IPN Spotlight: Husein Cumber (Executive Vice President- Corporate Development at Florida East Coast Industries, LLC (FECI))
Husein Cumber is the Executive Vice President for Corporate Development for Florida East Coast Industries, LLC (FECI). At FECI, he has the responsibility to steer major capital projects, including Brightline, the first privately owned and managed intercity passenger rail system in US over 100 years. Previously, Mr. Cumber had worked as Executive Vice President for Corporate Development for Florida East Coast Railway, L.L.C (FEC), a freight railroad that is credited for allowing Florida’s east coast to develop in the late 1800s. In this position he had responsibility for financially structuring and managing capital projects where he successfully executed major seaport and rail infrastructure projects.
Prior to joining FEC, Mr. Cumber was Founder and President of H.A Cumber & Company, a transportation consulting firm that specialized in rail, aviation, and highway issues. The firm provided business development and government relations services throughout the country. Mr. Cumber served as Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S Department of Transportation. Mr. Cumber is a Board Member of JEA, the eighth largest municipal-owned utility in the United States and largest in Florida.
What skills have helped you in your career?
Communications skills- During his high school and college years, Mr. Cumber was engaged in various extracurricular activities which enabled him to be involved in a team environment. Further development of his interpersonal skills is attributed to other activities which included public speaking, raising capital, and engaging with elected officials. A successful leader must be able to articulate facts by communicating a concise story and be persuasive in your ask.
Another skill which Mr. Cumber finds useful is one of compromise- a perfect outcome rarely happens in business; it is important to learn how to find a solution.
What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
The private equity firm that I am associated with is constantly going into new businesses. And those investments are unlike others I have worked on before. So, I often volunteer to get involved with these new infrastructure projects which has led my career to span the telecommunications, railroad, real estate, and energy sectors. One common theme in my career has been infrastructure and being exposed to different sectors enables me to continue to learn.
What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
My career has been focused largely in Florida with a short stint in Washington, DC. I am envious of people who have been able to build their careers by living in multiple major cities. I would have liked to live in New York, London, Hong Kong, San Francisco, etc. Becoming immersed in other cultures is so important today when every industry has international connectivity. I also regret not mastering a second language.
What is next for you in your career?
I want to continue my pursuit for identifying and executing infrastructure projects that are transformative.
What advice would you offer to others?
I think one thing that I did which was novel is that most people try to identify a degree in college and then let the prerequisite courses navigate their education. I did the opposite. I sought out professors who would be great mentors and then looked at the courses they taught to determine what major I would like to pursue. That allowed Duke to become a career defining moment in my life. I created a degree in U.S. National Security, which allowed me to pull together international law, military strategy, business and public policy into one degree.
So, my first advice would be thinking through how your education can expose you to the best career mentors and take advantage of that.
Second, get involved in at least 1-2 years of public service. Find anything that is relevant to your profession and learn how local/state/federal regulatory policies affect your industry. Personally, for me, spending 3.5 years in government changed my career trajectory. It broadened my skill set and enabled me to build relationships with decision makers at a relatively young age.
Lastly, get involved in complicated projects and challenge yourself. Consider investments which have a high barrier to entry. That is where the risks are higher, but so are the returns. Remember, if it was easy someone else would have done it already. I meet so many people that ask why I want to be involved in projects that require navigating through a complex regulatory process. My answer is always the same: if we figure it out first, we will be in a business that is hard to replicate and therefore have a very valuable investment.
Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Access to capital
• Assist with the development of business plans
• Secure internships in finance, government and media professions
• Counseling for career decisions
Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Husein Cumber
Please provide your preferred email address so interested professionals can network with you:
[email protected]
Region:
Florida
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