"Everything is Earned."

Every journey begins with a single step, but Anthony Montufar’s first stride toward Stevens was on crutches.

Growing up in Moonachie, New Jersey, Anthony was a lifelong competitor and standout student-athlete with his sights set on a college football career. A broken leg during his junior year of high school altered his path, prompting him to redirect the focus and discipline he had built through athletics entirely towards academics. Today, that same willingness to adapt has helped him lead advisor and client experience strategy for one of the country’s major financial services organizations.

Anthony wanted to stay close to home, and he had watched his older sister, a Stevens graduate who ended up living two houses down from him on Castle Point, take advantage of the option to customize her college experience. The ability to stay near his close-knit family and tailor his studies convinced him that following in his sister’s footsteps was the right decision. He arrived in Hoboken as a naval engineering student, with the potential of eventually attending law school.

After his first semester, he decided to call an audible and enroll in the School of Business, joining its business and technology program. Despite the late start, the move didn’t put him off schedule as he anticipated.

“I quickly came to the realization that the optionality of the business and technology program was very unique, and I wanted to explore that,” he said. “It was a great experience for me. I think a lot of people feel that switching majors puts you behind, but I never felt that at Stevens in any capacity. The faculty and staff worked with me, and within three semesters, I was actually ahead of most people.”

The throughline of his career first came into focus at his first internship. It was 2013, and Montufar recognized a structural shift in financial services before it became mainstream.

“I recognized early that business and technology were going to become inseparable in financial services, and AI has only accelerated that reality,” he said. “I’m not a traditional software engineer, but I understand the technology well enough to operate confidently in that space. More importantly, I can pair that with the business perspective needed to engage high-performing financial advisors and translate technology into practical value for their practices and clients.

In his current role, Anthony serves as Chief Digital and Client Experience officer at Equitable Advisors, where he oversees the digital tools, platforms and capabilities that help financial professionals better engage clients and grow their practices. His team focuses on the full advisor experience, from portfolio analysis, marketing and CRM systems to operational support and emerging technologies that can improve productivity and deepen client relationships.

Just as important, Anthony is focused on understanding the client experience from end to end — from a prospective client’s first interaction with the public website to the authenticated portal current clients use to manage key aspects of their financial lives. Across each touchpoint, his goal is to create a differentiated value proposition that supports people throughout their financial journey while helping advisors deliver a more modern, connected and personalized experience. It is the latest chapter in a career built at the intersection of business, technology and financial advice, following seven years in J.P. Morgan’s wealth management division and four years at Wells Fargo Advisors.

That habit of moving between disciplines was a staple of his time on campus, where he recalls many of his classmates being some version of an engineer. Interacting with a variety of people as an active member of the Stevens community through clubs, honor and leadership societies, intramural athletics and student government with them translated directly into working on diverse teams professionally.

The critical thinking skills he developed in the classroom have also given him a leg up. He particularly remembers business strategy courses with Professor George Calhoun, which opened every session with a current-events quiz. The questions went deeper than headlines, diving into the reasoning behind them.

"If you didn't read the article critically and understand the why behind it, you were never going to do well in those classes," he said. “It very quickly dovetailed into the broader curriculum of those classes where we would look at say 10 corporations in different sectors and not only try to understand their profit and loss statement, but the why behind it. How are they operationally efficient or inefficient? Those classes stood out because they forced you to engage different parts of your thinking and see business decisions from multiple angles..”

He also points to Stevens’ unique senior design project and Innovation Expo, where he and a small team built and ran an actual business, learning firsthand how to lean on teammates' strengths and trust the process.

“It was a phenomenal experience, and the bond that you create with folks that have different skill sets, knowing how to get the most out of different people – and yourself – and knowing where to trust others with the guidance of professors who have done it successfully before, was an unmatched experience,” he said.

Those lessons proved valuable in his first job on Wall Street, when a senior leader took notice of the fact that Anthony consistently arrived before him and left after him.

“He was 20 years into his career and leading a team of 500 people,” Anthony said. “He pulled me aside and told me, ‘I’ve noticed your work ethic — you’re here before me and you leave after me — and I just watched you deliver a strong presentation. The ability to combine effort with execution is what separates people. I’d like to spend more time with you and provide guidance however I can.’”

Within five months, Anthony was working directly with him. A few years later, that relationship opened the door to another opportunity within his mentor’s new organization.”

Anthony wasn't actively looking to leave Wells Fargo Advisors, but conversations with his now-manager changed his perspective. He saw an opportunity to help a firm with a strong insurance heritage continue evolving into a more holistic wealth management platform.

"It really started to click for me that this was definitely a key opportunity to make a difference," he said.

For Anthony, that combination of scale and accessibility felt familiar, and is similar to how he describes Stevens

"Big enough that we matter, but small enough to make a difference.”

Having the opportunity to impact an organization and the people in it is a big reason why Montufar makes time to pay forward the mentorship he was given. He also coaches youth sports and sees both as extensions of the same belief. Individual success means little without a team, and the people willing to invest in others early are the ones who shape careers years down the line.

"Nothing is given. Everything is earned," he said, reflecting on the advice he'd most want current students to hear. “Everyone’s path is different. There isn’t one right way to build a career or define success. It’s your journey, but you have to earn the opportunities in front of you.