University of Wollongong’s deputy vice chancellor (Global Strategy) Professor Alex Frino is joining the board of the Illawarra Credit Union and will attend his first meeting as a director in June.
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But in the process of his appointment ICU chief executive Bob Kotic discovered a connection the international authority on global share markets and well-known economic analyst has with the financial institution.
A connection that helped his career start now sees him in a unique position to repay an old debt. Just over three decades ago when he was a young second-year commerce student at the UOW Prof Frino received an ICU scholarship that had a pivotal impact on his career.
It was the first of many scholarships that took him around the world, including to Cambridge University, where he completed a Master of Philosophy in Finance degree, a coveted Fulbright Scholarship to the United States, and opportunities in Italy and New Zealand.
Professor Frino said when the opportunity came up to serve on the ICU board 31 years later he saw it as a chance to give something back to the organisation that helped kickstart his career.
“My work commitments don’t typically allow me the time to be involved in boards outside academe and I have declined a number of opportunities, but because of my connection to the Illawarra Credit Union I couldn’t say no to this one,” he said.
“The Illawarra Credit Union showed confidence in me all those years ago and I distinctly remember that their scholarship inspired me to think big. I don’t remember how much money I received, but I do remember it was significant and made a difference.
“I had never been recognised for anything in my school life, and the ICU scholarship provided recognition and confidence to a boy from the Illawarra who had never been outside the region, let alone overseas. I remember it gave me a confidence that drove me to work harder in my studies and not be frightened to apply for other scholarships - which changed my life.
“The most important thing was that it was a working scholarship, which meant that I had to work as a research assistant to get it. I ended up doing research for the leaders in the Economics Faculty at the time including the late John Steinke, Rob Castle and Dennis O’Brien. Ultimately, the chance to work with John led to me deciding to become an academic. He was very influential not only in encouraging me into academe, but also in helping me work out my career path.”
Professor Frino described it as an absolute delight to be able join the ICU board and to give back not only to the Illawarra Credit Union but the Illawarra community.
“The board is comprised of some really clever people, and I really look forward to working with them,” he said.
Mr Kotic said Prof Frino was invited to join the board because of his skills as a chartered accountant, business and financial acumen and experience in economic analysis.
But the scholarship connection added a really nice touch.
Mr Kotic said Prof Frino’s career success and profile with UOW added further credibility to a board that already contained some of the region’s highest profile business leaders.
Other members are chairman Roger Downs, Peter Kell, Colin Bloomfield, Deborah De Santis, Michael Halloran and Nieves Murray.
Other Professor Frino scholarships:
- The British-Australian Vocational Exchange (BAVE) Scholarship which he received at the end of the second year of his UOW studies and took him to work for an analytics company in Cambridge, which inspired him to apply for entry to Cambridge University.
- In 1989-90 he received a Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholarship, KPMG Peat Marwick Hungerfords Scholarship and Chartered Accountants Scholarship which took him to Cambridge University to study for his Masters degree.
- In 2004 he received an Erskine fellowship - which took him to the university of Canterbury in New Zealand and enabled him to work with a guru in his field, American Professor Ed Maberly.
- In 2005 he received a highly coveted Fulbright Senior Scholar award which enabled him to travel to the US with his family to work at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Georgetown University.
- In 2012 he received a Mesaagero Scholarship which enabled him to travel to Italy and work on a number of projects with another guru in his field - Marco Pagano
Greg Ellis
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
