Edna Wong, BBA and MPA ’12, has received KPMG’s national Award of Distinction, the firm’s most prestigious employee honor. KPMG US has 35,000 employees, and 24 individuals were selected as this year’s recipients. Read more here.
Attached picture from the award ceremony in New York:
From left to right: Paul Knopp, Chair and CEO at KPMG, BBA ’82 and MBA ’83; Edna Wong, Senior Manager – Audit at KPMG, BBA and MPA ’12; Scott Flynn, Vice Chair – Audit at KPMG.
Kelly Gupta, MBA ’15 was recently appointed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Cotton Board. She is a sustainable product director at PVH Corp. Read more here.
Alex Gupta, MBA ’16 founded Break Point Energy to help companies buy clean energy tax credits. He previously worked as a renewable energy project investor at Bank of America.
In this webinar, Professor Chan drew on the latest research based on psychology and economics to answer important questions related to employee promotions at the workplace: How do managers decide whom to promote? How can employees increase their chances of being promoted? What happens when employees are passed over for promotion? And more.
Eric Chan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Accounting. He received his Ph.D. in Accounting from the University of Pittsburgh, and B.S. degrees in Accounting and Finance from the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to pursuing his Ph.D., he worked as a senior auditor for Ernst & Young in Washington, D.C. Professor Chan currently teaches the Fundamentals of Managerial Accounting in the Canfield Business Honors Program and the Behavioral Research in Accounting doctoral seminar. His research focuses on using experimental methods to examine issues related to incentive contracting, performance measurement and evaluation, and managerial decision-making.
View the webinar recording here and download the slides here.
The McCombs Austin Chapter hosted Chris Aarons, Marketing Lecturer, and Abby Nichols, MS ’23, for a discussion on utilizing AI for marketing success.
In this hybrid in-person and livestreamed talk, audiences learned:
Chris Aarons is the co-author of the best-selling book on digital transformation and has worked with brands such as Amazon, AMD, Coca-Cola, Cisco, Dell, Dolby Labs, and HP to create award-winning digital campaigns. In addition, he teaches both undergraduate and master’s classes in digital marketing at the McCombs School of Business, where he has won numerous awards for teaching excellence, effectiveness, and innovation in his first three years on staff.
Abby Nichols manages the digital marketing efforts for a conversational AI company by day and is a pickle entrepreneur by night. As a lifelong resident of Austin, Texas, she wasn’t surprised she ended up in the tech industry after watching its takeover as the city grew. Burnt orange through and through, Abby Nichols earned her master of science in marketing from the McCombs School of Business and bachelor of science in public relations from Moody College.
You can view the webinar recording here and download the presentation slides here.
In this webinar, Dr. Bardhan discussed the latest research on artificial intelligence and machine learning applications in healthcare. In particular, he discussed new advances in AI, such as deep learning and reinforcement learning models, and their impact on the development of personalized medicine solutions for value-based healthcare.
He also discussed the role of generative AI and large language models (such as ChatGPT) and how they can improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery. He concluded with a discussion of common sources of biases in AI models and potential remedies to address disparities in healthcare access and diagnosis.
A recording of this webinar is viewable by request by emailing alumni@mccombs.utexas.edu. If you have any questions for Professor Bardhan about his presentation or research, you can email him at Indranil.Bardhan@mccombs.utexas.edu.
In the first-half of 2023, the Fed continued to raise the Fed funds rate, yet the economy hasn’t entered recession. Stocks have had a great rally. Things certainly haven’t turned out how market strategists predicted. This webinar is an opportunity to get caught up with all of the craziness, including everything that’s going on with stocks, interest rates, the Fed, and much more.
A recording of this webinar can be viewed here and the presentation slides can be downloaded here.
