From bank halls to business classrooms, Claudine Salgado brings real-world finance to CMU

Claudine Salgado never expected to become a professor.

“I used to play games where I was the teacher, but I never thought I would actually become one,” she said. “I started working very young in Brazil—at 16—because it’s common to work early to afford your studies. I began in management but switched to accounting because I loved finance and those topics. Then I got a job at a bank and spent 10 years there.”

Her career in banking shaped her expertise in internal controls and auditing, while also fueling her drive to continue her education. “I did two MBAs in the areas I was working in,” Salgado said. “After the second, I thought, if I’m going to keep studying, it should be a master’s. It’s not common in Brazil because it’s expensive and scholarships are rare. But eventually I found one, worked hard for it, and got into a master’s in accounting and finance.”

That program changed everything. “There was a course called Internship in Teaching, and once I started teaching, I thought, this is what I want to do,” she said.

From there, her journey took her to the UK for a PhD, through the challenges of adapting to a new culture and language, and eventually into teaching roles in Edinburgh and Dubai before joining Central Michigan University in 2025.

Teaching finance, Salgado draws deeply from her professional background. “I always try to bring practice into the classroom,” she said. “Finance isn’t always well received by students, even those who major in it. Sometimes professors use market jargon students don’t understand. I try to simplify without dumbing it down. Simplifying doesn’t mean teaching less—it means helping students actually understand.”

She sees accessibility as central to her teaching philosophy. “I once tutored a student who had failed introductory finance before,” she said. “I sat with him, gave simple examples, translated what the professor was saying into language he could understand, and he finally got it. He passed and for me that was very rewarding. I wasn’t doing anything magical—I was just making sure he understood.”

Outside the classroom, Salgado is an active researcher in corporate governance and gender diversity on boards. “I like research because it’s a way to contribute to practice even in academia,” she said. “If you can make research meaningful to practitioners, that’s the goal.”

And when she’s not teaching or writing, Salgado enjoys sports and her two adopted cats. “I used to play soccer when I was younger, and during the pandemic I started playing padel,” she said. “It’s very popular in Europe and Argentina. And of course, I love my cats. They came with me all the way from Dubai.”

For Salgado, the classroom is where her banking experience, academic journey, and passion for students come together. “The most rewarding part is when I see students’ faces light up because they finally understand,” she said. “That’s the moment I know I’m making a difference.”