Our Team – CFSI

david springate cfsi private funds symposium

Meet our team at the Center for Finance Strategy and Innovation.

We are an array of expert, directors, advisory board, executive fellows and the faculty who contribute to the CFSI.

Directors

  • Dr. David Springate – Co-Director and Co-Founder – Read Biography

    Dr. David Springate, Finance Professor, Jindal School of Management, UT Dallas. His teaching and research interests include corporate finance, valuations, private equity finance, turnarounds and restructurings. He is the founding director of the Executive MBA Programs at University of Texas at Dallas and currently serves as the Academic Director. David holds a doctorate in Corporate Finance from the Harvard Business School. His research papers have appeared in notable academic journals. Many of his published cases have been reprinted. Additionally, he has testified before a committee of the Canadian Parliament. He is past chapter president and now board member of Financial Executives International, a board member of the Harvard Business School Club of Dallas, and a Fellow of the Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations. David was the first Associate Dean for Executive Education at UT Dallas. Previously he was professor at IMD in Switzerland, at SMU, and the University of Tennessee. He was employed in investment banking in Geneva for several years with an affiliate of Banque Hentsch. In addition to his PhD, he earned an MBA from the University of Western Ontario (Ivey School), and holds electrical engineering degrees from Royal Military College of Canada and the University of Alberta. He also served as an Air Warfare Systems engineering officer at the Central Experimental and Proving Establishment of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

  • Dr. Robert Kieschnick – Co-Director – Read Biography

    Robert Kieschnick is the Director of the M.S. in Financial Engineering and Risk Management Program and former area coordinator for the Finance and Managerial Economics faculty. He is an accomplished author with papers in such journals as the Journal of Evolutionary Economics, the Journal of Corporate Finance, and the Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance. Some of his areas of concentration include hedging, capital structures and working capital management. Robert’s Ph.D. and M.A. were awarded by the University of Texas at Austin.

  • Ms. Elizabeth Jones – Associate Director and Co-Founder – Read Biography

    Elizabeth F. Jones, is a visiting graduate finance and strategic management professor who for more than fifteen years has taught and led business advisory projects in private equity finance, risk management, and technology innovation. Concurrently, she serves on corporate boards and is a strategic advisor for private equity backed companies. She has over 27 years of finance experience as a management consultant with McKinsey & Co., investment banker, private equity financier, SEC financial expert and corporate venture capitalist. She also has a long history of public service as an elected official, trustee, director and strategic advisor. She has served on the National Board of Examiners of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award & Performance Excellence Program. Elizabeth received her BA in Economics and Political Science from Wellesley College, an MBA from Erasmus University Netherlands), and is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Senior Executives in State & Local Government program. She holds a Governance Fellow designation from the National Association of Corporate Directors and is a recipient of the MIT Alumni Association Presidential Citation award.

Director of Fintech Training

  • Dr. Jay Scott – Read Biography

    Dr. James Scott teaches in the Financial Engineering and Risk Management Graduate Program in the Jindal School of Management, and in the Social Data Analytics and Research Graduate Program in the School of Economics, Political, and Policy Sciences. He holds both doctoral and masters degrees from the University of Texas at Dallas specializing in management, information technology, healthcare, and data analytics. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering degree from Texas Tech University. Jay has 28 years of corporate experience in Fortune 500 companies such as Computer Sciences Corporation, KPMG, and Verisign, and served in the U.S. Army as a Satellite Communications Officer for eight years. His current research examines the financial impacts of blockchains using data-analytics. Jay has appeared on panels at the Consumer Electronic Show and at National Broadcasters Association Convention. He was an invited speaker to the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s academic competition in Seoul and, recently, to the Texas Women University College of Business.

Advisory Board

  • Mr. Sushil Ahuja – Read Biography

    Sushil Ahuja, Deals Partner at PwC, has over 18 years of management consulting, human capital and M&A deal experience in advising corporate and private equity clients on People related issues (strategy through execution) during M&A transactions including pre-close due diligence, separation, integration planning and post deal execution. Hiss specialty is the execution of value capturing performance improvement initiatives after the deal closes. He has worked across a wide array of industries including consumer products, retail, hospitality, industrial products, financial services, energy and utilities, professional services, healthcare and technology. Sushil’s MBA degree was awarded by the University of Texas at Dallas.

