Spring 2012 Issue - Neeley School of Business

Transcription

Spring 2012
Engaging
and ConnECting
BusinEss with EduCation
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tabl e of c ont e nts
2 Message from the Dean
4 New Neeley Scholarships Honor
Two Exceptional Alumni
Family and friends establish scholarships for
Sam H. Lane III and Salvador E. Rodriguez.
Bragging Rights...page 7
8 Engaging and ConnECting
BusinEss with EduCation
O. Homer Erekson
John V. Roach Dean of the Neeley School of Business at TCU
William C. Moncrief
Sr. Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs
Charles F. and Alann P. Bedford Professor of
International Business
William L. Cron
Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Research
J. Vaughn and Evelyne H. Wilson
Professor in Business
Editor
Jeff Waite
Art Director
Balcom Agency
Contributing Editor
Elaine C. Cole
Contributing Photographers
Christina Mihov
BJ Lacasse
Truitt Rogers
Eric Prather
Elaine Cole
Contributing Writer
Rachel Stowe Master
Neeley Magazine / Spring 2012 / Vol. 13 No. 1
When businesses connect with business schools,
three things happen: faculty members receive input
for curriculum, students get a unique perspective on
employability, and businesses strengthen the talent pool
coming into their company.
14 Transforming Business
Through Research
Professors generate new knowledge that improves business,
and they bring that innovative thinking into the classroom
to energize the learning environment.
18 Centers of Excellence:
Matching Students
and Professionals
Neeley’s centers play a critical role in bridging academic
theory and business practice.
24 Bringing the Best Minds in Business Together
Neeley events continue to strengthen the relationship
between alumni, students, faculty, the business
community and leading corporations.
26 Values and Ventures
Neeley Magazine is published twice a year by External Relations.
Neeley School of Business at TCU
TCU Box 298530, Fort Worth, TX 76129
817-257-7527
neeleynews@tcu.edu
29 News @ Neeley
©Neeley School of Business at TCU 2012
Developing ethical leaders with a global perspective who help
shape the business environment.
34 Class Notes
www.neeley.tcu.edu
32 Honoring Finance Careers
40 On the Scene
Neeley Magazine / Spring 2012
1
m e ssage fr om the d e an
Jack Welch, former Chairman and CEO of General
Electric, once said, “If the rate of change on the outside
exceeds the rate of change on the inside, the end is near.”
While his thoughts were applied to the need for companies to be able to
adapt quickly to a dynamic economic environment, changes in business
conditions, and emerging technologies and markets, the same admonition
is equally relevant for business schools.
If we take seriously our dual mission of developing ethical leaders with
a global perspective who help shape the business environment and of
developing and disseminating leading-edge thought in order to improve
the practice of business, we must stay in close contact with the challenges
facing small businesses and corporations. We believe the best way for our
faculty, staff and students to do this is to have deep engagement with the
business community.
In this issue of the Neeley magazine, we explore the myriad of ways that
the Neeley School connects with the business community. We are fortunate
to have many leading business executives who visit the Neeley School as
guest speakers, as mentors and coaches for students, and as members of
our advisory councils. But we also engage with companies with initiatives
in locations throughout the world. Our faculty interacts directly with
organizations to study current issues and to produce research that informs
best business practices.
And we believe that the value of our students’ education is positively
correlated with opportunities for our students to connect through
internships and company-based projects where students confront the
complex and changing problems facing business leaders. We hope that
through these applied learning experiences our students not only learn
about adapting to change, but also bring fresh perspectives and energy to
our business partners.
I hope you enjoy learning about the ways the Neeley School
engages and connects with business. As always, I welcome your feedback
(h.erekson@tcu.edu) and the opportunity to visit with you.
Warm regards,
O. Homer Erekson
John V. Roach Dean
2
Texas Christian University
MAJOR MOMENTS
Put This On Your Reading List
Dean Homer Erekson has co-authored a book
featuring insights from Neeley alumni and partners.
Major Moments: Life-Changing Lessons of Business Leaders
from the Neeley School of Business at TCU celebrates the
thoughts of some remarkable people, the combined
wisdom and experience of an all-star business team.
In honor of the Neeley School’s upcoming 75th
anniversary in 2013, Erekson and TCU alum Rix
Quinn interviewed business executives to share the
ideas and discoveries that led to their success, reminisce
about their days at Neeley, and laud the mentors who
contributed to their success.
To order your copy of Major Moments: LifeChanging Lessons of Business Leaders from the Neeley
School of Business at TCU, go to www.neeley.tcu.edu/
majormoments. A portion of the proceeds go to the
endowed Neeley Heritage Scholarship, which supports
one or more business students at TCU each year in
preparing the next generation of business leaders.
FEATURED IN Major MoMents
D.D. Alexander, BBA ’82, MBA ’85
Justin Avery Anderson, TCU ’09
Laurent Attias, BBA ’91, MBA ’94
Michael Baer, BBA ’85
Adam Blake, BBA ’07
Ann Dully Borowiec, BBA ’82
David Breedlove, BBA ’92, MBA ’93
Vernon Wilson Bryant Jr., BBA ’68
Eddie Clark, BBA ’82
Brenda Cline, BBA ’82
David Coburn, BBA ’81
John Cockrell Sr., BBA ’69
David Corbin, TCU ’89
Donald Cram Jr., BBA ’61
John F. Davis III, BBA ’74
Lorna Donatone, MBA ’82
Byron Dunn, BBA ’75
Jennifer Duncan Edgeworth, BBA ’96
Jesse C. Edwards, BBA ’80
Gordon England, MBA ’75
Jim Estill, BBA ’69, MBA ’77
Katie Farmer, BBA ’92, MBA ’96
J. Philip Ferguson, BBA ’67
Charles Florsheim, BBA ’71
David R. Glendinning, BBA ’74
Jeffrey Guy, BBA ’72, MBA ’74
Seth Hall, BBA ’94
Spencer Hays, BSC ’59
Michael Heard, BBA ’92
J.J. Henry, BBA ’98
James R. Hille, MBA ’92
Michael B. Hobbs, BBA ’84, MBA ’92
Brian Hoesterey, BBA ’89
Thomas Hund
Ash Huzenlaub, BBA ’98
Jenny Jeter, BBA ’91
Christine Kalish, MBA ’03
David D. Kinder, BBA ’96
J. Luther King Jr., BSC ’62, MBA ’66
Roger King, BSC ’63
Thomas Klein, BBA ’84
Chris Kleinert, MBA ’82
Bryan Koop, BBA ’80, MBA ’83
Frank Kyle, BBA ’81
Lori Lancaster, BBA ’91
Paul Lauritano, MBA ’91
Melinda Lawrence, BBA ’92
Benjamin D. Loughry, BBA ’70
Warren Mackey, BBA ’81
Robert J. McCann, MBA ’82
Urbin McKeever, BBA ’75, MBA ’76
Jay Meadows, BBA ’85
Thomas Meagher, BBA ’82
Greg Meyer, BBA ’81
Michael Micallef, BBA ’99
Laura Shrode Miller, BBA ’79
Maribess Miller, BBA ’75
Vinod Mirchandani, MBA ’80
Keira Breeden Moody, BBA ’92
David Moran, BBA ’75, MBA ’77
Gary Naifeh, MBA ’74
M. J. Neeley
Phillip E. Norwood, BBA ’73
Ricky Paradise, BBA ’99
Mike Pavell, BBA ’93, MBA ’99
Derek Peachey, MBA ’02
Pylar Pinkston, BBA ’86
Roger Ramsey, BSC ’60
John V. Roach, TCU ’61, MBA ’65
John Robinson, BBA ’77
Salvador Rodriguez, BBA ’67
Dan Rogers, 1909
Robert J. Schumacher, BBA ’50
Robert Semple, BBA ’72
P.D. Shabay, BBA ’68
Michael Stanley, EMBA ’08
Charles Tandy
Don Thomas, BBA ’87
Wil VanLoh, BBA ’92
Ronnie Wallace, BBA ’70
Chip Webster, BBA ’70, MBA ’72
Richard W. Wiseman, BBA ’73
Rick L. Wittenbraker, BBA ’70
Fehmi Zeko, BBA ’81, MBA ’82
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scholarships
New Neeley Scholarships
Honor Two Exceptional Alumni
By Rachel Stowe Master ’91
When someone who spent his whole life blessing others passes away, it often doesn’t take long for family
and friends to decide that the best way to honor his memory is through a scholarship. That’s the story
behind two new Neeley School scholarships: the Sam H. Lane III Memorial Scholarship in Business and
the Salvador E. Rodriguez Memorial Scholarship in Business.
Mixing Business & Academics
Sam Houston Lane III (TCU ’70) Ph.D. was a tenured professor of psychology at
Cleveland State University for nine years before starting his Fort Worth-based
management consulting firm. In 32 years of practice, he touched many lives. He
passed away Feb. 26, 2011.
“My dad had a gift for understanding the emotional side of business,” said son
Houston Lane. “My dad’s gift was helping people perform at their best.”
“He had an interesting set of credentials,” said longtime friend and client
Arnold Gachman (BBA ’64), CEO of Fort Worth-based GAMTEX Industries.
“He brought a business expertise and a personality and ability to handle stress
and confrontation in a very professional way.”
With Dr. Lane’s dedication to academics and entrepreneurship, a Neeley
scholarship seemed the ideal way to honor his memory.
“He was an educator to begin with and went from there into consulting. As a
consultant he educated a lot of clients. So it was a good fit,” said wife Carol Ann
Hubbard Lane (TCU ’68, M.Ed. ’69), noting that Lane conducted numerous
family business seminars for Neeley through the years.
The scholarship began with a challenge grant. Family, friends, clients and
colleagues quickly stepped up and reached the minimum $50,000 required for an
endowed scholarship. This fall the scholarship will support a graduate student.
“All of us went in together to create this opportunity for some student to have
a career path that would encourage entrepreneurship and also encourage the
combination of using business ethics and psychology as a tool in their career,”
Gachman said.
“Arnie was very generous to help support all this,” Carol Ann Lane said. “We
really, really appreciate his leadership and support in all of this.”
4
scholarships
Education is Key
Salvador E. Rodriguez (TCU ’67), an international, tax and corporate attorney in
Houston, passed away April 26, 2011.
“The very next day the boys and I got together and started thinking, ‘Well,
what would be an appropriate way to honor your father?’ Almost immediately we
all agreed that a scholarship to the Neeley School would be what he would have
wanted,” said Christine Rodriguez, his wife of 40 years.
Born in Mexico, Rodriguez began first grade at a Catholic school in El Paso,
walking across the International Bridge each day to catch the bus. The only
English word he knew was “teacher.” He moved to El Paso when he was 9,
became a U.S. citizen at 14 and eventually became fluent in English and Spanish
— with no accent. He went to TCU on a football scholarship.
“He came to TCU and I think it really opened his eyes; he felt like it was a
whole new ballgame. He loved TCU. He thought the world of his experience
here,” Christine Rodriguez said, noting he encouraged both their boys to
become Frogs — Michael Rodriguez (BBA ’00) of Fort Worth and Alex Rodriguez
(TCU ’04, MBA ’08) of Boston.
A former board chairman of the “I Have a Dream” Foundation, Sal Rodriguez
believed education was the key to success.
“My husband really believed in the opportunity that a good education could
provide anybody. It didn’t matter where you came from, if you were willing to
work hard and get a good education, you could do anything you wanted to in this
world. And he knew that firsthand,” she said.
The Rodriguez family has begun working on funding and refining the criteria
for applicants — undergraduate business students who are Hispanic and
demonstrate financial need. Being a veteran would be a plus.
“As is the case with all endowed funds at TCU, additions to an existing
scholarship fund may be made at any time,” said Neeley Director of Development
David Dibble. “Both endowments received strong support from friends and
family, and we welcome additional support from anyone who would like to help
memorialize Sam or Sal, or from anyone who believes in recognizing academic
achievement and creating opportunity for students.”
