From the Midwest to the Northeast

When Jim Seward, professor of finance, first came to the Whitman School of Management, he was a visiting professor hailing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Two years later, he’s decided to stay.

With more than 30 years of teaching experience, Professor Seward brings a wealth of wisdom to the Whitman School, including his experience with student consulting projects for leading Fortune 500 companies.

“I’ve personally managed 160 student teams working on different projects,” said Professor Seward. “At Whitman, I’ve continued to manage student teams through Consurtio, the student-run firm, as well as via the courses I teach here.”

Professor Seward currently teaches Corporate Financial Management and Microfinance at the undergraduate level, as well as Corporate Restructuring at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

“The Microfinance course provides students with expertise in a growing area of finance,” explained Professor Seward. “They learn about credit analysis and as part of the course, they will work with underserved populations, globally and hopefully here in Syracuse, New York, as well, where lower income individuals need small amounts of money to create their own businesses.”

In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Professor Seward is currently working on five or six research projects related to leveraged buy-outs and corporate spin-offs.

With 30 years of teaching experience, Professor Seward has a great love for his students and the connections he’s able to make for them.

“I love seeing students be successful,” he said. “I’m still connected with alumni and I love to follow their careers, particularly when they are successful. That’s the most rewarding part – when they are successful and doing well long after they’ve graduated.”

When Professor Seward is not in the classroom, he enjoys traveling and spending time with his family. He hopes to someday become a “46er” and climb all the Adirondack high peaks!