Category Archives: Alumni Spotlights

Alumni Spotlight: Webb Stevens – Operations Consultant for Deloitte

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Originally published on McCombs TODAY

Webb Stevens, BBA ’04, enjoys navigating leadership positions as much as he enjoys navigating mountain-climbing excursion and water safaris. Since graduating from the Business Honors Program, he has travelled the world as a strategy and operations consultant with Deloitte and now, as senior director of business and corporate development at Avalara, a sales-tax automating software provider, he is helping companies across the country simplify their tax processes. But throughout his career, he hasn’t forgotten where his success started—at McCombs.

In a phone call from his office in Seattle, Stevens discussed his experience in the business world and how he remains connected with the University of Texas at Austin and the McCombs School of Business. Here is our conversation, edited for clarity and length.

What have you done since graduation?

Since I left McCombs I’ve been having a good time! I did a stint with Deloitte in the strategy and operations group and then moved to venture capital and private equity with Summit Partners, and joined the company I actually tried to make an investment in, Avalara.

Where in the world has your career taken you so far?

For Deloitte I basically lived on an airplane. I worked for a month in Istanbul, and I worked for six months out of the UK. I enjoyed the traveling, but at a certain stage in your life it’s a lot easier to do.

What did you learn from all the traveling?

I think that a lot of the trite phrases about having to work with other cultures, while trite when being said in a classroom, are still true. You’re really getting to work with people that have a different perspective, not just because they’re in marketing or sales or development, but because of their culture have a radically different way of solving problems or approaching business issues. The other important issue that’s absolutely applicable in my role right now is massively different regulating environments. Thinking about those things early on is always valuable.

How else have you stayed connected to McCombs?

I was fortunate to be fairly lucky and have some success with case competitions as an undergrad. And I think as a result of that I was invited back to judge the competitions and Kurt Leedy, BBA ’02, and I wrote the case for a local [competition]. I got involved in that as a product of winning some [case competitions] as an undergrad.

How did those case competitions shape your experience at McCombs?

As a student,  part of the reason why I found it rewarding to do extracurricular activities like case competitions was because it really puts together all the pieces of the business education when you have to apply accounting, finance, marketing and presentation skills all in a couple of days. I think it was that more than anything else that drove me towards pursuing strategy and operations consulting. When I’d had some success at some of those competitions and was thinking about what I wanted to do after McCombs, somebody mentioned that there was an equivalent to case competitions professionally, and it was called management consulting. So for the lack of being more creative while thinking about what I wanted to do next, I thought that sounded interesting and decided to pursue the strategy and operations consulting role.

As an alumnus, what has your experience been with the McCombs alumni network?

The McCombs alumni network is an impressive one. There were multiple times when I was in Leeds [England] I would go and meet with fellow McCombs alumni in London that were there working permanently with a variety of different jobs. The McCombs reach is broad.

When I moved to California, I was looking to build a professional and social network and started attending some of the McCombs events. I then joined the executive team, organizing a couple of events throughout the year. And then the former president stepped down and so I filled in, not really aggressively seeking it out but because there was a need and I wanted to make sure that we could keep organizing projects and events for McCombs alumni in the Bay Area.

Why do you think the McCombs network is so strong?

I think the business world definitely encourages a certain degree of professional networking, but I think everybody has such amazing experiences both academically and socially at McCombs. Whether it’s a BBA, MBA, or MPA program, there’s a common bond everyone has spending a handful of years on campus and in Austin that makes you a little more excited to reach out and interact with someone else that also had that shared experience.

What aspect of your career are you most proud of so far?

I think I’m probably most proud of the work I’m doing now. I’m co-managing two different teams of a total of 10 people in a rapidly growing company in the software [industry] that is having a really big impact on all the burden of taxes. It seems like a really mundane thing, but we’re positively impacting thousands of companies, allowing them to focus on what’s important.

When you aren’t working, what do you do?

I am trying to find time to get into the mountains and outdoors, participating in ultra endurance events. I was still able to find time when I was working at Summit in investing to train and complete a couple of ultra marathons. I took third place in a 50km race in 2010. I also completed a Texas Water Safari, which is a 263 nonstop canoe race in 2006 as a solo competitor. While I haven’t competed in anything specific here [in Seattle], I have actually paddled around Bainbridge Island, which is about 28 miles in a day, so I’m still getting out and doing some fun stuff.

