Education – Jamie Thorsen

Kents Hill School Supports Students with Mentorship Program

The only woman on the executive committee of the investment bank she worked for, Jamie Thorsen also achieved the longest tenure as the head of FX in a global bank while at BMO. A passionate advocate of education, Jamie Thorsen has served as a trustee for educational institutions such as Kents Hill School.

Situated among the Belgrade Lakes approximately an hour away from Portland, Maine, Kents Hill School provides its students with a holistic educational experience on its 400-acre campus. The school operates with what it calls its Four-Dimensional (4D) Academic Curriculum, which, in addition to student knowledge, also emphasizes character, skills, and the ability to reflect.

In order to support students through their journeys in these four areas, Kents Hill offers its Academic Coaching program. Each student in the program receives an adult mentor to guide him or her in succeeding academically, socially, and emotionally. These students learn how to approach the planning process, work on problem-solving skills, and target other practices to ready them for college and career.

In level one of the program, mentors meet individually with the students three times each week to create personalized learning goals. They focus on building student strengths, giving feedback, and encouraging participation in special workshops and study sessions. In level two, students participate in a similar coaching process as a group, meeting three times each week with their peers and their mentor.

Denison University – A Liberal Arts Institution in Ohio Since 1831

Inducted into Profit and Loss magazine’s Hall of Fame, Jamie Thorsen was a long-time executive at BMO Capital Markets in Chicago, Illinois. A graduate of Denison University in Granville, Ohio, Jamie Thorsen has served on its board of trustees since 2008.

Founded in 1831, Denison University was ahead of its time, admitting female students and supporting anti-slavery beliefs. Since then, it has grown into a leading liberal arts institution. Rankings for 2020 by U. S. News & World Report place it as 13th in Best Value Schools, 43rd in National Liberal Arts Schools, and 45th in Best Undergraduate Teaching.

Some 2,300 students are enrolled in classes ranging from music to mathematics and geosciences to global economics. Most students live on campus, participating in over 150 campus organizations. They live within walking distance of Granville’s restaurants and can access a 36-mile biking trail. Shuttle buses transport them to Columbus, 25 miles away.

In addition to academic curricula, Denison offers an extensive internship program and a six-day retreat called LeaderShape. Well-known alumni include Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes and actors Jennifer Garner and Steve Carell. Another alumnus, geologist Kirtley Mather, named a mountain in Alaska after the university.

A Brief History of Denison University

Jamie Thorsen’s career as a senior financial executive culminated in her serving as head of the Global Foreign Exchange and China Capital Markets groups at BMO Capital Markets. Now retired, Jamie Thorsen dedicates her time to supporting her undergraduate alma mater, Denison University, as a member of its board of trustees.

Denison University holds the distinction as one of the country’s leading liberal arts colleges. Located in Granville, Ohio, the undergraduate institution has a rich history that traces to 1831.

In that year, settlers of the Ohio frontier established Granville Literary and Theological Institution as one of the first colleges in the old Northwest Territory. The school shortly thereafter become known as Granville College before assuming its current name in the mid-1850s. Around this time, Denison stood out as an early proponent of women’s education, welcoming female students into its classes by the close of the Civil War.

Denison formally integrated Shepardson College for Women into its campus at the dawn of the 20th century, and in 1916, it began adopting a development plan created by noted landscape architectural firm Frederick Law Olmsted Sons. With the expansion of its campus, the school’s student body reached approximately 2,000 students by 1970.

Today, Denison continues to offer a rich, immersive education to approximately 2,000 students each year. Although a nonsectarian institution as of the 1960s, the school remains committed to its founding principles of preparing undergraduates for lives as engaged citizens and effective leaders.