  • Mr. Charlie Bahr – Read Biography

    Charlie Bahr, President of Bahr International, Inc. a Dallas-based turnaround company for cash flow and value enhancement that has assisted hundreds of troubled firms. The company’s proven business methods have been featured in many leading business journals, including Success, Sales & Marketing Management, Business Age and the Dallas Business Journal. An MBA graduate of Harvard Business School, Charlie serves on the School’s Board of Advisors. His undergraduate degree is in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic institute. He is active in Financial Executives International and Success North Dallas.

  • Ms. Marion Flores – Read Biography

    Marion Flores, Partner SeatonHill. Marion presently serves in a premier fractional and interim CFO services firm assisting senior management of smaller and mid-sized businesses with strategic direction for growth, capital investment, and acquisitions. Prior to this, she led all non-technology functions, including finance, accounting, business development and administration, for Vistas Unlimited. A high technology development company, it was acquired by ESPN Emerging Technology Group. Earlier, she was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Bloom Companies. She led the restructuring, merger and ultimate sale of the agency to world media services leader Publicis. Marion’s initial consulting experience was while employed at Booz Allen & Hamilton. She was a banking officer at Interfirst (now BankAmerica). Marion holds a B.A. degree from Wellesley College and an MBA degree from Columbia University.

  • Mr. Ven Kumar – Read Biography

    Ven Kumar is the Chief Technical Officer for IBM assigned to PepsiCo. He was previously the CTO for the Walmart account for five years. His interest and specializations is in Blockchain, AI/Machine Learning, IOT and systems architecture. Ven has over eighteen years of industry experience in retail, consumer packaged goods, high-tech manufacturing, and eCommerce.
    Prior to joining IBM, Ven held positions at HP as the CTO for the Nike Account Team where he was involved in the deployment and testing of their Fuelband ( wearable) prior to the London Olympics. Ven has also been an entrepreneur having been founder and CTO of an eCommerce startup ServiceLane.com that was funded by Austin Ventures and Fremont Group. Prior to ServiceLane, Ven spent about 7 years at Oracle Corp as a practice director in their Advanced database technologies team.
    He holds a Bachelors degree in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from VNIT in India.

  • Mr. Scott Mairs – Read Biography

    Scott Mairs, Executive Partner at Gartner. Prior to joining Gartner, Scott served as Principal of Enaxis, a firm of advisors for technology enablement of business, the CEO of Blockchain Business Solutions, and as President of plumRHINO, a financial services consulting firm. His earlier experience ranges from venture capital and management consulting to leadership positions at Citicorp, Sungard and Bank of America. Scott has led global technology, performance management and enterprise transformations in many countries and programs. This includes online banking, general ledger replacements, mergers and acquisitions, and implementation of the European Monetary Unit. Also, he is a frequent author and speaker on performance management including the Business Performance Engine™ and Strategic Value Continuum™ Corporate Performance Management. He serves on the Leadership Council of the American Lung Association. Scott holds a BS in Computer Science/Math from University of North Texas, a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University and an Executive MBA in International Business from Baylor University. He earned PMI’s Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification.

  • Mr. Warren Strickland – Read Biography

    Warren Strickland is the Founder and Owner of Ranger Ventures which is active in several private equity and real estate investments. He is a Director Emeritus of McKinsey and Company, from which he retired as a director after 25 years where he was an industry expert in Oil & Gas, Electric Power, Consumer Packaged Goods, and Industrial Products. He was most recently the global leader of McKinsey’s Organization Design Practice, and led McKinsey’s “Performance Ethic” research on high performing organizations. He also serves as the director of Board of Advisors at Pearson Partners International, Inc. Warren earned a master’s degree in business administration from The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania, and a bachelor of science degree in mining engineering, with high distinction, from the Mackay School of Mines at University of Nevada, Reno.

Executive Fellows

These practitioners have deep knowledge in particular fields of focus to the Center.

  • Mr. Babar Bhatti – Read Biography

    Babar is a seasoned software entrepreneur with expertise in the areas of digital analytics, artificial intelligence, and technical strategy. Most recently, he was Co-founder of MutualMind, a Dallas-based social analytics company that served B2B customers such as American Airlines, IBM, and Walgreens, and was sold in 2016. Prior to that Babar worked for Sirius XM and Verizon. Currently he is principal at Quantum Grid Labs where he advises companies on machine learning/AI, cloud computing, and product management. Babar holds dual masters from MIT. He also served as Chairman of the MIT Enterprise Forum and is the Co-organizer of Artificial Intelligence Meetups in Dallas.