For more information about supporting these or other Neeley scholarships, contact
David Dibble, Development Director, 817-257-5149, d.dibble@tcu.edu.
5
Celebrating
75 years in 2013
Dan Rogers Hall
Did you graduate from TCU with an
undergraduate or graduate degree?
Share your favorite memory and photo with us!
The Neeley School of Business’ 75th Diamond
Anniversary provides us with the opportunity to
celebrate the significant accomplishments of our
graduates and an occasion to frame a bold new future.
Here, we take a look back at our history and the people
who helped make the Neeley School of Business at
TCU what it is today.
Send your memories and photos to: neeleynews@tcu.edu.
1958
1970
2011
6
rankings
Bragging Rights:
Neeley Ranks in Nation’s Top Schools
UNDERGRADUATE
GRADUATE
Best Undergraduate Business Schools 2012
#28 out of 142 ranked schools
#22 for Academic Quality
#6 in Student Survey
#9 Entrepreneurship Undergraduate Program
A+ for Job Placement, Teaching Quality,
and Facilities/Services
Best Graduate Business Schools 2013
#70 out of 441 ranked schools
#5 for MBAs with Most Financial Value at
graduation (second year in a row in top 5)
the Princeton review
301 Best Business Schools 2011
#10 Most Competitive MBA Students
Best Undergraduate Business Program 2012
#69 out of 616 AACSB accredited schools
Top Entrepreneur Programs 2011
#21 Best Undergraduate Programs
Beyond Grey Pinstripes
Top 100 MBA Programs
in the World 2011
#46 Social, Environment
and Ethical Issues in Business
expansion Magazine
Best MBA in the World 2012
#19 Supply Chain Undergraduate Program
in the Nation
#63 Best Global MBA for Mexicans
7
Engaging
and ConnECting
BusinEss with
EduCation
By Elaine C. Cole
When businesses connect with business
schools, three things happen: faculty members
get input for lesson plans and programs,
students get a unique perspective of the work
world and employability, and businesses get
the opportunity to help future-proof the
economy by strengthening the talent pool
coming in to their company.
Executives interact with the Neeley School
through multiple avenues, serving on advisory
boards,
supporting
centers,
interviewing
students, speaking in classrooms, judging
competitions, providing tours of their company
and much more. In return, they get an enhanced
reputation for their company among students
and the community, and an insider chance to
recruit the top students in their field.
8
Advisory Boards:
Stepping Up to Influence Change
To ensure that lesson plans and activities are up-to-theminute relevant, the Neeley School looks to advisory
board members, those people in the field and on the
job who know what it takes to succeed in their arena,
today and tomorrow.
Rayford High (BBA ’93), audit partner with KPMG,
said he jumped at the chance to be on the accounting
advisory board when Ray Pfeiffer asked, for two
reasons. “One, I can communicate what I believe to
be valuable information about the kinds of graduates
we need, to help shape the curriculum. Secondly,
the more I interact with students, the more I get
KPMG’s name out there and create brand recognition
on campus.”
“Our advisory board members help us with a variety
of things, not the least of which is the curriculum,”
Morgan Swink, executive director of the Supply and
Value Chain Center, said. “They communicate their
needs as representatives of the business community that
our students go into, so they help us deliver the skill
sets and education that our students should be getting.
In fact, some of the things we did when redesigning
the MBA curriculum recently were in direct response
to supply chain advisory board suggestions.”
Accounting, supply chain, marketing, business
information systems, finance, real estate, small
business, big business, even human behavior, all
change constantly. Just when you think you’ve
researched, studied and learned the most innovative
ways to get the job done, a new idea or technology
comes along and changes everything.
“These are partners involved at the national level, so
they know what’s around the curve in their businesses,
what they’ll need five years from now,” Ray Pfeiffer,
chair of the accounting department, said. When the
accounting department looked at changing the Master
of Accounting program to the Professional Program in
Accounting, they turned to their advisory board.
“These very intelligent faculty members, the ones
teaching students what we want them to know, came to
us for our wish list to see if it fit with their curriculum,”
High said. “I think they were surprised at some of our
requests, such as writing and presentation skills. We
had people from all the major accounting firms, the
City of Fort Worth and several companies, and we
all had similar messages. We want more balanced
graduates. They listened, evaluated and integrated what
we suggested.”
When the marketing department was considering
adding a sports marketing curriculum in answer to
student demand, they turned to their advisory board.
“We were concerned that there were not enough
jobs to support it, but they told us there were plenty,”
Bill Moncrief, chair of the marketing department, said.
“They may not be with a sports franchise, but other
companies that work with sports, such as Gatorade,
Accounting students hired by
KPMG work with Rayford High,
accounting advisory board member
and audit partner with KPMG.
9
Members of the business information
systems advisory board, Gary Cantrell,
CIO of Textron, and Jerry
Wackerhagen, CIO of First Command,
meet with Danielle Lindquist-Kleissler
(BBA ’12), who has been hired into
Textron’s Leadership Program in IT.
Danielle will be going to Cessna, a
Textron company, on her first rotation.
would be interested in a student with a sports
marketing emphasis.”
Staying up-to-the-minute in the field is especially
critical for business information systems. Each year,
the department conducts a curriculum assessment
and gives it to their advisory board for suggestions.
“For the curriculum, I get to put forth the issues
that are important to us as future employers,” Gary
Cantrell, chief information officer for Textron, said
of his participation on the BIS advisory board. “I also
get early access to students to see the talent. More
importantly, I get feedback on what is important to
them, where their head is, what technology they are
using, their attitudes and perceptions. I get to plant
a few seeds on what is important to our industry
and what they need to pay attention to. Also, I get to
sell my company, tell them who we are and what we
do, to build a relationships with the university and
the students.”
“I look for partner companies where we can build
a relationship and how that company can make a
difference to the program,” Jane Mackay, director of
the business information systems program, said. “Our
advisory board members bring us great ideas and keep
the major current. In return, they know they are hiring
students who can hit the ground running.”
Brad Hancock, director of the Neeley Entrepreneurship
Center, said that the responsibilities of his advisory
board members are threefold: time, talent and treasure.
“We ask for their time, to speak to classes or our
entrepreneurship club, participate in the mentor
program, judge competitions and allow students to
tour their company,” he said. “We ask for their talent,
their special expertise and insight that can help the
center grow. And we ask of their treasure. Providing
financial support is not required of our board,
10
however, there is certainly a cost to deliver the highquality programs, events and experiences we provide
TCU students, and we are very grateful for all that
help financially.”
Several members of the Neeley Entrepreneurship
Center’s advisory board, including Randy Eisenman,
founding partner of Satori Capital, volunteered a
day out of their workweek to serve as judges of the
Richards Barrentine Values and Ventures Business
Plan Competition.
“I volunteered to be a judge because the competition
represents the integration of a couple of my passions:
education and businesses that have a social mission,”
Eisenman said.
According to Joe Lipscomb, director of the Luther
King Capital Management Center for Financial
Studies, Jim Hille (MBA ’92), TCU’s chief investment
officer, has single-handedly grown the Investment
Strategies Conference from a small event with the
Financial Management Association to a full-day
conference that brings in standing-room-only speakers
such as Kyle Bass.
Hille is a little more humble about his participation.
“The conference is a lot of work, but it is a pleasure
and an honor to contribute what I can along with the
other advisory board members,” Hille said. “I believe
strongly in the mission of the center, and I would do
just about anything for my mentor, the man whose
name is on it.”
Advisory board members for Neeley & Associates
Consulting greatly influence the quality of the projects
and presentations of the MBA students. They work
side-by-side with MBA students to provide a quality
assurance review for the paid projects.
“Like a large consulting firm, the board suggested
an outside party not associated with the project come
in and give feedback and ask the tough questions
before the teams present to their clients,” Ed
Riefenstahl, director of experiential learning for the
MBA program, said.
Each advisory board member works with a team
of Neeley & Associates Consulting MBAs to refine
their proposals, then, along with other business
professionals, volunteers a day out of their workweek
to act as sounding boards and advisors for the
students’ presentations.
“I see them grow dramatically over the course of the
semester,” Kevin Christ, senior director with Alvarez &
Marsal, said. “The assignments are meaty, difficult
projects with quality organizations that are bringing
real problems to the table. When I look at the students
dealing with it while taking classes and working parttime on this, I see them move from ‘This is going to
be easy,’ to ‘This is going to be impossible,’ to figuring
it out. Several students I meet in the first year as
participants come back as principals in their second
year with perspective and maturity. For talent
management, scope management and expectation
management, this is a very good process for them to
go through, whether they go into consulting or any
corporate job anywhere.”
How does this benefit Christ and his firm? “I get to
meet some interesting candidates, students who are
interested in going into consulting who are a good fit
for Alvarez & Marsal.”
Alumni Boards:
Collaborating for Vibrant Interaction
Neeley alumni who serve on boards focus on creating
and maintaining a strong network of alumni who
participate in Neeley events, support each other’s
career goals and spread the word about Neeley.
Members of the Neeley Alumni Executive Board
develop and promote alumni activities and events both
on campus and in cities across the U.S., including the
75th Anniversary Kickoff Celebration, class reunions,
homecoming parties, business breakfasts and
networking receptions. They assist Neeley fundraising
initiatives, support student programs, and help create
a strong network of alumni and business partners who
recruit and hire students.
EMBA Alumni Advisory Board members do the
same for their program. Cathy Sheffield (EMBA ’12),
director of finance and gift planning for Texas Health
Harris Methodist Foundation, and Jamie Folkmann
(EMBA ’08), vice president of process improvement
and special projects for Williamson-Dickie, recently
spearheaded an event celebrating the 10th anniversary
of the first EMBA graduating class.
The EMBA board is made up of a representative
from each graduating class to facilitate the natural flow
of communication to their classmates, making sure
alumni are up to date on the current EMBA program.
“Alumni are our best representatives,” Nancy Nix,
executive director of the EMBA program, said. “For
Kevin Christ, senior director
with Alvarez & Marsal, provides
quality assurance feedback to
MBA students on their consulting
project for Ben E. Keith as a
member of the advisory board for
Neeley & Associates Consulting.
11
them to be able to talk about the EMBA program to
others, they need to know where the program is, where
it is going and how it is changing, as well as provide
their feedback to make it better. Our board makes it
their job to communicate what we are doing with the
rest of the alumni. The better connected our alumni
are, the more they can help build a stronger program
and talk about it to recruits and employers.”
Networking is a considerable advantage of being an
active alumni board member. When companies move
or downsize, roles change, assignments shift or new
initiatives develop, it’s easy to pick up the phone and
reach out to alumni to find a new opportunity, recruit
someone to fill a new position, or just gather advice
and suggestions.
“One of the key values of a program like the EMBA,
where professionals come back to school after many
years because they value continued development, is
a strong alumni network,” Nix said.
International Board of Visitors:
Leveraging Leadership Perspectives
Keeping the Neeley School on the leading edge of
today’s business trends requires strategic direction
from top-level leaders who know how to handle the
complexity of the business world. Members of the
International Board of Visitors are successful,
influential executives from a variety of industries all
around the world, who share their experience, insights
and perspectives with the dean.
“They help us deepen our engagement with the
business community and better understand the
opportunities for our students, not just in North Texas
BNSF Next Generation Leadership
students, Grace Hughston (BBA ’12)
and Christen Garcia (BBA ’12),
from Homer Erekson’s class make a
presentation on beauty in advertising
to the Neeley Alumni Executive Board.
12
but all across the globe,” Erekson said.
These senior executives help the Neeley School
put together a fully scoped vision that identifies key
opportunities for the future.
