Khary Scott, BBA ’95, is now the Senior Vice President, Head of Co-Brand Partnership Development at Atlanticus Holdings Corporation since October 25, 2023. With over two decades in financial services, Khary held key roles at Capital One, Fundbox, and Imprint. Khary looks forward to contributing to the mission of creating inclusive financial services.
Read more here.
More than 100 alumni and students celebrated the New York for McCombs Council’s Tenth Anniversary on Monday, October 16. New York for McCombs (NYFM) is an alumni advisory council, launched in 2013 in response to the need to enhance connections for McCombs talent, both current and future.
Founding members like George Ackert, BBA ’91, who is senior managing director of strategic advisory at Evercore Partners, enjoyed marking the milestone while still making plans for even more in the future.
“Every day we pass a new milestone with more and more UT students being able to get one, two, five and ten offers from Wall Street firms,” he said. “I can’t think of a school with better placement for a business student aspiring to be an investment banker.”
Council members are accomplished leaders in their communities and industries who help shape the overall student and alumni experience in New York. The Council’s mission is to help raise the McCombs School of Business’ profile in New York and to support the Wall Street for McCombs (WSFM) investment banking training program. Alexandra Burban, BBA ’00, head of corporate development at Standard Industries, and current chair, is excited to see how much the Council has been able to grow and benefit McCombs graduates entering the workforce.
“The fact that we’ve been able to create a pipeline that’s ever-growing of students who are incredibly deserving and accomplished, and, in particular, deserve these opportunities has been an amazing achievement in and of itself,” she said.
The NYFM Council’s fall meeting was preceded by an alumni and student reception at the Penn Club of New York, co-hosted with the Texas Real Estate Center. Wall Street for McCombs and Texas Real Estate students were in Manhattan for their annual company treks and enjoyed visiting with Texas alumni about their experiences living and working in New York.
Listen to this month’s bonus episode of the McCombs Made podcast to hear from Paul Aaron, BBA ’95, and former McCombs dean Tom Gilligan, founding members of New York for McCombs, on what the last 10 years have taught them and what they hope to see in the future.
Matthew Parson, MBA ’20
When Matthew Parson, MBA ’20, began pursuing his master’s degree, it was more than just a way to improve his career prospects. It was an opportunity to carry on a family legacy.
“Both my father and uncle earned their MBAs from McCombs,” he said. “So, it holds a special place in our family tradition.”
Matthew moved to Austin from Dallas Texas, for work with government relations within the Texas A&M University System, but quickly applied – and was accepted – to the McCombs Texas Evening MBA program, which he says was an ideal fit for his career ambitions. Being part of the TEMBA program also provided ample opportunities for Matthew to hone his leadership and entrepreneurial skills as president of the Consulting Club and as part of Jon Brumley Texas Venture Labs.
“The Venture Labs shaped many of my future plans,” he said. “It gave me exposure to the possibilities of entrepreneurship.”
The Evening MBA program is one of five pathways for working professionals to advance their education and their careers. Additional programs include Weekend MBA at Houston and MBA at Dallas/Ft. Worth, Full-time MBA, and Executive MBA. The programs combine classroom education with real-world business practice scenarios.
After spending the first half of his career in the public sector, Matthew found his time at McCombs shored up his passion for higher education. Today, he is the Assistant Commissioner for Workforce Innovation at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
“I’m continuing to channel my expertise and dedication into shaping the future of higher education in our great state,” he said. “My journey has been marked by a commitment to public service, and a deep passion for advancing educational opportunities for all Texans.”
Recently, Matthew joined the McCombs MBA Advisory Board, where he is passionately giving back to the school he says “has given me so much.” When asked why it’s important for him to invest his time as part of the McCombs volunteer leadership, he says it’s just how he’s built.
“Community is at the center of purpose for me,” he said. “It’s important to provide a place where individuals can find respite, support, and the occasional glass of wine, a way to connect with others in a casual environment.”
Burt Y. Chao, BBA ’05 & BA ’06, has been appointed as the new Chief Financial Officer at Pushpay, a leading provider of payments and engagement solutions for mission-driven organizations. With his extensive financial and operational leadership experience, Burt is set to play a pivotal role in strengthening Pushpay’s balance sheet and accelerating business growth.
Read more here.
