As the McCombs School of Business works toward fulfilling the University’s strategic pillars of people, place, and pursuits, one program on campus is helping fulfill the latter, Subiendo: The Academy for Rising Leaders. Subiendo in Spanish means “going up,” and the program has been providing upwardly mobile opportunities for underserved high school students since 2010.
“We are providing high school students the chance to experience life as a Longhorn,” said Leticia Acosta, Subiendo Academy Director. “Subiendo allows them the opportunity to work on projects so they can flex their leadership muscles.”
Also known as The Leadership Academy, Subiendo has welcomed more than 700 rising high school seniors into the program since its inception. Participants remain on campus, living in a dorm for the duration of the academy, where they learn networking skills, develop mentor relationships with business leaders, and benefit from communications workshops.
Subiendo prepares high school seniors for leadership.
“Thanks to this program, we’ve seen an increase in underserved students applying to McCombs and the University of Texas in general,” said Leticia. “The business school can sometimes feel out of reach for these students, and we want them to experience what is possible.”
Subiendo encourages first-generation and adversity challenged students to apply to the academy. 97% of all participants have gone on to pursue a college degree. Supported by individual and corporate donations, Subiendo wouldn’t be possible without outside resources, according to Leticia.
“Supporters of Subiendo are invited to engage with the program, get to see the impact their giving has on a group of students, to see what happens in that transformation, where they are part of a bigger global footprint,” she said. “Seeing that play out in real time is really cool.”
Founding donor Kenny Jastrow (BBA Finance ’69), former chairman and CEO of Temple-Inland Inc., can attest to that fact. Since the beginning, he has watched the program impact thousands of students and seen the full-circle effect of leadership in action.
Subiendo founding donor Kenny Jastrow is a firm believer in the program’s benefits.
“Once you graduate from the program, we keep up with you. Subiendo students often return to mentor others later in their career,” he said. “It is an outstanding program, providing training to the future leaders of Texas and our nation.”
Kenny and wife, Susie, have seen students grow from uncertain newbies to group motivators in just a few days of participation at Subiendo.
“The program is intended to motivate and inspire students to go onto a future life as a leader,” Kenny said. “We are very proud to be sponsorship friends of one of the greatest programs at UT. It’s been unbelievable.”
Christopher Bray, MBA ’94, was appointed as Senior Vice President of Partner and eCommerce Sales for Sectigo, a renowned global company specializing in automated Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) and digital certificates. Mr. Bray will lead Sectigo’s Partner and eCommerce divisions, managing strategy, sales, and marketing. Prior to this position, Mr. Bray served as the Senior Vice President of Norton Field Sales and Marketing at Symantec, where he successfully led efforts in acquiring and retaining major global accounts.
Howard Berk, BBA ’87, has been appointed as a new external director to The University of Texas/Texas A&M Investment Management Company board by The UT System Board of Regents. With significant leadership experience in both public and private equity investments, Berk brings valuable expertise to the role. Currently serving as a Senior Advisor to BDT & MSD Partners, he previously held the position of vice chairman at MSD Partners.
Cole Heffernan, BBA ’13 & MPA ’14, has been recently named the Chief Financial Officer of SVT Robotics, a prominent enterprise software company specializing in industrial robotics deployment. Heffernan’s most recent position was as the Head of Operations at SEI Novus, a cloud-native platform that offers portfolio intelligence and analytics solutions for institutional investors. With his extensive experience, Heffernan is poised to contribute to SVT Robotics’ leadership in the industry.
Twice a year, the Longhorn community rallies friends, family, and the community for 40 hours to crowd fund for its favorite schools and initiatives across the University. This year, Forty Hours for the Forty Acres took place from April 12 through April 13, with 13 McCombs affiliates participating.
Thanks to the generosity of the McCombs network, the school raised more than $2.4 million, coming in second for overall giving.
Funds were raised through email appeals, as well as social media messaging. This year, student ambassadors took over McCombs’ social media channels to share their own messages in support of 40 for Forty through their “What I Love About McCombs” campaign.
