Grant Thornton LLP’s CEO Mike McGuire is looking for three things in today’s professional services leaders – curiosity, career focus, and courage.
McGuire noted the accounting industry is rapidly changing, thanks to digitization. Clients are beginning to expect substantive contributions immediately even from entry-level staff.
McGuire was invited to speak at Mays by Dean Eli Jones as part of the school’s Transformational Leader Speaker Series. He was the focus of a roundtable discussion with students that was led by Professional Program in Accounting Director Mike Shaub. He also met with key leaders at Mays. …Read more
Crediting her loyalty to her company as a reason for success, Mary Benson ’85 was eager to share her wisdom with Mays Business Honors students as a part of the 2018 Mays Leader Forum.
“Mentorships are a great thing… they don’t even need to be formal,” was a central point of her lesson throughout the lunch. Benson is the head of Global Pricing for Invesco Asset Management. She is responsible for corresponding with numerous offices both domestically and internationally about global pricing strategies. She joined Invesco in 1985 after she received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Texas A&M University.
FedEx is a globally recognized company, delivering millions of packages a day. Yet in FedEx’s own words, the company does more than just deliver packages. It delivers “happiness, growth, hope or simply, peace of mind.”
So how does a company that prides itself on providing solutions to connect people with possibilities remain relevant in an increasingly competitive world? For FedEx, the answer comes through its global perspective, embracing change (technology), its people, and its brand.
Trampas Gunter ’94, who graduated with an accounting degree from Mays Business School at Texas A&M University, member of Business Fellows Group 11, and current Staff Vice President of Corporate Development & Integration Planning at FedEx spoke on Oct. 9 to Business Honors students as part of the Mays Leadership Form series.
Gunter shared that FedEx stands out through what it means to communities. The Delivering for Good program, FedEx’s initiative to lend its global network and unparalleled logistics expertise to organizations with mission-critical needs in times of disaster and to help communities heal, learn and thrive, was highlighted. …Read more
A company can set itself apart with strong and intentional relationships with clients and employees. Main Street Capital Corporation has developed its entire business around this idea. Their primary service is providing capital solutions to lower middle market companies – hence the name Main Street and not Wall Street. Main Street strives to build relationships and customize transactions to meet the unique needs of each of their portfolio companies.
Mays former student Brent Smith ’97 (accounting) and ’98 (PPA), Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Main Street Capital Corporation, spoke on Sept. 27 to Business Honors students. He said Main Street’s unique business model involves more than just a financial investment as it truly “takes an investment in people.” Main Street does this by working closely beside the ownership and management of all the companies in their portfolio and committing to the long haul. Building these relationships drives Main Street’s success. Smith also discussed Main Street’s culture in the office feels like a family where everyone is fully invested in the success of the company. “Even the receptionist owns our stock,” Smith said.
For 50 years Mays Business School has developed leaders who provide business solutions to solve the world’s problems in business, education, research, law, military, not for profit, government, and more. Mary Lea McAnally, former Director of Innovation and Strategic Planning and current PwC Professor in Accounting, was integral in developing the Mays Strategic Plan, vision, and mission that has allowed Mays to continue to innovate and respond to a changing world. …Read more
Bruce D. Broussard ’84 has been selected as a laureate of the 2018 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award. The president and CEO of Humana – an accounting and finance graduate from Texas A&M University – accepted the award at the Ripple of Hope Awards Dinner in New York on Dec. 12. His fellow laureates are President Barack Obama, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, and Discovery President and CEO David Zaslav. Robert Kennedy’s daughter Kerry Kennedy presented the awards.
The Ripple of Hope Award Award celebrates influential leaders from all communities who are committed to social change, equality, justice, and basic human rights. Past laureates include President Bill Clinton, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Bono, George Clooney, and Vice President Al Gore.
“I’m honored to receive the Ripple of Hope Award,” said Broussard in an article from GlobeNewswire. “Robert F. Kennedy inspired our nation to rededicate itself to social and economic justice for all Americans, and that critical work continues today.”
Accounting senior Juan Ortiz received a national award this week from the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA) – the first recipient from Texas A&M University in five years.
Ortiz received the Daniel Zamora Student of the Year Award at ALPFA’s national conference, where hundreds of students attended and sessions covering topics like leadership development, networking, and professional development.
