A Q&A with Director Alexandra Hottinger
For over a decade, Marquette’s Commercial Banking Program has been an innovator in banking education, preparing students to enter an opportunity-rich field and make immediate impact. One of just a few dedicated commercial banking programs in the country, it plays a key role in connecting students with rewarding and stable career opportunities, while also providing organizations with much needed talent to counteract an impending retirement cliff.
Founded by Dr. Kent Belasco in 2016, the Commercial Banking Program gives students applicable skills and real-world experience prior to graduation, upending the established practice of waiting for banking professionals to grow into their roles over decades. This gives students a head start when entering the workforce.
Following Belasco’s retirement in spring 2026, Alexandra Hottinger was named the program’s director. She plans to drive continued growth and produce the most qualified, driven commercial banking talent. Hottinger shared need-to-know information for students looking to get involved in a conversation with Marquette Today:
What makes the Commercial Banking Program unique?
Marquette’s Commercial Banking Program isn’t a standard classroom course. Students work through real-world documentation, live case scenarios and the kind of fast-moving, high-stakes situations that define the job. Commercial banking isn’t just numbers, it’s reading a room, building trust across a conference table and making calls that affect businesses and the people who run them. This program trains students for all of it.
What are the benefits for students?
Students can expect to gain hands-on skills rooted in the real world. This isn’t just classroom learning, it’s resume-building experiences that instill the knowledge and confidence to lead from day one. Students participate in active partnerships with ProSight and the American Bankers Association and benefit from the guidance of an advisory board of working industry professionals. The curriculum doesn’t sit still; material focuses where banking is actually heading, not where it was five years or even one year ago.
What are you proudest of about this program?
Students in the Commercial Banking Program enjoy 100% job placement every year. This is the result of a program that supports students well beyond classroom walls. Through mentorship, project-based internships, hands-on networking and direct job placement support, the program treats career launch as part of the curriculum, not an afterthought.
What is a piece of advice you’d give to students looking to join this program?
Students will get the most out of the program if they are curious, a little stubborn and not afraid to push back. The best thing a student can do is ask every question, challenge every assumption and show up ready to debate.
I also encourage students to take advantage of the national and international travel opportunities offered through the program. Each year, students enjoy visiting renowned banking centers in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Zurich, Switzerland, experiencing the industry firsthand.
How can students get involved?
The Commercial Banking Program is selective. Applications are reviewed, followed by interviews with me and members of the advisory board. Learn more and apply here.
Questions? Reach out directly or stop by. My door is open!
