Students filed into the fireside chat room at Van Munching Hall to hear from and network with professionals in the world of international trade during the “Mini Roundtable on Careers in Global Trade.” The event on Sept. 25 was the first of the academic year for the Careers Crossing Borders series, hosted by the Center for Global Business (CGB) at the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business. Four panelists who work in global trade shared their experiences and offered advice on navigating the industry.
The program was moderated by Smith finance major Vasiley Syomin, Class of ’28. One of the first questions he posed to the panel was, “How would you say the changing international market is affecting your position and what you do on a daily basis in your job?”
Emmanuel Etsu, MSSCM ’24, logistics specialist at a global containership company, earned his Master’s in Supply Chain Management from Smith. He said, “Disruption is normal in supply chain,” and has always existed. “We used to brag about just in time, but now it’s getting to the stage of just in case another disruption happens.”
Pandora Jewelry’s Americas Operations Head of Trade and Customs Pamela Reed noted that it used to be that people only cared that their jewelry made it from overseas into the store, and what happened in between didn’t matter. “Now, anyone who works in international trade is suddenly front and center,” she said. “We have to be more strategic, curious, open-minded and knowledgeable about regulations.” Reed referred to the current state of things as the Super Bowl for global trade. “It’s an exciting time for all of us, even though there are a lot of ups and downs.”
Nick Porter is the business development manager for the Maryland Port Administration, and he emphasized to students that what they learn and the skills they possess are their base entry into the field. “It’s those relationships that you build while you’re working with other students and folks like us that come in handy. They build your career.”
The panel was asked how they utilized their skills to move into their current careers. Smith alumnus, Larry Legates, MBA ’04, credited his study abroad with opening up his world and leading him to be interested in international business. The director of global export controls for Cummins Inc. said, “For me, the real advancement came when I worked in consulting. I worked at PwC. I got exposed to so many different types of industries and clients. I worked for Pepsi, Boeing, a whole bunch of different companies and it just expanded my horizons.”
After the panel discussion, each of the panelists took up residence at a roundtable in the room as students moved from table to table, talking with the global trade experts about what they do and seeking advice from them.
Joshua Taylor, MBA ’27 is currently working in government but is interested in transitioning into global trade, and came to the Careers Crossing Borders event to gain insight about the industry. “I worked in West Africa for about three years and got to work on a trade project that was focused on the pineapple value chain in Benin. I definitely want to get back into something related to that field.”
Freshmen Jaden Cohen and Arin Storks, Class of ’29, attended the function because they’re interested in global business and want to learn more about it. Cohen, a double major in accounting and supply chain, has been going to CGB events since the fall semester began.
“It’s been really helpful interacting with these professionals and networking with people who have a lot of industry experience. To have these excellent opportunities to learn from these people who’ve been in the business for over 30 years is pretty unheard of, so I’m just trying to go to as many events as I can.”
Finance major Storks hopes to have an international career. “I’ve always been interested in international relations,” she said. “I’m interested in working in South Korea or Scandinavia in sustainability and global business.”
Providing opportunities for students with curiosity and ambition around international commerce and global careers is what the Careers Crossing Borders series is all about, and the 2025-26 kick-off event exemplified that. Students came away with invaluable advice and connections that will prove to be important as they continue their education at Smith and embark on careers in global business.
The Careers Crossing Borders series is supported in part by CIBE, a Title VI grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
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About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.