MAGAZINE OF THE NEELEY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS / TCU / FALL 2007
a World of possibilities:
doing business on a global scale page 12
Neeley School recognized by Mayor. page 4
Can a retail web site be social? page 10
Neeley alum talks about the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. page 29
It’s More Than Business. It’s Personal.™
BANKING
| INVESTMENTS | INSURANCE | FROSTBANK.COM
Neeley Alum Albert Brinkman
contents
(page 29)
6 In the Spotlight
Seven new professors join Neeley’s distinguished faculty,
broadening the scope of Neeley’s educational impact with their
experience, passion and talent.
10 Study Asks: Can A Retail Web Site Be Social?
MAGAZINE OF THE NEELEY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS / TCU / FALL 2006
Daniel G. Short
Dean and John V. Roach Chair in Business
William L. Cron
Associate Dean of Graduate Programs
J. Vaughn and Evelyne H. Wilson
Professor in Business
William C. Moncrief
Sr. Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs
Charles F. and Alann P. Bedford Professor of
International Business
Christine M. Riordan
Associate Dean for External Relations
Luther Henderson University Chair in Leadership
Editor
Jeff Waite
Front Cover Art
Kino Brod
Art Director
Eric Prather
Contributing Photographers
Christina Heunermund
Linda Kaye
Truitt Rogers
Contributing Editor
Elaine C. Cole
Contributing Writers
Jennifer Humphrey
Phil Johnson
Holly Preston
Researchers find that avatars – virtual online characters designed
to simulate human interactions with users – can enhance
shoppers’ enjoyment and ultimately lead to increased sales.
12 A World of Possibilities
Rapid economic growth is taking place in China. But what about
emerging markets such as Indonesia, Russia and South America?
If commercial enterprises intend to truly serve a worldwide
clientele, all of these and other expanding economies merit
serious consideration.
16 Conference Connections
The Neeley School occupies a distinct position that allows it
to contribute directly to the growth of North Texas businesses
– providing opportunities for business professionals to learn from,
and talk to, some of the nation’s foremost business leaders.
29 Horned Frogs Create Value
Albert Brinkman, director of equity derivatives marketing for the
Philadelphia stock exchange, shares his insights.
Neeley Magazine / Fall 2007 / Vol. 8 No. 2
2 Message from the Dean
3 Media Spotlight
It’s More Than Business. It’s Personal.™
Neeley Magazine (formerly Neeley@dvantage) is published twice a year by External Relations.
Neeley School of Business at TCU
TCU Box 298530, Fort Worth, TX 76129
817-257-7527
[email protected]
4 Hot Off the Press
20 On the Scene
Best B-School Rankings
(page 28)
30 Class Notes
©Neeley School of Business at TCU 2007
Developing ethical leaders with a global perspective who help
shape the business environment.
www.neeley.tcu.edu
Neeley / Fall 2007
message
from the
dean
Exceptional Faculty Are A Cornerstone At Neeley
As I visit with alumni, I am struck by the stories they tell about favorite
faculty. Sometimes the story is about a teacher who provided encouragement
while a student was struggling. Others involve faculty who pushed students to
higher levels of excellence. In all cases, the stories involve faculty who knew
students well enough to give them the exact help they needed.
Attracting and keeping notable, dedicated faculty is a strategic priority for
Neeley. It assures that students receive relevant and vital educational and
professional advantages. As Neeley’s national reputation has increased, so has
our ability to attract exceptional talent. Two new educators joined Neeley last
fall, six more joined this fall, and one more will come in spring. These new
members of the Neeley community combine with our award-winning faculty,
increasing our students’ exposure to new ideas, attitudes and solutions.
Whether taking students on journeys around the globe or chatting oneon-one over a cup of coffee, Neeley educators always give 100 percent. They
push their students to the next level. They bring out potential. They reward
innovation. They dedicate themselves to teaching and research. In short, they
exhibit — every day — the very qualities that students must possess in order to be
successful leaders.
There are many things that contribute to the exceptional Neeley education.
Class sizes that encourage engagement, hands-on projects, meaningful
experiences, and involved alumni. But nothing is more important than learning
from experts who respect their students as much as their subject. Read more
about our new faculty on page 6 and other faculty achievements on page 26.
As we look to build even greater levels of success for the Neeley School,
we look to you. Now more than ever, your support will transform the Neeley
School experience. The newly revitalized Neeley Annual Fund provides every
opportunity to support and encourage our business students. I urge you to join
me in making a gift to the Neeley Annual Fund. To learn more or to give now,
visit advancement.tcu.edu.
At Neeley, it’s about more than effective teaching. It’s about personal
commitment, meaningful connections and real dedication to high achievement.
Our students deserve nothing less.
Daniel G. Short
Dean and John V. Roach Chair in Business
Texas Christian University
media spotlight
Neeley MBA Lauren
Stephens Blows Them Away
On CNBC’s Fast Money
Lauren not only passed the test, she got an
enthusiastic “A” from Dylan Ratigan and the
other hosts of “Fast Money”, CNBC’s prime-time
show for savvy traders. On Friday, June 8, at 7:00
p.m. CST, Lauren represented Neeley
via live web cam in the fast-paced “Grade the
Trade.” In 30 seconds, she coolly rattled off her
recommendations for stock trading based on a
mock situation.
The show’s panel of experts then graded
Lauren’s answers, giving her an “A” and telling
Wall Street to “give that girl a job.”
MBA students from the University of Miami,
University of Southern California and University
of San Diego also competed.
Lauren’s scenario: Coke (KO) and Pepsi (PEP)
decide to follow Jones Soda’s (JSDA) lead and
switch from high fructose corn syrup to pure cane
sugar in all of their sodas. What are you buying,
what are you selling as this scenario unfolds?
Her answer: “I’m neutral about Pepsi because
of their larger product base but selling Coke
because sugar is more expensive. I’m shorting
high-fructose syrup producers such as Archer
Daniels Midland (ADM) and Corn Products
MBA student Laura Stephens takes part in CNBC’s
prime time show “Fast Money” via the web.
International (CPO) and buying sugar suppliers
such as Imperial Sugar (IPSU).”
“She had really good material,” said Stan Block,
finance professor and holder
of the Stan Block Endowed
Chair in Finance. Block is codirector of Neeley’s
Educational Investment Fund.
“She was dynamite.”
CNBC producers were so impressed with
Neeley that they requested another MBA student
for the show. Katie O’Brien will represent Neeley
on “Fast Money,” September 7.
Tops in Business
Forbes ranks Neeley #52 for return on investment
five years after graduation, Fortune Small
Business includes Neeley in the Top 25 Programs
for Undergrads, America’s Best Colleges for
Entrepreneurs, and Hispanic Business recently
notified us that Neeley is #20 in the annual Top
20 Business School for Hispanics. Read the full
story on page 28.
Neeley / Fall 2007
hot off
the
press
Neeley School Earns Mayor’s Global Business Award
By Elaine C. Cole
There were nine contenders from throughout
Tarrant County, including Lockheed Martin and
Bell Helicopter. More than 37 businesses applied
for the honor. At a banquet May 31, 2007, the
Neeley School of Business was presented the
2007 Mayor’s Global Business Award, recognizing
excellence in international business knowledge
and education.
Thinking globally is nothing new to Neeley.
Our mission clearly states that we “develop
ethical leaders with a global perspective who help
shape the business environment.”
“That global perspective is vital,” said Dean
Dan Short. “As today’s market expands around
the globe and virtually everyone is connected
24/7, business leaders of tomorrow need to know
how to manage the global supply chain, how to
identify and manage new areas of competition,
and how to begin or support new ventures.”
Neeley not only teaches global business
perspectives, our faculty research and consult for
companies around the world, and our students
make important connections via trips to China,
South America and more.
“We make sure our students comprehend,
respect and experience the economic,
political, cultural and legal aspects of a global
environment,” added the Dean.
Neeley’s global approach is three-pronged: 1)
Develop and disseminate knowledge about the
global environment; 2) Help students experience
and influence the global environment; 3) Create
powerful global connections.
“Neeley’s international connections give
students first-hand insight into how the business
world is intricately linked, while encouraging
Texas Christian University
curiosity and openness about business differences
and similarities,” said Bill Cron, associate dean
for graduate programs.
Study abroad programs expose students to
business practices and cultural aspects in Mexico,
China, Chile, Italy, France, Germany and
India. These experiences enhance their career
opportunities, help them understand another
culture and connect with students like them from
other countries.
In 2007, Neeley added study abroad programs in
China and India to reflect the growth of business
in those countries, and encouraged additional
faculty to study abroad to incorporate expanded
global issues throughout the Neeley curriculum.
Neeley also has degree agreements with five
international universities: Universidad de las
Americas in Puebla, Mexico; Ecole Supérieure de
Commerce and Burgundy School of Business in
France; Albert Ludwig Universitat in Freiburg,
Germany; and Universidad Mayor in Santiago
and Temuca, Chile.
Many Neeley students work directly with small
businesses in developing countries to provide
business plans and monetary support. For
example, last fall, Neeley students provided a small
woman-owned business in South America with a
feasible business plan to help grow its company.
“On campus or off, Neeley students have
every opportunity to forge powerful global
connections,” said Christine Riordan, associate
dean of external relations.
On campus, 26 percent of Neeley MBA students
are international, representing seven countries.
“Because of Neeley’s personalized environment,
students make lasting friendships and future
Right are photos of just some of the places Neeley
students can visit as part of a study abroad
program. Pictured are Chile, China and
Germany. Bottom center - the 2007
Mayor’s Global Business Award.
career links that know no
boundaries,” she added.
Neeley faculty also
connect with companies
and peers around the
world to facilitate global
research and study
abroad opportunities.
They teach and conduct
research in China, Korea,
Australia, Japan, Thailand,
Singapore, Mexico, Canada,
France, Morocco, Germany,
Argentina, Chile, Peru,
Venezuela, Britain, Turkey,
Switzerland, India, Poland, Russia
and more.
Members of the Neeley faculty
hold leadership positions in the Asian
Academy of Management, American
Marketing Association, and more. Many of
their research articles, books and textbooks are
translated in a variety of languages.
“Whether working alongside someone from a
different country, visiting corporations overseas,
studying abroad or supporting an entrepreneur
in an emerging market, Neeley students see
Rhodes Named Director of
International Programs
In light of today’s growing
global impact on business, Rob
Rhodes, associate professor/
business law, has been named
as Neeley’s new Director of
International Programs. He will
themselves as citizens of the world with expanded
vision, ethics and values,” said Bill Moncrief,
associate dean of undergraduate programs.
coordinate all international programs at both the
graduate and undergraduate levels.
For more information, contact the International
Programs Office at 817-257-6920
Rob Rhodes
Neeley / Fall 2007
in
the
spotlight
By Elaine C. Cole
Neeley Continues to Attract
Exceptional Faculty
Exemplary faculty is the hallmark of a premier
business school, and Neeley claims some of the
best educators and researchers in the world.
Joining Neeley’s distinguished 62 full-time and
29 adjunct faculty are seven professors whose
experience, passion and talent will broaden the
scope of Neeley’s educational impact.
Michael S. Cole, PhD comes from the
University of St. Gallen in Switzerland to be
assistant professor
of Management
at Neeley. He was
a senior research
fellow and lecturer
for the Institute
for Leadership and
Human Resource
Management,
where he focused
his efforts on
investigating
the productive
energy within
organizations. Prior to that, Dr. Cole was assistant
director for the Physicians’ Executive MBA
program, College of Business, Auburn University,
Alabama. He received his PhD from Auburn.
Dr. Cole is co-author of People smart
organizations: Maximizing people, performance and
profits. He has been recognized for his dedication
to research and practice including two best
paper awards from the Organizational Behavior
Division of the Academy of Management.
“My colleagues and I currently are working
with firms to gauge organizational energy levels
and assist key constituencies to make use of
available levers believed to harness and maintain
productive energy levels over time. Our research
Texas Christian University
findings suggest that when effective leadership
is absent, employees’ productive energy levels
diminish, employee morale declines and the
firm’s bottom line suffers.”
Outside of academia, Dr. Cole enjoys the
outdoors - mountain biking, hiking and camping.
