Moore School May 2020 graduate Robin Hupin (’20 MIB) chose to pursue a Master of International Business because of his previous educational and personal experiences in business and with traveling.
“I knew that the [Moore School’s] MIB program was ideally tailored to augment my education in finance and my international experiences to ultimately achieve my career goals,” Hupin said.
With his bachelor’s in finance, Hupin chose to pursue the international trade and investment track of the MIB program because he wanted to combine his financial background with his passion for international business.
Originally from Overijse, Belgium, Hupin came to the United States for his college education and played Division I soccer at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. After deciding to remain in the U.S. and accepting a job handling exports for Mediterranean Shipping Company in Charleston, South Carolina, Hupin said he decided to attend the Moore School for a master’s degree because of its reputation in international business and “top-notch” faculty. He was also named a UPS Global Scholar.
“I knew this was an institution where I would surround myself with high-performing talent and where I would be challenged to grow both professionally and personally,” Hupin said. “I have really enjoyed being part of such a diverse cohort, working and learning with people from all over the world. I believe that this is the critical part of the MIB degree that allows you to develop interpersonal and cross-cultural skills that prepare you to enter the global workplace.”
Hupin said he feels the Moore School has more than prepared him to navigate the dynamic environment of global business.
“The wide range of courses available provides the tools to analyze the cultural, legal, economic and political aspects of doing business internationally,” he said. “The customizable curriculum of the MIB program has allowed me to gain highly valuable skills in the workforce.”
Hupin embraced the Moore School’s initiatives to produce data proficient and analytically capable business professionals by completing the Business Analytics Graduate Certificate through the MIB program.
“I have gained highly analytical skills with the ability to make data-driven recommendations, adding some coding experience in my arsenal,” Hupin added.
In addition to the hard-data skills he has obtained through the Moore School, Hupin said he has also enhanced his communication, leadership and cross-cultural abilities through the group work that the MIB program encourages.
Since graduating in May 2020, Hupin started a position in the international talent program with ING, a multinational bank, in its wholesale banking division. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he has not been able to go into the office because of the Belgian work-from-home policy.
“While I enjoy the flexibility that working from home offers, the learning curve is steep and challenging to overcome without being in the office,” he said. “In this virtual environment, I have realized the importance of getting feedback to improve, staying connected with your team — sharing screens is particularly helpful — and networking with people outside of your team to get a better understanding of the big picture.”
Although it has been an adjustment working from home full time, Hupin said that joining a bank in the middle of an economic crisis as a result of COVID-19 has been an exciting experience.
“Compared to 2008, banks are in a much stronger position due to the regulatory capital requirements,” he said. “However, there is a tremendous demand for liquidity from clients who need capital to get through this crisis as well as to enjoy the low-interest-rates environment we are currently in. There is also a lot of portfolio monitoring to be done to make sure clients are weathering the storm well or thriving in it. I am really enjoying this busy and volatile environment.”
ING’s four-year talent program includes three rotations in the first 18 months that will allow Hupin to continue his professional development in the banking industry while obtaining additional training and certificates. He transitioned from the Real Estate Finance team to a rotation in the Transport and Logistics Finance team beginning in December until March 2021. After that, he will start a rotation in Debt Capital Markets Origination team until October 2021.
“I am confident the MIB degree has prepared me to be successful overseas, as one of the rotations will be abroad,” Hupin said. “I am very excited to start this new adventure where I can play an active role in the dynamic, global world of corporate banking.”
Aspiring to one day take on a leadership role at ING or another international bank, Hupin plans to expand his international network and establish valuable relationships with clients through the international talent program.
“One day, I would hope to have gained sufficient experience to lead my own cross-border finance firm in which I would assist high-net worth individuals as well as large corporate clients with their international investment decisions,” he said. “I would also like to become involved in economic development in a consulting/advisory role to promote investment and trade in critically important sectors.”
Hupin also said that he hopes to continue traveling to his favorite places, including a region of Italy named Cinque Terre, which has a “picturesque” landscape, and new locations like Singapore and potentially working in ING’s Asian headquarters.