Sandy Leeds is a Distinguished Senior Lecturer in the Department of Finance at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin and former President of The MBA Investment Fund, L.L.C. He teaches both graduate and undergraduate level courses, including Corporate Finance, Advanced Corporate Finance, Investments, and Portfolio Management / Security Analysis. He is a member of the Texas State Bar and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Prior to joining the faculty, Sandy managed money for a private management firm. He was one of four portfolio managers responsible for approximately $1.6 billion of assets. He spent the majority of his time analyzing publicly traded companies. He also has extensive experience implementing option strategies. In addition to money management experience, Sandy also has significant legal experience. He has conducted approximately 100 jury trials and 100 bench trials. He has participated in the regulation of the securities industry, conducting the hearing against most of the principals involved in the Sterling Foster case (a $75 million fraud). He has also advised attorneys on financial related litigation involving options, hedge funds, and other matters.
Sandy Leeds is an experienced executive education teacher. At the McCombs School of Business, he teaches in the Executive MBA program in Houston, as well as in international general management programs. He has received numerous teaching awards, including the Joe D. Beasley Teaching Award (a school-wide award for teaching in the graduate program), the CBA Foundation Advisory Council Award for Teaching Innovation (also a school-side award) and the “Outstanding MBA Professor Award” (selected by the students in multiple years in the full-time MBA program, the Evening MBA program and the Dallas MBA program). In 2015, he was selected to be part of the Provost’s Teaching Fellow Program.
Outside of the University, Sandy gives several presentations each year about the economy. In the local community, he serves as Vice-Chair of the Girls’ School of Austin Board of Trustees. In addition, he recently finished a three year term on the Investment Committee of The Austin Community Foundation (helping to manage $100 million in assets).
The McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin is pleased to announce the appointment of the following members to its BBA Advisory Board and 2023-24 BBA Executive Committee.
New BBA Advisory Board Members:
Homer Bhullar, BA ’02, MBA ’11
Vice President Investor Relations and Finance, Valero Energy
San Antonio, TX
Alex Burban, BA, BBA ’00
Global Head of Corporate Development and M&A, Standard Industries
New York, NY
Keri Herrin, BBA ’98
Founder and President, Peak 11 Promotions and Uniforms LLC
Houston, TX
Ely Hobbick, BBA ’98
Vice President of Global Commercial Reporting and Analytics, Diligent
Austin, TX
Lamarr Houston, BS ’11, MSTC ’22
President and Co-Founder, Boxxtech
Austin, TX
Justin Johnson, BBA ’13
Head of Creator Relations, MoonPay
San Antonio, TX
Haley Jústiz, BA, BBA ’23
2023 Rising Star Leadership Award Recipient
Incoming Associate, Boston Consulting Group
New York, NY
Francisco Leon, MBA ’07
President and CEO, California Resources Corporation
Long Beach, CA
Eddie Lopez, BM ’08
Owner, Perform America
Austin, TX
Sushil Patel, BBA ’99
President, Owner, State Bank of Texas
Dallas, TX
Adam Rosenthal, BBA ’90
Managing Director, Senior Portfolio Manager, and Family Office Consultant, UBS Financial Services Inc.
New York, NY
Laura E. Thompson, BBA/MPA ’08
CFO, Platform Partners LLC
Houston, TX
The 2023-24 BBA Executive Committee:
Chair: Luis Rhi, BBA ’98 | Director, Equity Portfolio Manager and Senior Analyst, Barrow Hanley Global Investors, Dallas, TX
Vice Chair: Neal Golden, BA ’86 | President, Texas Regional Manager and Vice Chairman, Newmark Knight Frank / Post Lake Capital Partners, Austin, TX
Values Ambassador Chair: Neha Patel, BBA/MPA ’03 | Partner-in-Charge, IT Advisory Services, Weaver, Dallas, TX
Past Chair: Ashley Smith, BBA ’06, Client Account Executive, Accenture, Houston, TX
The McCombs School would like to thank our new members and leaders for their service! We would like to especially recognize outgoing Chair Ashley Smith, BBA ’06, for her leadership, and our Past Chair Terese Everson, BBA ’96, for serving on the executive committee.
Additionally, the following members have been appointed for a second, active three-year term:
Emily Nguyen, BBA ’22, has been appointed to her first three-year board term having served the previous year as the Rising Star representative.
