Maria Aguilar
Manager, Financial Planning and Analysis
Benadir Ambaye
Chief Information Officer, Europe and Asia
Neil Donovan
Senior Manager, Trading
Maryna Dubinina
Director, Global Internal Audit, Europe and Asia
William L. McClain
Vice President, Human Resources, Europe and Asia
Cotter Norris
Wheat Trader
Kseniya Petrova
Internal Controls Manager, Bunge Business Services
Jodi Roberts
Production Manager
Maria AguilarManager, Financial Planning and Analysis
Current Location
Saint Louis Office
College / University
Universidad de las Americas Puebla (UDLAP)
Degree
Finance and Accounting
Providing accurate and timely information to the business is key for decision making. My degree in finance and accounting has allowed me to achieve this goal during my 13-year career. Among the activities am involved with, I analyze and report monthly results, forecast the different components of the business, build ad hoc financial reports for the leaders, coordinate and define yearly budgets and support capital and business development projects.
Benadir AmbayeChief Information Officer, Europe and Asia
Current Location
Barcelona, Spain
College / University
Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (Undergrad), Washington University St Louis (MBA)
Degree
Business Economics, MBA
At SIUE, I took many courses under the Management Information Systems area but just shy of having it as a secondary degree. In Bunge, I have worked in various geographic regions including the U.S., China and Spain, and participating and/or leading various projects with a heavy technology component. This includes building a web and/or mobile solutions to digitally connect with our customers, implement various contract & accounting solutions, reporting and analytics solutions, etc.
While my primary line of work (IT/Technology) is not directly related to my college degree (Economics), the foundational lessons in college of knowing how to research and execute, teamwork on group projects, are applicable skills regardless of a degree and line of work one gets into.
Neil DonovanSenior Manager, Trading
Current Location
Saint Louis, MO, USA
College / University
University of Limerick (Ireland) and University of Nebraska
Degree
Veterinary Medicine, Business Administration
I was very unclear of my career route and professional interests during my university days, and that probably reflects well in my educational shift from a veterinary medicine field to business administration. When I graduated, I was still unclear of what direction I wanted to take, so the opportunity to join Bunge’s management trainee program was an easy and quick decision. It allowed me to be involved in plant operations, grain merchandising, customer relationships, logistics, business management, trading and risk management.
The role presented a wide geographical scope with a global footprint, where different educational backgrounds and nationalities like mine are promoted to drive better business and decision-making throughout the company. I enjoyed many different job positions and geographies in my career at Bunge, and sitting at the North American trading desk in St. Louis today, it’s fun to think back and see how the dots have connected.
The dots don’t necessarily tie to specific class subjects or projects, but from the environment where we are pushed to investing in ourselves, in understanding and mastering new subjects and concepts, working with a team of colleagues to build up on ideas and solutions, and by learning to access resources and knowledge from others to build our own.
Maryna DubininaDirector, Global Internal Audit, Europe and Asia
Current Location
Barcelona, Spain
College / University
Concordia University, John Molson School of Business
Degree
Business Communications, Major in Accountancy
Internal audit is about understanding business risks and improving processes impacted by these risks. It is also about sharing knowledge across the organization. My college degree allows me to have business-oriented approach to audit. My knowledge of accounting helps me understand and assess financial impact risk may have on Bunge’s bottom line. Acquired business communication skills are incremental to my verbal and written communication to the senior management, as well as building large networks of people throughout organization to be able to leverage their knowledge and share best practices.
William L. McClain
Vice President, Human Resources, Europe and Asia, and Global Agribusiness Commercial
Current Location
Geneva, Switzerland
College / University
Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Indiana
Degree
Bachelor of Arts, Liberal Arts with Teaching Certification
My liberal arts education taught me how to learn, how to find answers. Since then I have used that to continue to develop new skills, gain new experiences and apply those in the work I do. My teaching certification allowed me to help teach/train others while allowing me to transfer my own learnings into the various roles I have had and in the international and multi-cultural environments I work. Curiosity and learning agility have allowed me to explore the world and appreciate the differences and diversity that exist across the globe.
Cotter NorrisWheat Trader
Current Location
Mexico City, Mexico
College / University
University of Mississippi
Degree
Banking and Finance
My college degree provided a base for learning about financial markets, but most of what I do has to be learned on the job.
I’ve been with Bunge since 2011 and have held a number of trading positions in the U.S. before relocating to Mexico City.
One of the things I would encourage students to do is learn another language. I speak both Spanish and Portuguese which has provided me with opportunities I might not have had otherwise.
Kseniya PetrovaInternal Controls Manager, Bunge Business Services, Western Europe
Current Location
Barcelona, Spain
College / University
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Degree
Business Administration specializing in Finance, International Business and Spanish
Knowledge I gained at the university in courses such as Accounting, Finance, International Business, Spanish, Computer Science, English Grammar Proficiency, and Public Speaking - all have helped me along the way in my career. I used my accounting and finance knowledge to analyze financial statements (in English, Spanish and Russian) for evaluation of credit worthiness of counterparties and banks, prepare cash flow, debt and margins reports, and to understand how accounting postings affect Bunge financial statements.
The international business knowledge helped me understand how global company like Bunge operates in the international environment and challenges it faces, and computer science have prepared me how to use SAP program (used globally by Bunge for business reporting and execution).
Finally, English proficiency allowed me to prepare grammatically correct and profound reports and presentations; and public speaking skills facilitated presenting various topics for colleagues, trainees, and third party companies.
Jodi RobertsProduction Manager
Current Location
Crete, Nebraska
College / University
Kansas State University
Degree
Milling Science & Management
Working in a Bunge corn milling facility allows me to use my degree in milling science every day. The skills I learned in college help me to understand the milling process, allowing me to make changes to the process flow in order to meet market demand. In addition, it helps me optimize equipment and improve process efficiency.
