“When I wake up every day the first thing I say is, ‘this is going to be the best day of my life,’” Carbone told a group of Rutgers–Camden business students who recently had the chance to participate in a discussion with the bank executive.
Carbone is the senior vice president of TD Bank Financial Group and regional president of TD Bank’s Metro Philadelphia Market. He was the guest speaker at Rutgers–Camden’s Master of Business Administration Executive Lunch Series on April 15.
The event, held each semester, provides Rutgers MBA students with the opportunity to meet with a local business executive. The spring semester luncheon was held at Caffe Aldo Lamberti on Route 70 in Cherry Hill.
Richard Michelfelder, an assistant professor of finance at Rutgers School of Business–Camden, facilitated the discussion between Carbone and 11 Rutgers–Camden MBA candidates.
“It’s a chance for the MBA students to get some insight into all the skills and disciplines that senior executives need to know,” Michelfelder explained. “It’s a great opportunity to hear from Carbone what made him successful. They learned more in two hours here than they do in many classes.”
Carbone, who grew up in Camden, talked about the importance of having an appreciation for and understanding of all business disciplines. He told them to be flexible and communicate.
“In business, the most important aspect is how you communicate,” he said. “You never get anywhere in an adversarial situation. Don’t be afraid to get involved. Don’t be afraid of failure. Have a positive attitude. If you really believe you can do it, you will do it.”
At TD Bank, Carbone oversees all retail and commercial bank services and profit centers, consumer and commercial lending and government banking in Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, Coastal New Jersey and Delaware.
The students took advantage of the opportunity to ask Carbone about the economy, the banking and financial industry, networking, and TD Bank’s business model.
“What we learn in the classroom provides the backbone and the knowledge, but this provided us with a chance to meet someone who runs a business and who communicates as a leader and thinks strategically,” said Laurel Springs resident Charles Flick, a secondary market manager at Sun National Bank and a Rutgers–Camden MBA student.
Carbone started his banking career with First Fidelity Bank in 1986. He also worked at United Jersey Bank South before moving on to Commerce Bank, which was acquired by TD Bank in 2007.
“During the course of a merger, I was able to promote six people and we were able to put our plan in motion,” Carbone told the group. “You have to be able to execute your plan, but you also have to keep your plan as a working document. Be flexible.”
Carbone also told the group to not be afraid of failure.
“There’s nothing wrong with setback,” he said. “It’s what you do after you have a setback. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s out there. I’m surrounded by some of the brightest people in the financial industry. I’m not the smartest person out there, but I surround myself with the smartest people.”
Beverly Ballard, a Rutgers MBA student from Glassboro, said Carbone provided the group with some sound advice.
“These luncheons are a phenomenal way to understand the reality because it’s something you don’t really get in a classroom,” said Ballard, who works as a senior technologist for product development at Campbell Soup Company. “What he told us today, we’ll all take with us. He talked a lot about project management, having a business plan, how to have a good attitude and how your business promotes its people. That’s valuable information.”
Carbone earned his undergraduate degree in economics from Rowan University and has accreditation in financial analysis from the University of Michigan. He is active in several community organizations, including the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.
Established in 2005 at the Camden Campus of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the executive lunch series provides Rutgers–Camden MBA students with the opportunity to learn from an area executive while honing their networking and etiquette skills.
In 2009, students who attended the lunch series had a chance to speak with two executives who earned their MBA from the Rutgers School of Business–Camden. Tony D’Alessandro, IT director of strategy and architecture at the Dow Chemical Company, was the guest speaker for the spring 2009 session. Greylind Wherry, who works in financial planning and analysis for Sony SDAD, was the featured guest in the fall 2009 semester.
Past speakers also include David Kindlick, vice president and chief financial officer of South Jersey Industries and senior vice president and chief financial officer of South Jersey Gas; Denise Malecki, partner at Accenture; and Irene Britt, president of North America Food Service for Campbell USA.
Media Contact: Ed Moorhouse
856-225-6759
E-mail: ejmoor@camden.rutgers.edu