Jeena Lee, BBA ’08, has been recently recognized as one of the “Tri-Valley 20 Under 40ish” honorees by the Innovation Tri-Valley Leadership Group and the San Francisco Business Times. This recognition celebrates emerging leaders like Jeena who are contributing to the Tri-Valley region’s vision of becoming an innovation hub. Jeena, a Product Manager at Chevron, joins a diverse group of honorees from various industries. Congratulations to Jeena on this well-deserved recognition.
Read more here.
Connie and Ed Easley continue to love and give back to UT.
It would be an understatement to say that the Easley family are Longhorn fans. Despite being the lone Red Raider in their family of four, Connie admits they all “bleed burnt orange.” Their love for the University is what pulled Ed and Connie back to Austin after Ed’s retirement as President of Lennar Multifamily Development and Construction Operations. Their commitment to all things burnt orange is only matched by their desire to give back and make an impact on campus.
The couple have continued to support UT for 20
years, most recently establishing the John “Ed” and Connie J. Easley Forty Acres Founders Endowed Excellence Fund. The Fund will provide support for students participating in the Founders Program within the Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center, where Ed was invited to speak to students during this year’s summer session.
“Making this kind of gift was not something I thought about as a student,” said Ed. “But we are very fortunate to be able to give back, and it makes me proud to be able to leave that kind of legacy.”
Ed’s heart has always been in Austin, he admits, even after nearly five decades of traveling coast-to-coast for his job in real estate development. He said that during his nationwide travels, he never felt at home like he does here in Austin. That’s why, shortly before retiring, he and Connie decided to move permanently back to Austin, home of “the most amazing college in Texas,” as Connie said.
“I never really wanted to leave in the first place,” he admits. “But back in 1973, you had to go where the work was. There were not the vast number of job opportunities in Austin that there are now.”
After graduation Ed moved to Lake Tahoe to begin his career, which would include stints at several companies as well as owning his own real estate development business and a couple of restaurants. He survived five recessions and one early retirement before returning to the real estate industry to close out his career at Lennar.
“Lennar was a great way for me to end my career,” he said. “I was able to manage 12 fully integrated divisions from coast-to-coast.”
Looking back, he said he can credit UT and McCombs for helping him prepare for all of the transitions and many of the challenges that were part of his impressive journey.
“The entire experience [of attending UT] was challenging in a good way,” he said. “I felt right at home in the business school and being there taught me a lot. I loved it.”
Connie, a Texas Tech University grad, pursued a career as a teacher in inner-city schools, something she felt was akin to a calling. The daughter of a Baptist minister, Connie says she always felt the need to take care of children.
“My mom always had a spirit of taking care of kids in need,” she said. “So, I always felt drawn to the students who didn’t necessarily have ideal upbringings.”
That spirit of caring for others permeates the couple’s philanthropy philosophy, always seeking out areas with need and doing their best to fill it. Aside from their UT contributions, the Easleys have supported two girls’ orphanages in Peru, and Connie makes quilts for foster care children.
“We‘re lucky people,” said Connie. “We know that, and we want to give back where we can.”
Ed adds, “It’s important to look back and appreciate where you’ve been. It’s truly an honor to give back.”
Reflecting on his own UT experience, Ed thinks carefully about what he would tell the students embarking on their own Longhorn journeys. It comes down to this: “Embrace the UT experience. You don’t realize it now, but this is a defining moment in your life, so make the most of it.”
Maria Tangarova, BBA ’20, is co-leader for the McCombs LA Alumni Chapter.
Maria Tangarova grew up in a family of professional musicians. But a penchant for numbers and a curious mind led her into the world of business. She started out in the entertainment industry with a mission to be the “backbone of everyone else’s wishbone” and now applies that same mindset as a venture capitalist investing in and supporting best-in-class founders building generational companies. After moving to Los Angeles at the start of 2020, the city felt initially isolating due to the pandemic. That is one of the reasons why she chose to join fellow alums Peter Hill, MBA ’15, and Ryan Yanney, BBA ’17 and MBA ’18, as co-chapter leader for the McCombs LA Alumni Chapter, providing a community for fellow Longhorns.
Tell us about yourself. Where are you from, and why did you come to McCombs?
I am originally from Sofia, Bulgaria, but grew up in Austin, Texas, with a stint in Monterrey, Mexico, from age 1-7. I came to McCombs because the business program is best-in-class and I was very fortunate to be selected as a Terry Scholar, which was an immense honor and privilege.