Can you explain how you’ve used your love of the outdoors to help the community?

Since I’ve left McCombs, one of the things that I still put on my resume is Big City Mountaineers. I gave a presentation to one of the Business Honors Program symposiums when I was still in school about the value of outdoor education and the applicability it has in business and to life skills in general. I’ve continued to try to make contributions to people that are less fortunate. I’ve raised well over $10,000 for Big City Mountaineers, which takes at-risk urban youth and pulls them out of the city environment and puts them into constructive educational and learning environments out on a trail or canoeing trip. I’m proud that I’ve been able to find time with my professional career to go and raise funds for something that I think is a really worthwhile cause.

What advice do you have for current students?

Stay hungry. I think it’s really easy for people once they get a job to start to feel like they’ve got some stability, and, as a result, they start to get soft, frankly. If you put yourself in situations that are a stretch and actively pursue those, you not only experience professional success, but you’ll stay mentally sharp and have a lot of interesting life experiences.

Alumni Spotlight: Kevin Curry – Senior Communications Analyst and Social Media Manager for Dell

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As the the Senior Communications Analyst and Social Media Manager for Dell, Kevin Curry is responsible for developing strategies to foster customer engagement and create brand awareness. He graduated from UT Austin in 2004 with degrees in BHP, Management Information Systems and Hispanic Studies. Kevin then went on to receive a master’s degree in Strategic Management and Political Advocacy & Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Tell me about your career path.

I received an offer upon graduation from Accenture, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to go down that path. I turned them down to go to Ecuador to work on my thesis and work with Rotary International.  It was during that time that I really fell in love with humanitarian work. I was offered a job with the Secretary of State in Bolivia, but my dad got sick, so I declined that offer and returned to Dallas to be with him and help support my family. I ended up landing a job with KPMG in their IT consulting practice. I was with them for two years and during that time, I started a non-profit at my high school for mentoring, called Common Horizons.  I quickly noticed synergies that existed between public-private partnerships and how applicable my business skill sets were to the nonprofit sector.

So, I decided I wanted to pursue a master’s degree, so I took a break from full-time employment and went to study at the Harvard Kennedy School.   Upon graduation I spent a few months with a law firm called Shea & Larocque, in Boston working on an FBI drug case which got me interested in city government. An opportunity came up for the city of Dallas to work as a Management Development Associate Fellow for the City Manager’s Office and I went there for a year-and-a-half and worked in the Office of Cultural Affairs.  Primarily, I created strategies to reduce energy consumption across Dallas’ various arts facilities and museums as part of that position. During that time, I was recruited by a group to help market a new type of hat to the hip hop community, which did very well, and helped me hone my product marketing skills. I was then recruited to Dell to work for their Services division in a newly-created social media marketing position.

Why did you decide to pursue a master’s degree in strategic management and political advocacy & leadership?

When I started up Common Horizons, I realized there was a synergy between public and private partnerships. Consulting strategy is about learning to be creative in resource-lacking environments. I knew the business side from my time in BHP, but I didn’t know much about public policy, advocacy and leadership across different cultures.

Do you have any advice for current students who may be considering applying to grad school?

Students should make sure a master’s degree is something they want to do and actually need. Look at your career path and think about what you want to do and determine if a master’s degree is the right path to get you there. I would also highly recommend waiting two to five years after you earn your undergraduate degree to make your decision. It is a big financial and time commitment.   Plus, I find those who wait generally have more to contribute to class discussions and their appreciation for the material and experience is much greater.

Tell me more about what are you doing in your current role for Dell?

I work with the global communications team, but I also work in a marketing capacity. I come up with creative strategies to leverage social media and Internet technology to increase brand awareness and preference for several of the computer brands.  Additionally, I work for Dell’s corporate social responsibility practice. I get to use some of the tools I learned while earning my master’s degree, like advocacy, which I really enjoy. For example, Dell is interested in giving back to the community and finding ways that technology can play a significant role. We act as advocates and partners for people who may be in environments where technology is not readily accessible and we help by donating technology and intellectual resources.

What skill sets are you using on a daily basis?

