Alum of the Month

September 2019

September 2019
Randi B. Nelson

(MBA, Taxation, ’98)


Q & A:

  • What was your favorite class, who was your favorite professor, or what is your fondest memory of Hofstra?
    It’s been over 20 years since I attended Hofstra, but the moment that stays etched in my mind is a class I took that required us to act out a scene regarding a business dilemma. I was with two other classmates, and I remember how fun and interesting that project was. It is something that has stayed with me all these years.
  • What was your first job after graduating from Hofstra, and what was the most valuable thing learned in that position?
    I obtained my MBA while I was employed with one company. However, once I graduated, I obtained a higher-level position in another company that was considered a promotion, where I was able to utilize managerial skills. I was the controller for one of this company’s subsidiaries. I was involved with all business decisions and worked under the CFO of the parent company. I learned that I could run a company, a business.
  • What is your field of specialty, and how did you come to work in the industry?
    Currently, I am a pediatrician. Prior to that I worked as an accountant in the investment banking industry. I received my undergraduate degree in accounting and secured a general accounting position shortly after graduation. A friend of mine referred me to Morgan Stanley and that is how I ended up in investment banking.
  • What advice would you give Hofstra students?
    I would advise Hofstra students to work toward their dreams, be flexible and open. Consider all options before making a concrete decision. And if that decision turns out to be an unfavorable one, pick yourself up and try again.
  • In one word, how would you describe Hofstra?
    Soaring!
  • After a 14-year career in investment banking, what inspired you to change careers and become a pediatrician?
    Well, two seminal events occurred – the death of my father in 2000 and witnessing firsthand the destruction of September 11th in 2001. After those two events, I decided to revisit my first dream to become a physician – a pediatrician. I wanted to add more purpose and meaning to my life.
  • What was a major obstacle you were able to overcome to perform your job?
    Taking premed classes while working as a vice president at Citigroup! Somehow, I made it through by being focused and diligent!
  • What is the single most rewarding experience in your career thus far?
    Being a pediatrician is the single most rewarding experience thus far in my career. I LOVE what I do. Serving children and their families while guiding them on the pathway to good health is very rewarding. Also being able to combine my prior experience as a financial professional with my current goal to address financial wellness by increasing financial literacy through my speaking engagements, coaching program, and my recent book Ladynomics: A Woman's Prescription for Wealth and Financial Well-Being. I feel like my career has come full circle.
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Randi B. Nelson

Dr. Randi B. Nelson (aka Dr. Randi) is a nationally recognized pediatrician, financial wellness expert, author, speaker, and consultant. In addition, she is a sought-after media expert regarding children’s and young adults’ health issues. Dr. Randi meets with professionals one on one and in groups, traveling the country to instruct and provide financial wellness care to those in need. She has garnered a reputation for authenticity, compassion, and intelligence.

In October 2017, Dr. Randi became a published author of the Chicken Soup of the Soul series with her short autobiographical story “Following my Heart.”

Her No. 1 Amazon bestseller Ladynomics: A Woman’s Prescription to Wealth and Financial Well-Being was published in January 2019.

Dr. Randi graduated from the University at Buffalo, SUNY, with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Immediately after graduation, she became a general accountant for Morgan Stanley where she worked for the Controller’s Department for eight years. During her time at Morgan Stanley, she earned a Master of Business Administration from Hofstra University. In 2000, she began working for Citigroup and ended her investment banking career as a vice president. In 2002, she decided to switch careers and become a physician.

She earned a MD from Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. She completed her pediatric residency at Jacobi Medical Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She was a general pediatrician in Oakland, California, with the Stanford Children’s Group for nearly three years, where she served as a member of the Practice Advisory Committee and the Packard Children’s Health Alliance Investment Committee. She was also a clinical instructor for the University of California at San Francisco

She currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

You can follow Dr. Randi on all social media @DrRandiBMD or visit www.DrRandiBMD.com.