“Just as business changes over time, academia
continues to evolve. If you were to look back 20 years
and chronicle conversations at board meetings,
you would hear people discussing entrepreneurship
– can it be taught, what does it mean to teach
entrepreneurship, what is the best way to teach it.
Today, we have the answer. We have one of the leading
entrepreneurship programs in the nation.”
Interacting with Students:
Building Intellectual Capital
“These are busy people, yet they make room on their
calendar to come to TCU and participate,” Pfeiffer
said of his accounting advisory board members. “They
really care about TCU and their field and interacting
with students.”
Professionals who interact with students – board
members, interviewers, speakers, recruiters, clients who
bring in projects – provide a unique perspective on
enterprise and employability. They give students a real
connection to and increased awareness of the skills
and knowledge making a difference in the marketplace,
to help them move easily from school to career.
The opportunities to engage students are
numerous at Neeley. CEOs sit down to dinner with
a handful of MBA students in C-level Confidential
to give them informal insight into their career
progression. Prominent CEOs and business leaders
talk with Erekson on stage for the Tandy Executive
Roz Mallet, president and
chief executive for
PhaseNext Hospitality,
talks with a small group
of MBA students for
C-LevelC onfidential.
Her franchises include
Smashburger, Buffalo Wild
Wings, Corner Bakery
Café and Zao Noodle Bar.
Speaker Series, and headline Neeley events in Dallas
and Houston.
“It’s not just about 200 people getting together for
breakfast or lunch,” Erekson said, “it’s about the chance
to network one on one with some very important people.”
These corporate executives, with full calendars and
thousands of people depending on them, take the
time to answer questions and often stay after an event
to exchange business cards and offer advice on how
to apply to their company or the best way to go after
an internship.
At the annual Roadmap to Careers in Financial
Services event, students interface with professionals,
many of them young Neeley alumni, from investment
banking firms, commercial banks, private equity firms
and more, who spend a day helping them find a
career in financial services, telling them about the job
opportunities that exist, explaining how to get a foot in
the door to interview for those jobs, and, once they get
the job, how to conduct themselves. The program has
been duplicated by the marketing department to
provide the same benefits to marketing majors.
Classroom speaking is another ideal opportunity for
professionals to enhance the educational experience
of Neeley students. Many faculty members look to
members of the business community to enrich classes
with real-world industry examples that align with
class curriculum. Speakers also come to Neeley for
student organization events, such as the TCU
Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s Distinguished
Speakers Series.
But professionals don’t have to come to TCU. Many
open their doors to Neeley students for tours and
meetings. Neeley students often take to the road (or
air) to visit corporate headquarters, tour Wall Street,
meet foreign dignitaries, and even sit down to lunch
with Warren Buffett.
Still other professionals volunteer to act as mentors
and coaches to students.
“Mentors are the link between academic theories
and the realities of the business world,” Beata Jones,
Neeley Fellows director, said. “They provide unique
insight into their career path, help with decisions,
increase business aptitude and open doors for
networking and recruiting.”
“Business coaches offer advice and knowledge
that goes well beyond the textbook for students,”
Dede Williams, director of the BNSF Next Generation
Leadership program, said. “Through providing
examples from their own careers, job shadowing or
just meeting for coffee, business coaches allow our
students the opportunity to learn more in a unique
environment.”
Businesses and students also benefit from working
together on real-world projects. Neeley & Associates
Consultants, a group of highly motivated MBA
students, utilize leading-edge business lessons learned
in the classroom, along with their prior business
experience, to provide strategic consultation for an
impressive list of clients that this year included Sabre,
PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, Aviall, Healthpoint, Bell
Helicopter, Ben E. Keith, Safety-Kleen and Nike.
With so many opportunities, it’s impossible to be
at Neeley and not make important connections.
“We believe that business education today needs to
be strongly rooted in partnerships with corporations
and small businesses,” Erekson said. “At the Neeley
School, we work hard to facilitate interaction among
executives, students, faculty and staff, to create future
business leaders and advance the practice of business.”
13
Transforming
Business
Through Research
The work of business professors is twofold: deliver high
quality, innovative business education, and provide
transformative knowledge that advances the practice
of business. The two tracts are intricately entwined.
Through their valuable research, Neeley professors
generate new knowledge and apply innovative thinking
that transforms and improves business, and they
bring those ideas into the classroom to energize the
learning environment.
“When professors perform research, the intensity
and depth with which they study a problem or relevant
business issue spills over into everything they do,”
Bill Cron, associate dean of graduate programs and
research, said. “It invigorates their teaching,
strengthens their relationships with other faculty,
increases the school’s ability to attract faculty of like
interest, and elevates their value to companies around
the world. It’s a success spiral that builds on itself. The
insights and conclusions of a research project are only
the tip of the iceberg. Everything that went into the
research is the true value of research.”
Academic research is more than finding an answer
to a specific problem in a specific company. Academic
research by its very nature has long-term, broadly
applicable, highly strategic insights that affect the
understanding of the function, cases and consequences
of business methods across a field, whether that be
management, marketing, supply chain, accounting,
finance, business information systems or
entrepreneurship.
Management Professor Bob Greer looked at the
benefits of scholarly research with his colleague at
14
By Elaine C. Cole
Texas A&M, Michael Hitt. “We found that there are
many benefits to research, not the least of which is
forming the context for what is taught to students in
the classroom and is especially for the content of
textbooks. Business changes. Textbooks from the 1970s
aren’t valid today. Textbooks have to stay current, and
ongoing research provides that relevancy.”
According to a research task force conducted by
the Association to Advance Colleges and Collegiate
Schools of Business, the real value of faculty
scholarship is to inform teaching and learning, advance
knowledge of theory, keep faculty aware and involved
in issues of current interest, and improve aspects of
management practice.
It makes sense that a professor who teaches
managerial economics, for example, not only fills
a vital need in educating his students, but also is
expected to stay current with and contribute to new
developments in the field.
And he doesn’t do it in a vacuum. Research gives
professors an opportunity to collaborate with
colleagues at other universities, partner with companies
around the globe, work side-by-side with students, and
study other research.
Several Neeley professors are editors and co-editors
of prestigious academic journals. They see hundreds
of research papers that focus on the best ideas and
current challenges that businesses face.
“They are constantly exposed to the best business
ideas in the world, and they bring that knowledge with
them to the classroom and the boardroom,” Homer
Erekson, dean of the Neeley School, said.
Dr. Stacy Landreth Grau and Dr. Susan Kleiser present their
two-year research study of young professionals’ perceptions of
Fort Worth for the Fort Worth Chamber’s Vision Fort Worth
program designed to groom new leaders.
Indeed, studies show that MBA students who attend
schools where teachers publish frequently end up
earning more. (“Putting a Dollar Value on Academic
Business Research,” Academy of Management Learning
and Education, vol. 9, no. 4, December 2010.) “Active
engagement in knowledge creation through research,”
write the authors, “as opposed to simply teaching from
textbooks...may help faculty hone their analytical skills
and consequently emphasize a more rigorous approach
to problem solving.”
Students want professors who are trained to
create knowledge and apply it in new contexts. So
do businesses.
“Businesses benefit from new ideas that come from
our faculty,” Erekson said. “Ideas bubble up from
imagination, and research takes that imagination
and turns it into creative outcomes for businesses,
nonprofits and public policy. We are a source of
knowledge. It is part of our mission of disseminating
leading edge thought.”
Another benefit of research is the enhanced
reputation of the Neeley School. When faculty
members delve into business practices through research
and publish their findings and recommendations in
top academic journals, it speaks to the quality of the
education students receive and the leadership
businesses respect.
Many times, their expertise extends beyond academic
journals into mainstream, widely read publications and
news outlets. Editors and reporters continually call the
Neeley School for expert opinions and insights, and
feature Neeley faculty members in prominent articles,
radio interviews and television news stories.
“When faculty conducts research that is published in
prestigious journals, they are showing that they have
what it takes to really understand and investigate an
issue and come to a conclusion so that the best minds
in business will say: ‘Yes, you’re right,’” Cron said.
Dr. Tyson’s Browning research into design structure matrix
earned him a grant of $302,230 from the Office of Naval
Research. He brings that research knowledge to the MBA
classroom to show students how to manage complicated projects.
Predicting and Preventing Top Performer Turnover
William J. Becker, Assistant Professor of Management
Replacing departing employees is costly for organizations, but the biggest impact comes when top performers leave, taking
their productivity, knowledge and connections with them and depriving the company of its future leaders and innovators.
In contrast, it can be beneficial when poor performers leave and make room for new and potentially higher performers.
How does a company get good employees to stay and bad ones to leave? The good news is that top performers and those
showing a positive performance change are unlikely to leave a stable company. Unfortunately, consistently low performers,
the least desirable employees, also are unlikely to exit. Employees who are most likely to voluntarily exit a stable company
are the middle performers who are experiencing a downward trend in their performance ratings. To avoid dysfunctional
turnover, when top performers leave, and promote functional turnover, when low performers leave, managers should
consider current performance ratings and trends. If top and middle performers are consistently turning out excellent
results, working well with teams, and stepping up to increased responsibilities, they are unlikely to leave. If a top or middle
performer shows a consistent decrease in performance, they may be thinking of leaving.
15
Selecting Partners to
Sustainably Contribute in
the Built Environment
Laura Meade, Professor of Supply Chain Practice
Sustainability is not only a strategic imperative for
business, it is a fundamental market force affecting
long-term financial viability and success. It is
especially viable in the built environment, which
includes new or modified buildings and living spaces
and the infrastructure that serves them, such as
waste management, transportation and utility
transmission systems. Making sure the needs of
future generations are not compromised by current
construction design and processes is particularly
pertinent in the built environment, since these
structures remain intact for some time, thereby
influencing the needs and requirements of present
and future generations. Decisions must incorporate
the triple-bottom-line factors of economic, social
and environmental components. Selection of
partners and subcontractors – those who control
the supply chain and therefore greatly influence
sustainability – should encompass numerous
exemplary sustainability indicators and metrics,
including: cost, quality, timeliness, materials,
innovation and design processes, water efficiency,
employment practices, human capital and
community capital. This holistic approach broadens
the depth of the sustainability decision and gives
decision makers a logical framework of
comprehensive and interrelated factors.
Three Mistakes Leaders
Make About Innovation
Ray Smilor, Schumacher Executive Faculty Fellow
in Innovation and Technology
Many business leaders approach innovation from
three incorrect premises. First, that great
innovations come from ideas that no one has ever
thought of before. What about innovative ideas
that take two familiar things and put them together
in a new way? For example, hiring Betty White to
promote Snickers during a football game. Such
biassociations come from viewing the world
differently, not in creating something new. A second
mistake is believing that great ideas spring forth fully
developed in a eureka moment. In truth, trial and
error, making mistakes and recognizing creative
accidents accelerates innovation. CEOs must
be willing it be wrong, see failures as learning
experiences, and bring an open mind to the ideas
and suggestions of others. A third mistake leaders
make about innovation is that great ideas come
from chaotic, haphazard environments. Innovation
can’t happen without policies and procedures
that encourage people to try something new, or
deadlines that keep them on task. CEOs who
embolden people to look at things in a different way,
who encourage trial and error and applaud mistakes
as progress, and who put in place policies that
clearly state that the organization is responsive to
innovation, will lead their organization and their
people to higher levels of performance.
Does It Matter Who Pays for Bond Ratings?
