Category: Network News (page 1 of 7)

General news from around the Texas McCombs Alumni Network

Texas McCombs Homecoming Weekend, Sept. 27-28, 2024

Save the date for Homecoming Weekend on September 27-28, 2024, for a half-day business conference with outstanding McCombs faculty members, a BBQ tailgate before the first SEC home football game against Mississippi State, and a special reception for five-year class reunions (classes of ’19, ’14, ’09, etc.). Reconnect with your classmates, network with fellow alumni,  and get back into the classroom! Registration information coming in July.

The McCombs School of Business Announces New BBA Advisory Board Members and Executive Committee Leadership for Fall 2023

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:

  • James Jackson, BBA ’14
  • Scott Packman, BBA ’90, MBA ’91, JD ’95 (NYU)
  • Neha Patel, BBA/MPA ’03
  • George Wommack, BBA ’06

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!

  • Brian Chou, BBA, MPA ’12
  • Amy Enrione, BBA ’16
  • Devin Fletcher, BBA ’07
  • Phoebe Lin, BBA, BS ’19
  • Cindy Lo, BBA ’98
  • Irene Puhala, BBA/MPA ’92
  • Jennifer Wenzel, BBA ’04

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 Announces New MBA Advisory Board Members and Executive Committee Leadership for Fall 2023

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:

  • Anthony Luu, MBA ’08
  • Raul Rodriguez, MBA ’13

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.

View full membership.

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!

  • Peter Almond, MBA ’03
  • Matt Altenau, MBA ’06
  • Stacy Hock, MBA ’05
  • Carl Loredo, BA ’98, MBA ’03
  • Todd Parsapour, MBA ’98
  • Larry Patrick, MBA ’98
  • Doug Swanson, Jr., BA ’94, MBA ’99

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.

Texas McCombs Honors 2022 Hall of Fame Inductees

A group of individuals stands in front of an orange background

President Jay Hartzell and Dean Lillian Mills stand with the 2022 Rising Star inductees (from L to R) Kelly Steckelberg (BBA ’91, MPA ’91); John D. Harkey, Jr.(BBA ’83, JD ’86); W. Benjamin Moreland (BBA ’84); Andrew Phong Vo (BBA ’95); and Advisory Council Chair John C. Goff.

 

On November 10, 2022, notable alumni, friends, and Texas McCombs staff convened at the AT&T Conference Center for the annual McCombs School of Business Hall of Fame celebration to induct exemplary alumni into its ranks. This year’s Hall of Fame inductees included John D. Harkey, Jr., W. Benjamin Moreland, Kelly S. Steckelberg, and Andrew Phong Vo. McCombs Dean Lillian Mills also recognized 2022 Rising Stars Adam Blum, Nick Del’Osso, Philip Krim, and April Underwood.

McCombs School of Business established the Hall of Fame in 1983 as part of The University of Texas at Austin’s centennial celebration. This year, as McCombs celebrates its own centennial year, it’s fitting that we acknowledge the stellar achievements of those alumni who continue to change the world. The Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made outstanding professional contributions to the business community and who, by their exemplary civic, philanthropic, and educational activities have advanced humanity. The Hall of Fame award is the highest honor given by the McCombs School of Business. Recipients are chosen by a selection committee.

In addition, McCombs also recognizes young alumni with the Rising Star Award, established in 2004. This award is presented to young alumni who have experienced professional success and have shown exemplary service to the McCombs Alumni Network. These are graduates who have presented themselves as consummate professionals and dedicated businesspeople. Rising Star Award recipients are chosen by the McCombs BBA and MBA Advisory Boards and Dean Mills.

Hall of Fame inductees were showcased in video vignettes before taking to the podium to share words of appreciation. Learn more about each of their personal and professional stories by viewing the videos below.

2022 Hall of Fame Inductees

John D. Harkey, Jr.
BBA ’83, JD ‘86
Founder
JDH Investment Management, LLC

John D. Harkey Jr. has over 25 years’ experience as a private investor, chief executive, and director in both public and private companies. He has merged, acquired, operated, and/or served on the boards of directors of nine public companies in biotech, energy, technology, aerospace, telecom, and restaurants, and private companies in health care, real estate, farm and ranch products, and software development.

