Networking: What To Say When Someone Asks Where You Got Their Name

The title says it all.

I sent a cold email to a banker who spent a year as an exchange student at my university a few years back. He is not a true alumni, but he was the only person that came up in a LinkedIn search of my target school, the firm, division, and the (global, regional) office I am interested in exploring opportunities in. I knew the email format of the firm, which is how I was able to get in touch.

I have sent cold emails to both alumni and non-alumni in the past and have never been asked that question. I thought most bankers assumed you either found them on LinkedIn or through the alumni database.

Is it fine to say his profile came up in a LinkedIn search for alumni? What if his follow up is my email address is not on my LinkedIn? I may be overthinking this one, but LinkedIn + knowing the email format of a firm seems creepy to me, and I do not want to be perceived as a creep.

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Thank you for the insight. He replied saying yes he could speak and also asked how I came about his contact information. I wanted to get some color on the situation before proceeding to respond

 
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