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Awarded to an individual age 40 or younger who has advanced rapidly over the course of his or her career and has displayed significant achievement in the areas of leadership and professional success.
M.S. Engineering (’00), EPF Ecole d’Ingénieurs, France; M.S. Finance (’00), Illinois Institute of Technology
Bourbon is an established investor with more than 20 years of experience. His passion for investments started in his early teens when he visited the Paris stock exchange (now known as Euronext Paris) with his mother. He was fascinated by currency management and knew in the future he would go into finance. In 1999 he relocated to Chicago for a job with Euronext/New York Stock Exchange. He later joined UBS Global Asset Management (previously Brinson Partners), where he spent 10 years. Today, he manages $2 billion in assets as the founder of Bourbon Financial Management, LLC and chief investment officer at ProManage.
John Bilson, associate dean of Stuart School of Business, nominated Bourbon. “Patrick has seemingly endless energy for excellence in his work, teaching, and service, driven by a genuine passion to meaningfully impact the lives of others,” says Bilson. “Patrick’s combination of cultural experiences, financial training, and a pursuit of excellence, integrity, and making a meaningful difference benefits our students and the finance community at large.”
In addition to his professional pursuits, Bourbon dedicates much of his time to the Illinois Tech community. He’s a member of the Stuart Board of Advisors, director of the Illinois Tech Stuart Chicagoland Alumni Committee, and chairman of Illinois Tech Stuart Investments. In addition to engaging Chicago-area alumni, he mentors and places students, having created employment opportunities for at least 30 Illinois Tech graduates.
“I knew forever I wanted to do this; I do what I love, every day!” comments Bourbon. He says that if not finance then he would have done something in sports management, as he is a certified tennis and skiing instructor. He competed in both sports for 10 years and has more than 25 tennis tournament wins.
“Learning is key to success. Eat well, sleep well, so you can be successful and make better decisions,” says Bourbon. “One more thing—be honest; it’s very important.” He believes that having a good mindset, long-term planning skills, drive, persistence, and the ability to work under pressure can be true assets for entrepreneurs.
Learn more about the 2016 Alumni Awards.