What organizations were you part of while at McCombs, and what leadership roles did you hold?
I was part of several organizations during my time there, however, I spent the majority of my time between two in particular.
I was a member of the Undergraduate Business Council my freshman through senior years, where I was faculty relations chair. I was the liaison between students and faculty by organizing talks, networking events, and creating learning opportunities.
I am also the Founder of UTalent Records, the only student-run record label at UT Austin, and served as president of the label my sophomore through senior years. I am very proud of the students who have kept the label flourishing, and it is a legacy that I hold near and dear to my heart. If I had to look back to identify my way of contributing to campus and making it a better place, it would have to be the work I did through founding UTalent.
Do you have a McCombs memory you’d like to share?
To pick one would be impossible. However, the best ones always had something to do with building or doing something I love with the people I love.
Tell us about your professional career and how you got here.
I grew up in a family of fourth-generation professional classical musicians, a household of constant creativity, movement, eb and flow — of real life magic! And, I grew up playing piano and focusing on vocal performance. However, I was also quite good at math and at solving problems.
I decided to study business, finance, in particular, with a concentration in investment management. While I was at McCombs as an undergrad, I went out of my way to seek out opportunities that resonated. For example, I interned at the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs), and also got to work with and support a dear mentor in the scaling of Gold Rush Vinyl, the fastest vinyl record pressing company in the world, scratching my entrepreneurial itch yet again along the way. I then spent a summer at a Big Four accounting firm in consulting, after which I officially decided that I was going to fully pursue the music business. After graduation and strategic recruiting I got an offer to move to Hollywood, California, to work for music’s most legendary record label giant, Capitol Music Group.
I spent around two years at Capitol, and it was a very fruitful first experience out of college in an industry I loved. But I had hit a realization in my professional journey that allowed me to realize that I wanted to be around entrepreneurs, and I wanted to learn how to invest in early stage companies.
So, that’s what I did. I met my wonderful teammates at Chapter One Ventures and fell in love with the fast-paced, high-growth learning curve of investing. Now, I have the opportunity of working with and learning from some of the best technical talent in the entire world. And with that, comes the opportunity to change the trajectory of the future. What a privilege!
What induced you to become a chapter leader?
I wanted to create a home away from home when I moved out to Los Angeles during the summer of 2020 – right at the beginning of what we came to experience as COVID. LA is huge! And I wanted to create for others what was a struggle for me to initially find, which was community and a sense of belonging. And what better organization to belong to than your own alma mater? Hook em!
Can you please share your goals and objectives you have for your chapter while you are at the helm?
Our goal is consistency. We would like to naturally grow the presence of our chapter by consistently striving to bring people together in whichever ways make sense. Whether it’s a coffee chat, a small get together at a local tavern, or football game watch parties, we would like to establish a drum beat and let everyone know: “Hey, there are other McCombs longhorns here! Come join us.”
Is there anything you’d like to share with future chapter leaders?
Be creative! There are lots of fun events and gatherings to be planned. Don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to the classics.
Join the LinkedIn Texas McCombs School of Business page, along with private groups for BBA and MBA alumni to keep up to date with what’s happening in your network. Be sure that “Texas McCombs School of Business” is in the education section of your LinkedIn profile and you automatically become a member. Linking your page to the school allows you to search all alumni by city, industry, class year, etc.
Here is a brief video tutorial with instructions on how to most-effectively search your classmates on LinkedIn.
We also encourage all alumni to join our new McCombs Connect virtual community to easily access alumni career coaching, workshops, events, and resources that will provide you with career support and connections for life. Through McCombs Connect, you will also have the opportunity to connect with students looking to learn from you as a McCombs alumnus.
This community is exclusive to McCombs alumni, students, faculty, and staff. Reconnect or create new connections with fellow alumni, sign up to mentor a student from any of our outstanding undergraduate and graduate programs, or meet students through mutual interests in a unique virtual community experience.
The McCombs Alumni Office is seeking McCombs graduates interested in serving as Class Ambassadors, representing your graduating class within the Texas McCombs Alumni Network. As a Class Ambassador, you will be a key point of contact for your class in a number of meaningful ways:
As a Class Ambassador you are helping to ensure that McCombs continues to excel as a top business school. If you are interested please contact Robin Vallilee, robin.vallilee@mccombs.utexas.edu, with the Alumni Relations Office.
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