UPS president of global freight forwarding Romaine Seguin has had a storied career with the multinational shipping conglomerate and wants to share what she’s learned over her almost 40-year career with Moore School international business students and faculty.
Seguin began serving on the Global Advisory Board for the Moore School’s Folks Center for International Business in 2020. She said she was happy to step into the role previously held by retired UPS chief operating officer Jim Barber.
“I love education — I absolutely love education,” she said. “College is the foundation for whatever career you choose.”
Part of the expertise the Folks Center board members provide is advising Moore School faculty on current international business practices and perspectives to inform curriculum.
Seguin “is a frequent speaker for community and business events and has received multiple awards and recognition for her work in the international business community,” said Karen Brosius, executive director for the Folks Center for International Business. “Seguin is a dynamic leader with a wealth of business experience around the world. Her contributions to the Folks Center’s advisory board are incredibly valuable to the Moore School and its leadership in international business education.”
With the international business community, Seguin shares her knowledge gleaned from living in four different countries and business travels that took her to more than 50 countries. Before she was a globe-trotter, Seguin was a first-generation college graduate from St. Louis, Missouri.
“You grow more personally and professionally when you work overseas; people just think of professional growth, but you grow so much personally — it helps you be a better leader for your job,” she said. “The world is complex, but it’s getting so much smaller. [With technology,] you can have any part of the globe at your fingertips within seconds.”
With offices on all seven continents and in more than 200 countries, UPS is one of the largest multinational shipping companies. Currently, the only countries they don’t deliver to are Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria because of political unrest and embargo sanctions. In 2014, Seguin was involved in discussions to decide if Cuba could be open to imports again.
“Previously, in Miami when I was in charge of global freight forwarding, we elected to go and check out Cuba from a business perspective, but there was too much risk,” she added.
Hands-on experience like the consideration to open imports in Cuba makes Seguin a valuable asset to UPS — and to the Folks Center.
The Moore School’s and UPS’ collaborative relationship has been developed because of the strength of the talent and knowledge students bring to their internships and projects, Seguin said.
“I see it as a win-win for both of us. It’s a win because UPS gets the opportunity to get the perspective of students, and it’s a win for the Moore School because UPS has a good, strong business model and a solid reputation as an established 113-year-old company,” she said.
To further support the partnership with the Folks Center and Moore School, The UPS Foundation created in 2018 the UPS Global Scholars Program through the Folks Center.
The purpose of the UPS Global Scholars Program is to broaden participation by underrepresented populations in international business programming at the Darla Moore School of Business and further the diversity and inclusion priorities of both the Moore School and The UPS Foundation. The UPS Global Scholars Program is the first — and so far, only one — of its kind funded by The UPS Foundation.
The UPS funds — totaling $450,000 over the first three years of the program — are given to the Moore School for undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships that can support paying for tuition, expenses, and study abroad opportunities related to international business.
The Moore School has a strong International MBA and undergraduate international business program and is number one for a reason, Seguin said.
“UPS likes to associate our brand with a very strong academic brand like the Moore School,” she said.
Seguin knows the ins and outs of the UPS brand; she has held a multitude of positions with UPS, both in the United States and overseas. She started out as a driver in Missouri; over the past four decades, her career took her to the United Kingdom, France, Kentucky, Detroit, Minnesota, Italy, Belgium, Miami and finally to Atlanta at UPS’ global headquarters for her current role in 2018.
Sharing her vast knowledge of a top global supply chain company, Seguin will be featured on a panel entitled “Post-Pandemic Strategy: How to Reconcile Resiliency and Efficiency in Your Company” on April 15 at 4 p.m.