BBH has a well-established partnership with local universities offering six-month co-op positions to college students in several of our US offices. Among those is Drexel University’s College of Computing and Informatics (CCI), home to undergraduates in STEM-related fields. CCI partners with BBH, through their Corporate Partners Program, to provide students with a hands-on learning experience in a business setting prior to their graduation.

Co-ops spend six months working on one of BBH’s technology teams and are encouraged to embrace all that we have to offer, such as exploring the firm’s various affinity (BANC) networks and attending firm-hosted events. Our program is structured to help co-ops envision what their future career could look like at BBH.

Former Systems co-op, Shaina Banerjee, shares her insights and takeaways while one of our program champions, Travis Partington, Vice President of Platform Configuration, dives into the benefits of manager participation in the program.

What have you gained from participating in the co-op and working at BBH?

I have seen myself grow tremendously over the last six months through my work with BBHers who come from a variety of personal and professional backgrounds. I have learned something from everyone I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with which has helped my network grow in the best way.

What was your biggest learning experience from the program?

Working on the frontline of our cyberthreat defense team, I received first-hand experience understanding security vulnerabilities and risks, especially with the growing use of Generative AI, which can present sophisticated attempts to compromise our security. I had the opportunity to contribute ideas and execute plans designed to keep BBH secure, sometimes making time-sensitive decisions to prevent any business threats.

Can you share a highlight from your time at BBH?

I was trusted with security decisions to implement proxies to meet end user requirements while meeting the strict policies and security standards as outlined by BBH’s cybersecurity management. It’s been a fun challenge to navigate through the dynamic nature of changing policies and security standards to enhance the security posture for all BBH employees. From working with senior management to other co-ops, I’ve seen my work make an impact across the firm at all levels, which gave me a great sense of purpose -- all while learning about and working with the latest tools and gaining industry exposure.

As an experienced manager of our Drexel co-ops, Travis Partington shares his insights into BBH’s partnership with Drexel and the benefits of the program.

How has the program impacted or benefited your team and work?

Our department combines many different aspects for technology and security to successfully execute our mandate. The co-op helps refine the procedures and technology that we use and offers an outside perspective on work that can become repetitive. Despite a lack of firsthand experience with this type of work, the co-ops look at our processes through a new lens, ask questions about the objectives and outcome desired, and most important, the “why” of what we do. We have found this invaluable as our program has matured. We appreciate that some of our program successes can be attributed to a Systems grad or co-op looking at a workflow and asking, “What if?”

What has been one highlight of participating in this program?

Co-ops want to be challenged, tested, and know that they have the level of critical thinking needed to contribute at a high level. The highlight for me is seeing our co-ops find solutions to their own question and that leaves no doubt that the experience was worth it on both sides. I find that I learn as much, if not more from the co-op, than they do from me.

What would you share with managers regarding the program?

Raise your hand, sign up and experience what it is like to see your team’s deliverables through someone else’s eyes. The commitment is worth it, and in the end, both you and the co-op will have shared a singular experience that can’t be replicated.

At BBH, our success starts with yours! If you’re interested in exploring a career in IT or are looking to expand your expertise, the BBH Systems group is looking for talented individuals to join the team. Visit the Careers page on bbh.com to review open roles.