He is the founder of JDH Investment Management LLC, which is focused on leading innovative technologies and emerging company opportunities in biotech, gene therapy, non-opiate pain and pharma/therapeutic spaces. He is the co-founder and formerly executive chairman of the board of AveXis, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVXS), which was acquired in 2018 by Novartis. He also serves on the boards of CerSci Pharmaceuticals, Cessation Therapeutics, Dialectic Therapeutics Inc., Veterinary Service Inc., and Baylor Health Care System Foundation.

Philanthropically, Harkey serves on the board of directors of The University of Texas System Chancellor’s Council Executive Committee, the University of Texas Development Board, and is past chairman of the McCombs School of Business Advisory Council. He serves on the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors Research, and the Innovation and Commercialization Committee. He and Peni are longtime residents of Highland Park, Texas, and have two daughters. Meredith graduated from UT in Liberal Arts Honors and earned a J.D. at the UT School of Law, and Morgan graduated from the UT Plan II Honors and completed her first year at Texas Law.

W. Benjamin Moreland
BBA ’94
Principal
Moreland Interests

Benjamin (Ben) Moreland is principal of Moreland Interests and retired CEO of Crown Castle, where he remains a member of the board. Crown Castle, a leading provider of wireless infrastructure in the U.S., owns and operates over 40,000 towers and 115,000 Small Cell facilities, supported by over 80,000 route miles of fiber in key U.S. markets. An S&P 500 Company headquartered in Houston, Crown Castle has over 4,000 employees in the U.S. and an equity market capitalization in excess of $60 billion.

Prior to his retirement, Moreland served as executive vice chairman and was president and chief executive officer from July 2008 through May 2016. He joined Crown Castle in 1999 after 15 years with Chase Manhattan Bank and predecessor banks, primarily in corporate finance and real estate investment banking. Moreland is currently chairman of the board of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc. and has served on a number of public and private boards.

He also serves on the board of Houston Methodist Hospital, where he chairs the subsidiary, Methodist Health Centers Board. In addition to serving on the Advisory Council of the McCombs School, he is a member of the Chancellor’s Council Executive Committee. He holds a BBA from The University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from the University of Houston, where he is a member of the Bauer School Board.

Man gestures at podium

 

Kelly S. Steckelberg
BBA ’91, MPA ’91
Chief Financial Officer
Zoom Video Communications

 

Kelly Steckelberg has been the CFO of Zoom Video Communications since 2017. She led the company through its successful IPO in 2019 and explosive growth in recent years. The Zoom platform brings teams together, reimagines workspaces, engages new audiences and delights customers. Previously, she held various roles at technology companies including CEO of Zoosk, and various roles in finance at Cisco, Webex, Epiphany, PeopleSoft, and KPMG. Steckelberg is a board member and Audit Committee Chair for Qualtrics. She has an MPA and BBA in Accounting from The University of Texas at Austin. She loves spending time with her family and friends and exploring new destinations in the world.

 

Andrew Phong Vo
BBA ’95
Chief Human Resources Officer
Accenture, Growth Markets

Andrew Phong Vo is chief human resources officer of Accenture Growth Markets, responsible for developing talent and leadership across Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and South Africa. A member of Accenture’s Global Leadership Council, Vo has built a 27-year career partnering with Fortune 500 clients to drive transformational change. He previously led Accenture’s global commodities trading operations practice, North America corporate finance offering, and a portfolio of energy accounts.

Passionate about advancing academic excellence and enrichment, Vo and his wife endowed a McCombs presidential scholarship in 2014 and launched UT’s Admissions Welcome Center with the establishment of the Vo Family Auditorium in 2020. A past Outstanding Young Texas Ex award recipient, Vo serves on the McCombs School of Business Advisory Council, UT Systems Chancellor’s Council Executive Committee, UT Development Board, and Forty Acres Society.

