Looking for proof of Bentley University’s global reach? Steve DelVecchio ’81 found it across a restaurant table in China.

An executive at PricewaterhouseCoopers, DelVecchio was dining with colleagues from the company’s office in Beijing.

“We were chatting, introducing ourselves, and one gentleman mentioned he graduated from a small business school outside Boston,” he recounts. ‘Which one?’ I asked. ‘Bentley College’ was the reply.”

DelVecchio was taken aback. “When I graduated, many people west of New York had never heard of Bentley — and now, there I was on the other side of the world, meeting another alum,” he says with obvious pride.
 
Pride and Priority
Bentley pride is nothing new for DelVecchio, who serves as global and U.S. practice leader for systems and process assurance at PwC. Most recently, he signed on as firm relationship partner (FRP) with the university. 

“At PwC, we recruit thousands of people each year, and colleges are an important resource,” explains DelVecchio, whose team of 6,500 employees is dispersed worldwide. “Bentley is one of our priority schools and an outstanding source of talent.” 

DelVecchio was tapped to lead the firm’s ongoing relationship with Bentley, which comprises on-campus recruiting, student internships and competitions, and programs for faculty, as well as outreach to the roughly 300 alumni working at PwC. He considers the role an opportunity to “get involved with students, to give back.”

Len Morrison, managing director of corporate, foundation and sponsored programs at Bentley, has high praise for DelVecchio’s important work.

“As the largest employer of our graduates every year, PwC places an enormous priority on hiring the very best students. They do this by engaging with faculty, staff and student leaders to promote the PwC brand. Steve has been the maestro of this effort.”

Superior Skills
The firm’s recruiting program has high expectations.

“Just being the best technical accountant isn’t enough,” says DelVecchio. “We’re looking for well-rounded business advisers, people with relationship-building and communication skills as well as the ability to be client focused, and demonstrate courage and integrity.”

The alumnus credits Bentley with giving him just this mix of skills, though “it wasn’t something I realized or appreciated until I was out in the work world,” he observes. “Those skills were important then, but they’re incredibly important today in this global marketplace.”

As FRP, DelVecchio is equal parts talent scout, mentor and cheerleader. The latter facet of the role emerges as he describes an annual tax competition that PwC sponsors for students.

“A few years ago, the Bentley team made it to the finals. They were one of five teams, narrowed down from a pool of well over 100. To see students from my school compete at that level — to be one of the top schools nationally — that’s absolutely a source of pride.”

All signs point to DelVecchio having a steady supply of talented PwC colleagues with whom to trade stories of Bentley pride.