Alumni, friends, and school leadership gathered on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018 for the annual Hall of Fame celebration. This year the Texas McCombs School inducted three prominent business leaders into its Hall of Fame: Richard D. Folger, The Honorable Rex W. Tillerson, and Theodore T. “Ted” Wang. Jay Hartzell, dean, also recognized the 2018 Rising Stars, Lisa Seacat DeLuca, David R. Druley, and Jeffrey M. Duchin, for their early accomplishments.

The McCombs School of Business established the Hall of Fame 35 years ago in recognition of The University of Texas at Austin’s centennial celebration. The Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made outstanding professional contributions to the business community and who, by their exemplary civic, philanthropic, and educational activities, have advanced humanity. The Hall of Fame award is the highest honor given by the McCombs School of Business.

Each inductee has an incredible life story and we are proud to have them be a part of the McCombs Hall of Fame. We invite you to learn more about their successes and contributions through the videos below.

2018 Hall of Fame Inductees

Richard D. Folger, BBA 1981, BS 1984
Managing General Partner
Colbridge Partners, Ltd.

Richard Folger is managing general partner of Colbridge Partners, Ltd., a private investment partnership. In April 2015, he retired as chief executive officer and president of Warren Equipment Company. Prior to that, he was president and chief operating officer of Compressor Systems, Inc.

Richard’s affiliations include: chairman of the McCombs School of Business Dean’s Advisory Council, active member of the University Development Board and the Engineering Advisory Board for UT, Executive Committee of The UT System Chancellor’s Council, director and former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas – El Paso Branch, immediate past-chairman of the Board of Trustees of Midland Memorial Hospital, Advisory Board for The Helen Greathouse Charitable Trust and The Rea Charitable Trust, and director of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association. Active memberships include the Society of Petroleum Engineers and Natural Gas Society of the Permian Basin.

Richard is a lifetime member of the Texas Exes and is a Cockrell School of Engineering Distinguished Alumni. He has supported the university through endowed scholarships in Petroleum Engineering, the President’s Associates Endowment, the Leadership Chair in Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, and the Dean’s Leadership Chair in the McCombs School of Business. Richard and his wife Lois reside in Midland, Texas.

The Honorable Rex W. Tillerson, BS 1975
Former U.S. Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State

Rex W. Tillerson served as the nation’s 69th Secretary of State. Prior to that, he concluded a career of more than 41 years in the petroleum industry, retiring as chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil Corporation. Tillerson spent the entirety of his career with the corporation, rising through the ranks and following a number of domestic and foreign assignments.

Tillerson has close involvement with the Boy Scouts of America, earning its highest rank of Eagle Scout and the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is a former member of the Boy Scouts of America’s executive committee and served as the national president of the Boy Scouts.

Tillerson is a former member of the American Petroleum Institute and the National Petroleum Council serving as chairman of both. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering and holds an honorary Doctorate of Engineering form Worcester Polytechnic Institute and he was named a Distinguished Alumnus of UT. He served as a trustee of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, as an honorary trustee of the Business Council for International Understanding, and as a member of the Emergency Committee for American Trade. He was a member of the Business Roundtable and he is a former Director of the United Negro College Fund and a former Vice-Chairman of the Ford’s Theatre Society.

Theodore T. Wang, MBA 1996
Founding Managing Partner
Puissance Capital Management

Theodore T. Wang is the founding managing partner of Puissance Capital Management, a global asset management firm which focuses on long term demographic trends in US and China. Prior to Puissance, Wang was a Partner of Goldman Sachs and during his 19-year tenure at the firm he held many leadership positions including Co-Head of US Equities Trading, Global Co-Head of One Delta Trading, and a member of the Goldman Sachs Risk Committee. Additionally, as the most senior Chinese partner at the firm Mr. Wang was deeply involved in the firm’s expansion into China, where he developed extensive relationships with government officials, regulators, corporate and investing clients. Wang has distinguished himself throughout his career at Goldman Sachs for his leadership and dedication to the Goldman Sachs’ culture, people, and clients.

Wang joined Goldman Sachs in 1996 after earning an MBA from the McCombs School of Business. He was named managing director in 2002, and partner in 2006. Prior to attending McCombs, Wang co-founded Xeotron Corp., a company specializing in DNA biochips in Texas. He also holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Minnesota and a BS from Fudan University, China. Wang serves on the four public corporate boards and is a trustee of the Museum of Chinese in America, the Dunhuang Foundation, the Spence School, and a member of Committee of 100.

Dean Jay Hartzell also recognized the 2018 Rising Stars at the Hall of Fame celebration. The Rising Star Award, established in 2004-05, goes to alumni no further than ten years from graduation who have experienced professional success and have shown exemplary service to the Texas McCombs Alumni Network. Congratulations to Lisa Seacat DeLuca, David R. Druley, and Jeffrey M. Duchin.