He is the founder/senior advisor of the Texas Iron Spikes service organization, benefiting Special Olympics Texas and Texas Baseball for nearly three decades. Born in Saigon, Vietnam, Vo immigrated to the U.S. in 1975 and was raised in Sugar Land, Texas. In 1995, he earned his finance BBA from McCombs and joined Accenture’s Houston office. Vo, his wife, and their seven-year-old twins reside in Singapore.

 

Rising Star Recipients

Adam Blum
BBA ’06, MPA ’06
Managing Partner
Old Hickory Partners

 

Nick Dell’Osso
MBA ’03
President & CEO
Chesapeake Energy Corp.

 

April Underwood
BBA ’01
Co-Founder
#Angels

 

Philip Krim
BBA ’06
Founder & Managing Partner
Montauk Ventures

(Not Pictured)

 

See more pictures from the event here.

 

2022 McCombs Hall of Fame Inductees and Alumni Rising Star Honorees

Wording that says Hall of Fame

The McCombs School of Business is pleased to announce the 2022 Hall of Fame inductees, John Harkey Jr., Ben Moreland, Kelly Steckelberg, and Andrew Phong Vo and the 2022 Alumni Rising Stars, Adam Blum, Nick Dell’Osso, Philip Krim, and April Underwood. We look forward to honoring them at the Hall of Fame celebration on Nov. 10, 2022.

The Hall of Fame award is the highest honor given by the McCombs School of Business. It recognizes individuals for their exemplary work in many areas including civic, educational, and philanthropic activities, as well as making outstanding professional contributions to the business and educational community. The school thanks all of the members of the Hall of Fame selection committee for their efforts in choosing this year’s recipients.

Rising Star awards recognize young alumni who have been successful professionally and have helped strengthen the McCombs Alumni Network. These are graduates who have presented themselves as consummate professionals and dedicated business people.

Highlights about this year’s honorees follow.

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES:


JOHN HARKEY JR., BBA ’83, JD ’86
John Harkey Jr. is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of JDH Investment Management, LLC in Dallas, TX. He has over 25 years’ experience as a private investor, chief executive, and director in both public and private companies. He has merged, acquired, operated and/or served on the board ofdirectors of nine public companies in biotech, energy, technology, aerospace, telecom, and restaurants, and private companies in healthcare, real estate, farm and ranch products, and software development. Read more.

 

BEN MORELAND, BBA ’84
Ben Moreland is Principal of Moreland Interests and retired CEO of Crown Castle, where he remains a member of the Board of Directors. Crown Castle (NYSE: CCI), an S&P 500 Company based in Houston, is a leading provider of wireless infrastructure in the U.S., owning and operating over 40,000 towers and 115,000 Small Cell facilities, supported by over 80,000 route miles of fiber in key U.S. markets. He also serves/served on a number ofpublic and private company boards, as well as Houston Methodist Hospital. Read more.

 

KELLY STECKELBERG, BBA ’91, MPA ’91
Kelly Steckelberg has been the CFO of Zoom Video Communications since 2017 where she led the company through its successful IPO in 2019 and explosive growth in recent years. Previously she held various roles at technology companies including  CEO of Zoosk, and various roles in finance at Cisco, Webex, Epiphany, PeopleSoft, and KPMG. Kelly is a board member and Audit Committee Chair for Qualtrics. She has an MPA in accounting from The University of Texas at Austin. Read more.

 

Asian man smiling

ANDREW PHONG VO, BBA ’95
Andrew Phong Vo is Chief Human Resources Officer of Accenture Growth Markets responsible for talent and leadership in Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and South Africa. A member of the company’s Global Leadership Council, Andrew has built a 27-year career at Accenture (NYSE: ACN) advising Fortune 500 clients, building business practices, and developing people. Committed to empowering the next generation, he is a Forty Acres Scholars Program advocate and founder of the Texas Iron Spikes service organization. Andrew is a past recipient of UT’s Outstanding Young Texas Ex award. Read more.

