Dexter Paine
As a competitive ski racer, Dexter Paine had been to Europe before but had never explored further afield than the ski venues where he was competing. Coming from a small town in New Hampshire, and attending college in a small town in Massachusetts, studying abroad in London was the first time Dexter set foot in a big city. From finding his own housing to traveling independently, Dexter became adept at navigating life abroad and grew comfortable interacting with people from different countries with new perspectives – a skill that has proven valuable in his career as Chairman and CEO of Paine & Partners, which invests in agricultural companies worldwide. Dexter also serves as Chairman of the U.S. Ski Association and Vice President and Council Member of the International Ski Federation (FIS). Read on to find out how an injury became an opportunity and why he believes study abroad is an essential component for all college students today.
IES Abroad: As a student at Williams College, what led to study abroad in London?
Dexter Paine: I spent all of my years growing up in a small town in New Hampshire and went to college in a small town in Massachusetts. I had never seen a big city, let alone lived in one. Living in a large, multicultural city like London opened my eyes to so many new things. I had to figure out where to live, who my roommates would be, where to buy food, and where to eat. As a competitive ski racer, I had been to Europe before for competitions, but I never got out of the skiing venues. We were in and out of locations without really having experienced them in any sort of immersive way.
Like many small liberal arts colleges, Williams encourages all of their students to study abroad. It was assumed that everyone would study abroad sometime during college. As a competitive ski racer, I didn’t think I would be able to study abroad for a semester. But then I tore a muscle in my leg and my ski racing days were over. It was then that I realized I could spend a semester in London. As an economics major, the IES Abroad program was a perfect fit.
IES Abroad: What are some of your greatest memories from your time in London?
DP: Having to find housing and figure out how eat were two new experiences for me. Of course, there was no internet, so we had to get the newspaper, circle listings for flats, call them up, and go see them. The flat we rented was heated through a system by which you had to feed it tokens for the heat to turn on. I had never seen that before! There was no food service or cafeteria as part of the program, so I had to figure out how to feed myself, too. We wound up at the pub down the street quite a bit; we were regulars!
IES Abroad: How did you change the most during your time in London? Did the experience shape the way you think in a profound way today?
DP: While I don’t see a linear connection between what I experienced in London and what I am doing professionally today, my experience studying abroad certainly opened my eyes to a much bigger world I never could have imagined if I had just spent four years in Williamstown, Massachusetts. London opened up for me what could be and what was out there potentially. The area of London I lived in had a large Muslim population even back then. Coming from a small town in New Hampshire, I don’t think I’d ever met someone who wasn’t of Judeo-Christian heritage. After all of the travel I did during my study abroad in London, I was comfortable traveling internationally and professionally working with people from different countries who have different perspectives. Our company invests in companies worldwide, and I can't imagine what it would have been like to create this company without the foothold I got that began in London.
IES Abroad: You have had a remarkable career as an investor in agricultural-related businesses worldwide, co-founding the first of two companies dedicated to this in 1997. What inspired you to become an international agricultural investor?
DP: I was very fortunate to have a wonderful mentor during my first job out of college at Bankers Trust. She gave me the opportunity to get involved in investment banking out in California, and I have never looked back. From there, I found a partner and we started a private equity firm. Back then, everyone was a generalist, but I realized early on that it made sense to specialize. Agriculture and food are of special interest to me, and that is the shape and direction our company took.
IES Abroad: Were there lessons learned in London that helped you in the early days of your career?
DP: The skills of living and assimilating to big city life have been critical for me. I had never lived in a city before living in London, and since college graduation I have ONLY lived in big cities including San Francisco, New York, and Geneva, Switzerland. This has had a huge impact on me personally and professionally as well as on my family. Our family had an extraordinary opportunity to live in Switzerland for four years, and we all enjoy traveling all over the world.
IES Abroad: The global food industry is changing remarkably fast, with food preferences shifting as people are exposed to foods from other geographies, focusing more on healthy food, reacting to the benefits and concerns of genetically modified foods, and other forces. How do you and your colleagues anticipate these changes?
DP: Our company is primarily focused on investing in companies that feed people all over the world – companies that are focused on ensuring a stable, global food supply to those who need it. For example, our companies are involved with seed production, drip irrigation systems, and pest control. Here in the U.S., our food interests are dramatically different from most of the rest of world where the concern is having enough food to eat. I’m pleased to be able to play a role in ensuring that millions around the world have safe food to eat through research, technology, and sustainable practices in the agricultural sector.
IES Abroad: You also serve as Board Chair of the U.S. Ski Association and are Vice President and Council Member of the International Ski Federation. Tell us about your roles with these two organizations.
DP: As an athlete and former competitive ski racer, it is a real privilege to serve as Chairman of the U.S. Ski Association and as a member of the International Ski Federation, two organizations that are close to my heart. Skiing has been a lifelong passion for me.
IES Abroad: What advice do you have for students who are considering studying or interning abroad?
DP: Study abroad is an essential component of getting a college education today. I encourage every student, to the extent they can, to study abroad, get outside of the United States, and see our country the way people see it from other countries. The perspective that today’s students can gain from study abroad is a requirement to compete in today’s global job market. I can’t think of anyone who works at our company who does not enjoy and have a passion for traveling internationally, as well as understanding people from other cultures and backgrounds. That is essential for anyone who works here.