Lastly, we would like to thank our board members who are rolling off the board this year. Thank you for your time and service to the McCombs School!
Veshal Arul Prakash, BBA ’20, will be taking a two-year pause on his board membership to pursue his MBA degree at Harvard University. Congratulations, Veshal!
About the board:
The McCombs School of Business BBA Advisory Board was formed in 2008 to assist the dean, associate dean of undergraduate programs, faculty, and staff of the McCombs School of Business in achieving and maintaining “best of class” status for the BBA programs. This diverse group of individuals ensures the integrity of the BBA Advisory Board mission by supporting the strategy planning, curricula, external affairs, alumni engagement, fundraising efforts, and student placement. The Executive Committee receives rolling applications throughout the year with consideration for membership in the spring. The new members of the BBA Advisory Board begin their three-year terms the following September.
The McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin is pleased to announce the appointment of the following members to its MBA Advisory Board and 2023-24 BBA Executive Committee.
New MBA Advisory Board Members:
Mark Allen, MBA ’22
Director, USAA
Austin, TX
Launa Bilal, MBA ’17
Associate Director of Change Management, Illumina
Dallas, TX
Roland Grant Jr., MBA ’23
2023 Alumni Ambassador Award Recipient – Full-Time Program
Associate, Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.
Houston, TX
Jacob Hall, MBA ’22
CEO, Speedworks Investments LLC
Cypress, TX
Jenny Hunt, MBA ’19
Vice President, J.P. Morgan Private Bank
Dallas, TX
Gbenoba Idah, MBA ’20
Strategy Lead, Enterprise, Nike
Portland, OR
Julie Marco, MBA ’23
2023 Alumni Ambassador Award Recipient – Working Professional Program
Engagement Manager, ZoomRx
Austin, TX
Matthew Parson, MBA ’20
Assistant Commissioner, Workforce Innovation, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Austin, TX
Chris Starr, BBA/MPA ’11, MBA ’16
Director, Piper Sandler
Houston, TX
Jeff Talmadge, MBA ’23
2023 MBA Alumni Ambassador Award Recipient – Executive Program
Senior Account Manager, ARMS Reliability
Austin, TX
The 2023-24 MBA Executive Committee:
Chair: Kevin Zlotnik, BS ’10, MBA ’15 | Chief Investment Officer, BZMZ Interests, Houston, TX
Vice Chair: Natalie Barnard, MBA ’12 | Vice President, Chief of Staff, Amherst, Austin, TX
Past Chair: Wendy Wheless, BS ’04, MBA ’08 | CEO, Marathon Kids / Austin Runners Club, Austin, TX
The McCombs School would like to thank our new members and leaders for their service! We would like to especially recognize outgoing Chair Wendy Wheless, BS ’04, MBA ’08, for her leadership, and our former Past Chair Lisa Simon Michaud, MBA ’14, for serving on the executive committee.
Additionally, the following members have been appointed for a second, active three-year term:
MBA ’22 graduates, Noe Negrete, JD Harper, and Bradley Drenon have also been appointed to their first three-year board term having served the previous year as the 2022 Alumni Ambassadors for the Full-Time, Executive, and Working Professional programs, respectively.
Lastly, we would like to thank our board members who are rolling off the board this year. Thank you for your time and service to the McCombs School!
About the board:
The McCombs School of Business MBA Advisory Board formed in 1996. Members assist the dean, associate dean of graduate programs, faculty, and staff of the McCombs School of Business in achieving and maintaining “best of class” status for the MBA programs. Members support the MBA program’s strategy planning, curricula, external affairs, alumni engagement, fundraising efforts, and student placement. Member nominations are accepted on a rolling basis. The executive committee considers nominations for membership each spring and new three-year terms begin Sept. 1.
Sebastian (Julio) Barriga, BBA ’00, started his own Venture Capital Fund focused on investing in diverse teams out of academic innovation hubs, building scalable and defensible startups with proprietary AI systems, models and data. This after a break to go back to school and 9 years after co-running a fund for The Carlyle Group in Peru.
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