  • Mr. David Epperson – Read Biography

    David Epperson, President of Briarwood Enterprises LLC, has spent the past twenty years helping companies with complex issues related to strategy, organization, finance and operations. He has worked both independently and in affiliation with leading global consultancies, including McKinsey & Company, advising large multinational clients in the mining, petroleum, chemical, building materials and technology industries. He has served clients in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. David has also dealt extensively with logistics and supply chain issues in the building materials and construction industries. Finally, he has also led a number of teams responsible for the financial valuation of both high-tech startups and established industrial and financial services companies. David Epperson served as the General Counsel to the House Judicial Affairs Committee (now the Judiciary Committee) for the 78th Legislature in 2003. David received an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin with additional studies at the London Business School. He earned a JD from the University of Virginia – School of Law and a BA from Baylor University. He has served as a construction leader for a Dallas-area Habitat for Humanity affiliate and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science.

  • Mr. Harry Gray – Read Biography

    Harry Gray, co-founder of Verto Partners, which is a firm of Fortune 500 CEOs, Big Four partners, and McKinsey, Bain, Booz and BCG alumni that provides corporate strategy, operational improvement and management consulting. Clients include Kleiner Perkins, JP Morgan, CS First Boston, Bass Family, GE Capital, Hambrecht & Quist and NEA Associates. Harry was also Managing Director at RKG Osnos, the nation’s oldest corporate performance advisory firm. He has been a middle-market President/CEO, COO, CFO and board-level advisor for Goldman Sachs Capital, UBS Capital, Arcapita, Hanseatic Capital, MB Financial and TA Associates. Harry was a private equity professional and portfolio company strategy leader at Highland Capital. Prior to this, Harry was an investment banker at Alex Brown & Sons, and a Vice President at Wasserstein Perella & Co., Harry began his career in the US Navy’s warship construction program at General Dynamics. He is a graduate of the US Naval Academy (BS) and Columbia Business School (MBA), where he was a Bibeault Scholar.

  • Mr. Craig Hall – Read Biography

    Craig Hall, currently serves as an Executive Fellow focused on “digital value”. He was recently appointed to the UT Dallas Computer Science Advisory Board of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. He is the founder and CEO of Caudicum Company, a blockchain boutique for enterprise solutions requiring cryptologic and identity/governance solutions for legacy systems to operate in secure distributed cloud and internet communications (block-grading existing companies). Craig has worked in government, major global companies and start-up organizations including groups and projects that have won global acclaim. This includes best new technology recognition from Smithsonian Institute, Wall Street Journal and the World Economic Forum. He is a graduate of University of Utah, and has served on trustee technology committees at Carnegie Mellon and the Columbia Business School.

  • Mr. Stephan Mehrholz – Read Biography

    Stephan Mehrholz, Director of Professional Services, NETSCOUT. Stephan leads a global team providing pre-and-post sales solutions design for wireless and NGN operators worldwide. He is an expert in developing new services and competitive differentiation. This includes proactive network management, fraud and risk prevention, disaster prevention and recovery, root cause analysis and problem resolution. He is headquartered in Cologne, Germany. Prior to his present position, Stephan was Director, Global Business Consulting with Tektronix. He began his career with INET Deutschland GmbH. Stephan holds an Executive MBA degree from the University of Texas at Dallas and a Dipl.-Ing. in General Electrical Engineering from Technical University Aachen.

Executive and Academic Faculty

These individuals teach academic courses at the University.

  • Mr. Gurvinder Ahluwalia – Read Biography

    Gurvinder Ahluwalia, Founder of Digital Twin Labs in Dallas, is building Blockchain products and token-based venture formations for some of the largest global brands on Ethereum and other platforms. Previously, he was Chief Technical Officer of IBM’s Technical Solution unit for Blockchain & Cloud and a member of IBM’s Academy of Technology. He is known for seminal work in putting Blockchain on the Internet of Things. Gurvinder is frequently invited to speak at forums including Stanford, MIT, Interop, Samsung Developer Conference, and The Federal Reserve Bank. He holds an MBA from UT Austin and currently serves as an adjunct faculty member for the Jindal School of Management and the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering & Computer Science.

  • Ms. Elizabeth Jones – Read Biography

    Elizabeth F. Jones, is a visiting graduate finance and strategic management professor who for more than fifteen years has taught and led business advisory projects in private equity finance, risk management, and technology innovation. Concurrently, she serves on corporate boards and is a strategic advisor for private equity backed companies. She has over 27 years of finance experience as a management consultant with McKinsey & Co., investment banker, private equity financier, SEC financial expert and corporate venture capitalist. She also has a long history of public service as an elected official, trustee, director and strategic advisor. She has served on the National Board of Examiners of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award & Performance Excellence Program. Elizabeth received her BA in Economics and Political Science from Wellesley College, an MBA from Erasmus University Netherlands), and is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Senior Executives in State & Local Government program. She holds a Governance Fellow designation from the National Association of Corporate Directors and is a recipient of the MIT Alumni Association Presidential Citation award.

