The University of Bristol’s US Foundation, in collaboration with Microsoft, hosted the third annual Fall networking event in New York City on October 5. Attracting approximately 50 alumni and guests, the event included drinks and canapes on the stunning seventh-floor terrace of Microsoft’s Technology Center on Eighth Avenue overlooking Times Square, and a board-room presentation on the development of the Microsoft corporate culture by Antuan Santana, a corporate social responsibility leader at the tech giant.
“Events such as this,” said Foundation Chair Lesley Silvester, who joined Santana and University Director of Development Stephen O’Connor in addressing the gathering, “provide great opportunities for learning and the exchange of ideas. This is a key component of our goal to build a strong network of alumni across the US.”
Both Silvester and O’Connor highlighted the critical role played by alumnus James Fleming, a Microsoft executive, in securing both the venue and his company’s support for the event. O’Connor added that other American cities — Chicago and San Francisco, for example — will also be the focus of alumni community-building efforts, as will other geographic regions, including Southeast Asia.