and investment is a more sustainable solution than aid alone.
At Skidmore, Shongwe was extensively involved in the Student Government Association. He was elected as first-year class president and served as vice president for inclusion. He also chaired the Committee on Inclusion and Outreach. Shongwe was instrumental in growing the newly formed African Heritage Awareness Club, with the purpose of building a space for African students and educating others about Africa. Being a member of the United Nations Club as well enabled him to advance his interests in finance, policy, regulation, and diversity and equity.
“Part of the benefits of a liberal arts education is the extracurricular opportunities that enable you to follow your passions and interests beyond the classroom,” says Shongwe, who started his career with BlackRock when he was a junior at Skidmore.
He returns to Skidmore every semester as a guest instructor in the Department of Management and Business.