“I’ve backpacked through the Greek islands,
explored the island of Sardinia, and tamed the
Inn River in Switzerland. I’m looking forward to
being back in the USA so I can put on my waders
and get in a good duck hunt.”
Mark B. Houston, PhD is associate professor
of Marketing and the Eunice and James L.
West Chair
of American
Enterprise. He
joins Neeley from
the University
of Missouri –
Columbia, where
he spearheaded an
initiative to build
a cross-functional
perspective across
the core MBA
courses. He
earned his PhD
from Arizona State University.
Although he studies a wide range of business
issues, Dr. Houston’s primary research interests
involve innovation management within large
firms and the management of relationships
between channel partners.
“My colleagues and I find that a significant
portion of the relationship quality that a firm
builds up with a customer may actually be
‘owned’ by the individual salesperson who heads
up that account. If the salesperson leaves, much
of the loyalty may walk out the door, as well.”
Dr. Houston has chaired a national conference
for the American Marketing Association and
currently serves on the AMA’s Academic Council.
His interests beyond the university include
family (wife and four kids, ages 3 to 13), music,
movies and sports. “I am a big NFL and NBA
fan, former small college basketball player and a
former triathlete. I still enjoy running, bicycling
and off-road motorcycling.”
Robert Leone, PhD joins Neeley as professor
of Marketing and the J. Vaughn and Evelyne H.
Wilson Chair of
Marketing. He
was with Ohio
State University
since 1993, where
he won multiple
teaching awards.
A Fort Worth
native, he also
was a professor at
the University of
Texas. He earned
his PhD from
Purdue University.
Dr. Leone has been instrumental in leading
curriculum changes to Executive MBA programs,
and program enhancement at both the
undergraduate and graduate levels. His research
has been featured in several prestigious journals.
His research focuses on determining the
lifetime value of a customer, a topic that has
become important in both consumer marketing
and business-to-business marketing.
“Along with looking at how much a customer
spends with a company, my colleagues and I
recently completed research (coming out in
Harvard Business Review) that looks at the
referral value of a customer. We show that even
customers who don’t spend a great deal of money
with a company can be more valuable than
those who do if they have a large social network
and they refer people to the company. This can
change dramatically how companies look at
their customers, since many of these low-spend
customers would typically be ignored.”
Hobbies include reading about golf history,
coin collecting, which he started at an early
age, and collecting Kodak cameras. “I started
collecting Kodak cameras when my Dad gave me
an old Kodak folding camera that belonged to his
mother. I now have more than 100 Kodaks dating
back to the very first model.”
Elizabeth Plummer, PhD joins Neeley as
associate professor of Accounting. She was
associate professor
and the KPMG
Faculty Fellow
in Taxation at
the University
of North Texas,
Denton. Prior to
that, she was an
assistant professor
at Southern
Methodist
University and
the University
of Georgia. She
has been honored as an outstanding teacher
at all three institutions. Prior to teaching, Dr.
Plummer was a Tax Senior for Price Waterhouse
in San Francisco. She has been a CPA since
1988. She received her PhD from the University
of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Plummer’s current research focuses on
property and land value taxation issues, and the
recent changes made to the financial reporting
requirements of state and local governments.
“My colleagues and I are examining the
implications and usefulness of the new
accounting standards. One of the most recent
changes requires state and local governments
to estimate and record on their financial
Neeley / Fall 2007
statements the cost of unfunded retirement
benefits—primarily healthcare. The goal is to
give taxpayers, bondholders and lawmakers a
better understanding of what the government
has promised its employees. This worries some
government leaders. In May, the Texas legislature
passed a bill to allow local governments to opt
out of following the standard; however, opting
out could affect a government’s audit opinion or
its bond rating.”
When she is not in the classroom or
performing research, she enjoys cycling, both
indoors and out. “Steve (husband) and I love the
local weekend rides and are always searching for
a good bike vacation in Texas or elsewhere. Our
favorites so far are Vermont and Oregon.”
Nada R. Sanders, PhD joins Neeley as professor
of Supply Chain Management and the Eunice
and James L.
West Chair of
Supply Chain
Management.
Previously she
was at the Raj
Soin College of
Business at Wright
State University.
She received her
PhD from Ohio
State University.
Dr. Sanders was
ranked 68th in the
top 100 (out of 738) for operations management
research productivity in U.S. business schools.
She has conducted research on a range
of business decisions in the supply chain
environment, from strategic sourcing to
business forecasting. Her expertise is in the
area of combining managerial and statistical
forecasts. “Accurate forecasting is critical to
organizational capability. Statistical methods
Texas Christian University
alone can be ineffective in forecasting today’s
complex business environment. Managers
understand the forces affecting the forecast,
so properly combining this knowledge with
statistical methods – following established rules
– significantly improves forecast accuracy.”
Dr. Sanders will be General Chair of the
Production and Operations Management
Society 2008 annual conference, and is active
in the Council of Supply Chain Management
Professionals, International Institute of
Forecasters and Decision Sciences Institute.
She and has worked with firms such as ATT,
Bank One, MTC Corporation and the
Schottenstein Corporation.
She has many interests outside of her
profession. “I enjoy most types of art, and will
not miss an opportunity to see an exhibit. I also
love music, from U2 to opera. Most of all, I enjoy
being outside near the water, especially the ocean,
power walking on the beach, boating, or just
sitting by the water and reflecting.”
Siri Terjesen, PhD joins Neeley as assistant
professor of Management. Concurrently, she is a
Visiting Research
Fellow at the Max
Planck Institute
of Economics in
Jena, Germany.
Previously, she was
a lecturer at the
London School
of Economics
and Political
Science and a
senior lecturer
at the Brisbane
Graduate School
of Business at Queensland University of
Technology, Australia. She received her PhD from
the Cranfield School of Management in the U.K.
in
Dr. Terjesen’s research interests include
strategic management and international
entrepreneurship. “My latest research, on
behalf of the World Bank, took me to a remote
village in India where I documented the role of
technological entrepreneurship in improving the
lives of the Irula tribe.”
She serves on the boards of Corporate
Research, NPRC and Silicon Capital.
Dr. Terjesen has run over 100 marathons and
ultramarathons around the world, including 35
victories in Australia, Belgium, Korea, Norway,
Spain, U.K. and U.S.A. She has represented
the U.S. in World Championships and won a
bronze medal at the IAU 50K Trophy World
Championships in the Netherlands in 2006. “I
love the camaraderie and find that ultrarunners
the world over are a friendly bunch full of energy
and laughs. I also enjoy traveling to the more
distant parts of the world to meet new people and
see great places.”
Chris White, PhD comes to Neeley from
Michigan State University to be assistant
professor of
Marketing. He
previously was
assistant professor
of marketing for
the University of
Central Florida,
and was president
of Texas Tractor
& Equipment
Co., a John Deere
dealership. He
received his MBA
and PhD from
Texas A&M University.
Dr. White has received numerous teaching
honors and competitive research grants, and is
a previous recipient of the Harold H. Maynard
the
spotlight
Award, which recognizes the Journal of Marketing
article making the most significant contribution
to marketing theory and thought.
His research focuses on marketing decisionmaking. Understanding how organizations
collect and make sense of market information
is especially important because, to survive
and prosper in a competitive marketplace, an
organization must strive to continuously respond
to market changes that can be discontinuous and
difficult to predict.
“My colleagues and I have found that
organizations able to accurately anticipate market
events and trends ahead of competitors introduce
new products that are more creative and that
establish rather than merely follow market trends.”
Dr. White is a member of the Academy of
International Business, Academy of Marketing
Science, and American Marketing Association,
where he is a member of the Marketing Strategy
Strategic Interest Group.
When not teaching or performing research, he
and his wife Janis like to play tennis and travel.
He is also a home theater enthusiast and devotes
a lot of effort into perfecting a home theater. “I
guess watching more than 100 movies qualifies
me as a movie buff.”
We welcome Drs. Cole, Houston, Leone,
Plummer, Sanders, Terjesen and White as the
newest members of the Neeley family. With these
new professors added to our already outstanding
faculty, we look forward to an increasingly vibrant
future for the school, our students and graduates.
Visit www.neeley.tcu.edu for more
news about Neeley faculty.
Neeley / Fall 2007
Study Asks: can a retail web site be social?
By Jennifer R. Humphrey, Dick Jones Communications
A groundbreaking look at the emerging
technology of web site avatars provides intriguing
implications for online retailers by clearly
showing avatars to be potentially powerful
marketing tools.
The investigation revealed that avatars – virtual
online characters designed to simulate human
interactions with users – can enhance shoppers’
enjoyment and ultimately lead to increased sales.
This is good news for retailers, who collectively
pour billions of dollars into online marketing,
and suggests an effective new way to grab
customers’ attention.
“Can a Retail Web site Be Social?” is the
first study to examine consumer reactions to
simulated social interactivity with retail web site
avatars that serve as shopping guides to help users
navigate the sites.
The study was conducted by Julie Baker,
Associate Professor of Marketing with the Neeley
School of Business, along with colleagues Liz C.
Wang of the University of Dallas, Judy Wagner of
East Carolina University, and Kirk Wakefield of
Baylor University. It appeared in the July issue of
the Journal of Marketing.
“The answer to the question is definitely yes,”
said Baker.
“Avatars are just beginning to be used on
retail web sites, and we wanted to examine their
effectiveness. We found that online retailers can
get very good results with avatars, with thoughtful
use,” she said.
“Online customers often miss the type of
human connection they have with sales personnel
in brick-and-mortar stores,” she continued.
“On a web site, just the existence of a virtual
character serving as a shopping guide can increase
shoppers’ intentions to purchase by increasing
their positive emotions.”
When an avatar behaves in a seemingly social
manner through employing specific social cues,
customers are likely to behave as if the guide
were a live person. This holds true even for the
10
Texas Christian University
most computer savvy of users, and is due to a
natural, ingrained response from people when
an invitation to social interaction is extended
to them, even if by an automated character on a
computer screen.
The four social cues studied were: written
language, spoken language, interactivity with
users, and serving in a role (in this case, that of
shopping guide).
“Can a Retail Web site Be Social?” reports
on a pair of investigations. The first examined
reactions to a laboratory-created web site centered
on Caribbean travel, both with a graphically
designed avatar and without. Participants were
333 undergraduates at a large Southwestern
university, most of whom were experienced
online shoppers.
The first investigation looked at whether an
avatar could increase users’ perceptions that
the site was social, and, if so, whether these
perceptions led to heightened pleasure and
interest, in turn resulting in enhanced flow,
enjoyment value and utilitarian value, and intent
to purchase.
Flow is a state reached when users become
absorbed in an activity. It was found that both
flow and pleasure have
positive influences on the
enjoyment value (called
“hedonic value”) of the
web site and its utilitarian
value as a tool toward
achieving a goal. Both
hedonic and utilitarian
values were found
to strongly influence
patrons’ intentions.
Cybelle is your virtual guide,
or avatar, in AgentLand. See
Cybelle at agentland.com
The second investigation, designed to verify
and broaden the results of the first, used a real
web site for custom window blinds, a utilitarian
item. The 250 participants were homeowners
from across the nation, divided into three age
groups (21-35, 36-50, and 50+). The majority were
experienced online shoppers.
Well-known individuals can serve as avatars
on company web sites. Above, Emeril Lagasse
and Owen Wilson promote Barnes & Noble and
Universal Pictures respectively. For other samples
of avatars visit www.rovion.com
The second investigation largely supported the
results of the first, and revealed that pleasure was
increased only for those with an actual interest in
the product. Women enjoyed themselves more
than did men, and, while utilitarian value led to
patronage for all age groups, older participants
found less utilitarian value in the site and were
less likely to buy. This latter result was unexpected,
and the authors recommend further research.
“We found strong and consistent evidence
throughout the two studies that social cues
provided by web site avatars produce user
perceptions that the web sites are more social,
and that those perceptions have a significant
positive influence. Those are key findings,
and it didn’t matter if the avatar was
a graphic character or a video of a real
person,” said Baker.
