Forging Talent Pipelines

By Grant Freking

There is no one-size-fits-all employer partnership at Lindner. Small to mid-sized businesses, nonprofits and large corporations team up with Lindner’s award-winning Career Services office to meet their co-op needs.

To illustrate the different co-op recruitment paths that companies embark on, two of Lindner’s employer partners shed light on their journeys to becoming talent hubs for the college’s business problem solvers.

Connections between the Lindner College of Business and Great American Insurance Group run deep. Great American’s parent company, American Financial Group (AFG), was founded by Lindner College of Business namesake Carl H. Lindner Jr. Two of Lindner Jr.’s sons, Carl H. Lindner III and S. Craig Lindner, are Lindner graduates and serve as AFG’s co-CEOs. The family has continued their philanthropic efforts, honoring Carl H. Lindner Jr.’s legacy.

But Great American’s 20-year ties to the Lindner College of Business extend beyond the shared familial association.

Angie Lucas, recruiting specialist, AFG Human Resources, worked as an associate director of Lindner Career Services for more than seven years. Lucas cited students’ diligence and commitment as differentiating factors in Great American’s continued co-op recruitment.

“It’s not just a resume box check for them. They’ve bought into the culture of experiential learning at UC,” Lucas said. “I also think that Lindner students have a lot of grit. They’re not entitled. They’re not thinking, ‘Oh, I deserve this co-op.’ They’re willing to work for it. So, we really appreciate that we know what we’re getting with a Lindner student, and that’s why we continue to go back time and time again to get those students.”

The sentiment is shared by current and former Lindner students. Kaitlyn Gallimore, BBA ’22, worked as a risk management and insurance specialty human services intern with Great American. Gallimore joined the company full-time after graduation and is now employed as an underwriter. As an intern, the finance and insurance and risk management double major completed tasks that mirror her current full-time duties.

“They gave me a lot of responsibility. I met a lot of different people within my team and across Great American,” Gallimore said. “Part of the reason why I stayed full-time is the people here are great. There’s plenty of opportunities for advancement. They just really care about everybody learning and growing.”

Paarth Patidar, BBA, BS ’26, joined Great American as a strategic sourcing intern after the recent spring semester.

An international student from India, Patidar beheld Great American Tower during his first visit to Cincinnati and thought “this should be the target.” Patidar achieved his goal with an assist from Career Services, whose career coaches offered interview best practices and networking advice.

“Career Services is the best,” said the business analytics and insurance and risk management double major. “I’ve spoken to friends of mine in different business schools in the U.S. and they don’t have anything like Career Services. The connections really help.”

The relationship between Lindner and Great American has proven to be mutually beneficial. Since fall 2021, Great American has hired 70 co-ops from Lindner, with an estimated 20 co-ops converting to full-time employment since fall 2023.

As an active alumnus who has recruited for Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly), served as a neuroscience specialty sales intern for the Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical giant and now works as Associate Director — Deal Development, Lilly Value and Access, Katie Fasola, BBA ’20, MS ’21 is afforded unique insight into the affiliation between her alma mater and her employer, with the shared advantages evident to both sides.

“First and foremost, the co-op experience and internships that the students come in with,” cited Fasola of the strengths Lindner students bring to experiential learning roles. “Two, the wide variety of experience students have from being introduced to every single major at Lindner. And then three, the soft skills that are harped on, such as the first-year SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats.”

Lilly sets itself apart through Lilly Discovery Day, a two-day conference held each spring at the company’s corporate headquarters in downtown Indianapolis. Discovery Day introduces undergraduate students to Lilly, the pharmaceutical industry and the city of Indianapolis. Career fairs and information sessions remain essential cogs in the machine that is developing fruitful connections with potential co-ops, but Lilly Discovery Day is an example of a company furnishing students with a window into its operation. Daniel Breslin, BBA ’25, attended Discovery Day 2023 and joined Lilly as a pricing, reimbursement and market access intern following the recent spring semester.

“It ignited my interest in the pharmaceutical sector,” said the finance and marketing double major of Discovery Day. “I also really liked the potential impact I could have working in a business role to support Lilly’s mission.”

A testament to Lindner and Lilly’s common priorities is the co-op experience of Serin Waddell, BBA ’20, who recalled solving “real business problems” as an international business unit marketing intern.

“My summer internship prepared me so well for my current role because it gave me experience working with business leaders, navigating a fast-paced environment, using data to help solve business problems, exercising transferable and soft skills, and more,” said Waddell, now a senior associate consumer marketer with the company.

“All these are different from the classroom experience, which is why I strongly believe in the co-op program. Some things can only truly be learned and tested by experience.”

Though Lilly primarily recruits sales-focused students from Lindner, opportunities abound for students to widen their gaze.

“Our pipeline is expanding,” Fasola said. “The nice thing about Lilly is there are so many options for career paths. A lot of times, all it takes is to get your foot in the door with a company before you move roles.”

Lindner’s partnerships with Great American and Lilly demonstrate the advantages employers stand to gain from students who can help bridge the skills gap and supply companies with insight on what to expect from future employees. As for the students, they simultaneously learn what they do and don’t want to pursue in their professional careers while boosting their resilience and confidence through experience in a real working environment. Although, a word of caution to potential employer partners: be prepared to match Lindner students’ level of ambition.

“There’s a lot of opportunity to delegate tasks, even if it’s something bigger maybe than you think an intern can handle,” Lucas said. “Let them try. They can be very proactive and will have a fresh perspective.”

All photos by Danielle Lawrence.