Walsh School of Foreign Service

Eddie Deschapelles (BSFS/IBD 82)

1. Hometown: Washington, DC
2. Current city: Washington, DC and Key Biscayne, FL
3. Other degrees: Harvard Business School, MBA 1988
4. Current Role: Adjunct Professor in IBD; retired after a 40 year career in financial services. Most recently involved in renewable energy finance and ESG issues.
5. How did your career start and what are some highlights? My career started with a great 8-month internship that IBD secured for me my junior year at the Northern Trust Bank in London and Paris. That led to my entry-level position at The Chase Manhattan Bank credit training program in NYC upon graduation.
6. What is your favorite IBD memory? My favorite memory of the early days of IBD (I was in the 3rd graduating class) was the camaraderie of the group and how IBD made a huge effort to help students with internships and jobs. I got my wonderful paid internship in London and Paris through Professor Ted Moran’s efforts which prepared me very well to start a career on Wall Street upon graduation.
7. How did your experience in IBD prepare you for your career? IBD helped me develop a very practical mindset that combined business and diplomacy that has been essential to my success in an international setting over the years. I was able to better understand the ‘big picture’ and distinguish the ‘forest from the trees’ successfully.
8. What was your most memorable IBD course? My favorite IBD course was Intro to IBD. The most practical IBD course I took was Intro to Econometrics. Although Econometrics was not a ‘fun’ course, IBD encouraged me to take it and I am very grateful for that. I have used statistical concepts throughout my career and an ability to understand and work with data is increasingly important for careers in international business.