K-State alumni give $3 million for financial analysis center

The Manhattan Mercury, Kan.
·2 min read

Jun. 14—The managing partners of a New York-based financial firm are contributing $3 million to create a new financial analysis center in K-State's College of Business Administration.

Jeff Gates and Justin Boisseau of Gates Capital Management are creating the Gates Capital Management Center for Financial Analysis.

Housed in the Department of Finance, the center will leverage existing resources and offer programs and courses focused on investment banking, asset management and consulting.

"This generous gift expands our capabilities to serve the highest achieving finance students in the financial analyst program," center director Sabuhi Sardarli said. "Gates Capital Management Center for Financial Analysis will now be able to provide significant funds for student scholarships, trips to target industry firms, workshops, internship support and other training opportunities."

Gates, a 1984 K-State graduate originally from Derby, is a managing partner and founder of Gates Capital Management. He has previously served as a trustee of the Kansas State University Foundation. He serves on the business advisory council and the finance advisory board for the College of Business.

Boisseau, a 1996 KSU graduate, joined Gates Capital Management in 2003. An Andover native, he also serves on the finance advisory board. In a joint statement, Boisseau and Gates said they are "impressed with the significant progress" made with the financial analyst program in the business college.

"The top students from this program are very competitive in the marketplace," Gates said. "Our company has benefitted over the years from having a few of them on our team."

In a written statement, Kevin Gwinner, dean of the business college, said the donation "brands K-State as a leader in finance education."

"Future students and employers will know that K-State is committed to excellence, backed by a transformational investment from industry-leading alumni," he said.

Gates Capital Management, founded in 1996, is advertised as an event-driven alternative asset manager, with a "family of funds" for institutional and private clients globally. The firm is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment advisor.