Communications and interpersonal skills can be undervalued, but they are super important. I have to interface with people around the globe constantly. Everything I do is global and I work with people from various cultures so understanding cultural nuances has been an integral part of success in my career.  Analytical and problem-solving skills are also very important. Employers want you to add value right away. In my role, I had to think about what were the small, incremental changes I could make that would make an impact right from the start. Face it – starting out as an undergrad, you’re likely not going to get the opportunity to “crack the case” and help the company save millions of dollars.  However, you will have the chance to provide support to the teams that will work on these projects by helping them get organized, offering appropriate suggestions on approach for small tasks and speaking up at the right moments during meetings – those are incremental impacts that will set you on the fast track in your career.  Lastly, it is also very important to be able to think on your feet and answer questions as they come up.

Can you define what you consider to be successful branding?

Openness and fearlessness.  A misperception that is out there is that companies create their own brand. Consumers actually create that brand. Companies need to be able to embrace what their consumers define their brand as and run with that. I think it is important to allow your customers to take your brand from you and tell you what it means. It isn’t about pushing messages out, it is about listening, and then creating stories around what you hear your customers saying about you. That is successful branding.

What role do you think social media plays in communicating with customers and strategically building a brand?

The most important role it plays is listening so that you understand customer needs and behavior and also, so that you see where your industry is heading.  And you can easily engage in those conversations  and do that through social media. You can also use it to mine for really good stories. Brands have a huge impact on people, but sadly many are not capitalizing on opportunities to leverage those stories to further promote their brand.  Around 75% of customers say that they rely on customer feedback to make purchasing decisions. For the consumer, social media allows you to share your ideas and experiences around brands; and for the company, social media creates invaluable opportunities to amplify those stories and messages  so that they can help other customers make similar purchasing decisions.

You started a nutrition blog called Fit Men Cook. Tell me more about that and why you enjoy blogging.

I really enjoy fitness and I wanted to share everything what I had been learning with others.   In particular, I not only started FitMenCook.com to highlight the importance of diet in healthy weight loss and/or muscle gain, but also to demonstrate that eating healthy can be delicious, cost-effective and easy.   It has done really well, much better than I thought it would.  My Instagram Fitness account alone has over 100,000 followers.   Vitamin brand supplement companies have reached out to market some of their products to the community of my followers, as have personal trainers. I started these accounts because I just loved to share and discuss this type of content.  I found that when I started doing things I actually liked, creativity kicked-in and I found ways to make it sustainable and beneficial for me as well.

If you had it to do over again, is there anything you would have done differently as an undergrad?

I would have trusted my gut a little more to take on other majors that I would have really enjoyed. I wanted to be a math major in addition to BHP. Just know that being in majors you are really interested in can give you creative juice to create opportunities for yourself. Find that thing that keeps you up at night and do that. You will still have to do what pays the bills, but keep trying to figure out how to make that other “thing” more sustainable so you can end up doing what you love.

 

Alumni Spotlight: Angie Lee – Marketing and Communications Director at General Assembly

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Marketing guru, Angie Lee, BHP ’99, has led marketing strategy for some very different types of organizations from Teach for America, to HarperCollins, IDEO, and now General Assemb.ly. Lee recently sat down with us to talk about her career path. She emphasized the importance of relationships, hard work, and how a willingness to be open to new opportunities has led her to some really interesting roles over the years.

You have worked for a variety of companies and organizations. What are the challenges and rewards of always jumping out of your comfort zone?

For me what is most rewarding is being able to be constantly challenged. By moving, I can focus on my core skill set and my flexibility of being able to put these skills to use in any role. Coming into a new role, I bring a fresh perspective while keeping a sense of what skills I bring to the table. I know that what you experience when you are on the inside working for a company is different than preconceived notions. If I let my perceptions cloud my perspective, I wouldn’t be able to do what I need to do. It is very important to listen and balance the needs of the organization with the skills that you bring. There is never a one size fits all solution, so you have to try things tailored to the organization.

These different opportunities were a result of my willingness to be open to new opportunities. They didn’t come from me seeking them out. They were a result of relationships I had formed in other working partnerships. I stayed open to new opportunities and always focused on doing my best work.

What is General Assemb.ly and what drew you to this new role?

