Senior Marketing and Communications Intern for the Loeb Center Ava Zielinski ’25 chats with Alumni-in-Residence guest Lauren Coape-Arnold ’06 to discuss her role as the Global Head of Citizenship at Apollo Global Management and the Executive Director of the Apollo Opportunity Foundation and the lessons and advice she has to share with students.
The transcription below has been edited for clarity.
Ava
So I’m sitting here today with Lauren, class of 2006. Welcome. Thank you for being here. I know the Loeb Center and a lot of students are very excited to have you here, so it’s an honor to hear more about your career experience. Starting off light—give us a little elevator pitch of who you are and what brought you here today.
Lauren
Absolutely. Thanks so much for having me. Great to meet you, Ava. I’m currently the Global Head of Citizenship and the Executive Director of the Apollo Opportunity Foundation. These are roles I never knew existed when I was a student at Amherst. It’s such a privilege to be back on campus and try to inspire the next generation of purpose-driven leaders.
In my role, I get to inspire a workforce of 3,000 employees globally. I help each employee find what matters to them and offer ways to get involved in their community. It’s valuable for our culture, brand, and, of course, the communities we serve. I’m excited to be here talking to students about how there’s no single path to purpose. There are many ways to find fulfillment, no matter the career path. It’s great to share a little about my unexpected and untraditional journey in finance to a role that brings me joy and purpose every day.
Ava
Yeah, absolutely. When I saw the Alumni-in-Residence list for fall 2024 and saw your name and your title attached to a well-known asset manager, I didn’t realize how much social impact work existed in the finance industry. How did you find your way there? Did you start in social impact and move into finance? Or did you begin in finance and find your roots in this kind of role?
Lauren
Very much the latter. My first job out of Amherst was as an investment banking analyst. I chose it because it was a great boot camp to learn and test myself. I loved the people I worked with and learned a lot, but I didn’t feel passionate about the actual work. Still, it was incredible to live independently in New York, paying rent and bills for the first time.
I knew I didn’t want to be a managing director in banking, so I started exploring other roles in finance—government affairs, community affairs, communications, human capital. I liked the fast-paced nature and being around smart people, and I discovered you could be in finance without doing finance.
From banking, I moved to a hedge fund in investor relations, where I used what I’d learned while finally interacting with people—drawing a bit on my psychology degree. While there, the firm launched a foundation and encouraged employees to get involved. I started helping out, and the more involved I became, the more I realized how exciting it was. It felt like something I’d only done in college clubs or on weekends, and suddenly I saw it could be a real job. That lightbulb moment showed me I could blend meaningful work with a successful career in finance.
Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to build these kinds of programs at several firms. I’ve drawn on my Amherst experience—liberal arts thinking, valuing diverse perspectives—to create programs that enhance culture, brand, and help employees give back and pursue their own meaning.
Ava
Yeah, that’s fantastic to hear. I think a lot of Amherst students feel pressure to have it all figured out. You look up to seniors and grads thinking they’ve got it all together, but it’s rarely the case. Following your instincts and forging that path, even on a gut feeling, is a great takeaway. Was there someone who really mentored you in this space or pushed you to follow this direction?
Lauren
A bit of both. Mentors absolutely helped. The track to banking from undergrad is well-worn, and I looked up to older teammates from soccer and squash who had just graduated. They helped with resumes, mock interviews—the Amherst network was amazing.
Once I landed the job, I suddenly knew every Amherst alum at the firm. Later, when I discovered a passion for social enterprise, older women at the firm helped me understand how to pivot—whether to go work at a nonprofit, go to business school, or apply directly for certain roles. I didn’t understand the job structures outside traditional finance, so I leaned on others for guidance, introductions, and countless coffee chats.
Ultimately, business school was my pivot point. It marked the shift from purely for-profit roles to the social impact space, even though I’ve remained in finance throughout.
Ava
That’s really good to hear—that you were able to pivot. A lot of people worry they’re stuck wherever they start. That flexibility, especially with a master’s degree, clearly helped. Shifting the conversation a bit, can you demystify your role for students unfamiliar with it? You’re in social impact at a major firm—what does your day-to-day look like? Is it client-facing? Internal? Outreach?
Lauren
What I love most is that it’s a little bit of everything. I’m definitely a Jill-of-all-trades. I work closely with our human capital and leadership teams to build programs that increase employee fulfillment and pride. Internally, it’s about culture and talent development. But externally, I spend time each week with nonprofits, learning about their missions and exploring how Apollo employees can support them—whether through volunteering, donations, or board service.
I get to play matchmaker between a busy private equity associate and a local nonprofit. There’s internal strategy, external partnerships, and a mix of skills—data collection, performance measurement, communications, proposal writing, PowerPoints. It’s both qualitative and quantitative.
The work varies throughout the year. Summer is heavy on volunteer campaigns—we’re out at partner sites with employees. Fall is more about grantmaking and writing investment reports. Each day is different, but the yearly cycle keeps me grounded.
Ava
Nice blend. Sounds like the liberal arts of jobs, a little.
Lauren
Totally. That’s a great way to put it.
Ava
Obviously, you’re very passionate about what you do. Based on everything you’ve described, what’s something you’re most proud of establishing at Apollo?
Lauren
I’ve been at Apollo almost five years, and I’m incredibly proud of how the whole firm has embraced these efforts. When I joined, I thought it would take a long time to get people to even read my emails. But thanks to leadership support and communication, our programs have grown.
I’m most proud that over 90% of our global workforce has participated in some form of pro-social behavior from our team. That’s a huge number in a short amount of time. It shows people want to get involved—they just need a way in. I’m proud to help coach and guide them there.
Ava
That definitely makes sense. Time is as much a resource as money, and getting over that initial commitment hurdle is tough. But you’ve clearly made it easier for people. To wrap up, you were named one of the top 50 women leaders in New York City. You’ve also talked about women who inspired you. What advice would you give to women—either current students or recent grads—who want to find their footing in finance?
Lauren
Thank you. It’s still a little surreal. Being back on campus brings me right back to student energy.
For young women starting out, my advice is to deliver the highest quality work you can—that part’s expected. The next level is actively asking for advice. Reach out to senior people and say, “I’d love to keep growing—what do you see as my gaps?” It builds relationships and helps you grow faster. It’s not about asking for a promotion; it’s showing you care about development.
That outreach builds trust, gets you into more rooms, more projects—it snowballs in the best way. I also recommend getting involved wherever you can. Join an affinity network, volunteer, serve on a junior board. These are free, valuable ways to build skills, grow your network, and find purpose. You don’t have to wait to give back or find meaning. No matter your industry or title, find what fulfills you and bake it into your work.
Ava
That’s great tangible advice. Sometimes people end with their TED Talk and I don’t know what I got out of it—but that was fantastic. Thank you.
Lauren
Of course, happy to.