Throughout the 40 hours, the online giving platform provided opportunities for matching funds, peer school competitions, and giveaway incentives, raising more than $6 million for the University through over 11,000 gifts.
The Fall 2023 40 Hours for the Forty Acres will take place September 27-28, so mark your calendars for another exciting online giving campaign. To see more 40 for Forty results, visit the website here.
Ryan Breuckner (BBA ’07 and MBA ’13) is COO of Exodus Intelligence.
Ryan Brueckner (BBA ’07 and MBA ’13), COO of Exodus Intelligence, is using all the skills he learned as a student in his current career, saying that McCombs honed his leadership and storytelling abilities. As commencement approaches, he reflects on his time as a student, a memorable conversation with Red McCombs, advice for the next generation of Longhorns, and plans for his upcoming 10-year MBA reunion.
Q: Where are you originally from?
RB: I was born and raised in Scottsdale, AZ aka “The Most Livable City.”
Q: What brought you to UT Austin?
RB: When looking for colleges my criteria was pretty simple. I wanted to go out of state, maintain a warm climate (having family from the Midwest will do that to you), go to a school with great athletics and academics (specifically a well-recognized business school), and have what I can only describe as a ‘college feel’. Texas checked all those boxes and more.
When the time came to explore MBA programs, my criteria had shifted a bit. I wanted to attend a program that had opportunity geared towards Venture Capital / Entrepreneurships, a program with well-regarded career services, job opportunities I would otherwise not have exposure to, and an incredible business school alumni base.
Q:Tell us what an impact being a McCombs grad has had on your life?
RB: Carrying the McCombs alumni designation has been absolutely incredible. I have had job opportunities and interviews with people I would have otherwise never had. Following my MBA, I was fortunate to spend nearly nine years at Deloitte Consulting, which is a huge employer of McCombs graduates.
The alumni connection at the firm instantaneously provided a support group to lean on and learn from throughout my career. Many of the clients I also served walked the halls of the McCombs School of Business, and having that simple connection worked wonders in terms of relationship building and camaraderie. I was also fortunate to lead Texas MBA recruiting for a number of years at Deloitte, allowing me to reconnect with students and faculty.
On a more personal note, McCombs does an exceptional job recruiting really well-rounded students. (They tend to be) smart with a strong work ethic, collaborative, and, do I dare say, social. This reputation naturally attracts opportunities, and I feel as though McCombs did a great job helping me build on these strengths.
Q: Share a lasting memory of your time at McCombs.
RB: During my time as an MBA student at McCombs I served as class president for the class of 2013. One of my initiatives was to launch an alumni speaker series with notable alums that have risen to great achievement and are filled with advice and wisdom that can be shared with current students.
When selecting who our first ‘fireside chat’ would be with, Red McCombs was a natural choice. For nearly two hours, I interviewed Mr. McCombs one-on-one in front of a group of students. The next day, Red called me, thanked me for inviting him to interview, and extended an offer to reach out to him at any point for anything at all. It’s not every day you get to interview and have a follow up call with the person whose name happens to be on your diploma. That has to rank at the top of my McCombs lasting memory list.
Q: Your 10-year MBA reunion is coming up. Tell us about the plans you are making to commemorate this incredible event.
RB: Yes! Our reunion will take place Sept 29 – 30. The program office has been wonderful in coordinating an alumni conference and reception on Friday, followed by a Saturday tailgate prior to the game on Saturday. People are certainly busy with life, but our class seems enthusiastic about attending and possibly hosting a small get together downtown at some point during the weekend.
Q: Commencement is right around the corner. What advice would you give the upcoming graduating class about being a McCombs alumnus?
RB: Determine what you are truly passionate about. Time is our most precious commodity, and even if you don’t find the exact answer, having a direction is better than none at all. Once you find it (or think you’ve found it), never be bashful reaching out to alumni for help.