It is a global network of campuses for technology, business and design. We help individuals who want to round out a skill set, learn new skills, and learn from the best instructors. The company was started a year and a half ago and we are in 6 cities right now. We have ambitious plans to be in 10 markets by end of this year. I learned about it at IDEO and was impressed by them, then they approached me and originally I had different plans in mind, but decided to take this opportunity.

What were the other plans you had in mind?

I was strongly considering starting a business of my own, but I realized I could learn what it takes to build a business and to rapidly scale it at General Assemb.ly. I also realized these were really smart people and that I would really enjoy working for them. My coworkers are some of the most talented people I have worked with. I love their curiosity in the world around them. I really appreciate how everyone I work with approaches a problem with a solution in mind, instead of finding a reason why it can’t be done. It is very refreshing.

What are you doing for the company and what do you love about your job?

I am working with a team to lead the charge on marketing and communications strategy. In my role, I am working on brand alignment, awareness of General Assmb.ly, and growing the brand globally. When you rapidly scale a business, you need to align messaging, so I am helping them do that.

What did you find most interesting in working for IDEO, a company which is all about innovation and human-centered design.

My role was to grow business in the New York studio. I was tasked with finding ways of telling our story to new audiences. For the first time I was working in B2B. It was challenging because it required a different mindset. Conversion was different in working B2B rather than B2C. I had to market a service instead of content, which was what I had been doing at Harper Collins. The biggest thing I learned in my role with IDEO was the importance of relationships and networking. Aligning yourself with the right brands and organizations can help you relay your message in a better way, and partnering with the right people allows you spread your message more efficiently.

You have on your LinkedIn profile that you “helped Harper Collins spread ideas,” tell me more about what you mean by that.

In book publishing, you aren’t selling books, you are convincing consumers to latch onto a story, which is very different from selling an actual product. We looked at emotional connections of consumers. I worked in fiction and non-fiction and helped authors from Sarah Palin and Gretchen Ruben to Michael Crichton. In all instances, what compelled consumers to make their purchases were their beliefs and ideas, not the books themselves.

What should someone wanting a career in marketing keep in mind?

Be open to experimentation. There are so many new technologies that come your way that you have to be open to experimentation and failure. When you do fail, think of it as an opportunity for learning. It helps you get deeper perspective as to what might work. Also remember that the power of relationships is important. Always play fair and keep your integrity. You never know when a relationship will come back to hurt or help you.

What stuck with you from your time in BHP?

I didn’t realize at the time the quality of the BHP students. I took for granted how professional, smart and polished the other students were. When I went into the working world, I realized how lucky I was to have been part of that and grow with such talented people. I look at what my classmates have gone on to do and it is amazing all the different directions they have gone in and passions they pursued, it is really inspiring.

What advice do you have for current BHP students?

If I were to do my undergrad over again, I would allow myself to be curious and broader in bigger ways. I thought of myself as defined as a business student. I was interested in graphic design too, and I would have been more open to exploring this as well. In order to be successful you need to have curiosity and interest in other area. That is what differentiates you from other business grads in interviews. Allow yourself to be all of those things and make room to grow. Some of the most successful people I know took non-sequential career paths because they followed their curiosity. It is about enjoying your every day. Now days you can really blend your passions to find a niche for yourself.

BHP Advisory Board Chair, Dominic Sung, Honored with McCombs Rising Star Award

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Dominic Sung, BHP ’03, BBA ’03, recently took on the role of chair for the BHP Advisory Board and is being honored with the prestigious McCombs Rising Star Award during the McCombs Hall of Fame ceremony on November 9. The award is presented to alumni no more than 10 years out from graduation who have been successful professionally and helped strengthen the McCombs Alumni Network. Dominic, who is a Director of Structured Products in the Integrated Supply and Trading Group at BP, is looking forward to enhancing the BHP for future generations of students in his new role as chair of the board. He took the time to chat with us about his role at BP, his time in the BHP, and his plans for the alumni board.

What are you currently doing for BP?

