Texas BBA students gathered in the hall of honors for an intimate meal with distinguished McCombs alumni for the Sixth Annual Executive Mentorship Dinner. The dinner, which is hosted by the BBA Advisory Board, gave undergraduate students the chance to ask questions and receive advice from members of the Texas McCombs Alumni Network.

A guest at Mandy Price’s table, Ross Trivisonno, BBA ’21, really enjoyed the depth of conversation at his table, “I think the annual McCombs Alumni Mentorship Dinner was the perfect opportunity to not only network with both industry professionals and fellow students alike, but to get to know our respective adult mentors on a more personal level. Our mentor, Mandy Price, talked at length with our table about everything from her recent trip to Japan, to her favorite places to grab a bite around Austin and what organizations she was apart of while a student at UT. The dinner table conversation was diverse and wide-ranging, not solely limited to serious career matters, thereby giving me better insight into who McCombs alumni truly are, and not just what they do for a living.”

The dinner is such a worthwhile event that Ed Tonkon, BBA ’78, and his family pledged a gift of $100,000 over five years to the dinner. Tonkon is one of three generations of Longhorns — his wife, both his parents, and his grandmother are all alumni. Tonkon is president of Zebra Retail Solutions and former chair of the school’s advisory board, and he said his time on the board was a great way to get back to the campus and engage with students, faculty, and alumni. “While almost a week has passed since the Executive Mentor Dinner, the glow I feel is still there,” said Tonkon, “This event seems to get better each year.”

Scott Hill, BBA ’90, BBA Advisory Board Member, and CFO for Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., reflects on his experience at the dinner, “The quality of the students, their level of engagement, and their thoughtful excitement for the future made me even more proud to be a McCombs alumnus.”

View photos from the event on the Texas McCombs Alumni Network Flickr page.

Alumni mentors included:

Katy Berkemeyer – Vice President, U.S. Energy – Corporate Banking, RBC Capital Markets
Rob Borrego – President and CEO of Credera
Bill Cunningham – Dean of McCombs (1983-85) and President and Chancellor of UT (1985-2000)
Kathleen Farlow – Central Texas Managing Partner, Deloitte
Sue Gove – Senior Advisor, Alvarez & Marsal
Scott Hill – CFO, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.
Niloufar Molavi – Global and U.S. Energy Leader, PwC
Aracely Moreno-Mosier – Senior Director, Pepsico Frito-Lay North America
Mandy Price – Partner, Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Shawn Rosenzweig – Partner, McCombs Enterprises
Ed Tonkon – President, Zebra Retail Solutions
Erin Young – Founder and User Experience Architect at Slide UX