FIU Business has received a $150,000 gift from freight payment platform PayCargo to support logistics and supply chain management programs, expanding its focus on the air cargo sector. This gift establishes the “PayCargo Professorship.”
The gift will support a team of FIU Business professors who will conduct research on supply chains for air cargo shipments as well as managing natural disasters and pandemics. The team will also collaborate on curriculum development for future FIU Business programs. Additional areas of focus will include student recruitment as well as community and corporate engagement.
“This professorship is a first step to assist in building a world class school for graduate and undergraduate programs in supply chain management at FIU in Miami, a cargo gate to Latin America and a major air cargo hub connecting Asia-Latin America,” said Eduardo del Riego (BBA ’82), CEO of PayCargo.
Sushil Gupta, professor of information systems and business analytics, will lead the faculty team as PayCargo Professor. Five other FIU Business professors have been named PayCargo fellows:
- Paulo Gomes, assistant professor of information systems and business analytics
- Attila Hertelendy, assistant teaching professor of information systems and business analytics
- Sebastian Garcia Dastugue, assistant professor of marketing and logistics
- Andrea Patrucco, assistant professor of marketing and logistics
- Ha Ta, assistant professor of marketing and logistics
“Eduardo’s leadership has made PayCargo a powerhouse in one of today’s most important industries,” said William Hardin, interim dean of FIU Business. “This gift to his alma mater reinforces our commitment to develop the logistics industry’s future leaders and support the scholars who will shape thought leadership in the dynamics of supply chain.”
Air cargo veteran Michael White, president of Trade Network Consultants, will be an executive-in-residence, adding industry expertise to the professorship. He brings 40 years of experience in the airfreight sector, having held senior positions at Cargo Network Services, Frontier Airlines, United Airlines and the Air Transport Association, among others.
To meet the growing demand for fully online programs, FIU Business initiated a 10-month Online Master of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management program in January 2021. It is designed to give students insights into managing the dynamics of supply chain, a field with enormous relevance in the age of COVID-19 and the challenges it has presented.
Del Riego recently received the International Executive of the Year Award from the Academy of International Business (AIB) fellows. It recognizes an outstanding business leader who has helped their firm reach new heights in reputation and performance on an international stage.
Founded in 2005, PayCargo’s cloud-based technology enables virtual payments for air and ocean carriers, maritime ports, ground handlers, freight forwarders and customs brokers, resulting in quicker cargo release for businesses.
In June 2021 the Miami-based company completed a $125 million Series B investment round backed by Insight Partners, a private equity and venture capital firm headquartered in New York. The investment comes nine months after the firm invested $35 million in PayCargo’s Series A round.
