For Fran Reed ’86, P’23, who grew up in West Haven, Conn., choosing a college for his undergraduate studies was surprisingly simple. A single visit to Fairfield University sparked an immediate feeling of belonging. It wasn’t just Fairfield’s beautiful campus but the people and the sense of possibility that gave him a comforting certainty that Fairfield was the right place for him.
Decades later, that instinct makes all the more sense. Reed sees that the roots he put down as an undergraduate extended far beyond his first four years on campus. They shaped his career, family, friendships, and a path of purpose that has now led him back to Fairfield, where he teaches finance in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business and is studying toward his doctoral degree.
“It’s serendipitous,” Reed said of his full-circle Fairfield journey. “It’s hard to put it into words. I couldn’t have scripted this.”
As an undergraduate marketing major, Reed cultivated relationships within the Fairfield community that became the foundation of his college experience. He credits the connections he formed with classmates, professors, and mentors for helping him grow both in and beyond the classroom.
Hired through on-campus recruiting, Reed began his Wall Street career at Chase Manhattan Bank (now JPMorgan Chase). The experience furthered his interest in banking, leading him to pursue an MBA with a concentration in finance at Fordham University and setting him on a professional journey that would span nearly four decades. He has held leadership positions at top financial institutions, including Lehman Brothers, UBS, and most recently Wells Fargo, where he served as a managing director until 2024.