Avatars, however, should be used
carefully, she advises. For example, they
must not be annoyingly intrusive. “Our
avatars appeared on the home page and
several other major pages, but not on
every page. You can’t have them popping
up everywhere.”
Avatars should be designed to appeal to target
customer groups and be appropriate for the
product or service. For instance, the study points
out, a “teenager” avatar hawking financial services
most likely would not be well received.
Some types of web sites may even be
inappropriate venues for avatars. “Buyers of
low-cost, familiar, utilitarian products may feel
intruded upon and that the avatar is impeding
their purchasing goals,” Baker explained.
More study is needed, to further test avatars
with different products, services, consumer
demographics and social cues, says Baker. A
more thorough understanding of the effective
use of avatars will help retailers maximize web
site resources and see greater value for their
marketing dollars.
Visit www.neeley.tcu.edu for more
Neeley Faculty Research.
Neeley / Fall 2007
11
12
Texas Christian University
A World of Possibilities:
Doing Business on a Global Scale
By Phil Johnson
Within the broad scope of 21st-century global
economics, it is no secret that rapid growth trends in
China are figuratively setting the commercial world
on fire.
But what about other emerging markets that are
becoming hot items – in places such as the huge expanse
of territory that is Indonesia? Or the even greater
territorial sprawl of Russia, or the awakening market
economies of South America?
The fact is that if commercial enterprises intend to
maintain the status of truly serving a worldwide clientele,
all of these and other expanding economies merit serious
consideration. And that represents a sea change in global
economics even compared to the past decade or two.
It’s not that the trends have only been discernible for
the past few short years. It’s more a matter of corporate
planners collectively establishing a priority to adjust both
their outlooks and their greater imaginations toward the
world that will evolve in the coming decades.
In a recent interview with Ascend magazine, Dr. Garry
Bruton, management professor and holder of the Fehmi
Zeko Faculty Fellowship at the Neeley School of Business,
said that emergent markets will, in the future, play major
roles in the world economy.
“One of the current predictions is that the BRIC
nations – Brazil, Russia, India and China – will by year
2050 have larger economies than the G-6 (United States,
the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, France and Italy),”
said Bruton, who is president of the Asia Academy of
Management, an Asian economic-management and
education group.
“Now, that doesn’t mean per-capita annual income will
be larger among the BRIC nations as compared to the
G-6, but their total economies will be. And this would
definitely represent a major shift in purchasing power
across the world stage.”
Nonetheless, there are various caveats to be considered
in thoroughly evaluating the relative likelihood of
fulfillment of such sweeping global economic predictions.
“Today, nations such as Russia and Brazil are still
relatively poor,” Bruton told Ascend. “India and China
– despite all of their current flash and sizzle in the world
economic framework – still have per-capita annual
incomes that amount to an equivalent of less than $1,000
per person.”
In Eastern Europe, commercial leadership is surfacing
in places such as Warsaw and Prague, as Poland, the
Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and other formerly
controlled economies that were stymied under bygone
Soviet domination enter a new era of market possibilities
as members of the expanded European Union.
When looking at other emerging economic points on
the globe, a country such as Indonesia stands out. The
Indonesian economy – like that of many of the former
Soviet republics, as well as Russia itself – will long be
bolstered by immense reserves of oil and gas that are in
many instances just now being tapped through modern
technological developments that have made production of
those reserves economically feasible.
Another often-overlooked country, Chile recently was
invited by the Organization of Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD) countries to be among four
other countries to open discussions for becoming a
member. According to the OECD’s opinion, Chile’s
economic and social policies have become a landmark for
the region. Chile’s Gross Domestic Product in 2006 was
$146 billion.
According to chileangovernment.gov, international
integration is a strategic project that determines the
country’s capacity for ongoing growth and development,
and foreign investors have a key place in this project.
The website states that, if smaller economies like Chile
are to take full advantage of their natural wealth, they must
integrate into, and compete on, international markets.
Still, any current analysis of global economic growth
potential tends to be drawn like a powerful magnet back
to China.
As a special administrative region of China, Hong Kong
is largely, outside of foreign affairs, able to administer its
own economy under the stated Chinese principle of ‘one
nation – two systems.’
Neeley / Fall 2007
13
“Today, over half of the tourists to Hong Kong are
mainland Chinese,” Bruton said. “Without these tourists,
Hong Kong would be in an economic depression. Instead,
Hong Kong is experiencing rapidly expanding growth.”
There is obviously enormous potential for corporations
to better serve the teeming populations of China, but in
many subtle and some perhaps not-so-subtle ways, it won’t
be easy.
In his 2005 book, The World Is Flat, foreign-affairs
commentator Thomas Friedman speculated that
globalization is “flattening” away the dissimilarities
between countries and regions.
Neeley marketing professors George Low and Dave
Cravens reached similar conclusions in their research
regarding sales management processes.
“Our key findings support Friedman’s thesis regarding
sales management processes and effects for international
companies in business-to-business sales,” said Low. “We
found some variation between individual countries
— most likely due to differences in culture, political
stability and economic wealth — but were surprised
to find no major differences between developed and
undeveloped countries.”
“More than anything else, our research indicates that
managers and executives need to recognize this trend,
evaluate their sales strategies and make any necessary
adjustments to better operate on a global basis,” said
Low, “but this doesn’t eliminate the need to recognize
substantial differences between countries.”
In India, internet penetration is much lower, and the
power of certain business groups much greater.
And China represents an economic conundrum, with
traditional control forces pulling and pushing against
much more recently established market forces.
14
Texas Christian University
“One of the keys is how to reach these customers,”
Bruton said in his interview. “The Chinese government
is much more prevalent than the U.S. government in the
economy, and thus, the Chinese government has strong
controls over data. In China, the powers-that-be want that
data, and simple things like airline flights are controlled.
“To serve the Chinese market, a lot of Western
companies have learned that they must have an actual
presence in China. But there are also issues involved in
locating in China. So the quandary becomes whether
to locate in China, locate in Hong Kong to obtain
protection of law but still be in China, or to subcontract.”
The opportunity to cash in on the potential of the
economic giant that China represents has become too
strong a draw for many Western-based companies to resist.
“For academics, one of the great debates has become
whether the newly dominant Asian economies will just
continue to get bigger or whether calcification will set
in,” Bruton told Ascend. “If calcification does develop, it
would occur when these nations privatize.
“They ultimately end up with some major private firms.
But then the question becomes: After these firms win,
will their nations be willing for them to fail?
“I tend to be in the camp that some nations, such as
China, may turn out to be today’s Internet boom. China
as a nation is growing rapidly, offering great long-term
opportunities, but at the same time, I see many firms
making very unrealistic decisions about a market that will
take time to fully expand and will not likely continue its
current 9 percent growth rate over the next 50 years.
“Recall that Taiwan, Korea and Japan all had similar
levels of growth at a similar level of development, and
they eased off to more typical growth levels. Additionally,
those nations at that time had developed clear world
competitors among their own companies, which China
for the most part has yet to do.”
None of that eradicates the clear potential of many of
today’s most prominent emerging economies – economies
that will inevitably be reckoned with in the global
commercial and trade picture of the 21st century to some
significant extent.
Precisely how significant is one of those vital current
economic questions – the answer to which we’ll find out
within a few very short but economically exciting decades.
Phil Johnson is a freelance business writer.
The Neeley Global Itinerary
By Elaine C. Cole
Neeley students take advantage of traveling to
and studying in countries around the world.
They see how individuals live, buy and sell, and
witness first-hand how income, communication,
culture and government impacts both social and
business circumstances.
Graduate and undergraduate students travel
to Hong Kong and mainland China to gain
sophisticated experience. They research business
practices, tour companies, talk to employers and
employees, meet Neeley alumni who are both
native American and native Chinese, and tour
culturally historical sites.
Dr. Nancy Nix, Dr. Laura Meade and Assistant
Dean Mark Muller traveled to China with Neeley
undergrads in May. While there, the students
studied supply chain implications and the role
of technology in sourcing
from China, the cultural
differences to be considered
by U. S. firms doing business
in China, the entrepreneurial
business environment in China,
key issues and challenges
confronting U.S. managers and
professionals on foreign work
assignments in China, and
the financial and marketing
implications of doing business in China.
“The most rewarding part of the trip was
seeing the transformation in the students as
they saw the potential for their involvement in
international business,” said Muller.
“They began with apprehension about being
dropped into a foreign environment. (We
purposely had them arrange on their own how
to get from the airport to the hotel in Shanghai
instead of on a group bus.) By the end of the
journey, they truly welcomed the possibility of
working abroad in their future career paths.”
“Immersed in the culture, students come
to grips with how to do business in a country
where there is a language and culture barrier,”
said Supply Chain Professor Chad Autry, who,
along with Accounting Professor Rob Rhodes
took Professional MBA students to Cologne,
Germany, in May 2007 to attend classes in
Cross-Cultural Management. “Most of all, they
experience that business – and the job market
– is truly global. They start to truly understand
that you can’t just settle for being the best in your
class. You’ve got competition coming at you from
all over the globe.”
Santiago, Chile, is another major destination
for Neeley excursions. Marketing Professor
Shannon Shipp took MBA students there in
December 2006, and the Neeley Fellows class
traveled there in May 2007 with Drs. Beata Jones,
Greg Stephens and Bill Moncrief.
Neeley Fellows received a historical and
cultural overview, including
how the practice of Chilean
business has changed over
the years. They also covered
Chile’s participation in foreign
trade agreements around the
world, how to communicate
and negotiate in Chile,
human resources practices and
challenges, leadership issues,
and political, legal, and ethical
issues that affect business.
“Neeley’s study abroad initiatives help our
students bring the big picture into focus,” said
Rhodes, the director of International programs
at Neeley. “While there is a great deal of diversity
within the classroom, you can’t truly know the
value of another culture until you are surrounded
by it.
“Traveling to other countries, touring
businesses there and meeting their peers
– these experiences challenge their assumptions
and broaden their perspectives. It’s intense,
challenging and greatly rewarding as it opens the
doors of business to the world.”
Neeley / Fall 2007
15
Neeley Conferences Connect Business
with Latest Strategies and Trends
conference
connections
By Holly Preston
The Neeley School occupies a distinctive
position in the Dallas-Fort Worth business
community. It is a position that allows us to
contribute directly to the growth of North Texas
businesses – providing educational opportunities
and giving business professionals the chance to
learn from, and talk to, some of the nation’s
foremost business leaders.
Conference on Entrepreneurship in
Emerging Markets
Some of the world’s top entrepreneurial experts
came to Neeley for the first-ever conference on
Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets. The twoday event, which looked at entrepreneurship
issues in China, East & Central Europe, India,
Indonesia, South America and Vietnam, was
organized by Management Professor Garry
Bruton, academic director for the Neeley
Entrepreneurship Center.
Shaker Zahra, from the University of
Minnesota, kicked off the conference with a
presentation of the first major paper on
entrepreneurship in primarily Muslim areas of
the world.
Economic Outlook Conference
The Center for Business and Economic
Forecasting (CBEF) hosted their first Economic
Outlook Conference, featuring Richard W.
16
Texas Christian University
Fisher, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve
Bank of Dallas. The conference drew business
professionals from throughout the Metroplex, as
well as reporters for Reuters, Dow Jones,
Bloomberg and the Star-Telegram.
Fisher talked about trends in the global
economy and the role of the Federal Reserve in
meeting the challenges globalization poses for
monetary policy and banking. He emphasized the
benefits of globalization, such as lower costs and
increased productivity, which impact the local,
national and international level.
Ira Silver, director of the CBEF, gave his
economic outlook for the U.S. He predicted
slower economic growth in 2007, but overblown
concerns over housing and mortgage problems
will lead the economy to pick up for 2008.
Van Jones, assistant director, covered the local
economy, pointing to a recent survey of 150 local
business leaders who were optimistic about
economic conditions in the next 12 months to
two years.
Family Business Seminar
The Neeley Entrepreneurship Center brought
one of the nation’s top family business experts,
Dr. Sam Lane of the Aspen Family Business
Group, to TCU in April for the first Family
Business Seminar.
Lane delved into succession planning,
developing family boards, conflict resolution,
strategic planning and team building. His most
important point: the unique challenges that
family-owned businesses face can be
met successfully with
thoughtful planning and
open discussion between
family members.