Mary Stanford, Professor of Accounting
On the political front and in the media, much is being made about whether the issuer-paid credit rating model
encourages a conflict of interest between the issuers and the rating agencies. Many commentators and policy makers
claim that charging bond issuers for ratings introduces conflicts of interest into the rating process. Indeed, the issuer-pay
model does lead to higher bond ratings, and this increase derives from inherent conflicts of interest. Comparing
historical rating data dating from 1971 to 1978 on one bond, when Moody changed from the investor-pay to the issuerpay model, Moody’s rating was higher than S&P’s rating for the same bond. After S&P adopted the issuer-pay model in
July 1974, S&P’s ratings increased to match Moody’s ratings for the same bond. The increase in S&P’s ratings was not
due to general changes affecting bond ratings. S&P’s ratings increased only for bonds with greater potential conflicts of
interest under the new revenue model, i.e., for firms that were likely to pay higher fees or have greater incentives to
attain a higher rating. In a sample, the average increase in S&P’s rating was approximately 20 percent of a rating category,
which results in a reduction in yield spread of roughly 10 basis points. This translates into an interest saving of $51,000
per year in 1974, or over $222,000 in 2010 adjusting for inflation. These results are consistent with bond issuers gaining
bargaining power when they pay for ratings.
16
Journal Editors
Editor
Academy of Management Perspectives
Garry Bruton, Professor of Management,
Entrepreneurship and Leadership
Fehmi Zeko Jr. Faculty Fellow
Co-Editor
Journal of Operations Management
Morgan Swink, Professor of Supply Chain Management
Executive Director, Supply and Value Chain Center
Co-Editor
International Journal of Accounting
In-Mu Haw, Professor of Accounting
J. Vaughn and Evelyne H. Wilson Professor in Business
Co-Editor
Journal of Marketing
Robert Leone, Professor of Marketing
J. Vaughn and Evelyne H. Wilson Chair
Co-Editor
Journal of Real Estate Literature
Mauricio Rodriguez, Professor of Finance
Prestigious Honors
Selling and Sales Management Lifetime Achievement Award
American Marketing Association
William Cron, J. Vaughn and Evelyne H. Wilson Professor
in Business
Associate Dean, Graduate Programs and Research
Innovation Management Scholar
journal of Product Innovation Management
Distinguished Scholar
Operations Management Division, Academy of Management
Morgan Swink, Professor of Supply Chain Management
Executive Director, Supply and Value Chain Center
Emerald Research Citation of Excellence
Emerald Management Review
Julie Baker, Professor of Marketing
John E Hughes Award for Entrepreneurial Advocacy
U.S. Assoc. for Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Ray Smilor, Professor of Professional Practice of
Management, Entrepreneurship and Leadership
Robert and Edith Schumacher Executive Faculty Fellow
in Innovation and Technology
Rising Star in Economics and Business
Essential Science Indicators
Garry Bruton, Professor of Management,
Fehmi Zeko Jr. Faculty Fellow
Marketing Research Lifetime Achievement Award
Robert Leone, Professor of Marketing
J. Vaughn and Evelyne H. Wilson Chair
National Interviews
The Washington Post
Bloomberg Businessweek
U.S. News & World Report
Nancy Sirianni, Assistant Professor of Marketing
The Economist
Richard Cazier, Assistant Professor of Accounting
Bloomberg
Crain’s New York
The Washington Post
John Bizjak, Professor of Finance
The New Yorker
Eric Yorkston, Associate Professor of Marketing
Fortune
William Becker, Assistant Professor of Management,
Dow Jones Financial News
Mary Stanford, Professor of Accounting
Garry Bruton
Robert Leone
Morgan Swink
In-Mu Haw
Mauricio Rodriguez
William Cron
Julie Baker
Ray Smilor
Nancy Sirianni
Richard Cazier
John Bizjak
Eric Yorkston
William Becker
Mary Stanford
17
Centers of
Excellence:
Matching Students
and Professionals
By Elaine C. Cole
The Neeley School’s centers play a critical role in
bridging academic theory and business practice. Their
close ties to industry enable faculty, students and
corporate partners to collaborate on projects, business
plan competitions, research initiatives, industry
conferences and more.
18
Neeley Entrepreneurship Center
“Our primary objective is that each student honors his or her
entrepreneurial journey by developing into an ethical leader endowed
with an entrepreneurial mind-set and entrepreneurial skills,” Brad
Hancock, director of the Neeley Entrepreneurship Center, said. “We
seek out business leaders and business owners to act as mentors, speakers
and supporters, to share their success as an inspiration to students.”
Approximately 100 entrepreneurs and business leaders are involved
with the Neeley Entrepreneurship Center each year through
programs such as Dinner with a CEO, Distinguished Speakers Series,
Entrepreneurs Road Trip, and the nationally recognized Mentor
Program. A partnership with the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce
lets high-caliber students judge the Small Business of the Year Award.
Student Kelsey McClintick received this note from Jeff Meisner,
president of Skyline DFW Exhibits and Events, after the March 2012
event: “Thank you for participating in the judging. You are sharp as a
tack and have a very bright future.”
The Neeley Entrepreneurship Center’s biggest program is the
Richards Barrentine Values and Ventures Business Plan Competition,
made possible through the generous support of real estate
entrepreneurs Nancy T. Richards and Lisa Barrentine. For the
competition’s second year, teams of undergraduate students came
from 22 universities around the world to pitch their socially
conscious, profitable business ideas to 26 judges.
“We want to foster entrepreneurship at the undergraduate level
because some of the best and brightest entrepreneurs are ready to go
out into the world when they graduate from college,” Richards said.
“We also want a competition where they do something with their
success, because we saw the value that came out of our firm’s
philanthropic efforts. TCU, the Neeley School and the
Entrepreneurship Center supported our vision 100 percent.”
The judges witness exciting new ideas intended to change the
world, offer their seasoned advice and ask the questions needed to
hone the business plans.
“The competition gives students a forum similar to pitching to an
investor,” Barrentine said. “The judges’ feedback gives them a chance
to further develop their ideas. They get some tough questions, but
they answer them with poise and intelligence.”
The Neeley Entrepreneurship Center is rapidly becoming one of
the top centers for entrepreneurship in the country, having already
been lauded as the 2011 National Undergraduate Model
Entrepreneurship Program by the U.S. Association for Small Business
and Entrepreneurship.
“The center has thrived due to the time, treasure and talent given
by alumni, parents, the local business community and entrepreneurs
who share a commitment to developing the talents and virtues of
TCU students into entrepreneurial strengths,” Hancock said.
Top: Rogers Healy, owner and broker for Rogers
Healy and Associates residential real estate meets with
entrepreneurship students for Dinner with a CEO.
Middle: Randy Hannemann, University of Houston
team member, talks with Values and Ventures Director
Ann McDonald during the 2012 competition.
Bottom: Carlo Capua (BBA ’00), co-owner of
Z’s Café in Fort Worth, speaks with students during
the Entrepreneurship Boot Camp.
19
Supply and Value Chain Center
When Gartner Supply Chain Leaders surveyed how leading
universities are educating students to be next-generation leaders
skilled at synchronization across functions, Neeley’s supply chain
program tied for number 19 in the nation. It also ranked number
21 in the nation by Bloomberg Businessweek.
That success relies on the Supply and Value Chain Center’s main
objectives: build curriculum that develops integrative skills and
global perspective; exchange ideas and best practices between
business partners, faculty and students; and increase business
intelligence through leading-edge research.
The center helps design courses that give students a complete,
end-to-end view of supply chain management, complemented by
trips to China, Panama, and ports of call in Houston and Los
Angeles to enhance their learning experience. The center also
hosts numerous opportunities for recruiters to meet students,
such as round tables, executive forums, classroom speakers and
networking nights.
“Being a smaller program means we connect with recruiters
one-on-one who are looking for specific things, and we know
our students well enough to make the right fit,” Morgan Swink,
executive director of the Supply and Value Chain Center, said.
One popular initiative that Swink hopes to expand is the Supply
Chain Executive Program, a year-long partnership between a
team of senior supply chain students and Alcon. During the first
semester, the students interact with and behave as professionals as
they shadow Alcon executives and map out a supply chain. For the
second semester, they solve a specific supply chain challenge. The
win-win situation is a catalyst for lively collaboration.
“It is really one big interview,” Swink said. “The company gets
to see the students in action in their corporate environment, over
an extended period of time.” Every year since the program began,
Alcon has made offers to students on the teams.
The center’s biggest event, the Global Supply Chain Conference,
brings together hundreds of supply chain leaders, faculty and
students to share strategies and learn from experts how to improve
business performance, solve critical supply chain issues and tackle
up-to-the-minute challenges in this rapidly changing, global field.
The Supply and Value Chain Center also supports research
projects, benchmarking studies and other initiatives for faculty
members and companies to work side-by-side to help businesses
better understand and utilize their supply chain.
20
Top: Supply chain executives from across the DFW area
gather each year for the Global Supply Chain Conference.
Middle: Richard Fisher, president and CEO of the
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, speaks at the Global
Supply hain Conference.
Bottom: Supply chain students travel to China to
learn more about the global supply chain.
Luther King Capital Management Center for Financial Studies
The Neeley School’s finance program is well known in Texas, due
in no small part to the reputation of the faculty, alumni and
prominent supporters such as Luther King Jr., whose company
funded the Luther King Capital Management Center for Financial
Studies in 2002. The center enhances the quality, reputation and
national visibility of the finance program, fosters a research
environment that attracts and retains nationally recognized finance
faculty, and is a thought leader to the financial industry through
the annual Investment Strategies Conference.
The LKCM Center provides finance students with Bloomberg
terminals to monitor and analyze real-time financial markets and
place trades, and Wharton Research Data Services for instant access
to financial, economic, and marketing data. Since the central focus
of finance is the relationship of risk and return, students develop
strong analytical, decision-making and electronic spreadsheet skills,
all valuable assets for careers in all types of business.
The center sponsors two events for people interested in finance,
from seasoned professionals to students. The Investment Strategies
Conference features highly respected investment managers
discussing current investment strategies on topics such as hedge
funds, international investments, oil and gas, and real estate.
The Roadmap to Careers in Finance is a one-day symposium
in which alumni in the industry share their insights with
undergraduate students as they consider and prepare for a career
in financial services.
One of the center’s more high-profile programs is the High
School Investor Challenge, a major recruiting initiative for TCU.
The summer before their senior year, select high school teens from
Texas and surrounding states spend a week at TCU, living in dorms
and taking finance classes at the Neeley School. Throughout the fall
and spring, they manage a $100,000 virtual portfolio, submitting
stock trades online. Senior finance majors from TCU’s nationally
recognized Educational Investment Fund review and comment on
the students’ monthly stock analyses. In the spring, the high school
students return to TCU to present their results and win
scholarships.
The LKCM Center provides many scholarships to finance majors:
45 for TCU’s Chartered Financial Analyst program and four
premier scholarships for senior finance majors. Each year Luther
King Jr. leads the effort to select the four scholarship recipients,
who receive a significant financial award and a one-year internship
at Luther King Capital Management.
“Students who experience both the Educational Investment Fund
and an internship with Luther King Capital Management have a
ticket to a financial career on Wall Street or anywhere else,” Joe
Lipscomb, director of the LKCM Center, said.
Top: High school students from across Texas and
surrounding states come to TCU for the High School
Investor Challenge.
Middle: Jim Hille (MBA ’92), chief investment
officer for TCU, talks with guests at the Investment
Strategies Conference.
Bottom: J. Kyle Bass (BBA ’92), managing partner
with Hayman Capital Management LP, meets with
students at the Investment Strategies Conference.
21
Tandy Center for Executive Leadership
Continual learning is the key to success in a rapidly changing
business landscape. When companies and professionals want to
enhance their success with the most up-to-the-minute tools, it makes
sense to turn to a leading business school located in their own back
yard.
Professionals come to the Tandy Center for Executive Leadership
to enhance their careers or learn new ones. Companies turn to the
Tandy Center to develop emerging leaders, improve teamwork and
retain key employees.
“We support education in business,” Paula Yoder, director of
executive development, said. “We give them tools that are imperative
to success, such as critical thinking, emotional intelligence, project
management, business intelligence, and communication skills, to
take their career to the next level.”