 

ALUMNI RISING STARS:


ADAM BLUM, BBA MPA ’06
Adam Blum has over a decade of leadership experience in the institutional investment sector. He founded Old Hickory Partners in 2018 and Old Hickory’s predecessor entities in 2011. Previously, Mr. Blum managed a portfolio of entrepreneurially focused investments in real estate, oil and gas, public securities, private loans, and interests in private companies. Mr. Blum began his principal investing career in 2008 as a private equity investor at Austin Ventures, a $4 billion private investment firm, where he worked through 2011. Prior to Austin Ventures, he worked from 2006 to 2008 in New York City as an investment banker at Goldman, Sachs & Co. in the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Group. Read more.

 

Man in glasses smiles at camera

NICK DELL’OSSO, MBA ’03
Domenic J. Dell’Osso, Jr. was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Chesapeake in October 2021. He previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since November 2010. Prior to that time, he served as Vice President – Finance and Chief Financial Officer ofChesapeake’s wholly owned midstream subsidiary Chesapeake Midstream Development, L.P. from August 2008 to November 2010. Before joining Chesapeake, Mr. Dell’Osso was an energy investment banker with Jefferies & Co. from 2006 to 2008 and Banc of America Securities from 2004 to 2006. Mr. Dell’Osso serves on the Board of Directors of Cristo Rey Catholic High School of Oklahoma City, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, and the United Way of Central Oklahoma. He graduated from Boston College in 1998 and earned his MBA from The University of Texas at Austin in 2003. Read more.

 

Man in dark sweater smiles at camera

PHILIP KRIM, BBA ’06
Currently, Philip serves as the Founder and Managing Partner at Montauk Ventures, an early stage investment firm focused on investing in and helping founders navigate the complexities of hyperscale. Before Montauk Ventures, Philip served as the Cofounder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman at Casper and led the comprehensive business strategy, expansion, and vision for the company. Casper continues to reimagine the sleep industry from the ground up. A serial entrepreneur, Philip has founded two previous startups, where he focused on evolving consumer and e-commerce trends. Read more.

 

APRIL D. UNDERWOOD, BBA ’01
April D. Underwood is co-founder of the angel investing collective #ANGELS and a member of the boards of directors for Zillow Group (since 2017) and Eventbrite (since 2022). #ANGELS has backed over 150 early-stage technology companies since 2015 and initiated the first-ever study on gender equality in equity compensation, The Gap Table. April’s investments include Vanta, Clubhouse, Winnie, Nurx, Color, and Cue Health and many more. Until 2019, April was the Chief Product Officer at Slack. Prior to joining Slack, April was director of product at Twitter from 2010 to 2015. Previously, April has held product, partnerships, and engineering roles at Google, Travelocity, and Intel. April holds a BBA (2001) in management information systems and Business Honors from The University of Texas at Austin and an MBA (2007) from the University of California at Berkeley. Read more.

Congratulations to our honorees. We thank you for giving so much of yourselves to higher education and the efforts of the McCombs School and the university.

The McCombs School Announces New MBA Advisory Board Members and Executive Committee Leadership for Fall 2022

The McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin announces the appointment of the following members to its MBA Advisory Board and 2022-23 MBA Executive Committee:

John J Britton, BBA ’86, MBA ’89
COO, Grayco Partners, LLC
Houston, TX

Marco D’Amico, MBA ’06
Partner, PwC
Southlake, TX

Bradley Drenon, MBA ’22
2022 MBA Alumni Ambassador Award Recipient, Working Professional Program
Global Lead Development Program Manager, Amazon Web Services
Austin, TX

Dr. Preshit Gawade, MBA ’19
Executive Director, New Energies, Baker Hughes
Houston, TX

Joel D Harper, MBA ’22
2022 MBA Alumni Ambassador Award Recipient, Executive Program
Global Product Leader, Digital Commerce Content Systems, Apple
Austin, TX

Sam Glazer, MBA ’19
Dallas, TX

Michaela Lindsay, MBA ’17
Manager, Technology Partnership Business Development, Vmware
Austin, TX

Wes Little, MBA ’14
Chief Analytics Officer and General Manager, WellSky Home
Austin, TX

David Marrero, MBA ’16
Senior Manager, Corporate Strategy, Splunk
San Jose, CA

J.D. McCulloch, MBA ’02
CFO and Chief Business Development Officer, Dialectic Therapeutics
Dallas, TX