Global Supply Chain
Conference
Industry innovation was the focus
of this year’s 6th Annual Global
Supply Chain Conference at Texas
Motor Speedway. Hosted by the
Supply and Value Chain Center, the
conference brought together supply chain
executives to learn from global leaders and
network with peers.
Highlights included: putting the right
merchandise in the right stores, the importance
of supply chain in achieving global vision, steps to
innovation, technology for real-time decisions
and case studies from Dell and Textron. A
unique, interactive “Face the Music Blues
Workshop” – complete with a live band – helped
attendees refocus their energies.
Investor Strategies Conference
The Investor Strategies Conference looked at
highly topical capital market trends such as hedge
funds and private equity firms. The discussion
was moderated by Bryan King of Luther King
Capital Management and included David
Hutchings of Albourne, J.K. Brown of Och-Ziff
Capital Management Group, David Haley of
HBK, and Cliff Robbins of Blue Harbour Group,
L.P. Jon Bader, chief investment officer of
Halcyon Asset Management, delivered the
keynote address.
From top to bottom - Three panel members from the
Investment Strategies Conference; attendees of the
Family Business Seminar; and participants at the 2007
Global Supply Chain Conference.
The conference delivered these points:
Alternative investment approaches have become
increasingly popular after the bursting of the
stock market bubble at the start of the
millennium. Hedge funds and private equity
firms now have more than $2.5 trillion in capital
to invest. These funds are loosely regulated and
typically flexible in their approaches. There is no
benchmark, and the strategies are ever-changing,
often difficult to decipher, but increasingly
overlapping. It is challenging to keep up with the
complicated evolution that is occurring; yet the
daily financial and front page headlines demand
that it be done.
Neeley / Fall 2007
17
Neeley Lauded by Star-Telegram for Strong Ethics
Each September, The Wall Street Journal ranks top business schools. This year, Neeley
will not be on the list, not because we don’t have one of the top MBA programs in
the nation (we do), but because we did not meet one of the criteria: 50 graduates in
our full-time program. Star-Telegram business reporter Mitchell Schnurman wrote an
article on Sept. 27, 2006, about the ranking and Neeley’s decision. It is reprinted below
courtesy of the Star-Telegram.
School backed by strong ethics
by Mitchell Schnurman
Two years ago, Dan Short came to Texas Christian
University to be dean of the business school and
promptly declared, “I want to own Texas.”
His bravado was meant to inspire TCU fans and
gently rib his better-known competitors in Dallas,
Houston, Austin and College Station.
These days, when Short makes a local speech, he
sometimes recalls the comment and takes off again.
“I tell people it’s only trash-talkin’ if you don’t do
it,” Short says, channeling Dizzy Dean.
He and the Neeley School of Business have reason
to crow. Last week, in a special report by The Wall
Street Journal, Neeley was ranked No. 11 among
regional business schools nationwide, higher than the
University of Texas at Austin (18), Rice (26), Southern
Methodist University (29) and Texas A&M (31).
It’s a notable achievement, but Short better get in
all the braggin’ he can because it’s not going to last.
Unless The Journal changes its criteria, TCU won’t
make the list for at least the next three years. That’s
because enrollment in its full-time MBA program has
been declining -- down by a third in four years -- and
its head count is now below the minimum needed to
be included in The Journal review.
Short and some Neeley faculty wrestled with the
idea of relaxing admission standards, at least enough
to admit the minimum 50 new students every year.
But they stuck by their standards, deciding that it
was more important to keep producing the kind of
graduates that local corporations have come to expect.
18
Texas Christian University
“We want to do well on the [business school] polls,
but we don’t want to be managed by them,” Short says.
Every dean in the country would say that, but how
many would walk away from one of the top publicity
tools in the trade?
The Journal’s ranking is particularly well-suited to a
small school like Neeley, which emphasizes individual
attention and works closely with about 30 large
corporations. It’s also prestigious, because the score is
based on surveys of corporate recruiters, not business
school deans.
“These are the opinions of people who are
spending money to find the best employees they can,”
Short says.
The Journal ranking has “a tremendous halo effect”
at Neeley, he says, getting the attention of students,
faculty, donors and recruiters. He’s currently trying
to lure two top-notch professors to Fort Worth, and a
strong reputation is crucial.
“Five years ago, I’m not convinced they would even
be looking at us,” Short says.
So why not play the game a bit? Neeley was just five
students shy of The Journal minimum for the class
that graduated last spring. That’s the group to be
considered in the next Journal ranking, and Neeley
was only seven students short in the next year.
The school could have easily admitted enough
applicants. Test scores weren’t the hang-up; it was
four years of work experience.
Neeley could hit the threshold by simply accepting
more students who had been out of school for less
time. Except that big employers want more maturity
and a longer track record from the Neeley MBAs.
“If our sole objective was to get in the [Journal]
ranking, we could have done it, but it would have
been self-defeating,” says Bill Cron, Neeley’s associate
dean of graduate programs. “If employers weren’t
happy with our students, we’d end up shooting
ourselves in the foot.”
Cron plans to visit The Journal next week in New
York and suggest that editors reconsider the 50student threshold. He argues that the ranking already
sets a minimum for the number of recruiters who
visit and that those recruiter visits are a factor in the
final scoring.
In his view, TCU already has a strike against it. If it
attracts enough recruiters, isn’t that reason enough to
consider what they have to say?
Sounds OK with me, because I’m primarily
interested in what employers are looking for and how
the schools measure up. Neeley MBAs apparently
do quite well on communication, teamwork and
integrity, the three top-rated attributes by the 4,125
recruiters who participated in The Journal survey.
If TCU is doing so well, why is enrollment falling?
A broader trend is at work. Until this year,
applications for full-time MBA programs had been
declining for most of the decade. More professionals
who wanted an MBA decided to hold on to their jobs
and take courses at night and on weekends.
Neeley’s part-time MBA program has grown
sharply, attracting 230 students this year, compared
with 143 students in 2002.
The total head count in Neeley’s graduate programs
is up 24 percent in four years, despite the decline in
full-time students.
This is an economic decision for many. Getting
a traditional Neeley MBA takes two years and costs
$43,200 in tuition.
As an alternative, students can take (still-expensive)
classes part-time and hold on to their jobs, and often
get employers to pick up some of the tab. Tuition
reimbursement programs are not nearly as generous
as they were five to 10 years ago, but part-time
programs are a better deal for many.
SMU has seen similar trends, although its full-time
enrollment hasn’t fallen as much as TCU’s, says
Albert Niemi Jr., dean of the Cox business school.
But a new business school prototype is developing,
Niemi said.
In five years, he projects that evening and part-time
students will account for 60 percent of the MBA class
at SMU; executives who attend on weekends will
account for 20 percent; and full-time students will
make up just the remaining 20 percent.
Niemi says that Short made the right call on The
Journal rankings, and he shouldn’t worry about the
influence on others.
Another observer suggests that Short and Neeley
may even get to spin the story their way.
Neuman Pollack, co-author of Barron’s Guide to
Graduate Business Schools, plans to update his next
edition with details about TCU and The Journal
rankings. “It speaks to the high ethics at the school,”
he said.
And that may give Short something else to
brag about.
© 2006 Star-Telegram and wire service sources. All
Rights Reserved
Neeley / Fall 2007
19
on
the
scene
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
Maria Correa, a senior marketing major and BNSF Next
Generation Leadership student, and Maxine Clark, founder, chairman
and chief executive bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop at the Tandy
Executive Speaker Series breakfast.
2
Marilyn Angel, Kathleen Rhode, Nathan Ryall and Erica Savage
The 2007 full-time MBA class at the Spring Hooding Ceremony.
5
Neeley Leadership Week International Panel members were 1)
Manfred Brauchle, Director of Graduate Programs at the Universidad
Mayor in Santiago, Chile; 2) Garry Bruton, Academic Coordinator for
Neeley Entrepreneurship Center; 3) Manochehr Dorraj, International
enjoy the team-building exercise during the 2007 ACHIEVE Summer
Politics Professor; 4) Scott Fitzgerald, Executive Director of Europe,
Business Institute.
Africa and Middle East for Bell Helicopter Textron; and 5) Sigi Frias
3
Dr. Garry Bruton, far right, and Neeley MBA students with Ken
Tan, center, manager of Valspar Paints, in front of the factory in Dong
Guan, China.
20
4
Texas Christian University
Rodriguez, Director, Fort Worth Office of International Affairs.
6
Ross Perot Jr. addresses Metroplex business leaders, Neeley faculty,
staff and MBA students at a Tandy Executive Speaker Series event.
7
8
9
10
11
12
7
Dr. Nancy Nix, Director of the Supply and Value Chain Center,
and Xiao Yuan at an alumni event in Beijiing.
8
Students Blake Bonner, Noble Starnes, Jessica Miller, Susan
10 Dr. Stan Block, finance professor, and high school student Nirjhor
Rahman visit during the TCU High School Investor Challenge.
11
Neeley Fellows Leslie Taylor, April Taylor, Jennifer Braatz and
Miller and Jay Miller, AKA MBAS Consulting, competed in the case
Kristen Chapman enjoy sightseeing during a trip to Santiago, Chile.
competition held during Neeley Leadership Week.
12
9
Ira Silver, Director of the Center for Business and Economic
Forecasting, and Richard Fisher, President and CEO of the Federal
ACHIEVE Summer Business Institute students Kathleen Rhode,
Hunter Shelburne, Lindsay Shelton and Stephanie Sherwood proudly
display their “achieve” plaques after their final presentation.
Reserve Bank of Dallas, at the Economic Outlook Conference.
Neeley / Fall 2007
21
We Couldn’t Do It
Without You
International Board of Visitors
Bernard Appel, Appel Associates
Michael Baer, baerpro AG
Connie Beck, Comerica Incorporated
Mike Berry, Hillwood Properties
Frank Blase, igus GmbH
Nick Bomersbach, JCPenney
Tim Carter, OmniAmerican
Toby Darden, Quicksilver Resources Inc.
John F. Davis III, Pegasus Solutions, Inc.
Jacqualyn Fouse, Bunge, Limited
Jim Fredericks
John Gavin, Wells Fargo
Nick Giachino, Pepsico (retired)
William Greenwood, The Zephyr Group
Jeff Guy, Dallas Museum of Art
Ralph Heath, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company
Thomas Hund, BNSF Railway
Bruce Hunt, Petro-Hunt, LLC
Henry Joyner, American Airlines, Inc.
Karen Kennedy, Impel Management Services, LLC
Luther King Jr., Luther King Capital Management
Warren Mackey, Arles Management
Thomas Meagher Jr., GROSVENOR Capital Management, LP
Maribess Miller, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Preston Miller, AmeriCredit Corp.
Philip Norwood, Frost Bank
Brian O’Regan, Fidelity Investments
Ron Parker, Frito Lay North America
Bill Poteet III, HCA (retired)
David Purcell, Continental Advisors, LLC
John Roach, Roach Enterprises
Leonard Roberts, RadioShack (retired)
Tim Sear, Alcon Laboratories
Bob Semple, Worth Bancorporation, Inc.
P.D. Shabay, Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc.
Richard Stevenson, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company
Roy Topham, Keenum & Topham, CPA
Paulette Turner, IBM (retired)
Scott Ward, Russell Stover Candies, Inc.
Fehmi Zeko, Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc.
LKCM Center for Financial Studies
Scot Hollmann, Luther King Capital Management
John Peavey, Dana Investments, Inc.
Mo Rodriguez, Neeley School of Business
Dean Daniel Short, Neeley School of Business
Joe Lipscomb, Neeley School of Business
Barbara Wood, Neeley School of Business
Neeley Alumni Executive Board:
J. Michael Atkinson BBA ‘84, MMA Investments, LLC
Kent Backus ’ EMBA ‘02, Har- Conn Chrome Co. of Texas
John Billings MBA ‘99, Travelocity Partner Network
Mary Beth Borst PMBA ‘02, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company
John Cockrell Sr. BBA ‘69, Cockrell Printing
Jennifer Duncan BBA ‘96, Hermes Sargent Bates, LLP
Jim Estill BBA ‘69, MBA ‘77, Calloway’s Nurseries, Inc.