This award is given to an individual who has shown an excellent balance between academics, community involvement, and the student ALPFA chapter. They are also looking for candidates who have demonstrated the leadership qualities that are essential to a promising future career. Candidates are individuals who have devoted countless hours in their chapter of ALPFA and has promoted the organization amongst their peers. …Read more
The master’s in accounting program at Mays Business School ranked #1 in North America for the first time in the Eduniversal Best Masters Ranking Financial Markets – a ranking of the best master’s and MBA programs.
Eduniversal classifies and highlights masters and MBA programs which prepare and graduate the most competent students into the global workforce by surveying current graduating students and recruiters. Their methodology takes into account the reputation of the program, the salary of the employed graduates, and the graduates’ satisfaction with the program. …Read more
Ronnie Hale Sr. didn’t attend Texas A&M, but he was always an Aggie to the core. He put his four children through Texas A&M. Five of his grandchildren so far – with another on the way – are also Aggies.
Hundreds attended Hale’s funeral in March 2017, where Ronnie Hale Jr. recalled many memories and spoke of his father’s love for his wife of 58 years – Kay – and their children Ronnie Jr. ’82, Randy ’85, Richie ’88, and Kerri ’92.
To honor Ronnie Sr. after his death, his son and daughter-in-law Randall B. “Randy” and Tracy Hale are donating $250,000 toward renaming the Department of Accounting
for longtime department head Jim Benjamin.
The Benjamin campaign recently reached its goal of $10 million in commitments, and the Hale family wanted to help it come to fruition. …Read more
Mays Business School at Texas A&M University received its five-year accreditation renewal this week from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
The renewal includes a separate accreditation of the Department of Accounting, making the college one of 186 worldwide certified in both overall business and accounting programs.
Dean Eli Jones was notified Tuesday, May 1, 2018, of the reaccreditation. “AACSB accreditation is the most rigorous international accreditation a business school can earn. Our engaged stakeholders (faculty, staff and advisory board members) push us to reach this very high standard of quality,” he said. “I am proud that Mays Business School has continuously improved in terms of innovation and impact, which is reflected in our maintaining this accreditation over many years.”
Advancing the world’s prosperity
Department of Accounting head Jim Benjamin added, “We were delighted to be one of the first 13 schools to achieve AACSB accounting accreditation in 1982. Maintaining our status challenges our faculty to pursue excellence and continuous improvement.”
To prepare for the evaluation, Mays officials submitted voluminous documents late last year about the school’s programs and achievements. Mays educates more than 6,400 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students in accounting, business honors, finance, management, management information systems, marketing and supply chain management. The vision of Mays Business School is to advance the world’s prosperity by being a vibrant learning organization, creating impactful knowledge, and developing transformational leaders.
A peer review team visited the school, looking specifically at accomplishments since the previous visit five years earlier – including the launch and activation of a new Strategic Plan and consistently high rankings among the top public business schools in the country for its undergraduate and MBA programs, and for faculty research. The team of deans and professors visited Mays in February to interview faculty, staff, outside business partners, alumni, and students about the mission and vision of the college. They rated faculty and curricula and ensured all the programs in the college met quality standards relating to strategic management of resources, interactions between faculty and students, and student success in terms of achieving learning goals.
An intense peer-review process
The Continuous Improvement Review Committee and the Accounting Accreditation Committee concurred with the peer review teams’ recommendations for extension of accreditation of the business and accounting degree programs. The Board of Directors concurred.
Stephanie M. Bryant, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International, extended congratulations to Mays Business School on extending its accreditation. “The intense peer-review process confirms a school’s continued focus on excellence in all areas, including teaching, research, curricula development, and student learning. Mays Business School’s dedication to delivering high-quality business education will create the next generation of great leaders.”
The AACSB sets the highest standards of excellence, and it has been accrediting business colleges since 1916. It provides quality assurance, business education intelligence, and professional development services to more than 1,500 member organizations in 90 countries and 810 accredited business schools in 53 countries. There are more than 16,000 business schools around the world.
Mays Business School at Texas A&M University received its five-year accreditation renewal this week from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
Dean Eli Jones was notified Tuesday, May 1, 2018, of the reaccreditation. “AACSB accreditation is the most rigorous international accreditation a business school can earn. Our engaged stakeholders (faculty, staff and advisory board members) push us to reach this very high standard of quality,” he said. “I am proud that Mays Business School has continuously improved in terms of innovation and impact, which is reflected in our maintaining this accreditation over many years.”