St. John’s Energy Fueled Alumnus’ Success in Finance

Like many of his classmates at St. John’s, he did not come with family connections or privilege. “What I did bring to the table was my work ethic,” he explained. “Everyone in the business program was self-made. There were no handouts. We worked hard, put ourselves through college, worked multiple jobs, and valued learning.”  

From an early age in his hometown of New Paltz, NY, Mr. Beatty was fascinated with the financial markets of Wall Street. St. John’s was “an obvious choice,” he remembers, and he loved “the energy and the intensity” of the Queens, NY, campus.  

His favorite academic memories include a pipe-smoking sociology professor and the acquisition of a unique skill in a business class: the art of folding a broadsheet newspaper vertically, into eight-inch sections, in order to read it without disturbing other subway commuters. “It was an intricate folding pattern where you could read the column and then flip it to continue the story. I remember thinking, this is such a New York experience to read TheWall Street Journal on the train into the city.” 

Although most of his time on campus was spent studying in his favorite building, St. Augustine Hall, aka the library—“it’s gorgeous”—Mr. Beatty also played football for St. John’s and recalls “a real camaraderie” among the athletic teams. Members of his football team would play softball games against the Men’s Basketball team in nearby Cunningham Park, providing a strong sense of friendship and community. 

The hustle didn’t stop after graduation, and Mr. Beatty took on analyst positions at Dean Witter Reynolds and J.P. Morgan, building a foundation in financial controls and risk. He ascended quickly through technical and operational leadership into global executive management. He served as Chief Financial Officer of a tech startup, Webivore Knowledge Systems, LLC, before joining Morgan Stanley, where he worked in New York, NY; Hong Kong, China; Frankfurt, Germany; and currently, London, England. A Managing Director since 2009, he is now Chief Operating Officer for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, where he develops and implements business strategy and oversees all operations. 

Mr. Beatty is married and has three children. An avid European padel player, he is active with several charities, most notably, the Felix Project, a growing organization addressing food insecurity by partnering with farms, grocery stores, and restaurants to obtain excess food that would otherwise be wasted. Instead, volunteers prepare and deliver millions of meals annually to those in need.  

Reflecting on his own global journey in business, his advice to today’s students is to work hard, and to “believe in yourself, because if you don’t, nobody else will.” He has learned that persevering through difficult times and taking calculated risks builds essential confidence. 

“I am not a natural extrovert, but I spend 90 percent of my time talking to people and groups, and speaking at panel discussions and in board meetings,” he said. “You must be willing to get out of your comfort zone to improve your performance.”