From a family of Tulane University alumni, Greg Saphier knows the prestige of a Tulane degree. Seven of his family members attended the school, where Greg found his wife, Amy. Their three sons, Hayden, Ethan and Justin, also attended Tulane. 

When he began his journey at Tulane in 1987, Saphier majored in finance and accounting. In addition to his studies, he was the philanthropy chairman and vice president of Sigma Chi. He created a charity concert event at Tipitina’s bar called “Rock the Casa” that raised money for volunteers that helped children with any legal services they needed. This event carried past his time at Tulane, and Saphier described it as his “legacy.”

After Tulane, Saphier began working at KPMG accounting firm in Washington D.C. During his time working in Washington, he lived with friends he had met at Tulane and held crawfish boils at their house.

 “We brought that whole Tulane/New Orleans vibe with us and we’ve continued to do that even to this day,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun to continue it for many years after you actually leave Tulane.”

After a few years working at KPMG, Saphier went back and got his masters of business administration in 1994 from New York University with the ultimate goal of working on Wall Street. In 1996, he graduated and got a job working at Merrill Lynch Investment Banking. Saphier worked for five years with Merrill Lynch, three of which were in New York and then two abroad in Hong Kong and London. However, after the events of 9/11 he began to consider the options of returning back to America. Eventually, he moved to Miami with his wife and newborn son. 

In Miami, Saphier began working for his family business, Melody AV — Audio and Visual Systems — where he is the vice president today. “It was a lifestyle decision,” he said. Saphier wanted to make an impact on his family’s business, one that had treated him well. 

Throughout his time after graduating, Saphier has tried to incorporate the Tulane spirit into his life. From holding crawfish boils at his house, to living with friends, to sending his children off to Tulane, the university holds a special place in his heart. 

“I feel like there’s definitely a special connection with Tulane alums,” he said, “It’s just such a unique experience. Living in New Orleans, enjoying the music, enjoying the food, there’s just so much to the offer there.”

Finally, he offered a piece of advice for the Tulane students today. Saphier said, “Don’t limit yourself. Do what you can to get a variety of experiences and follow what you know what your true passion is.”