Robert Qutub0:08
My first Beta Alpha Psi meeting I showed up in a pair of purple pants, a Julian colored shirt. There was multiple blues and purples and reds and one of those cloth ties that were kind of flat and they were kind of knitted. They showed up and I had a blue blazer and my grades were pretty good and someone said, 'Bob, are you trying not to get a job?' I wouldn't have made it through there if the faculty weren't involved with me, from helping me walk the walk, play the part, dress the part. But they weren't as interested in me as I was interested in getting as much value out of it.
If you look back, I have worked for four companies in 30 years. I've probably had countless jobs within each of those companies. I started out in public accounting and I kind of looked at that as the first inning where it was a really fast way to understand management and how companies operate.
Giving back to me is important. I think that UNCC gave me a lot and I have no problem giving back and trying to give back ever since. I was on the accounting advisory board and then I got onto the alumni board advisory for Belk College of Business. I've been on that for a number of years as well as the foundation. We decided to leave a scholarship for accounting students, which is what I got. Now the Robert and Katie Qutub standing next to the Frank and Sara Rayburn scholarships out there. But these are important, and also for the broader business school. Giving back to the Veterans Association is something that's important to me. I'm good friends, I've stayed active since I left.
In veterans associations, the two most defining things in my life aside from my family was the decision to join the Marine Corps. And it gave me the focus and discipline to put my mind to doing about anything I want. The second thing I'm most proud of is my decision to go to UNC Charlotte and that facilitated putting those two things together. It took my determination, you gave me education, and it set me out to the world today.
Along the way there's been a lot of failures and I think my greatest strides have been learning from those failures and being able to break through. Maybe that's the Marine Corps training in me, grit and determination, but never giving up and never saying die. I think that's been something that I've just been proud of, being able to always figure it out. And I think that's important. Just having that grit has been something that I think has helped me through my career.
I live in Bermuda. It's not bad actually. The water is very blue and the houses are brightly colored and it's pretty warm most of the year. It's been active pretty much all my life. The Marine Corps kind of set my course. You know, it's funny. I look back, a motorcycle rider. In fact, I rode my motorcycle to UNC Charlotte every day. Part of the criteria when Katie married me was she had to jump out of an airplane and get scuba qualified. She knew she had to have me for my motorcycle, she did. And we love raising our boys who are very active, 8 and 5, is a lot of fun.
Being given the Distinguished Alumni Award for UNC Charlotte is just a tremendous honor, to be recognized in a public way. Very grateful for the award. And all I can really say is thank you very much.
