Matt DeMaris
Class Year
2012
Area(s) of Study
French, International Relations
Hometown
Medford, NJ
Co-curricular
Varsity soccer, Collage magazine, French blog,
Internships
Paris Internship Program, Lake Forest College In The Loop
Current Job
Vice President of Risk and Compliance, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Matt DeMaris ’12 says he wouldn’t be where he is today without his French and International Relations majors.
More information to share?
Whether it be my two undergraduate internships at the Assemblée Nationale and VISTA MME, or my career as an International evacuation specialist or assistant team leader, my French skills have always given me an edge over the competition. My skills have been crucial in a wide variety of situations ranging from the retention of multi-million dollar clients to saving lives in West Africa in need of urgent medical attention. Without French, I don’t think I’d have the wonderful career opportunities that I have today.
My second major at Lake Forest College was International Relations; it was the perfect complement to my French studies as it allowed me to take my language skills and apply them to international theory, world studies, and cross-cultural phenomena. As I discovered during my studies, it’s not only necessary to understand language, but to also understand the location, time, and circumstances in which it exists. Both French and International Relations helped me to grasp the cultural context that is so important for successful global interactions.
My current position is Vice President of Risk and Compliance at JPMorgan Chase & Co. where I work with a robust team to track risks and build out meaningful programs to remain in compliance with all domestic and international laws and regulations. Prior to joining JPMorgan, I worked at FCM Travel Solutions as their Global Risk Product Leader, where I built a travel risk management program to help enterprise businesses stay resilient against global security and health threats. In addition, I have worked and partnered with organizations like the Overseas Security Advisory Council, the Intelligence & Security Academy, and the Global Business Travel Association to educate and learn from others. All of these opportunities were aided by my French and International Relations majors at Lake Forest College.