Becoming a Linchpin at LinkedIn

Hussein Diop was the anchor of the Bellevue University defense when he played center for the men’s basketball squad in 2008- 2012. At 6-feet, 10-inches, he’s now the tallest link in the chain at LinkedIn, one of the world’s largest social networks for business professionals. Diop brings the lessons that he learned on and off the court at Bellevue University to his new role.

As a Small Business Account Manager, Diop sells and supports LinkedIn Talent Solutions, a product that supplies users with recruiting tools aimed at helping them improve their talent acquisition process. Diop handles a book of about 400 clients, introducing them to the product and assisting with its functionality.

“My job is to help them with everything and anything – getting them started, helping them maximize its potential, and offering different strategies,” Diop said. “We want to make sure that they are getting as much out of the product as possible.”

Maximizing potential is a particular area of expertise for Diop. He has been doing that ever since he walked into the men’s basketball office as a project with very little basketball experience. But he worked to polish his game.

As a freshman in the 2008-09 season, he averaged 2.2 points per game along with 2.0 rebounds. Maybe most importantly, he contributed 35 blocked shots over 23 games. He appeared in all 32 games as a sophomore upping his averages to 6.6 points, 5.4 rebounds with 67 blocked shots. His game continued to evolve, capped by a senior campaign in which he averaged 9.0 points per game, 8.1 rebounds and blocked 81 shots.

The Bruins enjoyed a great deal of success during Diop’s time with the program, including a trip to the NAIA Final Four in 2019. Diop credits Paben’s tough practices with helping him sharpen his focus and hone his time management skills. Assistant coaches Bob Ludwig, Jason Isaacson, and Jack Nelson were also invaluable mentors for Diop, he said.

“Between practice, class, games, and travel, you have to be able to manage your time very well,” Diop said. “It also helped with handling pressure. You’re trying to get that win as the clock winds down toward the end of the game. You have to be very mentally sharp,” Diop said. “I don't get ruffled by pressure. Every time it comes in I'm calm and I can think through it. I think that comes from my basketball background.”

In addition to support from his coaches, Diop enjoyed a supportive and engaged faculty during his time at Bellevue

University. He singled out Dr. Dan Warren, former professor in the College of Business, and Dr. Karen Robinson, Assistant Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, as being particularly influential. Diop also said Erin Officer, a friend of the University, and her family, Omaha residents at the time, played a key role in his success at Bellevue University.

“They were both fantastic with me,” Diop said. “They challenged me. The faculty is very supportive of the athletic department, but they don’t take it easy on you.”

“She and her family just took me in and were like ‘Hey, your family isn’t here. We’ve got you.’ They brought me over for Christmas and the family would come to games,” Diop said.

Diop is a native of Dakar, Senegal. While many of his schoolmates in Senegal sought additional education in France, Diop had his sights set on the United States. He knew only one person in the U.S., his cousin, Fatou, who was living in some place called “Nebraska.”

“She was the person that helped me apply at Bellevue (University) and helped with the translations,” Diop said. “I barely spoke any English when I came here.”

Today, Diop is focused on his career at LinkedIn and doing as much travelling as possible. He’s checked off quite a few cities within the United States including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, and Dallas. He recently visited Washington D.C. with his mother and was back in Senegal with a group of LinkedIn employees to help build a school. While Diop has been back to Senegal many times since first coming to the United States, he said this trip was special.

“It was an amazing experience. I didn’t know about this project until late. They had already done a lot of fundraising for it. My team got together and raised the funds necessary for me to go in about a week,” Diop said. “That’s just the LinkedIn culture. I work for some amazing people that will not hesitate to do that type of thing.

“I spoke to the villagers that we were building the school for and told them, ‘Listen, I am here because there are literally a hundred people who supported me.’ That’s the kind of heart and passion that is going into this school.”