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Strategic Sourcing Analyst, Stack Infrastructure

Business wasn’t Rob La Trobe’s first career choice—nor his second. After a long journey, he found himself at CU Boulder, leading to a career path that he loves. In June 2024, La Trobe landed his “dream job,” working as a strategic sourcing analyst.

Originally from Chicago, La Trobe was a first-generation graduate of Purdue University in 2015, getting a degree in premed with plans to go to grad school. After deciding that he didn’t want to commit to medicine, he joined the military and worked in intel until 2020. He was in operations and sales positions until he came to CU Boulder.

“I had the opportunity to make my own path rather than have one carved out for me,” he said. “I ended up at CU Boulder once I saw I needed to sharpen my tools in order to be ‘dangerous’ when it came to business acumen.”

Pursuing a Dream

La Trobe wasn’t sure what to expect coming into Leeds. He hadn’t studied business before, but he knew this career path was his passion, and he was willing to work hard to create the experience he wanted.

“I wanted to prove to myself that I could be incredibly successful,” he said. “I held on to that dream and that goal. It took some iterations, failing in a lot of things that didn’t work out for me. But that's part of it—and that’s the fun part.” It helped that he felt surrounded by people who wanted him to do well, with a supportive culture that fostered connection. “It was a recipe for success.”

“It took some iterations, failing in a lot of things that didn’t work out for me. But that’s part of it—and that’s the fun part.”

Rob La Trobe (MBA, MSupCha’24)

A Delicate Balancing Act

Even with the stress of studying for two master’s degrees, La Trobe wanted to get involved in causes that he cares about. He joined Leeds’ Net Impact Club, which focuses on sustainability in business, and the MBA Veteran's Club, where he worked to inform veteran students of their benefits and connect them to different departments at CU. He served as the president of both organizations, all while balancing his school work and personal life.

“I felt like I was spinning a million plates, and fumbling quite a few of them,” he said. “It doesn't feel like you're doing anything right when you’re spread so thin. But you don’t have to spin the plates forever. It's OK for some of them to fall—where they should be. Everything happens for a reason.”

Those reasons were abundantly clear when upon graduation La Trobe was named the MS Supply Chain Management Outstanding Student and he landed his current job. It has felt like the perfect fit. He especially enjoys being inspired by two bosses who encourage him to fail forward and experiment.

Gratitude and Giving Back

Reflecting upon his time at Leeds, La Trobe said he’s proud of and grateful for CU Boulder. “I can't thank the school enough.” He's eager to keep giving back. “I feel like it’s hard to be successful. I'd love to help where I can,” he said. “I’m privileged to be here. I'm grateful for the position I'm in now.”