Bears, Bulls and Jr. Bills

Rob Hill Brings Valuable Experience in Finance to the Classroom

From Saudi Arabia and Princeton, to the New York Stock Exchange and CSP Masters swimming, AP Economics teacher and JV swim coach Rob Hill ruminates on how he landed at SLUH. It’s a new career for this finance expert, and he’s already making an impact.

You lived in many interesting places growing up, including Saudi Arabia. How has that influenced you?

Living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was a great learning experience. Aside from having to learn and respect the Saudi Arabian culture, I was exposed to the Muslim religion. Also, while living in Saudi Arabia, my family and I visited Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Italy and Malaysia. I spent my 9th grade in Saudi Arabia, and then for 10th-12th grades, I attended a private coeducational boarding high school in Andover, Ma. (Phillips Academy) graduating in 1991. My perspective of the world grew exponentially during these formative years.

You worked through the 2001 dot-com bubble at NBCi and through the banking crisis of 2008 at Thompson Street Capital Partners. What have those experiences taught you?

The economy can be very fickle. Capitalism has so many attractive qualities, but a true negative was the hubris some people and institutions had in how they conducted business. Conducting business in a moral or ethical fashion can become a slippery slope when there are many legal loopholes, such as rating agency failures, research analyst kickbacks, dishonest subprime mortgage brokers and malicious greed. It seemed appropriate economic and regulatory structures were just not effective enough to keep our economy from tanking during those years.

Outside of teaching and coaching, what are some of your favorite hobbies and interests?

First and foremost, my wife, Anne, and two kids give me some of my greatest joys in life. My son (Charlie, SLUH ’25) is also a swimmer, and my daughter (Jane, Villa Duchesne ’27) plays tennis, volleyball and dance/vocals – all of which I enjoy watching. We also like to travel, play video games/ board games and watch Olympic sporting events. Lastly, I enjoy participating in local mini-triathlons.

How were you introduced to SLUH?

I give full credit to [SLUH social studies teacher and head swim coach] Ms. Lindsey Ehret. She and I met over a decade ago while we were both swimming for the CSP Masters swimming program in Clayton. Ms. Ehret has been a valuable mentor and friend as I transitioned out of corporate life and began a second career in education.

You are now a teacher at SLUH and you have a son currently attending. What has surprised you about the school?

Being so new to SLUH, my son and I have noticed many surprising things, but I will briefly mention one. I appreciate how thoughtful the SLUH administration has been with respect to handling the COVID protocols for students, faculty and staff. I cannot think of another school in the St. Louis metro area with more than 90% of the students and nearly 100% of the faculty having a documented vaccine record on file with the school.

You have been a swimmer throughout your life and are now a coach of the SLUH swim team. What lessons has competitive swimming taught you?

Setting goals and being truly dedicated to hard work are two great rewards. I recall many former employers telling me that they preferred hiring former swimmers because they believed swimmers would grind extra hard to get work assignments done. No doubt other sports could use the same argument, but it was a data point from past employers that I never forgot. Also, I met my wife, Anne, while attending Princeton and who was also a collegiate swimmer. You never know when you might meet a fellow swimmer who could become your spouse.

Do you have advice for SLUH students who are interested in pursuing a career in business or finance?

Pursuing a career in business or finance is both rewarding and consuming. Some advice: (a) do comprehensive or effective research on the job you are seeking (don’t skim it, because it will show), (b) network with many other professionals to get their perspective, “Setting goals and and (c) go to graduate being truly dedicated school after college. More explicitly, I tell to hard work are two people that learning great rewards. ” MS Excel is crucial - Rob Hill to being a legitimate investment banker. Similarly, accounting is the ‘language of business,’ and I recommend for all businessminded students to learn how to accurately read an Income Statement and Balance Sheet.

What did you study in college and how did that affect your career choice?

I graduated from Princeton and Pepperdine with degrees in American History. I have always loved Social Studies and retelling stories after doing research on a given subject. Being a history major, I understood that good writing and communication skills could be pivotal for my future career choice. As a former investment banker, I needed to write numerous memos, Board of Director-level presentations and attend road-shows where effective writing and verbal communication translated into meaningful dollars.

What has been your favorite experience of becoming a teacher?

Impact. This is exactly the reason why I became a teacher. Molding these young men as they are about to depart for college is a unique time in someone’s life. I recall thinking back to my high school experience in the early ’90s. I was chatting with one of my teachers, who was my dorm housecounselor and coach, and I remember thinking to myself that high school teachers stay younger and more hip/cooler than most other adults of similar age. I hope this is true … but maybe that last sentence proves that I still have much to learn.

Questions by John Loretta ’22. In addition to serving as the Vice President and Co-Chair of the Mock Hedge Fund with the Ignatian Business Leaders (IBL), John participates in the French club, plays baseball and ice hockey, and serves as an Admissions Ambassador. He plans to major in finance in college and pursue a related career.