In the Structured Products Americas team, we deal with counterparties that BP transacts with directly over the counter.  We create and execute tailored risk management structures for these customers in order to hedge their energy commodity risk.  Businesses have exposure to price risk around energy commodities due to the input or output of their business, and we help them manage this risk. For example, there might be a steel company that burns natural gas to smelt their steel. Natural gas price changes significantly affect their bottom line. They may call us and talk to us about how to manage this risk in order to meet their objectives, which may involve how they purchase the physical commodity and/or the financial hedging around that. We help create and execute solutions for each counterparty’s unique risk profiles.

You have been with BP since graduation. What do you love about working there?

I like it for the same reason I liked being in the BHP. It is a large company with a lot of assets and a big balance sheet behind it, but I am in a small group, working in a specific industry I enjoy. It is similar to how the BHP provided me a small group within a large university with many assets. I also like that I get to work in a global and exciting environment with no two days that are alike.

How have you determined when you were ready to make a move at BP?

I started in an analyst program, doing four roles in three years. I then found a more permanent role after that. It is a very performance driven environment. Your compensation is directly related to your performance. Many people in this job environment are less worried about titles and more worried about performance. For me, personally, it is about managing what is tantamount to my own piece of business.  When I feel like I have exhausted the growth opportunities within what I am doing and am not challenged at a level I am comfortable with, it is time to move on to something else or change what I am responsible for.

What does the typical work day look like for you?

Every day and every client is different. I cover 200+ clients and they are all very different. I have to work to understand their business, and their needs, and solve those particular problems. I end up having to travel quite a bit to meet with my clients (which always sounds more glamorous than it is).  On those days the schedule can be rough, catching early flights and returning on odd-houred flights to be back in the office for the next day.  On a “regular” day in the office, I’m usually at my desk and booted up by around 7:00AM, eating at the trade desk during lunch, and leaving by about 5:00pm.  While the schedule can be demanding, the work keeps it fun and interesting. I use more of my finance education than I ever thought I would. Because of the complex financial derivatives I am working with, I use it all.

Why did you want to serve on the alumni board?

I have been blessed with many things and have always enjoyed giving back. I got a tremendous amount of benefit from the BHP and UT and want to ensure that the program is as beneficial for those coming after me as it was for me, hopefully improving upon it as well. As the program improves, so does the value of my degree. I feel like it is my responsibility to give back and help out where I can.

How would you like to see the BHP alumni community come together in the next year?

The BHP set us up for success. I want to foster a culture of staying involved. All of us have strong relationships with the people we went through the program with. It is about extending that back to the program and coming together not just for social purposes, but to impact the program. I would encourage our alumni to reconnect with each other and give money, time, or whatever they can to help the program and to build a strong alumni network.

What skills should BHP students have who want to do something similar to what you are doing?

They need to have a high level of intellectual curiosity, mathematical skills and finance acumen. They should also have the ability to process information quickly, be decisive and be adaptable. I think the BHP sets you up for that very well through extensive group work. If you can’t deal with people, you can’t do my job. We sit in very close quarters here and work with a lot of clients.

What advice do you have for current students?

Take advantage of all of the resources that are at your disposal at UT. If you have an interest in something, go and explore it while it’s available to you. There are so many organizations and resources. Business is applicable to whatever you are really interested in. Find what it is that you are passionate about and apply business skills to it.

Alumni Spotlight: Jonathan Morgan – Principle at Brown Bear Capital

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Jonathan Morgan

 

Jonathan Morgan, BHP ’98, had his mind made up while in school to move to New York and work in investment banking. A BHP and Finance major, Morgan is now Principal at Brown Bear Capital in New York City. His path to the Big Apple included stops in Asia, Europe, and Wharton, as well as many valuable lessons along the way. We sat down with him to learn more about his career path.

 

Talk a little bit about Brown Bear Capital Management and your role there?

Brown Bear Capital Management manages a $100M hedge fund. We are a small shop, with only three people. The company launched in 2008 with 10 investors. I came on in 2009 to serve as lead analyst and trader. I mainly cover industrial companies and invest across the capital structure (credit and equity) looking for cheap or expensive securities. Most large funds have separate research analysts and traders, so my position now is a hybrid where I do both.

What has it been like transitioning to a small shop?