Michele Gagne EMBA ‘03, Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc.
Kevin Scott Gunnip BBA ‘95, Morgan Stanley
Konrad Halbert PMBA ‘03, First Financial Trust & Asset
Management Company
Michael Herman BBA ‘80, MBA ‘90, Chase Paymentech
Solutions, LLC
Michael Jamieson BBA ‘91, UBS Investment Bank
Chris Kalish PMBA ‘03, UNT Health Science Center
Sol D. Kanthack BBA ‘94, Brightroom, Inc.
David Medanich BBA ‘79, First Southwest Company
Paul H. Morgan III MBA ‘96, Clear Channel Radio
Cori Nemec BBA ‘07, UBS Investment Bank
Pam Noble MBA ‘91, Austin
Michael Pavell BBA ‘93, MBA ‘99, Bank of America
Tomas Puky MBA ‘02, VA TECH Hydro USA Corp.
Hannah Quach MAc ‘05, Ernst & Young
Scott Sheehan BBA ‘99, Lehman Brothers
Stephanie Steinmetz MAc ‘06, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Chip Webster BBA ‘70, MBA ‘72, Adams Resources & Energy
Neeley Alumni Executive Board Student Representatives
Rachel Sauer BBA ‘08
Kelly Tipton MAc ‘08
Tres Masser MBA ‘08
Melissa McIntyre MBA ‘08
Marcia Hensley PMBA ‘08
Joe Vojtkofsky EMBA ‘08
J. Luther King, Luther King Capital Management
Thank You
22
Texas Christian University
Merci
Danke Schön
Gracias
Thanks To Our Many Advisory Board Members
Neeley Entrepreneurship Center
Amy Brown, Geode Partners, Inc.
Tom Chambers, Chambers-Interest
David Corbin, Corbin & Company
Barry E. Davis, Crosstex Energy Companies
Randy Eisenman, Handango, Inc
Ash Huzenlaub, Ashco Group LLC
Bobby McGee, United Growth Funds
Tim McKibben, Ancor Holdings
Sarah Smith, Philanthropist
EMBA Alumni Board
Bob Montgomery ‘02, Montgomery Partners, Inc.
Linda Price ‘02, FedExKinkos
Sean Choate ‘03, Verizon
Angie O’Brien ‘03, DFW International Airport
Kent Ash ‘04, American Airlines Federal Credit Union
Jody Hutchison ‘04, BNSF Railway
Lettie Haynes ‘05, BNSF Railway
Dave Martin ‘05, Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc.
Marion Armstrong ‘06, Armstrong Forensic Laboratory, Inc.
Dennis Feeney ‘06, RadioShack
MAc Advisory Board
Dan Berce, AmeriCredit
Bill Cole, Symon Communications
Jacqualyn Fouse, Alcon Laboratories
John Goble, Byrd Investments
Doug Herring, American Airlines
Shawn Hessing, KPMG
Richard Jones, Weaver & Tidwell
Bill Leonard, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Michael Murphy, Deloitte & Touche
David Neal, Whitley Penn
Richard Payne, Ernst & Young
Robert Schumacher, Texland Petroleum
Heather Shaffer, Mary Kay, Inc.
Suzanne Stevens, Crescent Real Estate Equities
Renee Tidwell, Tarrant County
John Boettcher, American Airlines, Inc.
Allen Clem, TTI, Inc.
Hunter Cole, Army & Air Force Exchange Service
Bill Frainey, DFW International Airport
Kerry Frey, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company
Lorie Gibbons, PM ATLAS
Dave Malenfant, Alcon Laboratories
Todd Olsen, BNSF Railway
Syd Rauworth, RadioShack (retired)
Miles Wills, Corning Inc.
Paul Campbell, Frito-Lay (retired)
Carrie Kemmer, Neeley School of Business
Laura Meade, Neeley School of Business
Nancy Nix, Neeley School of Business
2007 eBusiness Association Alumni Advisory Board
Judge Graham, BBA ’02, Rassai Interactive
Reuben Reynoso, BBA ’02, Westec InterActive, Inc.
Yushau Sodiq, BBA ’02, SecureWorks
Brigitte Gorman, BBA ’03, Southwest Consulting Associates
Jason Smith, BBA ’03, Arcos Business Technology Inc.
Catherine Nullan, BBA ’03, Graduate student at SMU
Steve Owens, BBA ‘04, Textron
Ryan Campbell, BBA ’04, Alcon Laboratories
Andrew Smith, BBA ’04, Salesforce.com
Jill Sooby, BBA ’05, BNSF Railway
Mike Wynn, BBA ’05, GSA
Haroon Xavier, BBA ’05, Texas Health Resources
John Kerl BBA ’06, CapGemini
Robby Daly, BBA ’06, Alcon Laboratories
Students in Free Enterprise Business Advisory Board
Paul E. Allen, Hilb Rogal Hobbs
Jimmy Bennett, CPA
Lisa Cox, Junior Achievement of the Chisholm Trail
Richard (Dick) Craiglow, TECH Fort Worth
Shari McInaney, Walgreens
Darlene Ryan, TECH Fort Worth
Johnny Stone, XID
Supply and Value Chain Center
Stephen Andrews, Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co.
Steve Boecking, AllianceTexas - A Development of Hillwood
Спасибо
Grazie
Obrigado
Dhanyavaad
Neeley / Fall 2007
23
Neeley News
Student Successes
to Atlanta for the PricewaterhouseCoopers
Leadership Adventure. Sessions include: setting
your personal leadership goals, discussing student
beliefs on what makes an effective leader, and
how to best work with people who use different
communication styles than your own.
CEO Club Wins Highest
Campus Honor
TCU Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization
(CEO) was awarded the Student Organization
Excellence Award for continuously engaging in
outstanding programs, leadership and service.
There are currently 174 student groups at TCU.
TCU CEO, a student-led organization within
the Neeley Entrepreneurship Center, is one of
the largest student organizations on campus with
350 student members, and is the largest chapter
out of more than 500 colleges and universities
in the U.S.
Accounting Students
Chosen for Exclusive Big
Four Programs
Four Neeley undergraduates were chosen out
of thousands of applicants for prestigious
summer programs.
Cami Miller and Jason Hartman went to
Hollywood for KPMG’s Fast Forward National
Leadership Program. They heard from KPMG
national leaders on how leadership skills have
played a role in their careers. They also got an
inside look at career opportunities in audit, tax
or advisory services.
Kimberly Freeman and Jared Meadows went
24
Texas Christian University
Six Entrepreneurial
Students Intern at TECH
Fort Worth
Through a partnership between the Neeley
Entrepreneurship Center and Tech Fort Worth, a
privately funded nonprofit business incubator, six
students received grants to work for TECH Fort
Worth firms.
Eric Karaszewski was matched with Red
Productions, a film and video production
company founded by Neeley alumnus Justin
“Red” Sanders.
Brian Kym worked with Anderson Trail, a TCU
entrepreneurial endeavor by Justin Anderson.
Anderson Trail is a high-quality moist granola
offered in high-end grocery stores.
Garret Milliken was matched with CorInnova.
Amy O’Hoyt worked with Flexible Innovations.
Leslie Taylor interned with Resonant Sensors
and Logan Wallis worked with Technology Team.
Two Students Chosen to
Attend National Supply
Chain Conference
Breanna Kaldhei, Marketing, and Daniel
Osborn, E-business, wrote essays that garnered
each a spot at the annual Council of Supply
Chain Management Professionals conference
in October in Philadelphia. The conference is
one of the ultimate networking and educational
experiences for those interested in logistics and
Student Successes
supply chain management. Students can take
part in networking events and facility tours,
witness demonstrations of the latest logisticsrelated software and technology, and meet with
representatives from universities, executive
education programs, executive recruiters and
career placement firms.
businesses and presentations by guest speakers.
Matt Gamble took the course last year and
recently emailed his gratitude for the experience.
“I recently started working for Bostick Financial
Group of the Northwestern Mutual Financial
Network as a Financial Representative and am
excited about the opportunity for success. I owe
a debt of gratitude to those who came in during
their summer to talk to a bunch of non-businessminded students in a brand new program at TCU.”
High School Investor
Challenge Draws
Biggest Class Yet
Non-Business Students
ACHIEVE Basics
ACHIEVE Summer Business Institute drew
14 non-business students from TCU and other
universities to spend four weeks of summer
vacation learning the ins and outs of business.
“I couldn’t sign up for business classes because
I’m not a business major,” said William Woodall,
’07chemistry grad now on his way to Australia to
pursue his Ph.D. “This gave me the insight and
skills to go out into the real world.”
Erica Savage, Ad/PR major, said that the
sales and negotiation classes helped her reach
her clientele as a sale representative. Courtney
Gonzales, nursing major, said the experience
made her think about getting an MBA at Neeley.
ACHIEVE covers marketing, accounting,
supply chain, finance, ethics, global business,
PowerPoint, leadership, information management,
strategy, entrepreneurship, business law and
economics. It also incorporates trips to area
The TCU High School Investor Challenge,
offered by the LKCM Center for Financial
Studies, began four years ago with eight local
students. This year’s 51 students came from all
over Texas.
The students learn
diversification theory,
the capital asset
pricing model, the
financial calculator
and time value of
money. Movie night,
game night and an
“Amazing Race”-type
game mixed in fun.
Throughout the school year, the students will
report on their $1 million virtual portfolio.
They will present their outcomes at a banquet
on campus in the spring, with an eye on earning
college scholarships. The TCU High School
Investor Challenge counts as a class credit for
those who attend TCU.
Special thanks to sponsors Fidelity Investments
and McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Neeley / Fall 2007
25
Faculty/Staff Successes
Neeley Faculty Honored for
Engaging, Inspiring, Guiding
Every educator at Neeley is exceptional, but
once a year their peers, Deans and students
single out a select few to honor their
accomplishments and dedication to teaching.
Here are this year’s winners:
Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished
Achievement as a Creative Teacher and
Scholar, 2007 Neeley School Nominee
Management Professor Bob Greer has received
many awards during his career at Neeley. He has
published several management books and
written chapters for others.
Dean’s Teaching Award, 2007 Neeley
School Nominee
Associate Professor of Finance Steve Mann is
popular among graduate and undergraduate
students for his enthusiasm for teaching and
dedication to their success. Mann holds the
Theodore and Beulah Beasley Faculty Fellowship.
Dean’s Research and Creativity Award
Accounting Professor Mary Stanford, who
holds the Duncan Faculty Fellowship, has been
recognized for her in-depth research throughout
her teaching career. Her work has been
26
Texas Christian University
published in The Accounting Review, Journal of
Accounting and Economics and Journal of
Accounting Research.
Michael and Susan Baer Award for
Outstanding Mentoring
Associate Professor of E-Business Jane Mackay
often stops colleagues in the hallway to tell them
about the recent successes of her students. As
director of the E-Business program, Mackay
enthusiastically supports her students in every
way, including providing interesting web design
projects and helping with internships.
MBA Alumni Professor of the Year
Neeley alumni remember Finance Professor
Larry Lockwood for his intimate knowledge of
portfolio management. As co-coordinator for the
renowned Educational Investment Fund,
Lockwood gives hands-on encouragement,
insight and advice to students, but lets them
chart their own course. He is the C.R. Williams
Professor of Financial Studies.
More Faculty Awards
•Executive MBA: Accounting Professor
In-Mu Haw
•Faculty Innovation in Curriculum: Associate Professor of Professional Practice, Information Systems, Beata Jones, Neeley Fellows Director
Bob Greer
Steve Mann
Mary Stanford
Jane Mackay
Larry Lockwood
In-Mu Haw
Beata Jones
Bill Wempe
Chris Barry
Barry Bryan
John Thompson
Clayton Kohl
Neeley News
Faculty/Staff Successes
•Graduate Teaching/Core: Associate Professor of Accounting Bill Wempe
•Graduate Teaching/Elective: Finance Professor Chris Barry, holder of the Robert and Maria Lowden Chair of Finance.
