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

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

Lyceum Recap: Flying Through Boeing with Paul Kinscherff

Written by Christopher Hotchkiss

Paul Kinscherff, the former CFO of International Finance at Boeing and a current executive in residence at UT, took time out of his day recently to discuss his career and past with Canfield Business Honors students during Lyceum this week.  Students asked about international experiences, mentorship, and current events.

Kinscherff began by discussing the decisions that led him towards business and away from a role in government.  He discussed his undergraduate degree in public administration and how his arrival at UT prompted him to consider other a dual degree option with the LBJ School of Public Affairs and McCombs School of Business.  Kinscherff also explained how the advice of his father proved beneficial in helping him make career decisions.

Kinscherff said that he was, “Initially accepted by the LBJ school and (in the) first semester, someone walked up and asked, ’Why are you here?’”  Kinscherff said this was, “Absolutely a wake-up call.” He also said that his father told him, “If (he) really wanted to have an impact, (to) go spend some years in the private sector and then come back to government.” Now, Kinscherff said he thoroughly enjoys giving back to the University of Texas. Continue reading

A Return to Lyceum: The Homecoming of Phil Canfield

Written by Christopher Hotchkiss

Between detailing his choice to attend UT as an undergraduate to giving financial advice to students, Mr. Canfield used his return to the classroom as an opportunity to inspire the students who are currently benefiting from his recent gift to the Canfield Business Honors Program.

Mr. Canfield started by explaining the impact that BHP had on him as a student. As an undergraduate in the honors program, he made lasting friendships and found a community that helped him during his early years in banking. He also described his perspective as a parent and the visit that motivated him to donate so generously to the program. 

Mr. Canfield believed that the BHP lacked the prestige other business schools heralded. He said prospective students often don’t realize the prestige of the program until attending an event or meeting the students, staff, and faculty who make the program so great. 

As the parent of a prospective student, Mr. Canfield attended Discover BHP, our annual welcome weekend event for admitted students. “Discover BHP blew me away,” he said. But he also felt that the reputation of BHP was not where it should be. This realization coupled with his own positive experiences in the program led him to make his naming gift. “If I want to do something for UT, I wanted to do it with BHP,” he said. Continue reading

A Peek into Lyceum: Our Chat with Niloufar Molavi of PwC

This Wednesday, the sophomore Canfield BHP class had the pleasure of hosting Niloufar Molavi, the Global and US Energy leader at PwC, for the fifth time in five years. 

In a conversation that covered topics ranging from Molavi’s decision to attend UT as an accounting major to an overview of her future career goals, Molavi once again proved herself as an immeasurable resource for the McCombs community. 

When asked why she comes back to speak to students year over year, Molavi said she aims to pay it forward, whether it be through speaking to students or in other capacities. While at McCombs, Molavi said she was an active member of AKPsi and made an effort to make friends outside the business school as well. She advises current students to take advantage of UT’s breadth and learn both inside and outside the classroom. 

“I’m happy to share what I learned and explain why it’s important to take advantage of all the resources students have available while here (at UT Austin) and the importance of (being) involved and engaged,” Molavi said. “It’s not just about showing up, going to class and going home and having a great time on the weekends.” Continue reading