Hundreds of past students of St Joseph’s School are scattered throughout Australia and around the world, working across every industry. We’re proud of our past students and their achievements – big and small. In future newsletters, we will be highlighting a past student and sharing what they have been up to since leaving the Joey's gates. 

CHRIS CATANZARO

What year did you graduate?

I graduated from Year 12 in 2002. I spent all of my schooling years at St Joseph’s School, having enrolled in Year 1 in 1991. 

What were your favourite subjects at St Joseph’s School?

I enjoyed all of my subjects, but Ancient History was probably my favourite in high school. I especially enjoyed learning about the ancient Greeks and Romans – what they were capable of thousands of years ago is just incredible and the stories from that time are just as dramatic as any action movie you might watch. Even today, I enjoy reading and learning about all forms of history – it is one of my favourite things to do in my spare time.

I also really liked Maths (unlike a lot of other people) – which probably explains how I ended up pursuing a career in finance! 

Can you tell us about your time at St Joseph’s School? Is there anything you especially remember?

I have a lot of great memories from my time at St Joseph’s School. Perhaps the best memories however are of the times spent talking and laughing with friends. At the time, I remember thinking how busy I was with all of the school work that needed to be completed – but looking back at it now, I realise just how fun and relatively care-free those days really were. 

I also remember the warmth and generosity of the teaching staff – I feel they created a really supportive and caring environment that helped to facilitate my learning experience. 

What has been your journey since finishing school? Have you always wanted to pursue the kind of career you have embarked on?

It actually took me a little while to work out what I wanted to do once I left Secondary. Initially, I enrolled in a Bachelor of Engineering degree at the Univeristy of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane. After the first year however, it became clear to me that it wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my career. 

After some reflection, I made the decision to enrol in a dual Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Commerce degree at UQ. As part of this degree, I had the opportunity to study some finance courses, which I found really interesting. Once I took the ‘corporate finance’ course, I knew exactly what I wanted to do after university. I had a great lecturer (Dr Jason Hall) who really opened my eyes to the possibilities of a career in corporate finance – and I haven’t looked back ever since.

After completing the Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) program and receiving a University Medal for my academic achievements at UQ, I managed to secure a graduate position at BDO. BDO is one of the world’s leading accounting, tax and advisory firms. We have about 600 employees in our Brisbane office and about 80,000 employees in more than 160 countries globally. 

I am now a Corporate Finance Partner at BDO in Brisbane. In my role as a Corporate Finance Partner, I specialise in providing valuation, merger and acquisition, IPO advisory, due diligence and financial modelling services to a broad range of public and private sector entities. It is a high pressure role and can be quite stressful at times – but I really enjoy helping the companies I work with to achieve their objectives.

What do you believe St Joseph’s School has shown you/given you as a person?

I think St Joseph’s School (together with my parents) helped me develop a core set of values that have stayed with me since finishing school. Values such as determination, resilience, respect and empathy for others, self-sacrifice, integrity – my understanding and appreciation of all of these values was enhanced by the time I spent at St Joseph’s School.      

I also think St Joseph’s School helped instil in me a lifelong love of learning.  In my view, this is one of the best gifts a school can provide to a student. St Joseph’s School didn’t just teach me English or Maths – it helped me to understand and appreciate the joy of learning itself, for which I am very grateful.

What piece of advice would you have for current students at St Joseph’s School?

Try and learn as much as you can from each experience that you have while you are at school – be that in the classroom, on the sporting field, or when interacting with others. Participate in as many things as you can and do your best to take advantage of the opportunities that are given to you. Unfortunately, not every child in the world has the privilege of attending a great school like St Joseph’s School, so try and make the most of it.

Also, make sure you enjoy your time there as much as possible. It may feel like you are there for a relatively long time, but it is ever so fleeting. I understand study can be stressful at times – but remember to try and have fun!