You quickly realize that all of us, regardless of graduating class, are constantly evolving and changing the ways we think, our interests, AND our passions. You are one interaction away from finding someone who either has been in your shoes, is in your shoes, or knows someone in your shoes. Our network is vast, and I feel like I just started to truly appreciate how thoughtful our alumni group is.
Q: What are you doing now with your career?
RB: I now serve as the Chief Operating Officer at an Austin-based company called Exodus Intelligence. Exodus provides Government and Enterprise with the unique ability to understand, prepare, and defend against the ever-changing landscape of Cyber Security. By providing customers with actionable vulnerability intelligence, including deep vulnerability analysis, detection and mitigation guidance, and tooling to test defenses, Exodus customers receive leading-edge insights to harden their network and/or achieve mission success.
Exodus has been around for 11 years and is a perfect fit for me at this stage of my career. I can bring learnings from my management consultant days, my background in entrepreneurship and Venture Capital, my patriotism for the United States, and my desire to dive deep in a rapidly growing industry. After years on the road, calling Austin home is certainly a plus as well.
Q: Share your life and career ambitions and how McCombs has prepared you to achieve them.
Ryan met his wife while a student at UT.
RB: It should be noted first and foremost that my wife and I met and were classmates at McCombs. She would argue I wouldn’t be where I am today without her copious note-taking skills as an undergraduate – and she’d be correct. We have two beautiful children and currently reside in Lakeway just outside of Austin.
From a career perspective, I have tried to find myself in leadership positions to influence direction and strategy, plain and simple. In my McCombs undergraduate days, I served as Sig Ep president which actually turned out to be a great crash course in the early days of what ‘leadership’ is.
In business school, I was part of the Venture Fellow community and was placed at a VC fund in town, again, helping to influence decisions and strategy. I leveraged career services in a meaningful way, and interned at Intel and then found my way to Deloitte. I always joke with people that consultants are professional storytellers backed by information and data, and to be a good storyteller, you have to have the proper skills. McCombs gave me that.
While on campus, McCombs gave me endless opportunities to interview, intern, present, debate, and refine my story and messaging. Off campus, I have put these fundamentals into action and are constantly improving upon them each day.
On April 13, 2023, the McCombs School of Business welcomed student scholarship recipients and supporters to the First Annual Scholarship Appreciation Dinner. Aside from providing an opportunity for connection, it was also a chance to honor the late Red McCombs, whose legacy continues to inspire generosity, especially toward students.
McCombs hosted 180 guests at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center, including Dean’s Advisory Council members, current scholarship recipients, and McCombs scholarship supporters.
The event provides an opportunity for scholarship recipients and supporters to make a personal connection.
“More and more, we have heard from donors and students alike how meaningful it is to meet,” said Associate Director of Stewardship Sara Jebaily. “Student support is a key initiative for both the University and Texas McCombs, and we wanted to celebrate the people that create these amazing opportunities for our students.”
In fall 2022, 341 MBA students received McCombs fellowships and 117 MPA students received McCombs scholarships. Of 4,757 undergraduate students, 555 received a McCombs scholarship. At the graduate level, just 293 of the 490 full-time MBA students, and 117 out of 239 MPA students received McCombs fellowships.
The evening began with a video tribute to the late Red McCombs, who passed away this year. McCombs was instrumental in elevating Texas McCombs’ reputation throughout the country as a premier business school.
McCombs donated matching funds to inspire additional giving, resulting in 95 scholarship endowments to date. Much of the night was honored Red’s continuing legacy of leadership and support.
Dean Lillian Mills welcomed guests, followed by University of Texas President Jay C. Hartzell, who welcomed donors and students alike, noting that all of the scholarship sponsors in the room continue to build on Red’s foundation.
“Thank you for all you do to invest in our students,” President Hartzell said. “Red would always ask, ‘How are the students doing?’ He reminded us that that is why we are here. That’s our north star.”
