Path to Success for Alumnus Began at St. John’s

The son of immigrant parents from Guyana, Sean Soman ’98CBA never truly felt comfortable in school until he arrived at St. John’s University. 

Several factors influenced his decision to attend St. John’s University. He attended St John’s Preparatory School in Queens, NY, which had a relationship with the University. “So, I was exposed to the University early,” he recalled.  “I was interested in business, and the program had produced many great people. I loved the Men’s Basketball team and Coach Lou Carnesecca ’50SJC, ’60M.S.Ed., ’00HON. All those things were a factor.” Living in Kew Gardens also made it very convenient, he noted.

Mr. Soman worked during the day at Mutual of America Insuranceand took evening courses at St. John’s; it matured him quickly because he studied alongside professionals who were already working. “Going there at night in those small classes was so helpful to me,” he explained. 

“College trained me for insomnia,” he joked. “I would come home from school and study until 12:30 at night. It was exciting. The professors were great. I loved the small class size, and you got great, personalized attention.”

It was not an easy schedule, but he recognized the benefits: “I didn’t have any loans,” he proudly notes. “I worked full time and paid for my education.” 

Upon graduation, they offered him a job. “Doing cost estimates for people dying did not sound very exciting,” Mr. Soman observed. 

So, he changed industries. “A recruiter called me and asked if I knew anything about advertising. I told her no, but she offered me an interview anyway.”  He began his career at Young & Rubicam, one of the real-life ad agencies featured in Mad Men. “I fell in love with the industry. I went from analyst to finance director and stayed for almost 12 years.”

Currently, Mr. Soman serves as Global Finance Director at Omnicom Production, the production arm of Omnicom Inc., currently, the largest advertising holding company in the industry. He has enjoyed a long and successful career, embodied by profitability and growth.  

Mr. Soman advises any St. John’s student he meets to do at least one internship. “This will give you a great sense of the industry you are considering,” he said. “I have hired former interns.”

He added that once a student arrives in the workforce, they should be prepared to relearn what they have learned in school. “You have to apply it to the real world. It’s great to have a mentor like I did.”

“I really enjoy mentoring grads,” Mr. Soman observed, noting that in prior roles he has worked with high school students to inspire them to take math courses and to not be afraid of numbers. “This is what I love to do. Also, I’m an extrovert. I get along with people. This is something I try to help people with, especially those who are introverted. I’m all about positive feedback.”

“And when people ask where I went to school, it makes me realize that St. John’s carries a lot of weight. They’re affiliated with a lot of businesses,” he said. “Alumni are everywhere. St John’s provides a vast and enduring network,” he reflected.