•Undergraduate Teaching/Core: Professor of Professional Practice, Accounting,
Barry Bryan
•Undergraduate Teaching/Elective or Major: Marketing Instructor John Thompson
•Non-Tenure Track Professor: Clayton Kohl
Bruton Awarded Fehmi Zeko
Faculty Fellowship
Entrepreneurship Management Professor
Garry Bruton is the academic coordinator for
the Neeley Entrepreneurship Program. He
recently led the highly successful
Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets
conference here at Neeley, held in conjunction
with a special issue of Entrepreneurship Theory
& Practice, one of the top two academic journals
in entrepreneurship and among the top 10
overall within the field of management
according to the Social Science Citation Index.
The conference attracted some of the very best
entrepreneurship scholars from Poland,
England, China, Australia, Germany and the
Garry Bruton
LaTanya Johns
United States.
Bruton has published more than 50 academic
articles in leading management journals on Asiarelated topics. He is president of the Asia
Academy of Management, associate editor for
Academy of Management Executive, and senior
editor of Asia Pacific Journal of Management. He
has taught in Poland, Hong Kong, Russia and
Austria, and conducted funded research in
China, Thailand, Singapore, Korea, India,
Taiwan and Russia.
Fehmi Zeko (BBA ’81, MBA ’82) serves on
Neeley’s International Board of Visitors and is
Managing Director & Vice Chairman of Media
and Telecommunications Investment Banking in
the Americas for Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
Well-Known Staff Move to
New Positions
Two highly regarded Neeley staff members took
new positions over the summer.
LaTanya Johns is now Assistant Director of
the Center for Professional Communication.
LaTanya is adept at coaching, advising and
managing students who resist change, which are
necessary skills to thrive in the business
environment. Her experience within career
services allows the CPC to strengthen its ability
to improve student communication skills for a
variety of situations where communication can
be a determining factor of success for students.
Vincent Battles is now Associate Director for
University Career Services.
Vincent’s prior experience in Graduate Career
Services segues perfectly into his new role
assisting undergraduate business students with
career development, interview preparation, and
creating strategies to identify employment
opportunities. He also manages the day-to-day
operation, including meeting and greeting
employer representatives and working with
Neeley faculty and staff.
Vincent Battles
Neeley / Fall 2007
27
Neeley News
Neeley Commended as Top Business School
Neeley recently was recognized as a top business
school by Forbes, Fortune Small Business and
Hispanic Business magazines. While we are always
honored by such accolades, we maintain that
rankings do not define who we are at Neeley nor
what we do. We focus on personal development,
vital connections and real experiences for our
students, and the true indicators of our success
are the increased number of applicants we receive
each year, the prestigious faculty we attract and
keep, and the career successes of our alumni.
In Forbes’ biennial ranking of Best Business
Schools 2007, Neeley’s MBA program is #52
for return on investment.
The ranking is based
on surveys on return on
investment—meaning
compensation five years
after graduation minus
tuition and the forgone
salary during school—for
graduates of the class
of 2002. The magazine sent surveys to 18,500
alumni from 102 MBA programs around the
world. For U.S. rankings, only two-year programs
were eligible.
The Neeley Entrepreneurship Program
was included in Fortune Small Business’
America’s Best Colleges
for Entrepreneurs,
Top 25 Programs for
Undergrads. (Fortune’s
list is alphabetical instead
of numeric.) From
undergraduate programs
to MBAs, the study of
entrepreneurship is on the
rise, according to the article. Nearly 3,000 schools
now have classes in entrepreneurship, up tenfold
since the mid-1980s, according to the Kauffman
Foundation, a Kansas City nonprofit that tracks
the topic. Fortune Small Business compiled the
28
Texas Christian University
best colleges for entrepreneurs according to:
general entrepreneurship, family business, online
education, part-time executive education, social
entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary studies.
Fortune had this to say about TCU’s
entrepreneurship program: “While the University
of Illinois at Chicago is headquarters of the
Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization, TCU has
the largest chapter with more than 350 student
members. Part of the draw is the club’s annual
Road Trip, which takes students to tour supersuccessful former startups, such as Dell. The
school’s Texas Youth Entrepreneur Competition
awards scholarship money to high-school students
who submit winning business plans. The funds
can be used at any college or university, but the
amount is doubled for winners who attend TCU.”
In a triple hit, Hispanic Business recently
notified us that Neeley is #20 in the annual
Top 20 Business
School for
Hispanics.
Hispanic Business, a monthly publication for and
about Hispanic entrepreneurs and professionals,
is the nation’s longest-running national Hispanic
magazine.
Neeley is accredited by the most demanding
accreditation board, the Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which
represents the highest standard of achievement
for business schools.
Neeley is one of only 551 schools out of more
than 3,000 in the U.S. to have earned AACSB
accreditation, and our accounting program
is among an elite 200 accredited by AACSB.
Rankings such as those above put Neeley in the
top 10 percent of accredited business schools,
and in the top 1 percent of all business schools in
the U.S.
alumni spotlight
Horned Frogs Create Value
~ By Holly Preston
Albert H. Brinkman Jr.
Director,
Equity Derivatives Marketing
Philadelphia Stock Exchange
Albert Brinkman (BBA ’68) has spent more than
20 years with the Philadelphia Stock Exchange,
the nation’s third largest options exchange. He was
an equity specialist and option floor broker before
moving into his current position as Director of
Equity Derivatives Marketing.
Brinkman handles equity, sector index, and
currency option marketing and educational
services to clients throughout the United States
and Canada, and directs the overall product
marketing programs of the Exchange.
When he started his coursework at Neeley in the
late ’60s, his future career wasn’t even a business
school subject. By the mid ’70s, options trading
gained prominence and market professionals were
faced with learning the nuances of a constantly
changing industry. It was a learning curve for
which Brinkman was prepared.
“Neeley helped me develop management
skills and an understanding of the basic tenants
of economics,” he said. “When my career path
took me into the investment industry, I was
able to use what I learned to analyze trading
opportunities and the business economic cycle
as it pertained to trading securities.”
Brinkman also served more than 30 years in
the United States Army Reserve as an infantry
and civil affairs officer before retiring with the
rank of Colonel.
“The management skills learned at TCU…
guided me throughout the years I served in the
Army and Army Reserve,” said Brinkman. “It
played no small role, I think, in my achieving
the rank of Colonel.”
Why did this Philadelphia native come to Texas
for his BBA?
As a college-bound teenager, Brinkman had
two priorities for his future alma mater: 1) a good
business school, 2) out-of-state.
“I hadn’t traveled much in my life,” said
Brinkman. “When the acceptance came from
TCU, I jumped at the prospect of attending
and seeing Texas. It’s a decision I never
regretted. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at
TCU and in Texas.”
More than 1500 miles from Fort Worth,
Brinkman still wears his purple with pride.
He encourages Neeley graduates to learn
Chinese, be flexible with change, and take some
risks while they’re young and still developing their
career path.
“But when something really grabs you then
dive into it with all the drive and passion you
can muster.”
Neeley / Fall 2007
29
class notes
In Memoriam
Dr. Gilbert Riley Whitaker Jr.
1931-2007
Dean, Neeley School of Business, 1976-78
GRADUATE
1960s
Bill Barclay MBA ’65, BSC ’61 retired
from IBM in January after working most
of his career in Information Technology.
Bill and his wife, Pat, relocated to Aledo
from Dallas.
1970s
Dr. Whitaker passed away on Thursday, June 21, 2007, after a
long illness.
He was born on October 8, 1931, in Oklahoma City. He
received a BA in Economics from Rice (Institute) in Houston
in 1953. A member of the Navy ROTC, he served on the U.S.S.
Isherwood destroyer in both the Mediterranean and Pacific.
Whitaker received his MBA and PhD in Economics from the
University of Wisconsin. In 1960, he was appointed to the faculty
of Northwestern University. In 1966, he joined Washington
University in St. Louis School of Business and served as Associate
Dean until 1976. From 1976 to 1978, he served as Dean of the
Neeley School of Business at TCU.
In1979, he was appointed Dean of the University of Michigan
Business School.
In 1997, he returned to Rice as Dean of the Jones Graduate
School of Management.
Whitaker served on numerous corporate boards, including
chairman of the Graduate Management Admissions Council,
president of the AACSB, Consortium of Graduate Study in
Management and the Forum for the Future of Higher Education.
His leadership philosophy could be summed up in his favorite
quote: “But of a good leader, who talks little, when his work is
done, his aim fulfilled, they will say, ‘We did this ourselves.’”
(Chinese philosopher, Lao-tzu)
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Ruth, and their three
children: Kate Whitaker of Ann Arbor; David Edward Whitaker
of Oviedo, Florida; and Thomas Gilbert Whitaker (Susan) of Ann
Arbor; and by his sister, Michael Whitaker Arike of Mamaroneck,
NY. He leaves five grandchildren: Rachelle, Meaghan, Emma, Gus
and Andrew.
30
Texas Christian University
Jeff Harwell MBA ’75 joined Rylander,
Clay & Opitz, LLP, as Manager of
Business Valuation. Jeff is an Accredited
Valuation Analyst and former adjunct
faculty member of the Neeley School.
Jay Gardner MBA ’78, BBA ’76 retired
from BMC Software in December and is
working as an executive management
consultant. www.patinaventures.com
1980s
Melissa Mealer MBA ’80 is Senior
Human Resources Consultant at The
Whitney Smith Company, Fort Worth.
Jan Watson MBA ’81, BBA ’77 is the
manager of Fort Worth Art Calendar,
which features Fort Worth businesses
and artists.
James Allen MBA ’84 married Laura
Cecile Bigony at Highland Park United
Methodist Church in Dallas on May 5.
James is with the Irving office of Deloitte
Consulting’s Mid-America practice
specializing in Enterprise Applications.
Cecile is a media planner for The
Hondo Group in Fort Worth. They
reside in Dallas.
Bruce Funk MBA ’84 is in his fifth year
of his CPA practice in western Maryland,
class notes
after practicing 12 years in New Jersey.
He and his new wife live near Charles
Town, W.Va.
Paul Christensen MBA ’94 was
promoted to Partner at Q Investments,
L.P., in Fort Worth.
N.K. “Trip” Tripathy MBA ’87 was
named Executive Vice President, Chief
Financial Officer of TJX Companies, the
leading off-price retailer of apparel and
home fashions in the U.S. and
worldwide. Trip joined TJX from Macy’s
Florida, where he had been President
and Chief Operating Officer and
Executive Vice President. Before joining
Macy’s, he held senior positions with
Limited Brands and PepsiCo. Earlier in
his career, Trip was a consultant with
PricewaterhouseCoopers and is a
Certified Public Accountant.
Samantha Mayo MBA ’94, BBA ’92 is
proud to announce the birth of Wesley
McClane Mayo on
September 21. He was
welcomed by his big
sister, Taylor Fay, 18
months. Samantha and
her husband, James, live
in Little Rock, Ark. She has almost
completed her Master of Health Services
Administration degree from the
University of Arkansas Medical Sciences.
Greg Morse MBA ’88 is CEO of
Worthington National Bank in Fort
Worth, which received the Texas
Historical Foundation’s Judge James
Wheat Award for preservation and reuse
of historic properties. Greg chose the
1914 Burk Burnett Building, Fort
Worth’s first skyscraper, for his bank’s
downtown location in 2001. He oversaw
the historical preservation and
renovation of the structure, ensuring
that the restoration reflected the
property’s original design and
appearance. The bank also features an
outstanding collection of Texas art.
1990s
Samuel Terry MBA ’92 is Marketing
Manager at Sun Microsystems and is the
proud father of baby girl number three.
Samuel is married to Stacy, a pediatrician.
They live in Dallas.
Bryan Bennett MBA ’97 recently
accepted the position of Director of
Marketing at Piczo, which gives teens
around the world the freedom and tools
to express themselves and connect with
friends in a safer social networking
environment. Piczo is located in San
Francisco. Bryan and his wife Angela live
in Burlingame, Cal.
Erick Chang MBA ’97 moved to
Arkansas State University in Jonesboro
to be an Assistant Professor of Strategy
and Entrepreneurship. He obtained his
doctorate in management from
Mississippi State University in May,
where he won three awards for research
projects in entrepreneurship and family
business. These will be published soon.