Kalin McKenna, MBA ’11
Director of Cybersecurity Sales, Microsoft
Seattle, WA

John Merris, MBA ’13
President and CEO, Solo Brands
Southlake, TX

Noe Negrete, MBA ’22
2022 MBA Alumni Ambassador Award Recipient, Full-Time Program
Senior Consultant, Cognizant
Houston, TX

Additionally, the board’s executive committee assumed new leadership:

  • Chair: Wendy Wheless, MBA ’08, Founder and Chief Movement Officer, ThruMovement, and current Head of Sports Sponsorship, Still Austin Whiskey, Austin, TX
  • Vice Chair: Kevin Zlotnik, BS ’10, MBA ’15, Chief Investment Officer, BZMZ Interests, Houston, TX
  • Past Chair: Lisa Simon Michaud, MBA ’14, M&A Senior Manager, Deloitte, Dallas, TX

The McCombs School would like to thank our new members and leaders for their service! We would also like to especially recognize outgoing Chair Lisa Simon Michaud for her leadership, and our Past Chair, Carrie Haden, MBA ’05, who has become an emeritus member after having served on the executive committee.

Additionally the following members have been appointed for a second active term:

  • Casey Andrews, MBA ’11
  • Marwin Brown, MBA ’03
  • Varsha Dadlani, MS ’08, MBA ’13
  • Colin Kelly, MBA ’11
  • Jay Kleburg, MBA ’13
  • Sarah Matt, MBA ’15
  • Darren Myers, BA ’00, MBA ’03

 View the full membership.

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!

  • Frankie Arvelo, MBA ’14
  • Mark Roberts, MBA ’94
  • Scott Rochelli, MBA ’14
  • Naruby Schlenker, MBA ’10
  • Rebekah Shipman, MBA ’16
  • Steve Spies, MBA ’80

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.

The McCombs School of Business Announces New BBA Advisory Board Members and Executive Committee Leadership for Fall 2022

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 2022-23 BBA Executive Committee.

New BBA Advisory Board Members:

Jeff Blazek, BBA, MPA ’97
Partner – Head of Health Care Practice, Cambridge Associates, LLC
Croton-on-Hudson, NY

Monica Huber, BBA ’90
President, Huber Advisory Services, PC
Flower Mound, TX

David Michels, BBA ’01
Vice President and CFO, Kinder Morgan
Houston, TX

Kolten Morris, BBA ’17, MPA ’18, JD ’21
Associate, Vinson and Elkins
Dallas, TX

John Nash, BBA ’82
President and Partner, The Hanover Company
Houston, TX

Emily Nguyen, BBA ’22
Rising Star Leadership Award Recipient
Credit Trading Analyst, Goldman Sachs
New York, NY

Maria Rivera, BBA ’15
Product Marketing Manager, Meta (formerly Facebook)
Austin, TX

The 2022-23 BBA Executive Committee:

Chair: Ashley Smith, BBA ’06, Managing Director, Accenture, Houston, TX

Vice Chair: Luis Rhi, BBA ’98, Director, Equity Portfolio Manager and Senior Analyst | Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC, New York, NY

Values Chair: Neal Golden, BA ’86, Vice Chairman, Newmark, Austin, TX

Past Chair: Terese Everson, BBA ’96, Director, Focus Strategies Investment Banking, 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 Terese Everson, BBA ’96, for her leadership, and our Past Chair Cameron Chandler, BBA ’83, for serving on the executive committee.

Additionally, the following members have been appointed for a second active term:

  • Mark Lange, BBA ’85
  • Hans Malzar, BBA ’11
  • Luis Rhi, BBA ’98
  • Robert Slovak, BBA ’96, JD ’99
  • Lucy Mei Wu, BBA ’12
  • Emilio Zamora, BBA ’11
  • Danny Zoller, BBA ’90, JD ’93

Henry Howard, BBA ’21, has been appointed for his first three-year term having served the previous year as the Rising Star representative.

View full membership.

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!