Courses include coaching, consulting, communication, process
integration, leading virtual teams, business analytics and finance for
nonfinancial managers.
Currently, the most popular program is the Petroleum, Energy,
Oil and Gas Land Management Certification, which was created
to meet the needs of companies drawn to the Barnett Shale. This
course is aimed at people desiring to pursue or continue a career in
the industry. More experienced industry professionals can take the
Petroleum Economics, Land Management, Energy and Business
Certification to increase their knowledge and skills. These are not
one-time-only day courses, but consist of several intensive courses
over several weeks. Both courses are approved by the American
Association of Professional Landmen and the Texas Bar Association,
and soon to be approved by the Veteran’s Administration.
The center also partners with organizations to support their
mission. For example, the Tandy Center is working with 100 male
business executives who make up Safe Haven of Tarrant County’s
Legacy of Men.
“These businessmen have volunteered to deliver the message to
stand up against domestic violence,” Yoder said. “To do that, they
need tools and competencies they may not need for their business.
We are partnering with Safe Haven to research ideas and create
avenues to propel their mission.”
BNSF Railway and the Department of Housing and Urban
Development also rely on the Tandy Center for programs that
complement their in-house programs. BNSF takes advantage of
the Finance for Nonfinancial Managers course, and Housing and
Urban Development utilizes Transformation and Transactional
Leadership.
“When asked what we do and what we offer, it encompasses
everything that helps an individual or organization be the best they
can be,” Yoder said.
22
Top: The Tandy Center’s most popular class is Petroleum,
Energy, Oil and Gas Land Management Certification.
Middle: Professionals network during a break in the
Petroleum, Energy, Oil and Gas Land Management
Certification course.
Bottom: Members of Safe Haven of Tarrant County’s
Legacy of Men participate in a panel discussion led
by Paula Yoder, director of executive development for
the Tandy Center, for TCU’s Community and
Wellness Conference.
Neeley Professional Development Center
One of the most significant benefits of being a Neeley student is
a center that is singularly devoted to building and strengthening
students’ communication, presentation, interviewing and
networking skills.
The Neeley Professional Development Center provides personal
and professional training and coaching to help students ask
questions, offer opinions, recommend changes and make
presentations with self-assurance. Through communication
assessments, workshops, seminars and coaching, students in the
Neeley School – and those vying to get in – can take advantage of
unprecedented instruction that not only gets their foot in the door,
it gives them a boost up the corporate ladder.
It begins before they even enter the Neeley School.
The center prepares students for BBA Interview Day, the last step
to get into the Neeley School, by providing two days of interview
simulations with local business professionals. Students receive
feedback on communication skills, appearance and résumés.
“On Interview Day we ask the interviewers to evaluate the
students very critically, to compare them to candidates they are
hiring for internships or jobs,” Kelly O’Brien, director of the Neeley
Professional Development Center, said. “Yes, students are being
benchmarked against higher standards, but it is necessary for them
to understand the gap of where they are and what kind of
development they will need to go through to be successful.”
Once students are in the Neeley School, all undergraduate
students go through the first tier of Neeley Premium Credentials™,
a certification path designed to cultivate the characteristics
employers look for: communication effectiveness, teamwork
capability and interpersonal skills. Both undergraduates and
graduates come to the center for help with presentation skills for
competitions, client projects and class assignments, as well as
polishing résumés and interview skills.
The Neeley Professional Development Center is so well respected
that organizations call on the staff to provide coaching and
workshops. Small business owners utilize the center to hone their
presentation skills for the TECH Fort Worth Impact Awards
competition and the Business Assistance Center’s annual business
plan competition. Recently, center staff provided a workshop on
communication styles to the National Association of Women
Business Owners.
“When students enter their careers, we want them to be
confident in communicating their ideas, managing conflict, and
adapting their communication style to work well with others. These
are skills that will lead to results and opportunities,” O’Brien said.
Top: Kelly O’Brien, director of the Neeley Professional
Development Center, discusses presentation skills with
Scott Andresen (MBA ’12), principal for Neeley &
Associates Consulting.
Middle: Neeley students await consultation to hone
their communication and professional presentation skills.
Bottom: Neeley MBA students practice their
presentation skills before visiting professionals.
23
Bringing the Best Minds
in Business Together
Education isn’t limited to the classroom or even to students. The
Neeley School hosts several events in Fort Worth, Dallas and
Houston for business professionals to learn from other leaders
in their field, share solutions to challenges, increase their
business acumen, and discover new leadership skills. These
events also build and strengthen the relationship between
Neeley and leading corporations.
“Neeley’s outreach events continue to provide professionals
and students with a global view of business and further our
mission to disseminate leading edge thought in order to
improve the practice of business,” Dean Homer Erekson said.
executive director of The Institute for Rehabilitation
and Research Foundation with Dr. Brent Masel,
president and medical director at Transitional
Learning Center.
Phil Romano
TCU Business Network
Dean Erekson hosts breakfast and lunch events
in Dallas and Houston that bring in outstanding
local business leaders from a variety of experiences
and industries.
Dallas speakers have included Phillip J. Romano,
investor, entrepreneur, artist and nationally-renowned
restaurateur; Nolan Ryan, president and CEO of the
Texas Rangers; and Bill Lively, president and CEO of
the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee.
Houston speakers have included Clay Vaughn,
vice president for deepwater projects for ExxonMobil
Development Company; Bob McNabb, executive vice
president and global operating committee member for
KORN/Ferry International; and Cynthia Adkins,
24
Mike Berry
Global Supply Chain Conference
This annual forum for students, faculty and business
partners brings together leaders in the supply chain
field to exchange ideas that improve business
performance. The conference addresses current
critical supply chain issues, as well as issues that are
most prevalent in the DFW business community.
Hosted by the Supply and Value Chain Center, the
conference has grown each year as experts in supply
chain come to Fort Worth’s Texas Motor Speedway
to share their ideas, experiences and views of the
future with conference attendees.
The 2012 conference focused on “Flexing the
Supply Chain in Volatile Times.” Speakers and
panelists included Mike Berry, president of Hillwood
Properties; Jan De Meulder, director of trade
compliance, supply chain and logistics for Texas
Instruments; Brette Hardison, consultant for enVista;
Jade Rodysill, senior executive, operations
management consulting for Accenture; Oliver Scutt,
chief strategy officer for Jonova Inc.; John Springer,
chief operating officer for Nike Golf Inc.; and
Morgan Swink, supply chain professor and executive
director of the Supply and Value Chain Center at
the Neeley School.
The conference was sponsored by American
Airlines, Apptricity, DFW International Airport,
Hillwood Properties and Texas CEO Magazine.
featuring keynote speaker Paul Lauritano, managing
director of the Global Special Opportunities Group
for J.P. Morgan.
The Investment Strategies Conference is
cosponsored by the Luther King Capital Management
Center for Financial Studies and the TCU
Endowment Office.
Dean Erekson with Elaine Agather
Tandy Executive Speaker Series
J. Kyle Bass
Investment Strategies Conference
This annual event gives DFW investment professionals,
students and faculty the opportunity to hear from
preeminent leaders in finance and exchange highlevel investment strategies on up-to-the-minute issues
in the field.
The 10th annual 2012 conference focused on “Global
Macro Investment Opportunities.” The sold-out
event featured keynote speaker J. Kyle Bass, managing
partner with Hayman Capital Management LP, and
Maury Harris, managing director and chief economist
for the Americas for UBS Investment Research.
Previous topics include “Investing in Commodities
and Other Hard Assets,” with keynote speakers
Rebecca Patterson, global head of currencies and
commodities for J.P. Morgan Private Bank, and
Dan Pickering, co-president and head of securities
for Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. Securities Inc.;
and “Capitalizing on Growth in China and India”
Nationally recognized, high-level business leaders
join Dean Erekson on stage for a conversation about
the latest trends and issues in business today. This
well-attended breakfast event takes place in the
Brown-Lupton University Union ballroom twice each
fall and twice each spring. The audience includes
professionals from the Fort Worth-Dallas area, as well
as Neeley undergraduate and graduate students,
faculty and staff. The talk-show format allows for easy
give and take between Erekson and his featured guest,
and segues easily into a question and answer session
with the audience.
Guests have included Paul Kruse, CEO of Blue Bell
Creameries; Elaine Agather, chair and CEO of J.P.
Morgan Chase Dallas; John Garrison Jr., president
and CEO of Bell Helicopter; Barry Salzberg, CEO
of Deloitte; Dick Evans, chairman and CEO of Frost
Banks; Patrick Balthrop, CEO of Luminex; Tom
Curley, president and CEO of The Associated Press;
Karen Katz, president and CEO of Neiman Marcus
Stores; Matt Rose, chairman, president and CEO of
BNSF Railway; and Cary Rayment, chairman,
president and CEO of Alcon.
The 2011-12 Tandy Executive Speaker Series
was sponsored by Frost (platinum), Fort Worth
Business Press (gold), Cockrell Enovation (silver),
Balcom Agency (silver), Acme Brick (bronze) and
Linbeck (bronze.)
25
valu e s & v e nture s
Online Retailer for People with Disabilities
Wins 2012 Values and Ventures Competition
26
Justin Farley, a student at the University of Houston
Bauer College of Business, has cerebral palsy. He
has struggled most of his life to find products to help
him live a quality life.
“I don’t let my disability limit me, and I don’t
think other people’s disabilities should limit them,”
Justin said at the beginning of his team’s
presentation for UNlimiters, a centralized online
retailer that sells products and services to persons
with physical disabilities.
Justin and his teammates, Randy Hannemann,
Louis McEneny, Tattiana Reznick and Adam
Trojanowski, all students in the Wolff Center for
Entrepreneurship at U of H, impressed the judges
with their concept and presentation for UNlimiters
to win first prize and $15,000 in the 2012 Richards
Barrentine Values and Ventures Business Plan
Competition, April 19-20. Awards were handed out
at a dinner at the Omni Hotel Fort Worth.
In 2011, with the support of Nancy Tartaglino
Richards and Lisa Barrentine, the Neeley
Entrepreneurship Center created the Values and
Ventures Business Plan Competition to honor these
successful businesswomen’s belief in making money
while creating meaning.
The inaugural year, six schools were invited to
participate: Babson, Belmont, TCU, Houston,
Wake Forest and NYU. Belmont’s student team
won $10,000 with their plan to employ the homeless
and divert waste from landfills by deconstructing
and recycling mattresses. The business, Spring
Back Recycling, recently celebrated its 5,000th
recycled mattress.
The competition grew in prestige and size in
2012, welcoming 17 teams from universities in the
U.S., two from Canada, one from Croatia, one
from the Netherlands and one from Mexico, with
26 judges presiding. The total prize money increased
to $42,500.
“I’m excited to see more teams, quality projects
and new ideas that are truly impactful both locally
and globally,” Dean Homer Erekson said. “It shows
that the Neeley School is making a difference in
fostering ventures with values.”
The key element that differentiates the Richards
Barrentine Values and Ventures Business Plan
Competition from other business plan competitions
around the world is that each plan must be for a
First Place
University of Houston Bauer College of Business
Second Place
University of Oklahoma Price College of Business
profitable business with social value.
“If you want a world-class business competition
with world-class values, come to TCU,” Richards
said at the awards dinner.
Plans must demonstrate both a societal or
environmental need to be filled, as well as the
profitability of the business. Many businesses have
begun as a result of Values and Ventures.
The brainchild of Justin, UNlimiters aims to help
the 43 million U.S. citizens with disabilities by
providing a centralized marketplace to buy products
and services, as well as a mark of approval on
products not specifically created for people with
disabilities but which add value to their lives, such as
automatic toothpaste dispensers or countertop grills.