  • Dr. Robert Kieschnick – Read Biography

    Robert Kieschnick is the Director of the M.S. in Financial Engineering and Risk Management Program and former area coordinator for the Finance and Managerial Economics faculty. He is an accomplished author with papers in such journals as the Journal of Evolutionary Economics, the Journal of Corporate Finance, and the Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance. Some of his areas of concentration include hedging, capital structures and working capital management. Robert’s Ph.D. and M.A. were awarded by the University of Texas at Austin

  • Dr. Jay Scott – Read Biography

    Dr. James Scott, Lecturer, The University of Texas Dallas. James Scott teaches in the Financial Engineering and Risk Management Graduate Program in the Jindal School of Management, and in the Social Data Analytics and Research Graduate Program in the School of Economics, Political, and Policy Sciences. He holds both doctoral and masters degrees from the University of Texas at Dallas specializing in management, information technology, healthcare, and data analytics. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering degree from Texas Tech University. Jay has 28 years of corporate experience in Fortune 500 companies such as Computer Sciences Corporation, KPMG, and Verisign, and served in the U.S. Army as a Satellite Communications Officer for eight years. His current research examines the financial impacts of blockchains using data-analytics.

  • Dr. David Springate – Read Biography

    Dr. David Springate, Finance Professor, Jindal School of Management, UT Dallas. His teaching and research interests include corporate finance, valuations, private equity finance, turnarounds and restructurings. He is the founding director of the Executive MBA Programs at University of Texas at Dallas and currently serves as the Academic Director. David holds a doctorate in Corporate Finance from the Harvard Business School. His research papers have appeared in notable academic journals. Many of his published cases have been reprinted. Additionally, he has testified before a committee of the Canadian Parliament. He is past chapter president and now board member of Financial Executives International, a board member of the Harvard Business School Club of Dallas, and a Fellow of the Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations. David was the first Associate Dean for Executive Education at UT Dallas. Previously he was professor at IMD in Switzerland, at SMU, and the University of Tennessee. He was employed in investment banking in Geneva for several years with an affiliate of Banque Hentsch. In addition to his PhD, he earned an MBA from the University of Western Ontario (Ivey School), and holds electrical engineering degrees from Royal Military College of Canada and the University of Alberta. He also served as an Air Warfare Systems engineering officer at the Central Experimental and Proving Establishment of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

  • Mr. Warren Strickland – Read Biography

    Warren Strickland is the Founder and Owner of Ranger Ventures which is active in several private equity and real estate investments. He is a Director Emeritus of McKinsey and Company, from which he retired as a director after 25 years where he was an industry expert in Oil & Gas, Electric Power, Consumer Packaged Goods, and Industrial Products. He was most recently the global leader of McKinsey’s Organization Design Practice, and led McKinsey’s “Performance Ethic” research on high performing organizations. He also serves as the director of Board of Advisors at Pearson Partners International, Inc. Warren earned a master’s degree in business administration from The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania, and a bachelor of science degree in mining engineering, with high distinction, from the Mackay School of Mines at University of Nevada, Reno.

  • Dr. Christian von Drathen – Read Biography

    Dr. Christian von Drathen, Assistant Professor of Finance, University of Texas at Dallas. Christian’s interests center in private equity finance and valuation. His academic degrees include a PhD and an MSc from the London School of Economics, an MSc from the London Business School, and a Dipl. W.-Ing. From Universität Karlsruhe in Germany, His recent research relates to reverse leveraged buyouts, private equity backed Initial Public Offerings in Germany, and CEO turnover. His research fellowships include awards from McKinsey, PWC, Abraaj Capital, Terra Firma Capital and Coller Capital.

  • Mr. Michael Lewellen – Read Biography

    Michael is CEO and the co-founder of Tarski Technologies, a Dallas-based product design & development studio with a specialty in blockchain technology. He has more than eight years of blockchain experience as a blockchain software architect and consultant working with Thomson Reuters, Toyota, Verizon, and numerous startups. His work includes blockchain applications for insurance, tax accounting, financial assets, and supply-chain management. In addition to consulting, Michael participates in blockchain research and education with various organizations at the University of Texas at Dallas, and was the co-founder of the Blockchain Club at the university during his time as a student. He is frequently invited to speak at national conferences and is a board member for the Texas Blockchain Council, a public policy group that educates on blockchain technology.

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