Aaron Handler MBA ’97 and his
business partners successfully launched
Elm Creek Partners, a smaller market
private equity fund serving the
Southwest region.
Tara Stelluti MBA ’97 is Vice President
of Finance and Online Media for the
American Business Women’s
Association chapter in McKinney, Texas.
Jeremy Jones MBA ’98 moved from
JPMorgan Securities in New York to
Banc of America Securities in Charlotte,
N.C., in the syndicated and leveraged
finance field.
Glen Harper MBA ’00 and wife Eszter
Szontagh MBA ’99 live in Budapest,
Hungary,
with their
children
Mark and
Anna. Glen
is the UK
Sales Executive for LogMeln, Inc. and
Eszter is a Senior Partner at Logical, Inc.
Famous Rhodes MBA ’99 accepted a
position at eBay, Inc. in San Jose, Calif.,
as the Director of eBay Motors, Inc.
2000s
Dr. Christopher P. Blocker MBA ’00,
BBA ’98 received his doctorate in
marketing from the University of
Tennessee in May. He took a faculty
position at Baylor University and moved
his family to Waco.
Julie Speed MBA ’00 was promoted to
International Product Manager at Alcon
Laboratories. Julie and her husband,
Brent, added to their family with Gavin.
He has two older siblings, Atticus, 5, and
Annika, 3.
Neeley / Fall 2007
31
class notes
Jim Kelley MBA ’01 is a Senior
Manager with CBIZ Valuation Group,
LLC, in Dallas.
Dr. Janice Knebl MBA ’02 was selected
as a Fellow in the 2007-08 Class of the
Hedwig van Ameringen Executive
Leadership in Academic Medicine
(ELAM) Program for Women.
Robby Reed MBA ’02 started a new job
in 2006 as a Texas Branch Sales
Manager for Uline Shipping Supplies in
Coppell, Texas.
Julie Daneman MBA ’04, BA ’00 and
Bryan Daneman were married on May
27 at the Historic YWCA in downtown
Fort Worth.
Markus Decker PMBA ’04 left Texas in
May, moving his wife and 2 kids to
Zurich, Switzerland, where he works for
Credit Suisse in private banking as a
Senior Project Manager - Black Belt.
Barret LeBlanc MBA ’04 returned to
Dallas from Baton Rouge, La., to be a
Data Analyst for CompuCom. His wife
Annie has returned to her previous job
as an attorney. Sons, Luc and Eli, turned
3 in July.
Florian Pauly MBA ’04 was promoted
to Global Account Executive with Marsh
& McLennan in the Risk Strategies
Consulting Practice.
32
Michael Campbell MBA ’06, BBA ’04
married Emily Roberts BBA ’05 on
September 1, in Fort Worth. Michael
works for AT&T as a Financial Analyst
and Emily works for Merck & Co., Inc.
as a Medical Representative.
Keith Meadors EMBA ’06 experienced
his second promotion since completing
his EMBA.
Courtney Wegner MBA ’06 married
Todd Wegner on June 2 at LightCatcher
Winery in Fort Worth. Courtney is
Marketing Director for an online retailer.
Todd is a Contract Engineer at Lockheed
Martin. They live in Fort Worth.
UNDERGRADUATE
1950s
Charles Lowry BSC ’52 and wife Peggy
Watson Lowry TCU ’54 celebrated their
56th anniversary on June 6. They have
three children: Lisa, a real estate agent;
Brad, an attorney; and Stan, an attorney.
Joyce Gibbs BSC ’57 retired after 19
years as Senior Minister’s secretary at
Tyler First Christian Church in
December. She married Dr. C. Earl
Gibbs, retired Disciples of Christ
minister, on February 10. They live in
Tyler, Texas.
Edward Oglesby MBA ’05 was
promoted to Assistant Vice President
with Capmark Finance Inc. in Dallas.
Wendell Grandey II BSC ’59 was
named CPA of the year 2006-2007 by
the Fort Worth Chapter of Texas Society
of Certified Public Accountants.
Rajeev Ranjan MBA ’05 is an Analyst
in IT Vendor Management with
American Airlines.
1960s
Texas Christian University
Sarah Franklin BSC ’60 is the Main
Street Director for the city of Llano.
Voted best volunteer by the local
newspaper, Sarah was awarded the
Chamber of Commerce Community
Service Award for 2007.
Chuck Broyles BSC ’62 retired from
Hewlett Packard in June 2000 and now
resides in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Sharon Healey Lowes BSC ’62 retired
in April as the controller of a small
manufacturing company in Clear Lake,
Texas. Her youngest daughter Kelley
graduated from the University of Texas
Austin in May.
Glen Brewer BSC ’63 of Brewer,
Eyeington & Co., has joined Patout &
Co. to form the certified public
accounting firm of Brewer, Eyeington,
Patout & Co., LLP. The firm has offices
in Bryan, Navasota, Brenham, and
Franklin, Texas.
Peter H. Shaddock BBA ’64 shares that
four members of the Shaddock family
graduated from the Neely School of
Business including William (Bill) C.
Shaddock BBA ’73, Todd Shaddock
BBA ’98 and Elizabeth Shaddock
Cesare BBA ’00.
Bob Walker BBA ’64 retired after 35
years at State Farm Mutual Insurance
Co., where his last position was a
Commercial Underwriting Specialist.
Nick Encke BBA ’65 was President of
Talbot Industries, based in Neosho, Mo.,
from 1989 to 1998. He has retired in
Fort Worth.
Fred Hubbard BBA ’65 retired as Senior
Vice President of Bell Helicopter in 2001.
class notes
Claud “Tex” McIver BBA ’65, a Senior
Partner with Fisher and
Phillips LLP, was listed
in Who’s Who Legal
Georgia and in
Chambers USA: Leading
Lawyers for Business,
2007. Who’s Who Legal assesses the
foremost legal practitioners in more than
25 distinct areas of the international
legal marketplace. Chambers USA
annually publishes a list of the top law
firms and attorneys.
Doug Dalrymple BBA ’69 retired from
Chubb & Sons in April, 2006. Prior to
retirement, Doug was Vice President of
the Healthcare Group managing the
Healthcare Reinsurance and Stop Loss
Division. He resides in Savannah, Ga.
Jan O’Neill BBA ’69 announces the
birth of a her grandchild, Molly Clare,
born in April.
1970s
Donnie Waugh BBA ’71 is Vice
President of Mortgage Lending at State
National Bank in Fort Worth.
Hal McWhorter BBA ’72 is President of
Dean Maritime, Ltd. Co., an offshore
specialty transport company
headquartered in Houston. Dean
Maritime specializes in the operation
and transportation of unconventional
heavy-lift, roll-on/roll-off cargoes, too
large for conventional ocean transport
with concentration in the Offshore
Energy sector worldwide.
Debbie Wickett BBA ’72 has been at
the University of Texas Medical Branch
in Galveston as the Senior Business
Administrator for the Nursing
Department since 1992. Living in
Round Top, Texas, she has two married
daughters, one grandson and one
grandchild on the way. Her husband,
Steve, passed away in 2004. Each year
since Steve’s death, her family and
friends have contributed to the Steve
Wickett Delt Pledge Fund.
Chris Grasher BBA ’76 transferred with
Ernst & Young from Charlotte, N.C., to
the Dallas office in July, after 12 years in
Charlotte. He is Partner with the firm.
Craig Kooken BBA ’76 and his wife
Gena are owners of The Kooken Group,
Inc., a market residential real estate firm
in Houston. They market homes in the
Memorial, Katy, and surrounding areas.
www.lookinwithkooken.com
Larry (Pepper) Morton BBA ’76 is
Chief Financial Officer for Sierra Rig
Leasing, LLC.
Bryan Austin BBA ’77 has joined
OpinionLab as Senior Vice President of
Sales and Marketing. OpinionLab
provides “Voice of the Customer”
solutions to organizations for their web
sites and other online points of presence.
Thomas Dolny BBA ’77 announces that
youngest daughter Alyssa will be the
newest Horned Frog in the family.
Brian Carney BBA ’78 retired from
Carney Inspection Service, which he
owned since 1997. Prior to that, he was
Senior Claims Rep for Zurich
Commercial Insurance.
Jeff Stocker BBA ’78 works at BJ
Services Company as Vice President of
Division Sales – United States and
Mexico. He is celebrating 29 years with
the company.
Eric Thomas BBA ’79 is living in Fort
Myers Beach, Fla., working as a
substitute teacher in the Lee County
school system.
1980s
Fred Drews BBA ’81 is Chief Copy
Editor and Webmaster of La Estrella,
a publication of the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram.
Leah Y. Gray BBA ’81 was elected to a
sixth term as Council Member for the City
of Oak Ridge North, Texas. She is
employed as a Contract Administrator for
Montgomery County. Her husband is
President of Tusing, Gray, & Associates, a
real estate appraisal firm. Daughter Sarah
is a junior at Sam Houston State
University. Daughter Allie is a junior at
Oak Ridge High School.
Stuart Lumpkins Jr. BBA ’81 was a
featured speaker at the annual Texas
Association of Responsible Nonsubscribers
conference in April. Stuart is an attorney
and shareholder of the Fort Worth law
firm of McDonald Sanders, PC.
Linda Christensen BBA ’82 celebrates her
10th year at Verizon Communications in
Marketing. She lives in Dallas with her
husband, Knute, and two sons, Carson, 7,
and Parker, 5.
Jim Sanders BBA ’83 was promoted to
Vice-President and CFO of Hawker
Beechcraft Corporation, which was
Neeley / Fall 2007
33
class notes
recently purchased from Raytheon
Company through private equity partners,
Onex and Goldman Sachs.
Danny Scarth BBA ’83 was re-elected to
the Fort Worth City Council and is
serving his second term. He and his wife,
Lucretia, have two sons. Danny continues
to operate his video production company,
Hope Media, and Lucretia owns a travel
agency, Recreation Cruise and Travel.
David Weller BBA ’84 published the
book Sing Unto the Lord: Short Christian
Lyrics, Classic and New. For more
information, visit wellerd.blogspot.com.
Scott Allen BBA ’85 was elected Vice
President of the Washington State Parent
Teacher Association. The state association
has almost 150,000 members and is one of
the largest child advocacy organizations in
the United States. He lives in Bellevue,
Wash., with his family.
David Nielsen BBA ’85 was promoted to
Assistant Managing Editor at the Scripps
Howard News Service in Washington D.C.
Jorge L. San Miguel BBA ’86 is head of
the Environmental Law and Litigation
Practice Group at the law firm of O’Neill
& Borges in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is
chair of the Advisory Council for the
Puerto Rico Conservation Trust, and
Board member of the Puerto Rico Chapter
of the Inter-American Association of
Environmental and Sanitary Engineers.
He served on the platform committee for
Puerto Rico’s sole Congressional
Representative, Luis G. Fortuno (R-PR),
who is running for governor in the
November 2008 election.
34
Texas Christian University
Cat Chapman BBA ’87 has “retired” to
go to graduate school, after teaching for
10 years. Her goal is to work for a
company or university in career planning
and placement, and/or personality/
aptitude testing.
Paul Hains BBA ’87 graduated from the
Red Team Leader Course at Fort
Leavenworth, Kan., in June. Major Hains,
a resident of Cypress, Texas, is assigned to
the 36th Infantry Division and is married
with three children.
Karin Michele Weber BBA ’87 graduated
with an MBA focusing on international
business from the
University of Dallas in
1993. She celebrates
seven years owning her
own CPA firm in Dallas.
In May 2005 Karin
married Alex Stirrat in St. Louis, MO.
Alex owns an athletic goods company in
St. Louis.
Ron Duncan BBA ’91, a Partner with
TGF Management Corp. in Austin, has
completed a first close with the
management firm on its newest private
equity fund, Southwest Opportunity
Partners, bringing total capital under
management to over $700 million. Ron
and Amy Striplin Duncan BBA ’90 live
in Austin with their children. Vernon
Bryant BBA ’92 is also a Partner at TGF.
Marta Reeves BBA ’91 is working at
Pan-American Life Insurance as Vice
President of Corporate Marketing and
Bancassurance. The company is
headquartered in New Orleans.
