When Alex Moore 2010 looks back at the path that led him to his career in corporate development at Mercer Advisors, it doesn’t look much like the plan he had as a Catholic Central senior.

At the time, Moore thought he might become a doctor.

He enjoyed anatomy and biology and figured medicine was where he was headed. Then he got to Michigan State University, took his first chemistry class, and quickly realized he might want to rethink that plan.

“I wasn't studious enough as I should be,” Moore said with a laugh.

He switched to business, earning undergraduate degrees in accounting and economics before completing a master’s degree focused on taxation and information systems. What followed was a career that moved from accounting to tax consulting, advisory work, business valuation, disputes consulting, investment banking and, ultimately, corporate development.

It was not a straight line. Moore wouldn’t have it any other way.

Building a foundation

Moore began his career at Grant Thornton, where he chose tax over audit.

The work appealed to him because it was more consultative. Rather than simply preparing returns, he was researching opportunities and helping clients solve problems.

That desire to help people, he said, was actually one of the things that initially drew him toward medicine.

“As I grew and was growing to become a business professional, it was, 'How can I help people?” Moore said.

An unexpected opportunity soon moved his career in a new direction. After some of the tax consulting work at Grant Thornton slowed down, Moore was staffed on a large advisory project. It gave him an opportunity to move from accounting into finance and prove that he could contribute outside the traditional accounting role.

He then moved into business valuation before taking an opportunity to relocate to Cleveland with his then-fiancée, Monica. The two eventually married and now have three children.

In Cleveland, Moore joined Stout, where he worked in disputes consulting. His team handled financial matters involving deals that had gone bad, including post-merger-and-acquisition litigation and insurance coverage disputes.

The work gave him a chance to see how some of the largest private equity firms and insurance carriers operated.

“It was a small team solving complex problems, and I really enjoyed that work,” Moore said.

But once again, Moore found himself looking ahead.

“We were trying to fix mistakes as opposed to preventing mistakes,” he said.

Finding the right fit

That mindset led him to MarshBerry, an investment bank specializing in insurance distribution and wealth management.

Moore spent about five years there, beginning as an associate and eventually becoming a vice president who led deals. The role helped him realize what he enjoyed most about his work: the people.

His clients weren't simply companies on a spreadsheet. They were business owners and advisors whose decisions could affect their employees, families, and communities.

“What I truly love about this space is our clients,” Moore said. “It’s real people in their community who are making a difference.”

That realization eventually led Moore to Mercer Advisors, where he now works in corporate development. His role is focused on identifying and building relationships with firms that could become partners with Mercer.

In some ways, it was a natural progression from his work at MarshBerry. There, he primarily worked on the sell side. At Mercer, he works on the buy side.

But there was another reason the move appealed to him.

“I wanted to keep growing that and building that,” Moore said of the relationships he developed with clients.

Moore and his family moved back to Michigan from Cleveland at the end of 2021. Today, he works primarily from home and spends his professional life building relationships, evaluating potential partnerships and solving what he describes as “people problems.”

The people business

For Moore, the most important lesson of his career may have less to do with finance than with people.

He considers himself an introvert, but he has intentionally worked to become better at developing relationships, something he recognizes as increasingly important in a world where technology and artificial intelligence are changing the way professionals work.

“I truly think, regardless of what industry you’re in, we’re in the people business,” he said.

That belief has also shaped the advice he gives younger professionals.

“Always be learning,” Moore said, describing it as his personal acronym: ABL.

He believes professionals need to continue developing both their technical skills and their ability to work with people. In an increasingly competitive environment, he said, relying on a company or a single area of expertise isn't enough.

“You have to trust yourself, and more importantly, give it all to God," Moore said. "In today's competitive environment, you have to continually reinvest in your skillset.”

Learning to trust the process

Moore’s career has also taught him that not every closed door is a setback.

At one point, he and Monica were convinced they were going to move to Phoenix. They each had opportunities lined up, but both ended up as the second candidate.

Later, they thought they would move to North Carolina. Again, the opportunities didn't work out.

In both cases, Moore said, it was difficult at the time. Looking back, however, he sees those closed doors differently.

The Phoenix opportunity could have taken his career in a completely different direction. Instead, he joined MarshBerry, an experience that eventually helped lead him to Mercer. The North Carolina move never happened, either. The family ultimately found a home in Rochester that checked all the boxes.

“The older I get, the more I’m trying to trust the process and trust God,” Moore said. “If doors are open, go. Don’t force it.”

It is a lesson he said he probably wouldn't have understood as a high school student.

The things that matter most

For all of Moore’s professional accomplishments, including passing the CPA exam on his first attempt and later earning the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, his greatest source of pride isn't found on his résumé.

It's at home.

Moore and Monica have three children: Lukas, Lucia, and Levi. Lucas is nearly five, Lucia is two and a half, and Levi was four months old at the time of the interview.

“That's what I'm truly most proud of,” Moore said.

His oldest son recently started at Notre Dame Preparatory School, and Moore said he feels fortunate to be able to provide a Catholic education for his children.

When the workday ends, Moore tries to focus on his family. The family spends time at local parks, plays outside, and gets out into nature. Moore and his wife both work from home, which he considers a blessing but also recognizes can make it harder to truly disconnect.

His favorite days are often the simplest ones.

Moore's favorite days are often the simplest ones: finishing work, taking his kids to the playground and watching them play.

“It’s fantastic. I love it,” he said.

He also makes a point of continuing to learn, reading broadly and looking for lessons that apply beyond his professional life.

Back to the Shamrocks

Despite everything that has changed since he graduated in 2010, Moore said how he feels about Catholic Central hasn’t.

“I liked it better than college,” he said.

He describes the Shamrock community as something like an exclusive country club, one that you have only four years to join.

“You can only get into it during your four years of high school, and you can never get back in,” he said. “You can never get into it after if you miss your window.”

That is part of why he is excited about the Shamrocks Professionals Network and the opportunity it gives alumni to reconnect and help one another professionally.

For a career that has taken him through several industries, multiple cities, and more than a few unexpected turns, Moore sees the value in having a network of people who share a common foundation.

And if his own journey is any indication, sometimes the most important opportunities are the ones you never planned for.

“Knowing as long as you're making progress and it's directionally correct,” Moore said, “I never wanted to pigeonhole myself.”

For Moore, the path forward has been less about having every step figured out and more about continuing to learn, building relationships, trusting God, and recognizing when the next door opens.