University of Minnesota Athletics
Amir Pinnix, Class of '07 (Football)
3/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Gopher Connect
March 15, 2014
Amir Pinnix showcased a deft combination of power, speed and agility as a running back for the University of Minnesota, which helped him average more than five yards per carry during his career.
Since graduation, his versatility in the work place has helped him succeed with the nation's largest private company, Cargill, based in Minnetonka, Minn. Working from Pennsylvania, Pinnix is a market manager for a sales team spanning North America, collaborating on pricing, market discovery and executing new business opportunities.
"When I graduated from the U, I spent about six months on [pro football] tryouts," said Pinnix. "After my tryouts I had job interviews with Wells Fargo, Target and Cargill and ended up with Cargill because I felt the company aligned with my personal values."
Pinnix says opportunities with those globally recognized companies came about because student-
athlete development programs offered through Gopher Connect helped him become a more attractive job candidate by encouraging him to get involved with a variety of organizations and events.
"If you looked at my resume [after graduation], you didn't just see Amir Pinnix, Business major and University of Minnesota student-athlete. You saw Business major, student-athlete, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Urban League Young Professionals Vice President. [Gopher Connect staff] presented the opportunities to make it possible for me to have that versatility on my resume."
Building a resume was the first step, but Pinnix believes there was much more in his Gopher Connect experience that set him up for success.
"[Gopher Connect] helped prepare me from a development standpoint, how I carried myself, the people I needed to connect with and the type of networking I needed to prepare to take the next step post-football," said Pinnix. Gopher Connect gave Pinnix the opportunity to speak to audiences ranging from fourth-graders, to college provosts, to business executives. "It positioned me to learn and understand how to handle myself in front of different audiences and made me a more versatile person. It prepared me for when I graduated and moved on to my career."