There are positives and negatives. I have more bandwidth in a smaller shop. I have learned a lot and it is easy to get the boss’s attention. What I suggest is done, as opposed to my last position, where everyone was trying to get time in front of the decision makers. As a small fund though, you don’t get as much attention from Wall Street. At a big fund you are invited to more conferences and meetings with bank analysts and company management. We don’t do as many trades, so it is more difficult to get their attention. The resources are a lot less as well. I have to wear more hats and work on the business as well as everything else. At this point in my career though, it is good because it is hands-on experience for how to run my own shop if I want to go down that road in the future.

What was your career path leading up to your current position?

I majored in BHP and Finance. Pretty early on I decided I wanted to go to New York and do investment banking. I had some offers with big companies, but I ended up going directly to a private equity shop in Dallas called Lone Star Funds. A good friend of mine from BHP had gotten me an internship there, and they ended up offering me a job. They were a small fund at the time managing about $400 million. They have grown significantly since then and now manage $33 billion. I was with them for five years. At the time, 80% of their business was in Asia. I mainly worked with real estate investments and company buy-outs. I went to Korea for two years to look at new deals, oversee the due diligence process, and oversee the asset managers. I then went to Europe for a while.

After that, I went to get my MBA at Wharton. Shortly after graduation I moved to New York and went to work for Avenue Capital Group, a large high-yield credit fund. It was a big move to go from private equity to a hedge fund in public markets. I worked for the European fund and spent lots of my time in Europe buying corporate bonds for companies that are likely to default or had already. It was a typical Wall Street experience. I worked there for a couple years and learned a lot about securities trading and got sector experience. I learned how to look at company structure and see what is attractive and what isn’t.

From there I went to One East Partners, a fund launched in 2006. I joined about 6 months after it launched. It was a newer fund and I was only the fifth analyst hired, so it was a bit of a gamble. I was making a bet that they would be able to grow the fund. Unfortunately, they took a hit in 2009 and were down about twenty percent like everyone else. Because they were a newer fund, they had trouble rebounding. I left about that time to join Brown Bear.

What was daily life like in these jobs?

When I was in Korea, we had a lot of strict deadlines, so I was working some all-nighters and at one point worked 45 consecutive days. So in many ways it was similar to the hours a typical I-bank analyst would work. With hedge funds, it isn’t as deadline intense, so I was actually working less hours. Hedge fund hours are pretty much 60 hours a week normally. That said, there are times when it is a high pressure environment and you are working at a fast pace in a very intense environment.

What skills have you found particularly valuable when making trading decisions?

Having a broad understanding of accounting and finance is very important. Intermediate accounting was one of the most useful classes I took. I think students need to go beyond what they learn in the classroom and figure out how they can apply it. When they interview for investment banking, they will be competing with grads from ivy-league schools, which don’t have undergraduate business programs. When companies see that a student went to UT, they are going to ask them accounting and finance questions since they should have that background. They need to be ready to answer those questions. They should be able to look at a company’s financial statements and break them apart.

Many BHP students find Texas jobs easier to come by than NYC positions. As a BHP alum in NYC, what advice do you have for students who really want to work in the Big Apple?

When you are a sophomore or junior, start figuring out where you want to go and how you are going to get there. Ask the people who are recruiting what stands out on a resume so that you can get the interview. Tailor your resume to what the companies are looking for. That goes for applying to MBA programs too. The BHP alumni network really helped me and got me my first job. I kept in touch with my classmates who went into investment banking and networked with them so they could help me. I also think getting an internship in New York will help a lot. Find companies that have UT alums because they will value the UT brand. Also, have a good reason why you want to work in NYC because recruiters may ask that.

Reflecting back on your time at UT, was there anything you would have done differently?

I would have taken advantage of the greater UT community. I would have taken classes in stuff I didn’t maybe have an interest in to expose myself to it. I was very tied to the business school and wish that I would have done more outside of it, like taking on a minor in something else, or joining some other clubs. Anything you can do to broaden your experience outside of business will set you apart from others and enrich your college life. I also wish I had spent more time exploring Austin.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Be willing to take risks. When I joined Lone Star, it was a risk. I turned down some of the bigger banks and took a chance. Working for them gave me the opportunity to live in other places, which was a great experience. Be very comfortable with who you are working for. Working for the right boss, who is invested in helping you grow, is very important. Ask who you will be reporting to, because that is huge.