Name: Tanzie Cashmira Burgese Turel

Major at Baruch College: EMSF – Executive Masters in Finance
Graduation Year: 2006
School within Baruch College: Zicklin School of Business
Company and Title:  Greystone, Inc. – Director, Executive Office Operations


1. Tell us about your current position and your role there.

I am proud to say that I have been working for the past 6 years at Greystone, a leading national commercial real estate lending, investment, and advisory firm ranked as the nation’s #1 HUD lender for multifamily and healthcare loans. Currently, as the Director of Executive office operations - I support the business orbit of the Founder/CEO that leads the group with over 7,000 employees.

Greystone has an outstanding culture of giving and helping others. I am driven to be part of a company ‘Where People Matter’ and one that has the ability to make such a positive impact, economic and emotional, for so many people.


2. What made you interested in Finances and what drives you in your current profession?

My undergraduate degree from the London School of Economics was a BSc in Economics and Management. The breadth, depth and robust technical finance focus of the Executive Ms Finance was the value add I needed to take me to the next level professionally. 


3. How was your experience at Baruch like? How do you feel it benefited you and your career?

Choosing the experience at this institution was one of the best decisions I have made. The program benefited my career tremendously in terms of recognition and real-world applications.


4. What is one of your favorite memories you have from your time at Baruch?

The joy of learning and interacting with the professors.
Applying what I learnt in class last night to my job the next morning.
Long exams with professor Onochie (once when there was a snow storm outside).


5. If you could change one thing during your time at Baruch, what would it be?

To have had more time for home work, but that is difficult for the executive programs as we are in a constant state of juggling work, school and family. 


6. Do you have any advice for present and future alumni?

Baruch has a fantastic network, use the resources, be creative and it will be what you make of it. Take initiative to not only help others but help yourself via the resources that Baruch has worked so hard to create for us. 


7. What drew you to Baruch’s EMSF program? Did it help you discover anything about yourself or your passions?

After speaking to NYU Stern and Yale - at the time, only Baruch Executive Programs could offer a 9-month, finance only, executive program. This was similar to master’s program's in the United Kingdom that I had looked into. All others in New York had a minimum 2-year executive program without the pure finance focus. 

The first lesson you learn in finance is that, time is money. Bear in mind, it is grueling and that taught me that I could actually thrive under pressure with the right structure. Yes, I amazed myself at how passionate I was about the New York financial markets, being so close to the action and how the financial news affects us on a microeconomic level.
The program offered me everything I wanted - NYC (location - close to Wall Street), work/study balance, cost/value, quality (top notch professors), network, ranking/recognition and time. I have yet to find a program that offers all of the above.


8. What has been the most valuable professional advice and or lesson you've received?
In order of importance-
Character, not brain, will count at the crucial moment – Rabindranath Tagore.
Always help others, whenever you can, however you can.
Success in your profession is what YOU make of it. There is no "standard" formula. Don’t focus on comparing but rather on creating and even recreating yourself by thinking outside the box.
No form of learning is ever a waste at any stage.


9. How can people contact you? 

Email: [email protected]