A stupidly pretty family smiles at the camera.

McCombs Alumnus Jim Lee, BBA ’88, MBA ’92, with his wife, Amy, and their two sons.

The University of Texas McCombs School of Business alumnus James H Lee, BBA ’88, MBA ’92, recently announced a $600,000 pledge to the school’s Wall Street for McCombs program. Lee, who was one of the first McCombs students to participate in the Wall Street for McCombs internship program, sees this as a full-circle moment.

In 1991, Lee was selected by then-Dean Robert Witt to join the school’s inaugural group of Ambassadors to Wall Street, which eventually evolved into the Wall Street for McCombs program. He later began his career working in mergers and acquisitions at Lehman Brothers and First Boston.

“I’m incredibly grateful to the McCombs School of Business and Dean Robert Witt, who helped launch my career when he selected me and four other MBA students to travel to New York to meet with the nation’s top investment banks,” Lee said. “That trip changed everything—all five of us received important offers from some of Wall Street’s leading firms. My time at McCombs shaped who I am today, and I’m proud to support the next generation of students as they embark on their own careers in our U.S. capital markets.”

The gift provided by Lee and his wife, Amy, will be used to create a permanent endowment to benefit undergraduate or graduate students who comprise the winning team in the spring Investment Banking Practicum course, which is required as part of the Wall Street for McCombs leadership program.

Xavier Sztejnberg, director of Wall Street for McCombs and assistant professor of instruction in finance, said the gift will help the program continue to provide important opportunities for future graduates.

“The Wall Street for McCombs Leadership Program is deeply grateful to Jim for his generous support and commitment to excellence, which will make this award possible for the winning team in the WSFM Investment Banking Practicum course,” Sztejnberg said. “His contribution will continue to position WSFM as the pre-eminent program of its kind in the country.”

Wall Street for McCombs was founded in 2013 to build a pipeline of talent for investment banking.  It was later expanded to include other industries through the New York for McCombs program. Lee hopes these programs will encourage more students to pursue careers in our capital markets – whether on Wall Street or closer to home.

 

“Texas is home to some of the brightest minds in business and finance, with one in ten public companies and a growing share of the Fortune 500 based in the state,” said Lee.  “As the Texas Stock Exchange becomes operational next year, I’m confident even more opportunities will open up for McCombs graduates to thrive.”

 

Lee has 30 years of experience in U.S. equity markets, alternative investments and governance of large public retirement systems and endowments. He founded the Texas Stock Exchange in 2023 and serves as the chairman and CEO of TXSE Group Inc. Previously, Lee co-founded trading technology companies that developed early smart order routing technologies to connect investors and U.S. equity venues as well as an electronic trading firm that regularly transacted large percentages of U.S. equity volume.

He serves as the president of the Houston Symphony Endowment. He was also chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas and commissioner on the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission, Texas Sunset Commission, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Texas Finance Commission, and Texas Growth Fund.