Past Employee Spotlight - Brian Dzuban

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and background?

“My name is Brian Dzuban and I am an upcoming junior at the University of Pittsburgh studying finance and marketing. I actually started out on a pre-dental track but quickly realized that wasn't for me. I transferred into the  business school at the beginning of my sophomore year and felt a little bit behind my classmates, but I became involved with some clubs and organizations such as my business fraternity, the Real Estate Association at Pitt, and the JLL Real Estate Finance Academy. Getting involved helped me feel more on track and also narrowed my interests for my professional career.”

Q: How did you hear about GTE, and why did you want to work at GTE?

“I first heard about GTE at the beginning of my sophomore year from a past intern, Khaled Abdelatey, but since I recently just transferred into the business school, I wasn't even thinking about an internship. Then, again in the spring I talked to Khaled as well as Bryce Genello and Jake Werth. They are some of my closest friends, so when I heard about their great experience, I knew that it could be a great fit for me. I was really interested in the GTE educational series and guest speakers. I felt that in school, more basic topics were covered while at GTE there would be topics targeted more towards finance and private equity. I also love learning from people who have firsthand experience, so I knew the guest speakers would be very intriguing and a good chance for me to learn and network.”

Q: Could you talk briefly about your time at GTE?

“There was a wide range of tasks we got to be involved in hands-on. We conducted a good amount of industry research and formulated lists of searchers, businesses, MBA EtA (entrepreneurship through acquisition) students to network with and even discuss potential business opportunities. We learned the basic criteria when searching for a business to acquire and then some ins and outs of the entire search process. The biggest challenge that was new to the program was the brand promoting content my team and I created. This consisted of social media posts, blog posts, and newsletters that promote GTE and informative search related topics.”

Q: What is some advice you would give future interns?

“I’m relaying this from a past intern, but it is just so useful. You’re only going to get out what you put in, and that goes for really any experience. If you show up everyday ready to learn something new, you are already ahead of so many others because you are getting real, professional experience. The environment allows you to work on soft skills like communication, working with a team, and taking an entrepreneurial approach to problem solving, which usually consists of tackling different tasks each day. Everyone involved with GTE is successful and a great resource. I know that after my internship I will still be in touch with people because of the strong network I have built during my time here.”