Second place and $10,000 went to the team from
the University of Oklahoma Price College of Business
for Bright Sanitation, a cost-effective sanitation
solution for India’s urban slums. The team of Tom
Spurgat, Megan Walsh, Garrett Pearce and Steve
Brachtenbach gave an overview of the conditions
that spurred them to come up with a viable business
for self-contained, affordable toilets that preserve
sanitation, dignity and safety.
“This competition gave us a much better
opportunity to speak to the social value that we are
bringing,” Tom said. “Other competitions are more
about money and business,
so we are not able to
communicate the actual
impact we could have on
the area.”
The team from the
University of Arizona
McGuire Center for
Entrepreneurship won
third place and $5,000 for
their business plan for
Onward Packs, a retailer of premium backpacks that
uses a portion of the proceeds to purchase academic
and sports equipment for elementary schools.
Jacklynn Hall, James Taylor, Amanda Wieland and
Zachary Lewis showed a video of the first school to
receive equipment from the start-up business,
featuring interviews with teachers and students.
“We want to make this our future,” Jacklynn said.
“Every action this year has been to make Onward
Packs a viable, successful business so we can go out
Third Place
University of Arizona McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship
Fourth Place
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education
27
in the world and make a difference for education.”
Fourth place and $2,500 went to the team from
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher
Education for their sustainable plan to build jobs
in Mexico by matching cactus farming to consumer
needs in Japan. The team of Antonio Arjona,
Pablo Marin Escobar, Ricardo Moncada Palafox and
Jennifer Reyna Portugal opened with a video of the
poverty situation throughout Mexico that led them
to create a business that matched Mexico’s product
with need.
University Osijek (Croatia), Grand Valley State
University, Kansas State University, Loyola
Marymount University, New York University, Royal
Roads University (Canada), Samford University,
Syracuse University, Texas Christian University,
University of Arkansas, Wake Forest University and
Walsh University.
Judging the final competition were Ka Cotter,
consultant and retired vice chair of The Staubach
Company; Barry Davis, president, CEO and
chairman of CrossTex Energy; Randy Eisenman,
“These students are beyond their years in thinking about the rest of the world.
The plans were well thought out, they showed that they really do care, and they
focused on making money, because you have to make money to give money.”
— Ka Cotter
Consultant and Retired Vice Chair of The Staubach Company
“We made this group because of TCU, and we are
now in a real business helping the people of Mexico,”
Antonio said.
The team from Wilfrid Laurier University (Canada)
won honorable mention for Fundraid, an online ad
management platform that enables consumers to
earn donation money via their purchases. The
team from
Oklahoma
State University
was among
those cited for
Best ValuesBased Concept
for Eben
Group, a
backpack
business that
donates one backpack filled with school supplies for
every backpack sold.
Other teams in the competition were from Babson
College, Ball State University, Belmont University,
Erasmus University (the Netherlands), Strossmayer
28
managing partner of Satori Capital; Ray Rothrock,
general partner of Venrock; and Paul Spiegelman,
founder and CEO of The Beryl Companies.
“These students are beyond their years in thinking
about the rest of the world,” Cotter said. “The plans
were well thought out, they showed that they really
do care, and they focused on making money, because
you have to make money to give money.”
Judges for the preliminary rounds were: Jim Austin,
Austin Company; Holly Blocker, Plains Capital
Bank; Ingrid Carney, Ingrid and Isabel; Pete
Chambers, Inspirus; Luis Estrada, Studios 121;
Tommy Glenn, Essentia Financial; Seth Hall, Source
One Spares; Ryan Horstman, TPG Financial; JoAnn
Jensen, New York Life; Chris Kraft, Splash Media;
Kyle Mabry, American Airlines; Bill O’Donnell, Trek
Companies; Mark Ortiz, TPH Asset Management;
Gina Puente, Puente Enterprises; Richard Russack,
Consultant; Darlene Ryan, TECH Fort Worth;
Carl Shepherd, HomeAway; Chad Smith, JPMorgan
Chase; Frank Valtierra, Fort Worth Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce; and Daniel Villegas,
Wells Fargo.
n ews @ n e e l e y
George Low is New Associate
Dean for Undergraduate and
International Programs
Bill Cron Earns 2012 Lifetime
Achievement Award from
George Low, associate professor
of marketing, came to the
Neeley School in 1996. As chair
of the marketing department,
he led the redesign of
undergraduate and graduate
curricula and hired several
faculty members. He has served
on the TCU faculty senate and
TCU undergraduate curriculum
committee, and chaired a
dean’s search committee. He
holds a Ph.D. in business
administration from the
University of Colorado at
Boulder and an MBA from the
University of Western Ontario.
“It is an honor for me to follow in the footsteps of Bill
Moncrief,” Low said. “He will be impossible to replace,
but I look forward to throwing all my energy, creativity
and experience into helping Dean Erekson and his
outstanding team strengthen and invigorate the
undergraduate and international programs.”
The Selling and Sales Management Lifetime
Achievement Award honors an outstanding
scholar who has consistently published sales
research in top journals, been recognized
for teaching excellence, encouraged sales as
a career choice, and added appreciably to
the understanding of a sales topic. It is the
highest academic honor that a marketing
professor can win.
Bill Cron is associate dean of graduate
programs and research and the J. Vaughn &
Evelyne H. Wilson professor in business. His
research dates from 1978 and spans many dimensions
of sales management and strategy. He was named one
of the ten leading contributors to sales force research
literature in 1991, and co-authored a chapter on
sales force strategy in The Wiley International
Encyclopedia of Marketing, published in 2010. He
has published numerous articles in premier journals
including Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of
Marketing, Academy of Management Journal,
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
and Journal of Applied Psychology.
Winners All: Schieffer-Neeley Collaboration Takes First Place
The student team from the Strategic Communications Ad
Competition class, taught jointly by Stacy Landreth Grau,
associate professor of professional practice in marketing, and
Bill Johnson, instructor of strategic communication, won first
place in the American Advertising Federation’s National Student
Ad Campaign competition for District 10, made up of Texas,
Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas. They will compete against
other first-place winners from U.S. districts at the national
competition in June.
“Our district is the toughest in the nation, and with this win,
the TCU team is one of the top 16 in the country,” said Landreth
Grau. “We could not be more excited. Our digital marketing
strategy was top notch, and our team won best media plan. They
nailed their presentation. I am so proud of them.”
29
n ews @ n e e l e y
Morgan Swink Named No. 19 Top Innovation
Management Scholar in the World
The Journal of Product Innovation Management ranks Morgan Swink No. 19 out of
1,718 innovation management scholars for total number of articles published in 10 leading
journals for the past 20 years, and No. 13 for articles he co-authored. Swink is professor
of supply chain and executive director of the Supply and Value Chain Center. Articles
published in top academic journals are one of the most important measures for high-quality
intellectual research. The Neeley School ranked No. 46 for total number of innovation
management articles by current faculty, and No. 38 for articles co-authored by current
faculty, out of 625 universities around the world.
MBA Team Takes Third Place
in Big 12 Case Competition
Not all Big 12 competitions take place on the field.
Representing the conference’s newest member, TCU
MBA students competed against Baylor, Iowa State,
University of Kansas, Kansas State, University of
Missouri, University of Oklahoma and Texas Tech
on a case study presented by Dallas-based ISN Software
Corp. Each team was given 24 hours to take the issue,
create a solution and then present it to a panel of
judges. OSU won first place; OU placed second,
and TCU MBAs took third and claimed $1,200.
Representing TCU were Jared Smith, Jack Smothers,
Michele Machado and Nishant Maller.
“It was a great honor to be selected to represent
TCU at our first Big 12 Case Competition,” Nishant
said. “Entering as the underdog and walking away with
third place is a great feeling and is proof that Neeley
MBAs have what it takes to hold our own against
bigger schools.”
30
Supply Chain Students
Take First Place
For the second year in a row, a team of TCU students
won the Electronic Components Industry Association’s
research competition against teams from Nebraska,
Purdue, Texas A&M, University of Houston and other
schools. Van Le, finance major, Alexandra Favier,
business information systems major, and Toby Teakell,
marketing major, won $2,000 with their excellent
research on a TDK Lambda power supply module.
Van, Alexandra and Toby were challenged to select an
electronic device and explore the supply chain and
distribution channels needed to bring the product
from raw material to finished product, then to the end
user/consumer.
“We are especially grateful to Scott McClendon and
his team at Allied Electronics for assisting the students
with insight and information on the electronics industry
and its supply chain,” said Laura Meade, professor of
supply chain practice. McClendon is vice president of
management and marketing for Allied Electronics.
n ews @ n e e l e y
Nancy Nix Elected Chair of the Board for Council of
Supply Chain Management Professionals
The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, the preeminent worldwide
professional association dedicated to the advancement and dissemination of research and
knowledge on supply chain management, has elected Nancy Nix as chair of the board
of directors. Nix is professor of supply chain practice and executive director of the Executive
MBA program. Nix said that the board will focus on three critical initiatives over the next
twelve months: the SCPro™ Certification program, expansion in India, and enhancing
corporate partnerships. CSCMP members are leading practitioners and authorities in logistics and supply chain
management, with over 8,500 members from 67 countries representing industry, government and academia.
EMBA Celebrates
10th Anniversary
Keurig Taps TCU Students
for College Marketing Plan
The Neeley EMBA celebrated the 10th anniversary
of its first graduating class on April 20 at The
Stonegate Mansion in Fort Worth. The theme of the
event was Building a Legacy – 10 Years of Developing
Strategic Leaders. Several hundred alumni, faculty and
staff reconnected, networked and reflected on how
the program has evolved and continued to improve
over the past 12 years. The occasion also gave alumni
an opportunity to support the ongoing initiatives
of the EMBA program, with net proceeds from the
event providing funding for Neeley Executive MBA
scholarships. Sponsors for this special celebration
were: Premier Sponsors: CIS Group of Companies
and sMs Foundation; Platinum: Balcom Agency and
NBC 5; Gold: Infinity Contractors; Silver: Kent and
Karen Backus and Linda and Tom O’Brien; Bronze:
Blue Sky Ballooning Adventures, Mike Carter, MKS
Natural Gas Company, Montgomery Partners Inc.
and Scarborough.
When Keurig needed a marketing plan to promote the
single-cup brewer to college students across the U.S., they
came to Neeley. Dave Moran (BBA ’75, MBA ’76), a
board member for Green Mountain Coffee, suggested his
alma mater for a competition for
the best marketing plan. Moran
and a team from Keurig and
Green Mountain came to Neeley
in February to give students in
Susan Kleiser’s and Bob Akin’s
classes an overview. They
returned to Neeley in April
to listen to four teams present
plans. The team of Jake
Banglesdorf, Angelo Mazziota,
Jasmine Sadeghpour and Mary Mills, from Kleiser’s class,
won for making a connection with the Keurig brand,
generating marketing insights, and making
recommendations that balance strategic thinking with
creative and financial reality.
Lindsay Fermano, marketing manager for Keurig, said:
“We were extremely impressed by the marketing plans and
presentations,” Fermano said. “In all of the deliverables,
we saw evidence that your students treated the Keurig
project as more than an assignment. It was clear they had
gone beyond the call of duty with their investments of
time, energy, IQ, thoughtfulness and teamwork. We very
much look forward to future collaboration with the
Neeley School on multiple dimensions.”
31
honoring financ e c are e rs
Stan Block Honored
for 45 Years of
Teaching and Research
“The legacy Stan has left is one we can all aspire to.”
— Dr. Larry Lockheed
C.R. Williams Professor of Financial Services
If Stan Block’s career was a baseball stat, he knocked
this one out of the park.
Block, finance professor and baseball aficionado, was
moved beyond words when the spotlight turned on
him at a finance dinner March 27 at Colonial Country
Club. Block is retiring after 45 years with TCU to be
professor emeritus.
“Many of you probably do not know that
we have a Neeley All Star with us this
evening,” Dean Homer Erekson said to the
crowd. “Dr. Stanley Block was drafted to the
Neeley team in 1967 and is the longest
standing professor in TCU history.”
