Monthly Archives: October 2019

Alumni Spotlight: Aaryaman Singhal

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Aaryaman Singhal HeadshotBy far one of the greatest things you can do for your community is to give back. Canfield BHP Alum Aaryaman Singhal has decided to do just that. We caught up with him recently to discuss his time as the Chief Operations Officer at Groundwork Dallas, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the natural surroundings of Dallas and beyond. Aaryaman also walks us through projects that have been keeping him occupied since graduating and explains what he enjoys most about his job as COO.

Tell us about Groundwork Dallas’ story and what interested you in the position?

Groundwork Dallas is an environmental nonprofit that focuses on two types of programs.  One is restoring green spaces in Dallas; that means removing litter from the environment, building trails so that people can access wilderness areas, and installing benches, picnic tables, wide-viewing platforms, and bridges so that people can enjoy the spaces with family or friends. Groundwork Dallas also runs a wonderful youth program primarily for students who are underrepresented in the outdoors. Their families might not have the means to buy equipment or take camping trips. The program allows them to go canoeing, camping, and mountain bike riding – all for free. They also receive environmental education, volunteer opportunities, and environmental job training. Through these experiences, they also benefit just from being outside, which research shows, provides physical and mental health benefits.

I found Groundwork Dallas as a volunteer while working at Southwest Airlines. I volunteered regularly for a year, served on the board for a year, and have now been on staff as Chief Operating Officer for a year. Because we’re a small nonprofit, I have received many opportunities for growth here. With my business background, I try to manage as many office tasks as possible so our team can focus more on the fieldwork. For me, I felt it was a great opportunity to use and develop the skills I developed during my time at Southwest. Here, I do finance, accounting, strategy, marketing, sales, operations, and technology. There’s never a dull moment. Continue reading

Destination Southwest – A Talk with Mike Van de Ven

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Written by Zoya Saxena

UT graduate and alum Mike Van de Ven returned to the classroom, this time sitting on the other side of the lecture hall. Van de Ven, Chief Operating Officer of Southwest Airlines, visited the sophomore Business Honors Lyceum to share advice with the students and talk to them about his time in college and career at Southwest. 

Ever since he watched UT play A&M during the Thanksgiving football game, Van de Ven  knew he wanted to come to UT. When applying to college, Van de Ven was also searching for the best school to complete his degree in Accounting.

 “UT has a great return on investment. I am proud of the quality of education which you can receive here in such a cost effective manner. That’s why I love this school,” said Van de Ven. 

Van de Ven said that he feels reenergized when he returns to campus and that his passion for education and development of young professionals is what keeps him coming back.  Continue reading

Discovering Retail: Martin Otto’s path to H-E-B

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Written by Zoya Saxena

A few weeks ago the Canfield BHP class of 2022 had the opportunity to meet the Chief Operating Officer of H-E-B, Martin Otto, during its Honors Business Lyceum. Students had the chance to ask questions and listen to Otto speak on a variety of topics such as his career path, time at H-E-B, and the company culture Otto is proud to be a part of. 

Otto began by detailing his career path, highlighting his time beginning in accounting and then moving to real estate. It was not until Otto was in the process of completing his MBA at Harvard when he took his first retail class. “I loved it,” he said.

Since then, Otto has been with H-E-B for a little over 28 years. When asked about what kept him at the company for so long, he expanded on H-E-B’s inclusive and people-centric company culture.  

“The company is truly focused on serving customers and the community,” Otto said. “H-E-B is a wonderful place to be.”

Over the course of the seminar, Otto also took the time to articulate why he wanted to come speak to Canfield BHP students. He said he wants to encourage students to really “figure out what (they) want to do” and help those students who may not want to “follow the traditional path.” Otto went on to say that if he was not thinking deeply about his career, he may not have ended up with a fulfilling job at such a great company.  Continue reading

Student Spotlight: Samantha Lustberg

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Name: Samantha (Sam) Lustberg

Major: Canfield BHP, Management Information Systems

Company: Bringg 

Position: Business Solutions Analyst

Topics of Interest: kickboxing, all the foods in the world, social dance, the ukulele

It’s not often students get to travel abroad for an internship, but Samantha (Sam) Lustberg had the opportunity to work not one, but two internships this past summer in Tel Aviv, a city on the coast of Israel. 

Sam began her summer in Tel Aviv as a consultant at a boutique firm, Targo Consulting, where she worked with pre-seed startups analyzing the ideas presented by budding entrepreneurs. After working at Targo for a few weeks, Sam pivoted to a new role at Bringg. 

Bringg, a Series C technology startup, is a delivery logistics software that partners with Fortune 500 companies to ensure data security when working with food delivery services like Uber Eats and Postmates. Sam worked as a Business Solutions Analyst on the Business Development team. She had the opportunity to strategize with the sales and marketing teams for the rest of the summer.  Continue reading

Sign Up! Connect with the Canfield BHP Alumni Mentor Network

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The Canfield BHP Alumni Mentor Network is a program that connects alumni to Canfield BHP sophomores and juniors. It is an opportunity for current students to be mentored by alumni based on similar academic and/or professional interests. Canfield BHP alumni come from a variety of professional fields and many go on to top medical schools, law schools, MBA programs, and other graduate programs. Alumni mentors may provide advice to students on major and career exploration, career and/or graduate school preparation, professional development and balancing school, career and outside interests.

If you’re interested to learn more, read on to explore how both mentors and mentees describe their experiences in the network. Below, mentor Seth Gideon and mentee, Canfield BHP junior Carrie Cruces, describe their experiences from both sides of the network. We also hear from mentor Neo Nanna who paired with his mentee, Canfield BHP junior Jessie Meek. Sign up for the Canfield BHP Alumni Mentoring Network to begin your mentorship today!

Seth Gideon headshotMENTOR: Seth Gideon, Canfield BHP/MPA ’18, Investment Banking Analyst at J.P. Morgan

What have you gained from being part of the Alumni Mentoring Network?

Being on both sides of the Alumni Mentoring Network, I have been able to see firsthand the impact mentors have on mentees. Whether it’s offering you life advice, putting you in touch with other Canfield BHP alum or giving you tips on how to pass certain classes, the Alumni Mentoring Network is very rewarding. Back at UT, my mentor and I would hop on the phone once a month to chat and update each other on our lives. At that time I was applying to a grad school program and my mentor happened to be in that program. She told me her perspective on the school, offered me advice on the GMAT, helped me with my application and answered every question I threw her way. That’s why the program is so special because we help each other out. Now, being on the other side, my job is to help out my mentee as best as I can and take the things I learned from my mentor and use them with my mentee. It’s also great to stay up-to-date on McCombs/UT.

What topics do you and your student mentee discuss? Continue reading