Tina Mabley, Assistant Dean and Director, Full-time Texas MBA Program, shared her own memories of Red before turning the podium over to Charles Enriquez, Assistant Dean, BBA Academic Services and Student Affairs.
“Tonight, we are here to celebrate scholarships,” Tina said. “And there’s no better way to do that than to celebrate Red McCombs.”
She went on to reflect on the McCombs’ historic $50 million gift to the school that is now his namesake. At the time, it was the University’s largest gift to date.
“A true legend, Red’s legacy has lived with us at the business school since this gift,” she said.
Before introducing two guest student scholarship recipients, Charles echoed Tina’s statement.
“Students for generations to come will continue to benefit from the generosity and leadership Red left behind,” he said.
As a reflection of Red’s spirit of generosity, scholarship recipients Michael He, BBA ’23, MPA ’23, and Valeria Noguera, BBA Finance ’25, took to the stage to share how their own personal experiences have been shaped by scholarship support.
Valeria, a sophomore finance major who participates in the McCombs Success Scholars (MSS) program, talked about how her scholarship allows her to be actively involved in seven campus organizations, including being the first MSS student and only Latina in her class to join Wall Street for McCombs.
“None of that would be possible without my scholarship,” Valeria, recipient of the Hilary and Scott Hill Endowed Dean’s Scholarship, said. “I don’t have to worry about acquiring a rigorous job. Instead, I can focus on my studies and my school environment.”
Valeria will intern with Morgan Stanley New York in its investment banking division this summer, the first sophomore Longhorn to do so.
Master’s student Michael He reflected on receiving his scholarship notification just when COVID-19 impacted his family’s financial stability.
“My Dad lost his job, and my mom had to switch departments,” Michael, recipient of the Terri L. Holbrook Scholarship in Accounting, told the crowd. “The extra support I received helped us breathe a sigh of relief, and we were extremely grateful for that.”
Michael has used his time at McCombs to mentor other students through the Asian Business Student Association and intern at Deloitte, where he will be employed after graduation in May.
Regent James C. “Rad” Weaver, who was a scholarship recipient when he attended the McCombs School of Business, shared his own experiences as a student in need of extra breathing room.
“I, like so many other students, went to school on someone else’s dime,” said Regent Weaver, former CEO of McCombs Partners who was mentored by Red as a student. “My father passed away when I was a freshman in high school, so money was tight.”
During a fireside chat with Dean Mills, Regent Weaver, who worked alongside Red for 26 years, remembered fondly Red’s penchant for finding unexpired parking meters around the San Antonio area, just one way the mogul could stretch a dollar. He also recalled many of Red’s famous quotes.
“Keep the main thing the main thing,’ was one. And ‘Always be present wherever you are’ was another,” he said. “But what stuck with me was when he said, ‘Life is never standing still, it’s always moving; you are growing or shrinking every single day, so make the most of it.’”
But what both Dean Mills and Regent Weaver both recalled was Red’s devotion to inspiring students, especially the ones that flew under the radar.
“He enjoyed visiting with all the students, but he particularly would want to meet the C student who was working hard to make it happen,” said Weaver. “That’s who he would connect with the most.”
Dean Mills wrapped up the evening by reminding everyone in the room that, while scholarship needs met are something to celebrate, there is still much to be done to make McCombs a possibility for all students. She also pointed back to the purpose that lies at the heart of everything Texas McCombs does.
“It’s about the kids,” she said. “They are the ones who go out and change the world. You can be proud of your investment.”
Plans are already underway for next year’s event, which promises to expand to provide further interaction opportunities among recipients and their supporters.
Stuart Bernstein, MBA ’05, has been appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas Real Estate Commission. With a focus on protecting the public in their interactions with real estate brokers and salespersons, the commission serves as a vital regulatory body. Prior, Bernstein contributed his expertise as a member of the M.D. Anderson Advance Team Board and served as a director of The Texas Lyceum. Joining him in this appointment are Chance Brown and Renee Harvey Lowe.
