Meet Ken Beebe '09

Where do you live?

I live in Havertown, PA outside of Philadelphia with my wife and our two sons.

What do you do for work currently?

Senior Vice President & Head of Portfolio Management at Firstrust Financial Resources. I oversee our firm’s advisory business, leading our investment committee, and managing the Portfolio Services Team.

What did you learn at IC that helped you get to where you are today (personally or professionally)?

I learned the power of combining technical skills with a strong professional network. My finance courses and my involvement in our student-run mutual fund provided a solid foundation for me to feel confident in my abilities. But I learned that you have to proactively build your network in a genuine way and advocate for yourself in order to find opportunities and develop your career. I still think about that balance. I’m continuously learning and building my skills, while always putting in the time to deepen the relationships I have with colleagues and clients. Having the right mix builds trust and leads to opportunities for growth.

How did you get involved with IC after graduating (did you volunteer? Did you speak in a classroom? Attend events?)?

Since I graduated, I’ve sought out opportunities to stay involved in the IC community. One of the best ways is to hire talented IC graduates and help them develop their career. I’ve hired a number of IC alums and have held many career discussions with students interested in learning about the investment industry. As someone who was a direct beneficiary of alumni support in my own career, I understand the positive impact that connection can have on students.

I also stay connected with several of the professors who helped me develop, and I come back to campus to meet with students in the School of Business. I’ve participated in panel discussions on careers in the investment industry and have led longer discussions with finance classes in the trading room.

Why do you LOVE IC?

Simple. It’s the people. Ithaca has a beautiful campus, the town has a ton to offer, and the college has programs with unique strengths. But above all that, Ithaca attracts students and faculty that are genuine. They’re people that understand the big picture and know what matters. I felt it while I was a student, and I continue to see it within the alumni community.
I’ve stayed close to my core group from IC and consider them my closest friends. We’ve gone through important milestones together and we’ve been there for each other through lots of ups and downs.

Anything else?

From a personal and professional standpoint, Ithaca College has had an outsized impact on my life. When I first came to Ithaca in 2005, I was recruited to play soccer. The first hour of my first practice, I suffered a major knee injury that left me unable to play for the remainder of my college career. Although it was devastating, I decided it was an opportunity to get involved in other campus activities. Fortunately for me, one of the main reasons I chose IC over other schools was because of the quality of all the campus offerings outside of the athletics program, as I wanted to have a well-rounded experience. The IC community quickly embraced me and I found my home in the School of Business, where I uncovered my interest in finance. On the recommendation of a friend, I joined the Core Trading Consultants who ran the Ithaca College Mutual Fund, which sparked my passion for investing. I advanced within that organization, eventually assuming the role of Chief Investment Officer my senior year.

As I began to excel in my finance courses, Professor Hormoz Movassaghi connected me with Dave Fleisher ’91, who hired me as an intern and began to serve as my mentor. After college, I relocated to Philadelphia to join Dave’s firm, Firstrust Financial Resources, launching my career in finance where I still work today. I met my wife at FFR and we are now raising our two boys together outside of Philadelphia. 

I trace my most significant personal and professional accomplishments back to Ithaca. IC shaped my career path, supported me during a challenging personal injury, and eventually guided me toward my family.

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