/EINPresswire.com/ -- HOLBROOK, NY--(Marketwired - July 28, 2016) - American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (APFS), a privately-held, independent broker/dealer that services financial advisors across the country, recently sponsored the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) School of Management's Corporate Challenge for 2016, a program designed to further the analytical skills of college-level business students as it relates to real-life businesses and their enterprises.

"At American Portfolios, we are extremely committed to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) -- as individuals and collectively," said APFS Executive Vice President of Business Processes and Organizational Development Dalchand Laljit, who was instrumental in spearheading the program's sponsorship through the firm's organizational channels. "Just as we've supported Virtual Enterprises International (VEI) on their mission to foster future business leaders at the high school level, we felt it was also crucial to expand our socially responsible initiatives to college-level students, many of whom already have some footing established within the workforce." Laljit worked closely with NYIT School of Management Department Chair Rajendra Tibrewala and Associate Professor Deborah Cohn, who first approached APFS to enter its name for consideration into the program.

Each year, the NYIT School of Management's Experiential Education Program organizes a number of educational competitions, of which the Corporate Challenge is one. APFS' sponsorship of the 2016 Corporate Challenge required NYIT students to develop real-world case studies in conjunction with the NYIT School of Management and the Long Island-based broker/dealer. On April 29, 2016, five teams of NYIT students took part in the final competition of the Corporate Challenge, during which they presented their case studies that honed in on two major APFS business objectives: to address the goals set forth in the firm's five-year roadmap for strategic growth, and to project the future of the investment advisory business environment in the presence of rapidly-changing technology, government regulations and behaviors of the Millennial generation toward investment vehicles. Given those objectives, each of the teams were asked to focus on developing an action plan to help APFS expand its fee-based Investment Advisor Representative affiliations and advisory Assets Under Management of its affiliated advisors with specific regard to digital media marketing initiatives and competitive industry analysis.

The final competition was held at the APFS home office in Holbrook, N.Y., where each team proved its case study to a panel of judges, which included members of the firm's executive and senior management teams, NYIT faculty and the managing partner of Baltimore, Md., advertising agency Exit 10. "I was extremely impressed by the amount of research each of the teams put into their case studies," said Vice President of Marketing Strategy Kimberly A. Branch. "The delivery of their presentations was top-notch and their suggestions will no doubt prove very helpful down the line."

Winners of the Corporate Challenge were announced during the Spring 2016 Experiential Education Awards Ceremony on May 6, 2016, at the NYIT de Seversky Mansion in Old Westbury, N.Y. Vice President of Business Services Maria Zarb was on-hand to declare NYIT Professor Henry Pacht's team -- which included students Manasi Bhide, Ummehani Sadarwala and Katikala Sai Ananh Shashank -- the winner of the APFS-sponsored NYIT Corporate Challenge 2016. APFS extends its sincere congratulations to the winning team members and wishes them all great success in their future endeavors.

About American Portfolios

Headquartered in Holbrook, N.Y., APFS is a full-service, independent broker/dealer and member firm of FINRA and SIPC, offering a complete range of financial services, including personal financial and retirement planning, securities trading, mutual funds, access to investment research, long-term care planning, insurance products and tax-free investing. Fee-based asset management is offered through its sister subsidiary, American Portfolios Advisors, Inc., (APA), an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Both entities, along with technology division American Outsources, LLC (AO,) collectively reside under the legal entity American Portfolios Holdings, Inc. (APH). Full-service securities brokerage is available through a clearing firm relationship with Pershing, LLC, a BNY Mellon firm, the securities of which are held on a fully disclosed basis. The company currently serves 791 independent investment professionals located in 356 branch locations throughout the nation. It was named Broker-Dealer of the Year* (Division III) by Investment Advisor magazine in 2015, as well as the No. 1 Best Small/Mid-Size Company to Work for in the state of New York for 2016 by the New York State Society for Human Resources Management (NYS-SHRM) and the Best Companies Group (BCG).

*Based on a poll of registered representatives conducted by Investment Advisor magazine. Broker/dealers rated highest by their representatives are awarded "Broker/Dealer (B/D) of the Year."

NYIT Corporate Challenge 2016 Judging Panel

Lon T. Dolber, CEO, CIO, President, American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (APFS); Edward Morrison, EVP, Chief Strategy Officer, American Portfolios Holdings, Inc. (APH); Frank A. Tauches Jr., EVP, Chief Legal Counsel, American Portfolios Holdings, Inc. (APH); Gary Gordon, President, American Portfolios Advisors Inc. (APA); Kimberly A. Branch, Vice President of Marketing Strategy, American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (APFS); Rajendra Tibrewala, NYIT School of Management Department Chair; David White, Managing Partner, Exit 10 Advertising

Melissa Grappone
VP of Marketing and Corporate Communications
631.870.8208
mgrappone@americanportfolios.com
Member: FINRA, SIPC