Among his many accomplishments, in
1973, with the vision and financial support
of William C. Conner, co-founder of Alcon
Laboratories, Block established one of the
country’s first student-managed investment
Stan Block receives funds, the Educational Investment Fund
congratulations (EIF), still a valuable program in the Neeley
from Chancellor School. The EIF has been the launching
Victor Boschini.
pad for many successful careers in finance,
including Bob McCann (MBA ’82), CEO
of UBS Americas; David Purcell (BBA ’86),
“Dr. Block made me realize what I
needed to do and the level I needed to
go to in order to be a professional in the
investment management business.”
— Dave Corbin (BBA ’89)
President and CEO, Corbin & Co.
32
founder and managing partner of Chicago-based
Continental Advisors LLC; and Fehmi Zeko (BBA ’81,
MBA ’82), senior managing director and head of
U.S. media and telecommunications for Macquarie
Capital USA.
In fall 2002, Block was recognized with one of
academia’s highest honors, an endowed chair bearing
his name. The funds resulted from a two-year campaign
lead by EIF alumni David B. Anthony (BBA ’72,
MBA ’76), David A. Corbin (BBA ’89), and John S.
Williams (BBA ’75, MBA ’76).
Cathy Collins Block helped Neeley staff prepare
for the night honoring her husband. SuperFrog
presented him with a gift baseball signed by both
President Bushes
from Bob
McCann, and
Neeley students
serenaded him.
SuperFrog delivers
a special gift to
Stan Block.
“Dr. Block made me understand that you can
take what you learn at the Neeley School
and compete anywhere in the world.”
— Bob McCann (MBA ’82)
Chief Executive Officer,
UBS Americas
honoring financ e c are e rs
Bob McCann congratulated him via video. Mo
Rodriguez, chair of the finance department, introduced
a video that included Larry Lockwood, finance professor
and co-advisor of the EIF, and former students Corbin,
Jim Estill (BBA ’69, MBA ’77), Mike Berry (MBA ’82),
Ash Huzenlaub (BBA ’98) and Rick Wittenbraker (BBA
’70) praising the education they received from Block.
Erekson presented Block with special-edition,
leather-bound textbooks and a Neeley All Star bat signed
by his colleagues. Chancellor Victor Boschini joined
the dean to present a special award in recognition and
appreciation of Block’s 45 years of service to TCU, as
well as flowers for Cathy Block.
“Dr. Block has a great grounding in
stockholder relations, his understanding
of finance is right on track, and his
commitment is ongoing.”
— Jim Estill, (BBA ’69, MBA ’77)
President, Calloway’s Nursery
“Dr. Block taught me my first finance course when I
was 19 years old; not only teaching me the foundations
of finance, but helping me discover my passion for
investing,” Scot Hollmann (BBA ’81, MBA ’82),
principal with Luther King Capital Management, said.
“Thank you, Dr. Block, for your remarkable service and
dedication to generations of Neeley students.
Stan and Cathy Block receive well wishes from guests.
Luther King Capital Management
Honored as 2012 Neeley
Alumni Business of the Year
Almost every Neeley student, and certainly every faculty
and staff member, knows about Luther King Capital
Management and the tremendous support that the firm
gives to the Neeley School.
“In 1982, Dr. Lipscomb told me
that if I was interested in the
investment management profession,
I should talk to this upstart
investment manager named
Luther King, and for that bit of
advice I am eternally grateful,”
Scot Hollmann (BBA ’81, MBA ’82),
principal with LKCM, said at an
Scot Hollman
awards dinner where the 2012
Neeley Alumni Business of the Year award was announced.
LKCM is one of the largest independent employee-owned
investment advisory firms in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex,
with more than 61 employees, 22 of whom are Horned
Frogs. That’s a lot of purple pride in one investment office.
In fall 2002, the Luther King Capital Management
Center for Financial Studies opened, cementing a valuable
partnership for both LKCM and Neeley. The center was
created as a focal point for initiatives to further enhance
research, education and outreach by Neeley’s already
exceptional finance program.
“In addition to important financial contributions over the
past decade, Luther King Capital Management’s internship
program with Neeley has molded dozens of top finance
students,” Dean Homer Erekson said. “Neeley students
who work part-time for the firm gain broad exposure to
the investment management business, and many of them
advance to Wall Street careers following graduation.”
For more than 25 years, LKCM has sponsored an intern
program for Neeley students. That means that 120 students
have benefitted from this one-of-a-kind opportunity.
“Thank you for recognizing our firm,” Hollmann said,
“but more importantly, thank you for trusting your most
valuable asset to us. We appreciate our relationship with
the Neeley School and look forward to continuing to grow
together in the years ahead.”
33
class
not e s
GRADUATE
1980s
Bruce Funk MBA ’84 is living in
the home of his father’s people, a
town in Western Maryland named
Brunswick. He is a certified public
accountant, a sole practitioner since
1991. Bruce is looking forward to
TCU coming to Morgantown,
W. Va., to play WVU in football
November 3. WVU is Bruce’s
undergraduate alma mater and
TCU is his masters alma mater.
Bruce said it causes a bit of a
quagmire, but if both teams are
undefeated and in the top 10 of the
polls, they can get one up on the
LSU-Alabama game which occurs
the same day.
Atul Kumar MBA ’86 is Founder
and CEO of Genome Capital, an
investment banking and wealth
management advisory firm in
Mumbai, India. Atul has a daughter,
22, who graduates in May from
Swarthmore College. He lives in
Mumbai with his wife and two
chocolate labradors.
Dan has three Mustangs and a
Charger Daytona. Two of the
Mustangs are show cars. He enjoys
restoring and working on them all.
Eric Tijerina MBA ’96 was named
the Chairperson of the State Bar of
Texas Crime Victims’ Subcommittee.
He is the Director of the Crime
Victim Assistance Program at the
Refugee and Immigrant Center
for Education and Legal Services
in San Antonio, and a Task Force
member of the South Texas Coalition
Against Human Trafficking.
David Foster MBA ’97 recently
founded Foster Capital Management
LLC, a boutique investment
management firm located in
Newport Beach, Calif. The firm
provides separately managed
accounts for the equity portion
of investors’ portfolios based on
David's focused value strategy.
Gayla Goolsby Wheelis MAc ’00
and Mark Wheelis welcomed Jenna
Kate on July 9, 2011. Big sister
Jordan, is thrilled with her new baby
sister. The Wheelis family lives in
Lucas, Texas.
Heath Simpson ’95, MBA ’01
joined Frontier Communications as
Senior Vice President of Corporate
Development, responsible for the
company’s mergers, acquisitions,
divestitures and other strategic
activities. Heath, his wife, Kate BS
’96, MS ’98, and their three girls
will continue to reside in Dallas.
Tracy Crowther MBA ’04 recently
relocated to the DFW area after
assuming the new role of Director of
Strategic Sourcing for TXI. He now
works from the Dallas office. His
wife, Abby, and their four children
joined Tracy for the relocation.
2000s
1990s
Dan Hunt ’91, MBA ’94 and wife,
Keri, moved to Lumberton, Texas,
in May 2011 after Keri was hired as a
Staff Attorney at the Texas 9th
District Court of Appeals in
Beaumont. Dan soon found a job as
a prosecutor with the Tyler County
District Attorney’s Office. They have
nine dogs, six of which are rescues.
34
Carrie (Joyce) and Jason Kemmer,
both MBA ’00, welcomed their
second son, Worth Richardson, on
September 17, 2011. The Kemmer
family, including big brother
Harrison, 8, reside in Fort Worth.
Farah M. Ali MBA ’06 was
recently named a BNSF Railway
Employee of the Year. This annual
honor recognizes employees who
demonstrate BNSF’s vision and
values through their commitment,
leadership and focus on working
safely and efficiently to meet
class
customer expectations. Farah was
honored for her work on the
Southern California Locomotive
Emissions Project. As part of a
cross-functional team, Farah
supported the development of
deliverables associated with the
Southern California Fleet
Management/Locomotive Emissions
project. The outcome was to provide
data in compliance with emissions
reporting requirements of the
California Air Resources Board
and help demonstrate BNSF’s
commitment to promoting and using
locomotive emissions technology.
The project, initiated in 2009,
required business process changes
in the Network Operations Center
and in field operations as well as
long-term changes in planning,
scheduling, assigning and monitoring
of the correct locomotives for
train movement.
Stephen Bloodworth EMBA ’07
said his degree from Neeley was key
to his relocation to Berlin, Germany,
with Corning. After two years in
Berlin, he returned to Texas and
moved to Peerless Manufacturing
with a promotion and global
responsibilities. Stephen continues
to correspond with his classmates
and attend Neeley events.
Jerad Speigel ’06, MBA ’08 was
selected as a 2012 Fed 100 award
recipient as one of the top 100
most influential people in the
Federal IT community. Jerad is a
Partner at Phase One Consulting
Group, a 150-plus person company
in Washington, D.C.
Neha Vaidya ’11 and husband have
a baby boy born on Feb 23. Neha is
currently working as an Informatic
Analyst at Blue Cross Blue Shield
of Texas.
UNDERGRADUATE
1970s
Justin Potter MBA ’06 shares that
Evelyn (Evie) Jean was born February
22 in Fort Worth. Justin was also
named Citi Senior Vice President
- North America Digital Collections.
Lloyd Ochterbeck ’72 began a new
career as Personnel Recruiter for
the oil and gas industry with Piper
Morgan Associates in 2005 after
closing the family-owned Houston
business, Ochterbeck Truck and
Auto Accessories, where he had
worked since graduation. Lloyd
recently moved to the country,
Hempstead, Texas, and commutes
to Houston two-to-three days a week.
Lloyd and wife, Fran, have five
not e s
children and five grandchildren with
their two youngest being 10 and 12.
1980s
Ed Parrish ’82 has joined Fathom
Realty in Dallas as Commercial Real
Estate Specialist. He works primarily
in office and retail representing
landlords, tenants, investors and
sellers. Late last year he also founded
Dumbbell Properties with a partner
to focus on investing in the singlefamily residential market. They now
own and manage properties in
Texas and along the Mississippi
Gulf Coast.
Paul Hains ’87 returned from his
third tour of Iraq in September 2011.
Happy to say mission complete!
1990s
Kristina Sonntag Hayes ’92 is
Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Masters
in Southlake, Texas. She has moved
her office location from Southlake
Blvd. to Hwy. 114 and White’s
Chapel in Southlake. They have
70 independent agents with an
average of 14 years of real estate
experience. This year marks their
10th year in Southlake.
35
class
not e s
Geoff Justice ’00 accepted a
promotion in April to the role
of National Account Manager Military/Rite Aid for Beam Inc.
Geoff and Emily Cooper Justice ’00
will return to the DFW area later
this year.
Concho Minick ’93 recently made
the trip to the 47th Academy of
Country Music Awards in Las Vegas
where Billy Bob’s Texas won Club
of the Year for an unprecedented
9th time. During the trip, Concho,
Billy and Pam Minick got to
meet singers Garth Brooks and
Trisha Yearwood.
Darren Bodenhamer ’99 and wife,
Brandy, welcomed the arrival of their
second daughter, Reese Mae, on
July 16, 2011.
2000s
Carlo Capua Jr. ’00 opened
the second location of his social
enterprise, Z’s Cafe, in the Fort
Worth Hospital District. Carlo
is getting married at the TCU
Chapel in September to a fellow
Horned Frog.
Tali Wilkinson ’00 has recently
moved to Longview, Texas, and
manages the rail business for
Martin Resource Management in
Kilgore, Texas.
Jonathan Hegranes ’01 recently
moved to New York City after
accepting an offer from DISQUS.com.
Patrick Harrison ’03 and Barbara
Caraway were married January 7 in
Lake Charles, La. They currently live
in Monroe, La., where Barbara is in
Getting married? New job or promotion?
