SMITHFIELD, RI – Betty Robson, J.D., President and CEO of JF Moran, received an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration degree and delivered the Commencement Address at Bryant University’s Graduate Commencement exercises on May 19, kicking off the 2022 Commencement Weekend. At the ceremony, 195 graduate candidates received Bryant Master’s degrees in Business Administration (MBA), Professional Accountancy (MPAc), and Communication (MAC) at a time when the value of a Bryant degree has never been greater. Bryant is nationally acclaimed for its top 1% return on investment and the economic mobility of its alumni.
“The past two years have been filled with so much disruption in your world and in mine.”
“The past two years have been filled with so much disruption in your world and in mine,” noted Robson, an attorney, Licensed Customs Broker, Master Customs Specialist, and Certified Global Business Professional. “It has been a perfect storm in many ways. Yet, here we are, celebrating your success. [You are] stronger, for sure, yet, also deeply changed.
Robson encouraged graduates to reflect on how they got through these last several years of disruption and to note the strategies they employed to achieve success so they might draw upon them again in the future. “And, I assure you, you will need them again.”
JF Moran, a worldwide logistics provider, national customs broker, and freight forwarder, has been in the eye of the storm of global supply chain disruptions. When asked how her team has managed through the intense challenges of the pandemic, Robson recalled that at times it seemed like she and her team were playing a game of “whack-a-mole” on an hourly basis.
The reality was and continues to be much more than that, and she credits her team at JF Moran for all they were doing to make sure everyone was getting their masks, testing supplies, pet food and tissue paper.
“It’s always been a four-part formula for getting through the perfect storm of port congestion, trucker shortages, cyber-security breaches, remote work, skyrocketing freight costs, and unpredictable tariffs.”
Robson offered graduates advice on managing instability in a tumultuous world. “It’s always been a four-part formula for getting through the perfect storm of port congestion, trucker shortages, cyber-security breaches, remote work, skyrocketing freight costs, and unpredictable tariffs.”
- Keep doing what you do best
- Get better
- Be the “hell, yes” people
- Share the love
“These four directives, as simple as they sound—16 words—provide me with a daily touchstone when the going gets tough, and I hope they can help you, too.”
The final, and perhaps most important component of the formula is “share the love.”
“Don’t keep all your talents hidden away. Share them with others. Find ways to shine the spotlight on your colleagues’ talents, too. You can never over-do this,” Robson said. “You will never regret finding opportunities to connect to others in meaningful ways. After all, it’s what we are all here to do.”
Betty Robson, J.D., is a founding director of Women in World Trade New England and serves as Chair of the Rhode Island District Export Council, on the Board of Directors of the Northern RI Chamber of Commerce, and on the National Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarder’s Association’s Master Customs Specialist Review Committee. She is a past President of the Air Cargo Club of New England and was the first woman President of the Boston Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association. Robson is also an appointed member of the RI Freight Advisory Committee and was a previously appointed member of the RI Transportation Advisory Committee. She is also Chairperson of The World Trade Day Committee for the John H. Chafee Center for International Business at Bryant University. In 2021, Providence Business News recognized her with its Leaders and Achievers Award.
Robson received her B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Boston College and her J.D. from Stetson University College of Law.
