American killed in Nairobi taught on Central Coast

The Central Coast is mourning the loss of Jason Spindler, an American citizen killed in the terrorist attack in Kenya on Tuesday.

According to the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Spindler taught courses in the Institute’s Frontier Market Scouts certificate program the past several years.

Spindler led FMS courses in Monterey and Amsterdam. The FMS program trains and offers field experience to aspiring impact investment professionals seeking to work with local entrepreneurs in emerging markets.

“Jason was a perfect role model for our FMS Fellows, who are attracted to the program to build a career in enterprise and investment management while keeping true to high ideals,” said FMS co-founder Yuwei Shi, a professor in the Institute’s Master of Business Administration program.

The Institute says Spindler was a 9/11 survivor and built his career at Saloman Smith Barney/Citigroup advising large and small corporations on growth, management and financial strategy, without losing sight of broader goals. During his subsequent service in the Peace Corps, he championed a successful locally-owned agribusiness in Northern Peru. Over the course of his career, he advised more than 100 small and medium-sized enterprises in emerging markets on growth and capital strategy.

“The entire Middlebury community is saddened by this news. Jason Spindler was a beacon for students seeking to apply business skills to make the world a better place, and will be deeply missed,” said Middlebury President Laurie Patton.

In his role as CEO of I-DEV International, Spindler mentored many who aspired to follow in his footsteps, including Middlebury Institute and Frontier Market Scouts alumna Arianne Dilts MAIEP/MBA ’14. Dilts, currently senior operations manager with I-DEV, was in Nairobi with other I-DEV colleagues at the time of the attack, but was not injured.

“We will miss him so much. The world is a bit darker without such a brilliant, good young man,” said Shi.