A Student Executive Team Spotlight on Brett Schlesinger ('22)
For this month’s student spotlight, we would like to introduce a member of our executive team, Brett Schlesinger (’22), the new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Brett is a junior from Charleston, South Carolina studying Computer Science in the College of Arts & Sciences with a business minor. On-campus, Brett is a member of the Cornell Men’s Lightweight Rowing Team— a top-ranked national program.
This past fall, Brett took off of school to work as an intern at Kroll Bond Rating Agency, a credit rating company. He worked for Kroll for six months prior to joining Student Agencies this winter. Through his professional experience with Kroll, as well as the skills he learned in building a web app in React—A JavaScript library for building user interfaces—Brett was interested in exploring the intersection of computer science and business. Through former teammate and current SAI President Charlie Lee (‘22), Brett discovered the CTO opening and applied soon thereafter.
In his new role as Chief Technology Officer, Brett hopes to bring the skills that he learned from Kroll into Student Agencies. His current priority is a project that involves creating a new way for SAI alumni to connect. Called Graduway, this digital networking platform will provide an avenue for the exchange of mentorship and guidance between SAI alumni and members of the current team. He is also working with Big Red Shipping & Storage on improving the UI (appearance or presentation) of their website through Salesforce. More specifically, Brett, Alayna, and Drew are working on upgrading the checkout process on the BRSS website. In addition, Brett is attempting to modernize Hired Hands to create a more professional interface in React. By the end of his time at Student Agencies, Brett hopes to leave a lasting technological footprint on the company by bringing innovation to each of its businesses.
Looking forward, Brett is most excited for the professional experience that comes with the CTO role: “Most computer science majors and engineers do not always have the ability to lead and manage. The CTO role provides a unique opportunity to lead and utilize my engineering skills in a more executive setting.” With a chance to hone his leadership skills, Brett looks forward to expanding his competencies. Finally, Brett is excited to join the SAI network composed of so many diverse students and accomplished alumni. Welcome to the SAI team Brett!