Greg Helms BBA ’92 was promoted to
Vice President Q2 and is a private client
advisor with Fifth Third Bank Investment Advisors.
Connie Hix BBA ’92 is a homemaker
with two daughters and one son, living
in Portland, Ore.
Fred Lausen BBA ’88 and Peppi Knox
Lausen TCU
’88 have been
married for
19 years with
three future
Frogs: Landi,
16, Leigh, 14, and Rivers, 10. The family
lives in Houston.
Becky St. Clair Neils BBA ’92 is a
Portfolio Manager at Charles Schwab
and Co., Inc. in Denver. She and Matt
Neils have been married for two years.
1990s
Greg Stevens BBA ’92 and Suzanne
Stevens BBA ’92 are pleased to
announce the birth of their daughter
Brooke, who joins brothers, Mason, 8,
and Cole, 6. Greg joined Riveron
Consulting as a Senior Director.
Riveron’s primary focus is financial/
accounting diligence and integration
support for acquisitions by private equity
Robert Reeves BBA ’90 was named
Partner in Ernst &
Young’s Fraud
Investigation and
Dispute Services practice
on July 1.
Karen Rogers BBA ’92 joined Holme
Murphy as a Senior Benefits Consulting,
assisting large corporations with their
health and welfare benefits strategies.
class notes
groups. Suzanne was promoted to Chief
Accounting Officer at Crescent Real
Estate Equities in March. They live in
Colleyville, Texas.
Tiffany Swayzee Glover BBA ’93 is the
Tax Human Resources Leader for the
Southeast Region for Deloitte Tax LLP.
She joined the firm in 2006 after several
years with Andersen and Protiviti in the
Houston and Atlanta offices. Tiffany and
husband Michael welcomed daughter
Emma Katherine in May 2006. Big sister
Grace is 5. [email protected].
Todd Wallace BBA ’93 and Ava
Wallace TCU ’06 announce the birth of
Aiden William Wallace born on May 11,
weighing 8lbs, 6oz.
Dave Piotrowski BBA ’94 is running
the Term Securitization Group and
Dallas office for BMO Capital Markets.
He and his wife Lexy Sliva Piotrowski
TCU ’92 live in Dallas with their two
children, Aidan, 4, and Aleczander, 2.
Jason Stephens BBA ’94 was selected as
President of the Tarrant County Trial
Lawyers Association and named by Texas
Monthly magazine as a Texas Super
Lawyer for the fourth straight year.
Michael Woodruff BBA ’94 serves as
Treasurer of the North Dallas Chamber
of Commerce. He and his wife Susan
Lowke BBA ’93 live in Flower Mound
with their three children, Braden,
Aubrey, and Crawford.
R. Keith Bunch BBA ’95 celebrated the
anniversary of his first year of marriage to
Mei Gao. Keith is completing his ninth
year at Headington Resources, Inc., as
Treasurer and Tax Manager. Mei, a native
of Kunming, China, is working to
establish her own import-export business.
They reside in Richardson, Texas.
Luke Gilcrease BBA ’95 owns a marble
import company, Lucasso Stone, based
in Fort Worth with a showroom in
Dallas. He married Jane Rosebrough
TCU ‘01 in 2004. Their son, Liam Asher
Gilcrease, is due in September.
Cliff Wade BBA ’96 made Shareholder
in the law firm of SettlePou in January.
Shelley Curling BBA ’98 gave birth to
Miles Samuel Curling in March 2006.
She graduated from
Pennsylvania State
University with a
doctorate in
accounting in August
2006. She’s enjoying
staying home with her son and
anticipating joining the faculty of a
university when he’s older.
Lon Loveless BBA ’98 and wife Ashley
live in Dallas. They are expecting their
first child in January. Lon is a Family
Law Attorney in Dallas and works for
Diana S. Friedman. Ashley is a Neonatal
Nurse at Presbyterian Hospital.
Andy Mitchell BBA ’98 is a Vice
President of Cerberus Capital
Management, L.P. and Ableco Finance L.
L.C. Prior to this, he was a Vice President
with Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin in
their Financial Restructuring and Special
Situations Corporate Finance Practices in
Chicago. He began his career with
PricewaterhouseCoopers’ restructuring
and finance group in Houston. He serves
on the National Alumni Board.
Brian Oley BBA ’98 moved to Dallas
after receiving his MBS from Arizona
State. He will complete work on his
master’s in International Economics and
Policy at SMU in 2008. He works as part
of the Critical Environment Solutions
Team, specializing in Data Center Site
Selection, at Jones Lang LaSalle.
Joe Biedenharn BBA ’99 graduated in
2005 with an MBA from Manchester
Business School in the U.K. He now
lives in Dallas and accepted a position
with 7-Eleven as Manager of
International Real Estate.
Scott Spain BBA ’99 and wife Rachel
TCU ’98 welcomed Allison Claire on
June 11. She joins brothers, Andrew, 5,
Dylan, 3, and sister, Madeline, 20
months. Scott is co-owner of Luxor
Staffing in Dallas/Fort Worth. They
reside in Arlington.
2000s
Michael Del Toro-Navarro BBA ’00
and wife Imelda announce the birth of
their daughter Jessica Lizferrari Del Toro
on June 15. She weighed 7 lbs., 1.6 oz,
measuring 19.75 inches.
Brandi Lang BBA ’00 is an in-house
Claims Counsel/Assistant Vice
President with Fidelity National Title
Group, Inc. in Jacksonville, Fla.. She
began her law practice in Amarillo with
Brown & Fortunato, P.C. after
graduation from the University of Texas
School of Law in 2003. She entered a
small general practice with the local City
Attorney, where her work focused on the
representation of the City of St. Marys,
Ga. Her work at Fidelity focuses on title
Neeley / Fall 2007
35
class notes
law claims and litigation for Texas,
Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, and
Utah. Brandi and husband Chris reside
in St. Marys, where Chris is stationed as
a US Navy Nuclear Submarine Officer
aboard the USS Wyoming.
Michael Anne Adams BBA ’01 is an inhouse corporate attorney with Rosewood
Hotels & Resorts in Dallas, the hotel
management company of Hotel Crescent
Court, Las Ventanas Al Paraiso, The
Mansion on Turtle Creek, Caneel Bay,
Little Dix Bay, Inn of the Anasazi, and
Jumby Bay. She resides in Fort Worth.
Brian King BBA ’01 was promoted to
Manager within the audit practice of
KPMG LLP.
Eric Akey BBA ’04 was promoted to
Sales Manager at Platinum Select
Staffing in Dallas in October.
Rudy Rivera BBA ’02 was promoted to
Senior Systems Engineer in Contract
Technical Requirements in October 2005.
John Anderson BBA ’04 left Goldman
Sachs to take a job with Hunt Private
Equity Group in Dallas.
Charles Schulz BBA ’02 announces the
birth of Maddon Thomas Schulz on
April 30. He weighed 8 lbs, 4 oz, and
was 21 inches long.
Aaron McLachlan BBA ’04 married
Ashley Jolene in February. They are
expecting their first child in January.
Yoshee Sodiq BBA ’02 moved to Atlanta
and married Diana Kharbat, a physical
medicine physician from Texas A&M, in
February. He is Interactive Marketing
Manager for an internet security company.
Vanessa Shropshire BBA ’01 recently
rang the NYSE bell for Nuveen, where
she serves as a Marketing Director. She is
obtaining a master’s degree at
Northwestern University in Chicago.
She and husband Patrick live in Chicago.
Preston Dugas BBA ’03 graduated from
St. Mary’s Law School in May 2006, and
passed the Texas Bar Exam in July. He
received an Associate position with The
Corea Firm, PLLC, in Dallas, where he
primarily practices personal injury law
and class action litigation.
Theresa Brodigan BBA ‘02 and J.R.
Laffey were married May 19 at Holy
Family Catholic Church in Fort Worth.
Theresa is the Business Development
Coordinator for Bisazza and J.R. is a Fire
Restoration Supervisor with Blackmon
Mooring. They live in Fort Worth.
Jason Smith BBA ’03 and Anne-Marie
BBA ’02 are expecting their first child. In
January, Jason started an IT consulting
firm, Arcos Business Technology, which
offers web development, custom
application programming and project
management services.
Royce Carvalho BBA ’02 is leaving
NBC-Universal after five years to
complete an MBA at Purdue University.
Mackenzie Keish Trofholz BBA ’03 and
husband Terry Trofholz TCU ’03
relocated to Bentonville, Ark, where she is
a costume jewelry, sunglass, and keychain
buyer for all Wal-Mart stores and he works
for an apparel manufacturer/supplier for
Wal-Mart, JC Penney and Kohl’s. Terry
played baseball with the Milwaukee
Brewers, until multiple elbow injuries
forced a retirement.
Brandon Chase BBA ’02 is a Financial
Advisor with Edward Jones. He lives in
Benbrook, Texas, with wife Marie and
daughter McKinley.
36
Melissa Huffman BBA ’02 was elected
to the Westworth Village, Texas, City
Council in May of 2006.
Texas Christian University
Ashley Monroe BBA ’04 assumed an
accounting position with Oxy, Inc. in
Dallas. She is finishing her last semester
of the MBA program at the University of
Dallas and is studying for the CPA exam.
Kenny Sterling BBA ’04 married
Christyn Yannazzo TCU ’07 in March.
She is attending TCU for her graduate
degree. Kenny is deployed in support of
Pacific Command, US Air Force.
Jared Harwell BBA ’05 is a Ticket Sales
Representative for Texas Motor
Speedway, in charge of season, group,
and Victory Lane Club Suite tickets.
Brent Marks BBA ’05 married Candice
Carrillo TCU ’05 on June 23.
Julie Rubenstein BBA ’05 has been
promoted and is now Buyer at
RadioShack Corporation.
Kelly Buckley BBA ’06 received a
promotion to Marketing Manager for
First Horizon National Corporation.
David Watson BBA ’06 married Jamie
Norman in July. David is Director of
Marketing for The Gallup Organization
and Jamie is a nanny. They live in
Omaha, Neb.
Tandy Executive Speaker Series
Four times a year, business leaders across
Fort Worth and Dallas begin their day at
TCU. They come to hear some of the top
business minds in the nation and connect
with other business colleagues. The Tandy
Executive Speaker Series hosts prominent
business leaders to disseminate leadingedge thought to Metroplex business
professionals, MBA students and faculty in
order to improve the practice of business.
Where Business Meets for Breakfast
For 2007-2008 speakers and dates go to
www.tess.tcu.edu. Not on the mailing list?
Email [email protected]
Special Thanks To Our Sponsors
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Tandy Center for Executive Leadership
Fall 2007 Executive Development Programs
Ongoing executive development is critical in today’s job market, whether you want to refine your current skills
or obtain expertise in a brand new area. The Tandy Center for Executive Leadership at TCU is your source for
executive education that is important to your career. Visit www.neeleyexec.tcu.edu for more information.
Petroleum Land Practices
Certificate Program
Executive Coaching
Certification Program
Earn a certificate in the fastest-growing
industry in the Metroplex.
As more organizations include
coaching as an integral part
of their executive
development strategies,
the need for executive
coaches has soared.
In this program, you
will master the Sherpa
Coaching process and
learn skills and techniques
necessary to enable others to
achieve professional success.
With the boom surrounding gas drilling
in the Barnett Shale, land management
professionals are in high demand. The
Petroleum Land Practices Certificate
program covers the fundamentals of the
energy industry. You’ll learn to identify
resources, solve important challenges, build
collaboration and negotiate mutual wins.
Neeley / Fall 2007
37
It’s More Than Business. It’s Personal.™
www.neeley.tcu.edu
Neeley School of Business
Texas Christian University
TCU Box 298530
Fort Worth, Texas 76129
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The Neeley School of Business focuses on
personal development, vital connections and
real experiences. High functioning classrooms
and calculated career development give
students the platform to succeed. Renowned
faculty, corporations and executives connect to
share winning business practices. Students work
for real clients to solve critical challenges. From
skills and strategies to team dynamics and global
expeditions, we make sure Neeley graduates are
trailblazing business leaders – each in their own
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