More than 400 alumni registered to join our Virtual Homecoming Weekend! Hosted by the McCombs Alumni Network, the Alumni Business Conference featured 28 speakers and 6 panels discussing a variety of topics including social media, investing, women in entrepreneurship, diversity, and more all tying back to the theme of leading through disruption. See all conference sessions on YouTube. The alumni celebration concluded with a Pre-Game Interview: The Intersection of Business and Athletics, before UT kicked off against Baylor. The interview features Texas Athletics Director Chris Del Conte, Interim Dean Lillian Mills, and faculty representatives from the McCombs Center for Leadership and Ethics. See the interview on YouTube.
Alumni were also given access to a virtual tour of Rowling Hall, a state-of-the-art center for business education, containing more than 200,000 square feet of academic space with adaptable classrooms, study and breakout rooms, MBA graduate program administration offices, career services, and research centers. See the virtual tour!
Keep an eye on the alumni calendar for more opportunities to engage with the McCombs School! We have many virtual events open to all alumni.
See all Alumni Business Conference sessions on YouTube or watch individual sessions below!
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 21
Welcome and School Update from Interim Dean Lillian Mills
Lillian F. Mills is the interim dean-designate and holds the Beverly H. and William P. O’Hara Endowed Chair in Business. She joined UT Austin in 2006 and served as graduate advisor for the accounting doctoral program during 2009-2010 and as department chair from 2010-2015.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Panel
Moderator: Raji Srinivasan, Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion, Texas McCombs. Panelists: David Druley, BBA ’88, MBA ’03, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Cambridge Associates LLC, Arthur Mills, BBA ’96, MBA ’04, Chief Operating Officer, New Teacher Center, Victor Paredes, MBA ’16, Vice President, Creative Content Strategy, Uniworld Group, and Lynn Utter, BBA ’84, Corporate Board Member, Atlas Holdings LLC.
This year’s incidents of racial injustice and highlighted societal issues have changed organizations’ approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Tune in to hear what the McCombs School is doing and what alumni are doing in their organizations to address systemic change.
Welcome from UT President Jay Hartzell
Jay Hartzell is the 30th president of The University of Texas at Austin. He previously served as the 12th dean of the McCombs School of Business and has been a member of the UT Austin faculty since 2001.
Sustainable Finance Panel (due to sharing restrictions, we were unable to record this session)
Moderator: Meeta Kothare, Director of the Social Innovation Initiative, Texas McCombs. Panelists: Brett Biggs, Executive Vice President and CFO, Walmart Inc., Michael V. Johnson, BS ’82, Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, JPMorgan, and Parag Mehta, BA ’00 , Executive Director and Senior Vice President, Center for Inclusive Growth, Mastercard.
Environmental and social issues are now a major factor in business and investment decisions. Panelists discussed how Walmart, JPMorgan, and Mastercard are navigating these considerations.
THURSDAY, OCT. 22
Faculty Presentation: Social Media and the Difficulty of Combating Misinformation
Tricia Moravec, Assistant Professor of Information, Risk and Operations Management, Texas McCombs.
Social media did not create the phenomena of misinformation, but it has given misinformation a fertile breeding ground. Regardless of political beliefs, there are clear concerns about the impact of misinformation in many areas of our lives. Possible solutions come in the form of interventions, both behavioral and algorithmic.
Empowering Women Leaders in Entrepreneurship Panel
Moderator: Mellie Price, BS ’93, MSTC ’19, Executive Director of Commercialization, Health Ecosystem Managing Director, Texas Health CoLab. Panelists: Gay Gaddis, BFA ’77, T3 Founder, Author, and Gay Gaddis LLC, Ashley Jennings, BS, ’11, BJ, ‘11, MSTC ‘20, Managing Director, Texas Innovation Center, and Marissa Tarleton, MBA ’02, President, Aceable, Inc.
Hear about Austin’s start-up history, learn how UT and our panelists are supporting women entrepreneurs, and gain insights for early-, mid-, and late-stage businesses.
FRIDAY, OCT. 23
Leading Through COVID-19
Carlos Carvalho, Professor of Statistics, the La Quinta Professor of Business, and Executive Director of the Salem Center for Policy, Texas McCombs, Orchestrating Economic Recovery, and John Griffin, Professor of Finance, Texas McCombs, Government Financial Involvement.
Profs. Carlos Carvalho and John Griffin will discuss strategies for leading through COVID-19, including orchestrating economic recovery and government financial involvement.
Keynote Panel: Investing and Operating During the Covid-19 Disruption
Moderator: Philip A. Canfield, BBA ’89, CEO, Ariet Capital LLC, Chris Cartwright, BBA/MPA ’88, President and CEO, TransUnion, Bill Gurley, MBA ’93, General Partner, Benchmark, and Chip Kaye, BA ’86, CEO, Warburg Pincus.
Learn how COVID-19 has accelerated certain trends and created new opportunities from the perspective of venture capital, private equity, and CEOs. Gain insight into the drivers behind these forces and how they are likely to impact business and investing in the future.
SATURDAY, OCT. 24
Game-Day Interview: The Intersection of Business and Athletics
Ethan Burris, Center for Leadership and Ethics Faculty Director, Professor and Chair of Management, Texas McCombs, Chris Del Conte, VP and Athletics Director, Texas Athletics, Kirk Goldsberry, Lecturer in Management, Associate Director of Center for Leadership and Ethics, Texas McCombs, and Lillian Mills, Interim Dean, Texas McCombs.
Chris Del Conte discusses the intersection of business and athletics with McCombs School of Business representatives. Plus, learn how UT and Texas Athletics are navigating the current climate and planning for future curriculum collaboration.
