Kristen Krikorian ’99

Kristen Krikorian ’99 may be a New Jersey native, but she’s at home in Boston and spends much of her free time bringing area alums together based upon their common love for everything Orange.

After graduating from SU’s Whitman School of Management with an accounting degree, an SU alum recruited Krikorian for a position in the Audit department of EisnerAmper, LLP (formerly Eisner, LLP), a mid-size public accounting firm in New York City. She obtained her Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license and was selected to participate in a short ex-pat assignment at an affiliate firm, Pitcher Partners, in Melbourne, Australia.

Krikorian moved to Boston in 2004 and began the next chapter of her career at State Street Bank, a large custody bank, in the Corporate Audit division focusing on audits of the Global Markets and Global Treasury groups worldwide. In 2008 she transferred to the Finance Compliance group, supporting the Global Treasury, Structured Products and Corporate Accounting businesses, and today she heads the group as a vice president and the senior compliance manager.

Grateful to SU for an exceptional Whitman education, many of her closest friendships, and countless networking opportunities, Krikorian is dedicated to giving back to SU. She has participated in events sponsored by the SU Northern N.J. alumni club, became actively involved in the Boston Orange alumni club after moving to the Boston area, and took over as club president. Krikorian spent the next six years building up Boston Orange—more than quadrupling revenues and significantly increasing the number of events and membership.

“Getting involved in the Northern N.J. and Boston alumni clubs and then leading Boston Orange as president for six years helped me develop many qualities that have enabled successes in my professional life— like public speaking, networking, problem solving, event planning, negotiating, budgeting, leadership abilities, self-confidence, delegating, time-management, critical thinking and even schmoozing,” Krikorian says. “I’m a firm believer in the importance and necessity of giving back to SU so future students can enjoy the same wonderful experiences and opportunities.”

In 2011, Krikorian retired as president of Boston Orange so she could accept a nomination to the Syracuse University Alumni Association board of directors, where she currently serves on the Executive Committee as the Clubs Committee chair. She also became a member of the Boston Regional Council.

Remembering that a scholarship and financial aid made an SU education possible for her, Krikorian gives to scholarships and financial aid for student athletes. “Tuition only covers 85% of the actual cost of an SU education; that’s a shocking statistic,” she says. “The remainder must be made up from donations, with alumni paving the way. And with nearly 2/3 of students receiving some form of financial aid, alumni support is more crucial than ever.”

In many ways, Krikorian feels like SU has invested in her as much as she is supporting the University.

“My SU experiences are constantly evolving, and while I loved every minute of being a student, SU has probably shaped me more since graduation,” Krikorian says. “I felt accomplished and appreciated devoting my time to unite alumni and keep them connected to SU through networking events, club gatherings, and social media outlets as president of Boston Orange. I’m honored to represent alumni through the SUAA board of directors and am devoted to encouraging alumni to give back to SU by participating on the Boston Regional Council. Who knows where SU will take me next?”