  • Brendan Chan, BBA ’11
  • Andrei Coso, BBA ’11
  • Lucas Cutler, BBA ’97
  • David Druley, BBA ’88, MBA ’03
  • Kasey Dunn, BBA, MPA ’99
  • Kovid Gupta, BS ’10
  • Mandy Price, BBA ’11, JD ’06
  • Sandeep Shah, BBA ’11, BS ’12
  • Sai Yeluru, BBA ’18

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.

McCombs Alumni Team Receives National Award

McCombs Alumni staff stands with award

During the first in-person meeting of the Association of Business School Alumni Professionals conference in three years, the Texas McCombs Alumni Relations team took home the award for Most Innovative New Initiative for its Board and Council Leader Exchange, which launched in 2021.

The Association is a national networking organization promoting excellence in alumni relations and service to alumni with exclusive membership to only the top 30 business schools in the country, as defined by the rankings of Bloomberg Businessweek and U.S. News and World Report. This year’s conference was held at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from July 11-14.

“It is such an honor to be recognized by the Association of Business School Alumni Professionals for the Most Innovative Initiative Award,” said Christine Burdell, Director of Alumni Relations for McCombs School of Business.

Honored for its ability to engage the Texas McCombs’ 26 alumni boards and councils, the Board and Council Leader Exchange provided an opportunity for board leaders to exchange ideas, create resources and continuing connections for members across the school. The Exchange had a 65% participation rate, with a virtual component drawing in 69% participation.

The McCombs Alumni Relations team previously won Most Improved Alumni Relations Initiative for 40 Hours for the Forty Acres and Most Innovative New Initiative for Texas 12 Dinners, both in 2016. There are only four award categories at each conference per year.

“We have learned so much from this (ABSAP) community and are very grateful to be a part of it,” Burdell said. “We hope that our program inspires other schools to engage their alumni in a similar way.”

2021 Hall of Fame Inductees

Alumni, friends, and school leadership gathered on Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021 for the annual Hall of Fame celebration. This year the Texas McCombs School inducted four prominent business leaders into its Hall of Fame: George R. Ackert, The Honorable Kevin P. Eltife, Gay W. Gaddis, and Mark D. Gibson. Lillian Mills, dean, also recognized the 2021 Rising Stars, Jessica M. Lopez and Michael C. Smith, for their early accomplishments.

The McCombs School of Business established the Hall of Fame 38 years ago in recognition of The University of Texas at Austin’s centennial celebration. The Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made outstanding professional contributions to the business community and who, by their exemplary civic, philanthropic, and educational activities, have advanced humanity. The Hall of Fame award is the highest honor given by the McCombs School of Business.

Each inductee has an incredible life story and we are proud to have them be a part of the McCombs Hall of Fame. We invite you to learn more about their successes and contributions through the videos below.

2021 Hall of Fame Inductees

George R. Ackert
BBA ’91, JD ’95
Senior Managing Director
Evercore

George R. Ackert is a senior managing director in Evercore’s investment banking business in New York City. He is an internationally recognized adviser to companies in the transportation sector, and has recently become the head of the firm’s financial sponsor coverage effort.

Ackert began his career as an associate attorney in Mergers & Acquisitions and Structured Finance at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Ackert moved to investment banking in 1997 and joined Merrill Lynch as an associate, rising to global head of Transportation & Infrastructure before joining Evercore in 2009 to take the same position. He holds a J.D. with honors from The University of Texas School of Law, an MBA from Baylor University, and a BBA with high honors from The University of Texas at Austin.

He is a former chairman and a founding member of the New York for McCombs Board. He is also former chairman for the Advisory Council of the McCombs School of Business for the 2018–19 school year, and is now a Life Member. He serves on the Executive Committee of the UT Development Board and is a member of the UT Longhorn Foundation Advisory Council. He is a former member of the UT System Chancellor’s Executive Council, as well as a former member of the board of the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at UT. Both of his children are currently students at UT.

The Honorable Kevin P. Eltife
BBA ’81

Owner
Eltife Properties, Ltd.

