From Bentley Roommates to Fidelity Leaders: Joe Ciccariello ’91 and Jim Furlong ’91 Share Their Falcon Pride
Joe Ciccariello ’91 and Jim Furlong ’91 hit it off as soon as they stepped onto campus for orientation. All it took was a pickup basketball game in the Dana Center.
“There was no filling out a survey to make sure we were a match,” says Ciccariello with a laugh. “It was just, ‘Hey, want to be roommates?’” That simple question sparked a friendship that has endured for nearly 40 years.
“We have a similar sense of humor and don’t take life too seriously,” adds Furlong. “We appreciate people and both like helping people. We work hard, but we’ve also had a fun life so far. We had those traits in common and just hit it off.”
One of their favorite memories during their time at Bentley was a visit from Furlong’s father, a former Providence College hockey player who came to watch Ciccariello play for Bentley. “After the game, he asked us if he could stay,” says Furlong. “We agreed, not realizing he meant for the entire weekend. But we had a great time and to this day it is a favorite memory.”
From Bentley to Fidelity
Fate brought the pair together once again when Furlong and Ciccariello both walked into the lobby of the World Trade Center in Boston on January 13, 1992, for their first days of work at Fidelity Investments. “We hadn’t talked in a few months,” Furlong recalls. “We were both like, ‘What are you doing here?’”
Fast-forward more than 33 years and Ciccariello and Furlong are still working at Fidelity, now in senior leadership roles. They see strong connections between the values and lessons they learned at Bentley and those at Fidelity.
“I always call Bentley an institution of leaders,” Ciccariello explains. “Bentley focuses on driving business forward with integrity and a focus on ethics. At Fidelity, I see strong correlations. I’m proud to be part of institutions that do it the right way.”
Furlong agrees and says he is proud of Bentley’s reputation. “There are over 750 Bentley alumni at Fidelity,” he adds. “Both institutions share a focus on helping people with integrity. Bentley gave us an outstanding foundation in principles, leadership and ethics.”
Paying It Forward
For Ciccariello and Furlong, giving back to Bentley is about gratitude and providing opportunities to a new generation of students.
“I’m proud to be a Bentley alum,” says Ciccariello, who recently returned to campus for a Fireside Chat with students in the Bentley Trading Room. “As a first-generation college student, Bentley gave me the opportunity to earn a degree that became the foundation for a successful career. It’s rewarding to be at a point where I can give back and help shape future Bentley leaders.”
Furlong agrees. “I’ve had a very fortunate career, and I don’t think I would have had that without my Bentley experience,” says the loyal True Blue donor. “It’s about remembering where we came from and what was taught to us — then doing our best to pay it forward and help the community.”