Christopher Grube, 32

Christopher Grube got interested in finance when he took a globalization class in high school just after the Global Financial Crisis. “It was really fascinating how the entire world economy was intertwined, from the supply chain to political factors, and how the world economy changed over the centuries,” he said.

The Upper East Side native left New York City for Northwestern to study economics and returned in 2014 to pursue that interest in finance. His first job was a stint at Deutsche Bank as a commercial real estate analyst before he left to earn an MBA at Columbia.

“I learned how to really look at a deal from a whole picture, not just from an analytical perspective,” Grube said. “Each deal brought its unique quirks.”

Grube now manages a team of analysts and associates at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), building up its U.S. real estate finance division.

“Being in leadership has forced me to grow,” he said. “I’ve been in a position where I’m the one who needs to stay on top of client deadlines, know what everyone is working on, and make sure we’re meeting clients’ needs.”

Over the past six months, Grube’s team has closed a $680 million life sciences construction loan in Cambridge, Mass., secured a $400 million loan on 25 industrial sites across the country, and arranged a $220 million term loan for 11 industrial assets in New England.

When he isn’t managing a team, Grube plays basketball in a Chinatown YMCA league downtown, which can be pretty competitive, and soccer in a league at Pier 40.  He also got married in October and recently flew with his wife to Paris to spend time with his extended family. It might be his favorite place outside of New York.

“I love the pace of life,” he said. “It’s very different from the U.S. I love the city itself, the architecture and that it’s so walkable. You can really walk anywhere and do anything.”