Having a baby? Moving?
SEND US yOUR NEWS
You don’t have to wait to send us your latest news. Whether it’s a
new job or promotion, an award or achievement, or a new marriage or
baby, submit your news all year long using the “Keep in Touch” link at
www.neeleyalumni.tcu.edu
36
class
her final year of Pharmacy School.
Patrick was recently named President
of Hoyt Highfill & Associates, a
furniture consulting company.
Justin Lucero ’03 shares that after
spending two years studying in
London, England, he earned a
Masters of Fine Arts with Distinction
in Theatre Directing from the East
15 Acting School/University of
Essex. His training included a
prestigious stint as Director On
Attachment at Regent’s Park Open
Air Theatre (with multiple Olivierwinning Artistic Director Timothy
Sheader) where, among other things,
he assisted on the recent Olivier
Award-nominee West End
production of ‘Crazy For You.’
Justin’s last project was serving on
the Directing Team of the world
premiere of stage and film legend
Sir Tim Rice’s musical ‘LUTE!’
Chad Hufsey ’04 and wife,
Robin ’04, are excited to introduce
Ella Claire. She was born on April 2
and weighed 7 lbs. 5 oz. Momma,
baby and big sister Audrey, are
doing great.
Eric Cannon ’06, an Accounting
and Finance graduate, recently
received his CPA license.
Trent Capps ’06 accepted a
promotion to Director of Real
Estate with ALDI Inc. and will be
overseeing the Houston and South
Texas market. Prior to his promotion,
Trent spent five years as a district
manager with ALDI Inc. where he
was involved in opening divisions in
Florida and Texas as well as
establishing the company’s first
training center. Trent will also be
marrying Victoria Avila ’06 in June.
They will reside in Katy, Texas.
not e s
David Wren ’09 recently made the
transition to Realpage, a real estate
property management software
company in Carrollton, Texas. David
will be in charge of the project
management division, coordinating
the implementation of the company’s
various software products to new
and/or existing clients.
2010s
Brian Andrew ’07 began a job in
Houston at a power and gas startup,
Twin Eagle Resource Management,
as an hourly power trader. Previously,
he worked at the Federal Reserve
Board in Washington, D.C., for
three years where he focused on
international commodities. Working
at the Fed during the financial crisis
was a great experience as he was
living in D.C., but he and his wife
are excited to be back in Texas so
they can go to more TCU events.
Alex Haley ’08 graduated law school
in May 2011, passed the Texas bar
and was sworn into the State Bar
of Texas in November 2011. Alex is
now an associate for Martin, Bode,
Werner & Mann, an oil and gas law
firm in Houston.
Nick Metzger ’10 is living in Austin
and still working for H-E-B, which
will soon be your local DFW grocery
store (five years). Contact Nick if you
want a job!
Katelyn Fischer ’11 started a new
job at Deloitte and Touche LLP
in their Houston office in January
as Audit Assistant in their
AERS practice.
Giang Hoang ’08 has been
promoted to a Senior Analyst at
VietCapital Securities. Giang will be
enrolled in the TCU MBA program
this fall.
37
profil e
Sol Kanthack BBA ’94
President, CEO and Chairman, brightroom Inc.
When Sol Kanthack judges the Richards Barrentine Values and Ventures Business Plan
Competition, which he has done for two years now, he knows exactly how meticulously
the students worked on their plans and how nervous they are when they present their
plans to the judges. After all, he was doing the same thing as an MBA student at the
University of Chicago in 1999: presenting a plan for a company that takes photos of
corporate, school and sporting events and sells them quickly and easily through the
internet. That plan, the brainchild of Sol, his wife, Molly, and two business partners,
won second place and seed money, and set him on his entrepreneurial journey.
And it was a journey.
A graduate of Aledo High School, Sol chose TCU over larger schools. He met his wife,
Molly (TCU ’94), and majored in finance. Since his parents were both business owners,
he knew he wanted to own a business someday but he wasn’t sure what business, so he
used his TCU degree to get great jobs with Merrill Lynch in Fort Worth, and Goldman
Sachs and J.P. Morgan in New York City. Then he decided to get his MBA at the
University of Chicago.
“My thought going back to business school is that I would go into venture capital and
private equity,” Sol said. “I met some entrepreneurial-minded people, did a summer
internship with an internet start-up in San Francisco in the 1998-99 timeframe when
the internet was really taking off, then collaborated on the idea for brightroom.”
As an avid runner and photographer, he knew firsthand that there was a place for
a business that made it easy for people participating in sports to purchase photos of
themselves, and also provide an interface to independent photographers through
brightroom’s backprint service.
Starting with the money from the competition, Sol and his partners raised more capital
and moved to the San Francisco Bay area to grow the company. After several years, Sol
realized that Fort Worth was perfectly located in the center of the U.S. from a production
and shipping perspective, plus he and Molly wanted to start their family near their own
families, so they moved to Fort Worth and now have three young children.
It didn’t take long for Sol to call on his alma mater to see how he could help other
aspiring entrepreneurs. He now serves on the Neeley Entrepreneurship Center’s advisory
board and the Neeley Alumni board.
“It’s rewarding to see the Neeley School and TCU school grow, and exciting to
be part of the ongoing success of the business school in general and especially the
entrepreneurship focus.”
Sol particularly enjoys participating in the Values and Ventures competition so he can
help foster students’ entrepreneurial journeys. He also gets a little something back.
“It’s inspiring to see these undergraduate students, at their age, with great plans that
they are passionate about. Their tremendous energy and enthusiasm is contagious.”
38
profil e
Carl Shepherd BBA ’74
Cofounder, Chief Strategy and Development Officer, Homeaway
Dallas in the 1970s was too small to hold the dreams and ambition of Carl Shepherd.
Although his parents only let him go as far away as TCU, his eyes were on New York City
and his dreams were on advertising.
“I read a book called The Hucksters, and that exciting, glamorous image of advertising
in 1940s and 50s New York stayed in my head,” Carl said. “I’m not alone. Just look at the
success of ‘Mad Men’.”
At TCU, Carl combined a business degree with journalism classes. A professor
recommended him for an internship with the Dallas Morning News’ advertising
department (only after he cut his hair), where he returned to work after graduation until
moving to Austin to get his MBA. In 1977, his dream of working in Manhattan came true
when he was hired as an advertising industry consultant for what is now Accenture.
He met his wife, Suzanne, there, but since married professionals weren’t allowed to work
together, she decided to go to law school. That led them back to Austin, where Carl became
the first chief financial officer for Texas Monthly. When the bust came in 1986, Carl sold a
piece of Texas Monthly to Dow Jones to raise capital.
“I realized that the woman I hired to represent us got two percent of the deal and I got a
thank you,” Carl said, so he went out on his own brokering publications while raising their
first two sons.
On this 40th birthday, a headhunter friend from New York called and asked the same
thing he asked every year: “Are you tired of living in Texas yet?”
“The baby was crying and it had been a slow month, so I said ‘Whatcha got?’” Carl
became CFO for a magazine publisher in D.C. but quickly discovered it wasn’t going to
work out. “I realized I didn’t want to be a financial officer anymore. It was fun telling that
to my wife after I had just moved us across the country.”
They moved back to Austin, where Carl became head of business development for an
edutainment software company, then COO of Hoover’s Online in 1997, the same year boy
number three was born. Hoover’s went public in 2001 and sold to Dun and Bradstreet in
2003. Carl retired.
“I figured it was time to stay home with my youngest son, who has Down syndrome. But
I was wrong.”
Austin Ventures introduced Carl to Brian Sharples, who shared his love of family travel
and preference for staying in vacation rentals instead of hotels. They decided to start a
company, HomeAway, helping others do the same. Austin Ventures spotted them $50 million,
they negotiated the simultaneous purchase of five leading vacation rental websites, then
launched their company in 2005. Today HomeAway represents almost 700,000 properties
in 168 countries, publishes 22 websites in 16 languages, and employs over 1,000 employees.
It went public June 2011.
“Without TCU I may not have gotten the advertising internship. The advertising
experience and MBA took me to New York. Accenture gave me international experience,
and the international experience set me up to cofound HomeAway.”
Carl’s oldest son speaks fluent Japanese and has a business in Tokyo, and his middle son
majored in Chinese and has lived in Beijing.
“It’s clear that my Neeley degree opened up the world for my children. Without my career,
they would not have the advantages they have, and with the advantages that they have, the
oldest two are citizens of the world and my son with Down syndrome has flourished. It’s not
just my career that Neeley and TCU gave me; it’s my family, and my life.”
39
1
2
5
6
9
13
40
3
10
7
11
14
15
on the sc e n e
1 International Board of Visitors member Bernie Appel displays his catch during
a trip to Alaska.
2 Director of Development Diane Murray, Lyle Blackwood and Dean Homer
4
Erekson at the Dallas Business Network event.
3
Guest speaker Phillip J. Romano, Investor, Entrepreneur, Artist and
Nationally-Renowned Restaurateur, addresses the audience at the Dallas
Business Network.
4 Neeley Fellows Bethany Gorham campaigns with presidential hopeful Hipolito
Mejia during her study abroad program in the Dominican Republic.
5
8
BNSF Next Generation Leadership students on the Isle of Skye in Scotland
to attend Columba 1400, a leadership institute. (L-R) Front row: Christen
Garcia, Courtney Dunn, Kate Pennebaker, Kayla Murray, Haley Hull,
and Lynn Cole. Middle Row: Grace Hughston, Marisa Olind, Caroline
Wiersgalla, Carlos Reyes-Garcia, Erin Humphries, and Stu Youngblood.
Back Row: Will Gaffney, Brett Anderson, Spencer Morey, and
Sean Little.
6 Dean Homer Erekson speaks with Neeley student Spencer Albright after the
Tandy Executive Speaker Series breakfast.
7
Andrea Ramos, an undergrad marketing student in Dr. Susan Kleiser’s
marketing research class, listens to a pitch from Keurig, its parent company
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and a group of their marketing
consultants, as they tell students about the competition to help market Keurig
to college students.
8 Dr. Joe Lipscomb, Blake Lipscomb and Steele Schottenheimer at the
10th Annual Investment Strategies Conference in March.
9 MBA/Ed.D. student Randi DeMagistris speaks with representatives from
Northwestern Mutual during the MBA Networking event.
10 Neeley students, along with TCU’s SuperFrog, honor Dr. Stan Block with
a song for his 45 years of service at the Finance Soiree.
12
11
Dean Homer Erekson plants a tree in honor of his visit to T.A. Pai
Management Institute in India as a member of the AACSB Initial
Accreditation Committee.
12
Students stand to be recognized after being inducted into the Beta Gamma
Sigma honor society.
13 Mike Berry, president of Hillwood Properties, Dave Malenfant, vice
president Global Supply Chain at Alcon Labs, and Morgan Swink, executive
director Supply and Value Chain Center, at the 11th Annual Global Supply
Chain Conference.
14 Neeley students meet with industry representatives during the Supply Chain
Round Table.
15
16
Blue Bell Creameries CEO Paul Kruse addresses the audience at the Tandy
Executive Speaker Series breakfast.
16 Master level graduates celebrate their accomplishment after the hooding
ceremony.
41
TCU Box 298530
Fort Worth, Texas 76129
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Personal. Connected. Real.
The Neeley School of Business focuses on personal
development, vital connections and real experiences.
Bright minds are put to work in a variety of learning
environments. Brilliant faculty members electrify
classrooms. Nationally and internationally renowned
executives make powerful connections. And real-world
work experiences ensure that tomorrow’s technology
and business processes become business as usual.
Everything we do is geared toward forging the next
generation of leaders — one unique person at a time.
www.neeley.tcu.edu

Spring 2012 Issue - Neeley School of Business

Transcription

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