Rebecca

[therealreality]

Chicago, Ill.

23

Financial Journalist


Rebecca, 23, was named "One of 20 Teens Who Will Change the World" by Teen People magazine in February 2000 and was awarded a Point of Light by President Clinton. She graduated with honors from the University of Chicago, earning degrees in economics and pre-law. As a Chicago-based investment banker, she structured mergers and acquisitions, as well as equity and debt transactions. Prior to that, she traded short-term interest rate options on Citigroup's foreign exchange desk in London. Outside of business, Rebecca founded a non-profit organization, raising over $750,000 to support disenfranchised children. In conjunction with this effort, she lobbied state and federal government officials, speaking at a wide range of national conferences and sharing the stage with Al Gore and Colin Powell, among others. She also reported on-air, wrote and helped produce hard news, features, and entertainment segments for a weekly show on an NBC affiliate in her hometown of Minneapolis. She is currently a financial journalist in Chicago.

She looks like a very smart, put-together, likable person with high integrity but very, very green (inexperienced). But I have to comment on one thing because every time I see it I get annoyed.

Are we to believe that in the one year that she worked (she is 23, she presumably graduated at 21 or 22) in "investment banking" she "structured mergers and acquisitions, as well as equity and debt transactions"?? Hardly. In investment banking the only people that structure anything are the senior bankers. 22-year-old college grads join investment banking firms as analysts, and in the peking order it is as follows: Managing Director, Senior VP (or Director), VP, Associate, Admin Assistants, rock, dog crap, then analyst. Not to put them down, but they do all the grunt work, research, comps, fill in numbers, pull down reports, bind books, make coffee, mail stuff...you get the idea. In other words, they do anyting BUT structure or handle M&A and other financing transactions!

There, I feel better now...

[SilasX]

She looks like a very smart, put-together, likable person with high integrity but very, very green (inexperienced). But I have to comment on one thing because every time I see it I get annoyed.

Are we to believe that in the one year that she worked (she is 23, she presumably graduated at 21 or 22) in "investment banking" she "structured mergers and acquisitions, as well as equity and debt transactions"?? Hardly. In investment banking the only people that structure anything are the senior bankers. 22-year-old college grads join investment banking firms as analysts, and in the peking order it is as follows: Managing Director, Senior VP (or Director), VP, Associate, Admin Assistants, rock, dog crap, then analyst. Not to put them down, but they do all the grunt work, research, comps, fill in numbers, pull down reports, bind books, make coffee, mail stuff...you get the idea. In other words, they do anyting BUT structure or handle M&A and other financing transactions!

There, I feel better now...

therealreality, you're absolutely right. This is just another case of inflating the importance of what people actually do. They simply do not give 23-year-olds this much lattitude over the mergers and acquisitions like it implies. If she had that kind of authority at that firm, appearing on TA would be a giant step down and ruin a much better career. The description given doesn't pass the laugh test.

[Fortunato]

Jen M has nothing to do with Rebecca. I know why she reminds you of her though. They do look a little bit a like (the smile)

Based on the personality we've seen so far, I think that Rebecca is extremely professional and would never make a business decision out of personal spite. She would view such an act as a complete lack of integrity. She follows her ideas out to her logical conclusions (even if a premise was faulty -- such as the over-valuation of Toral) and is bound to them even if she wishes otherwise.

I remember back when Jennifer W was trying to convince Rebecca about who to take to the boardroom in the second episode, and everything Jen W used to support her argument was something that I suspect made Rebecca bristle inside -- appeals to peer pressure, precedence, and "let's just be friends and ignore my mistakes." Ouch.

If an idea is not "logical" or rational to her, she rejects it as faulty.

Rebecca seems like a good player but her track record will probably play in a potential boardroom against Randall. Unlike him though, she never has made any egregious mistakes.

It's a good point. Randall has a better track record and is very experienced/educated, while Rebecca has lost both times in the boardroom -- but each of Rebecca's losses could justifiably be attached to someone else on the team, where Randall has made the occassional extremely large blooper.

Both of them are "logical" rather than "creative," but Rebecca is creative enough to know when an idea is NOT creative, whereas creativity seems to elude Randall more often -- he is successful but more conventional.

Trump also seems to really respect Rebecca and is amazed at her tenacity and loyalty -- two traits that could be irksome, and yet Rebecca can maintain a good relationship with anyone simply because they all know any conflict is not "personal." I think, while he likes both Randall and Rebecca, I think he personally favors Rebecca more -- she's got more "spark."

I don't know. Earlier I suspected Randall would be the survivor of such a match-up, but I'm leaning more and more towards Rebecca as time passes.

[Rabid Dingo]

You've gotta hand it to Rebecca for finally getting a PM win last night. Now it'll be up to her to do an awesome job during the final task. If she does, then she might pull an upset win over Randal.

[Austin Gambler]

Maybe the surprise will be a little time off before the final challenge to give Rebecca time to heal completely.

[hikari]

She looks like a very smart, put-together, likable person with high integrity but very, very green (inexperienced). But I have to comment on one thing because every time I see it I get annoyed.

Are we to believe that in the one year that she worked (she is 23, she presumably graduated at 21 or 22) in "investment banking" she "structured mergers and acquisitions, as well as equity and debt transactions"?? Hardly. In investment banking the only people that structure anything are the senior bankers. 22-year-old college grads join investment banking firms as analysts, and in the peking order it is as follows: Managing Director, Senior VP (or Director), VP, Associate, Admin Assistants, rock, dog crap, then analyst. Not to put them down, but they do all the grunt work, research, comps, fill in numbers, pull down reports, bind books, make coffee, mail stuff...you get the idea. In other words, they do anyting BUT structure or handle M&A and other financing transactions!

There, I feel better now...

Oh . . .wiping eyes . . .I'm howling here! "Rock, dog crap . . .analyst!"
I can't hardly breathe!

Thank you, thank you for pointing out that these Apprentice resumes are so much hot air (scented with dog crapola, too). I mean, I like Rebecca. Surprised (as hell!) she's made it the the Final 2. Don't believe that she will pull out a win against Randal, but she seems to be a Trump favorite, and so her loss will be with a much softer landing than either Jen M.'s or Tana's, and she may luck into a lesser-hyped position with Trump on the side.

But this resume is ridiculously overpadded, just like all other Apprentice resumes. People with only a year or two of work history are claiming things that are impossible. AND she was a Teen Who Will Change the World, too? That's almost as good as a Miss Teen USA crown, which might be why Trump is so fond of her . . .pageants and all.

I've been out of college for over 15 years now and have held at least half a dozen major jobs. I have failed to pack in a fraction in my whole working life of what Rebecca's managed in just one year . .Jeez! I spent 3 years teaching English in a Japanese junior high school . . .I should start putting "International Consultant to the Japanese Ministry of Education" on my resume . . .you think?

[graycat11]

Rebecca won't win but DT really likes her, much more than Randall I think. DT might hire her even, aka Andy, even if she does lose. This wouldn't surprise me at all.

[tickerrose]

Does anyone agree that this girl looks a little like Sandra Bullock. It just hit me when I was watching it this week. She seems pretty sharp though and I think she could pull this one out.

[Fortunato]

Rebecca won't win but DT really likes her, much more than Randall I think. DT might hire her even, aka Andy, even if she does lose. This wouldn't surprise me at all.

For a clueless newb like me, what's the "Andy" story?

She's definitely got an "in" with Trump for the rest of her career. I think he finds her intriguing, and there are some similarities between her and Carolyn, whom he also finds fascinating.

[Newfherder]

Does anyone agree that this girl looks a little like Sandra Bullock

Rebecca is much, much prettier