In the boardroom of Genworth Financial’s sparkling new headquarters in Richmond this April, a group of nine RMC juniors and seniors participated in a session of Access C-Suite, a career leadership program designed to facilitate face-to-face interaction for ambitious students with top local executives. 

The students toured the new facility, received advice on resumes, interviews, and internships from Genworth’s talent acquisition team, then participated in a Q&A session with Genworth President & CEO Tom McInerney and Chief Human Resources Officer Melissa Hagerman. Genworth Financial is a Fortune 500 company that focuses on long-term care insurance, and is also the parent company of Enact Holdings, a mortgage insurance provider. 

Going beyond traditional one-on-one mentoring, Access C-Suite aims to empower students to build connections within the community and gain a better understanding of business and career growth opportunities. The trip to Genworth was the third such visit this semester.

“Students involved in the program are being afforded wonderful opportunities to learn and make connections,” said Associate Executive Director of the Edge Career Center Cathy Rollman, who developed the program. “We are excited about the possibilities these visits will open.”

Chad Caples, Genworth’s Head of Talent Acquisition, provided advice on how to land internships and jobs, noting that “candidates are only as memorable as the stories they share.” In regard to crafting a resume, he urged students to put forward “the best version of yourself on paper.” 

The students asked thoughtful questions on the executives’ personal career paths, decisions and strategies of the firm, and more career-related advice. 

“I’ve stayed at Genworth because it’s complex work, and we do a lot of good for people—a strong purpose,” McInerney said. He also compared being a CEO to being the head coach of a sports team, with the key being to find the best people for each job. 

When asked for tips on what kinds of opportunities students should seek out as they enter the workforce, Hagerman encouraged them to pursue work in a team environment. “Being collaborative,” she said. “Being a part of a team that’s working towards something bigger than your silo.” 

Access C-Suite is an evolution of Access CEO, a program that originally took place from 2008-2010, now reimagined to expose students to a wider variety of executive positions. Earlier this semester, the Edge Career Center connected students with other business leaders: Debbie Lennick, CEO & Owner of Creative Office Environments of Richmond, and Bob Kristofak, an RMC alumnus and a Senior Vice President at Alliant Insurance Services.

“Through experiences such as Access C-Suite, students are provided the opportunity to uniquely navigate their paths to remarkable futures filled with possibility, networking, and growth,” said Karen Smith, Executive Director of the Edge Career Center. “We will continue to offer this incredible program and to expand and develop new opportunities for all students, too.”