Kevin P. Eltife was appointed to a six-year term on The University of Texas System Board of Regents by Governor Greg Abbott in January 2017 and was confirmed by the Texas Senate on February 7, 2017.

On December 20, 2018, he was elected chairman of the Board of Regents. Eltife chairs the System Review and Structure Task Force. He previously served on the Academic Affairs Committee; the Audit, Compliance, and Risk Management Committee; the Facilities Planning and Construction Committee; the Finance and Planning Committee; and the Board for Lease of University Lands.

He served as senator for Texas Senate District 1 from 2004 to 2017, as the mayor of Tyler, and on the Tyler City Council. He was appointed in December 1996 by Governor George W. Bush to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and served until July 2003.

Eltife is the owner of Eltife Properties, Ltd. He is a director for Citizens 1st Bank and serves on The University of Texas at Austin Development Board and The University of Texas at Tyler Development Board.

Eltife earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin. He resides in Tyler with his wife and two children.

Gay W. Gaddis
BFA ’77
T3 Founder and CEO of Gay Gaddis, LLC

Gay Gaddis founded T3, a digital advertising agency that grew into the largest female-owned agency in the U.S. under her leadership of 30+ years, with offices in Austin, New York, Atlanta and San Francisco. In 2019, she sold T3 to a leading private equity firm.

Today, Gaddis is focusing her always-on energy to empower the next generation of business leaders. She is an active speaker on women’s leadership and entrepreneurship. Her best-selling book, Cowgirl Power: How to Kick Ass in Business and Life, shares insights to develop personal power.

Gaddis is the first female Chairman of the Texas Business Leadership Council, former Chairman of The Committee of 200 (C200) and an immediate past board member for Monotype Imaging Holdings, Inc. She is on the boards of the Texas Cultural Trust and Texas Exes, part of the McCombs Advisory Council and an adviser for the College of Fine Arts and the Moody College of Communication. She is also the founder and co-instructor of a new women’s development program, Women Who Mean Business at the McCombs School of Business.

Gaddis is an active spokesperson, artist and writer and a contributor to Forbes. Over her career she has received numerous awards and honors including Fast Company’s “Top 25 Women Business Builders,” Inc. Magazine’s “Top
10 Entrepreneurs of the Year,” C200’s Luminary Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence and was recognized by Texas Monthly as one of “10 Artists to Collect Now.”

Mark D. Gibson
BBA ’81

Chief Executive Officer
JLL Capital Markets, Americas

Before becoming the CEO of JLL Capital Markets, Americas, as part of the HFF acquisition, Mark D. Gibson was a founding partner of HFF LP, having joined HFF’s predecessor firm, Holliday Fenoglio & Company, in 1984.

Gibson became a director and vice chairman of HFF Inc. in 2006, before the company’s IPO in 2007. In 2014, he became CEO.

Gibson played football at UT and was the first person in his family to attend college. His 35-year career in real estate began in 1981 when he earned a BBA from UT and joined Holliday Fenoglio in 1984. He is an executive committee member at the UT Real Estate Finance and Investment Center and an advisory council member at the McCombs School of Business.

He has been married to Jane Holland Gibson since 1987, and they have two children, Matthew and Jordan. Matt is in the real estate industry and Jordan is with a non-profit advocacy group for children. In his spare time, Gibson enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, and fly-fishing.

Rising Star Recipients

Dean Jay Hartzell also recognized the 2021 Rising Stars at the Hall of Fame celebration. The Rising Star Award, established in 2004-05, goes to young alumni who have experienced professional success and have shown exemplary service to the Texas McCombs Alumni Network. Congratulations to Jessica M. Lopez and Michael C. Smith.

Austin Chapter Breakfast with MBA Students

The Austin Chapter brought back its first, in-person networking breakfast with tacos and coffee at Moontower Cafe in Robert B. Rowling Hall on campus. MBA students and alumni enjoyed chatting and networking with some special guest appearances from MBA Assistant Dean Tina Mabley and Austin Chapter President Joey Martin, MBA ’18. 

The bunch had lots of fun getting the chance to hear from the guests and creating lasting memories in a cozy and intimate setting.

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