Western & Southern Financial Group : About LDP : Interns

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Leadership Development Program Internships – which last 10-12 weeks during the summer between year one and two of a student's MBA program – give candidates a realistic preview of life as a full-time LDP Associate at Western & Southern Financial Group. LDP Interns work on projects of the same magnitude as those assigned to LDP Associates – giving them the same fast-paced, exciting opportunities. As an LDP Intern, you report to the senior officer responsible for your assigned operation and meet with business unit heads throughout Western & Southern Financial Group.
In addition, you are given a list of business competencies that you are expected to master during the summer. The competencies are acquired through assignment to strategic level initiatives within the business unit. Your performance is evaluated against both the business unit objectives and completion of strategic initiatives. Get to know what it's like to be an LDP Intern by meeting our Summer 2006 Interns – David Boland and Matthew Masiel – in Professional Profiles.

Qualifications

Successful candidates who apply for an LDP Internship:

•	Are currently enrolled in a top MBA program.
•	Have an undergraduate degree or business experience in an analytical field (e.g., finance, economics, accounting, engineering, etc.)
•	Have a graduate business concentration in corporate finance, investment finance, real estate, or marketing.
•	Demonstrate strong financial acumen.
•	Possess proven business savvy.
•	Have excellent analytical, leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills.


	What do you believe is the LDP Internship's most outstanding feature? While there are several outstanding features of the LDP Internship, the close contact with executives throughout the company is most impressive. As an LDP Intern, I had frequent interaction with my mentor and senior manager, and I was also able to schedule many face-to-face meetings with other executives throughout the company. Not only did this contact enable me to learn more about the culture and strategic direction of Western & Southern Financial Group, but it also allowed me to better evaluate my own strengths and opportunities so that I could further my professional development.

How has your LDP Internship expanded what you've learned as an MBA student?

As is the case with many MBA students, one of my primary goals was to pursue an internship that built upon my classroom learning. While I was certainly able to further develop my financial and quantitative skills, perhaps the most valuable experience was the opportunity to sharpen my strategic analysis skills. My MBA education provided me with the necessary tools to continue this learning, but the ability to apply these skills in real-world business situations – ones which had significant impact on the company's success – was a unique aspect to my experience at Western & Southern Financial Group.

- Matthew Loveless
Former LDP Intern/
Current Third-Year LDP Associate