Benjamin J. Pearl
Benjamin J. Pearl, a 2023 MLS graduate, showcases a diverse educational background in business administration, accounting, and a Master of Science in Jurisprudence (MSJ). His unique journey led him to a Senior Manager position at Bet MGM, overseeing Governance, Risk & Compliance. Benjamin's MSJ program equipped him with legal knowledge crucial for navigating the complexities of the online gaming industry. His career advice emphasizes the strategic importance of lateral moves and combining practical experience with enhanced educational knowledge for robust career growth.
Your educational background is quite diverse, combining business administration, accounting, and a Master of Science in Jurisprudence. Can you share a specific experience or moment that inspired you to pursue an MSJ and how it has enriched your approach to Governance, Risk, and Compliance at Bet MGM?
Sure! I have been fortunate to serve the Law Firm Space in various capacities, whether it be providing Legal Research and Practice Management solutions to Law Firms, selling Governance, Risk & Compliance Solutions to Highly Regulated Industries, providing Audit and Assurance services to AmLaw 100 Firms, and advising clients on processing and storing data to conform to regulatory compliance requirements (e.g., General Data Protection Regulation).
I always gravitated towards the Law Firm space; it was always an experience when lawyers asked me the proverbial question(s): Where did you go to law school? You are a lawyer, right? My only rebuttal would be the following: I am not a lawyer but do portray one as an actor on television!
So, when I did some research, and realized there was a fantastic opportunity to strengthen my education acumen in this area, the MSJ program was a home run! With the contemporary trends in Privacy and Cybersecurity, the curriculum at Seton Hall Law was a strategic fit for me.
In your current role as Senior Manager of Governance, Risk & Compliance, which specific skills or competencies do you find most essential for successfully managing compliance in a dynamic industry like online gaming and entertainment?
Highly regulated industries require collaboration across various workstreams (e.g., Legal, Compliance, Audit, Technology, Finance), especially in an industry like online gaming which is “neophytic” in status. The ability to vision a long-range strategy which encompasses multiple business owners is paramount to a successful program.
Could you elaborate on the impact your Master of Science in Jurisprudence has had on your journey to becoming a Senior Manager at Bet MGM, and provide examples of how the legal knowledge and skills from your MSJ program benefit your daily responsibilities in governance, risk, and compliance?
Absolutely! From a risk and compliance perspective, we operate in multiple state jurisdictions. Having the ability to ingest regulatory content into your daily workflow enables a firm to stay current on regulatory alerts, manage these tasks efficiently, and update processes and policies in an effective manner. I always enjoyed canvassing online legal research, and this role allows me to stay abreast of regulatory tracking/texting, proposed regulatory changes, and the impact to our risk and control landscape. Also, the MSJ program had a proven currency and enabled me to remain diligent on the constant influx of Cybersecurity and Privacy challenges.
Networking is often a critical element in career growth. How has your networking strategy contributed to your career progression, and could you share an instance where networking played a pivotal role in achieving a significant milestone in your professional journey?
Networking provides you with inroads, and you determine your destiny when creating your channels. My sales and business development experience taught me to always build your career pipeline, from various disciplines. The experiences I have had as a Professor at Seton Hall University, combined with my consultative services with Business Clients enabled me to obtain a multi-channel network. The concentration of professional alumni within the Seton Hall ecosystem has enabled me to leverage this network and provide me objective guidance and direction for my future professional endeavors.
Considering your cumulative experience, how has your prior career journey equipped you for your role in compliance at Bet MGM? Can you highlight specific aspects of your background that have proven particularly valuable in your current position?
I call it being in the right place at the right time! I have humbly been able to work for amazing organizations (e.g., Big 4, AmLaw100, Fortune 500) in a governance, risk, and compliance capacity. Working in highly regulated industries makes you Audit/Examiner “battle-tested,” and the advisory and sales experiences I collected has enabled me to understand and empathize with an organizations’ “pain.”
Could you describe your experiences with the interview processes for compliance positions in general, and more specifically, the selection process at Bet MGM for your current role? Are there any unique challenges or opportunities you encountered during the hiring process with Bet MGM that you'd like to share?
When I finished the MSJ program, my first activity was to perform informational interviews in the Metro New York region. This is what I always did in my previous career journey. I consulted with my peers, and they provided me with an epiphany: With the Future of Work, it does not really matter where you perform your work in relation to where a company headquarters is located. I experienced this during the COVID-19 era as a Professor teaching courses fully remotely. More people are dispersed across geographical lines in today’s work activities, and it was an opportunity to embrace a hybrid modality.
Given your successful journey from an MSJ/MLS program to your current position as a Senior Manager of Governance, Risk & Compliance, what advice, or words of encouragement do you have for current students who aspire to follow a similar career path?
Sure! I passionately believe that career growth in today’s operating model is strategic when moving laterally across the organization. The MSJ/MLS program furnished me with a blueprint for Legal, Governance, Risk, Compliance, Privacy, and Cybersecurity opportunities. Practical experience and enhanced educational knowledge are the quintessential recipes to broaden your career portfolio.
