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JSOM Alumni

Welcome home, Jindal School alumni!

The JSOM Alumni Relations team is dedicated to keeping you connected to your alma mater and helping you support your university! To reach us directly, visit the JSOM Alumni Contact page or email us at jsomalumni@utdallas.edu.

students posing next to OWLIE against a UTD cutout

Students walking down the line while getting food

Two JSOM Alumni against a background that has a JSOM balloon arc

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Are you reaching a big moment or milestone in your life or closing or starting a new chapter?

Whether it’s a new job, marriage, welcoming a baby, teaching your children or grandchildren your favorite hobby or moving across the country, we want to hear from you!

Featured News

Collage photo of Mark Thouin (top left) and Gaurav Shekhar (bottom right)

Key Promotions Made in Strategic Move to Advance Jindal School Graduate Programs

Hasan Pirkul The recent retirement of Dr. Monica Powell, graduate dean of the Naveen Jindal School of Management since 2009 and the senior associate dean since 2015, created both challenges and opportunities for Dr. Hasan Pirkul, Caruth Chair and Jindal School dean, to maintain the high level of service that the school has always provided […]

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Frequently Asked Questions

The simplest way to join is to go to jindalconnect.com and, using your LinkedIn profile, import your personal information. Take a few more moments to personalize your profile by using drop-down menus to indicate your interest in helping other students or alums with advice or mentoring. Joining will take you 90 seconds or less.

JindalConnect is different because it allows you to identify UT Dallas people who have intentionally indicated they want to help. And if you do initially show your willingness to mentor, offer advice or greet new Comets in your city, and then for whatever reason, you change your mind, a simple click on your personal JindalConnect profile takes you off the “Willing to Help” list.

Go to the Directory tab in the drop-down menu in the lefthand column of the JindalConnect homepage. On the right side are filters you can set for class year, degree, industry and more.

Yes. The “Say hello, ask for help, or just post what’s new on your mind” box in the center column under the photo at the top of the JindalConnect homepage offers a way to ask (and answer) questions. You also can “write a comment” under individual posts in the center column.

No.

Periodically, you will receive an email newsletter from JindalConnect that will highlight one story, two upcoming events and some other information. It’s all on one page. If you want to read additional information, links will take you to individual stories.

Alumni Spotlight

Doug Hermann, BS’14

Broker Associate, The Weitzman Group

Hermann double-majored while at Jindal School, graduating with a degree in Finance and a degree in Business Administration.

Brett Philips, BS’05, MS’09

Founding Partner, Shifflett & Philips

Philips, and his friend Nick Shifflett, started Shifflett & Philips accounting firm in 2014 in Frisco. Philips, a CPA, had worked at other accountancies for more than nine years before going out on his own. His practice now primarily focuses on the performance of federal and state tax compliance and consulting with individuals, estates, partnerships and closely held corporations. Philips holds two Jindal School degrees – a bachelor’s in Business Administration, which he completed in 2005, and an MS/Accounting which he completed in 2009.

Christian Tellez, MS’15

Senior Investment Associate, Diamond Realty Investments, Inc.

Tellez underwrites potential commercial real estate development projects across the country that his company may consider for investment. Tellez earned an MS/Finance at Jindal School. “The master’s degree I earned at UT Dallas 100 percent catapulted my career,” said Tellez, who completed his undergrad degree in economics at Texas Tech. “I was extremely hungry but I was struggling to get the attention of ‘big time’ finance players in Dallas due to lack of experience,” he says.

Florent (AC) Ndindjock, BS’18

AVP, Associate Client Advisor, Marsh USA, inc

Ndindjock joined Marsh, a global insurance and risk management company with offices in 130 nations, after he earned his Business Administration undergraduate degree at Jindal School. He has since been transferred to the Marsh office in North Carolina. While at Jindal School, Ndindjock concentrated in Risk Management and Insurance and was active in the industry’s professional fraternity, Gamma Iota Sigma, which has a student chapter on campus. Ndindjock has “returned” to UT Dallas as an MBA student, where he is pursuing his degree online.

William F. Rayburn, MD, MBA’07

Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean, University of New Mexico School of Medicine

At UNM’s School of Medicine in Albuquerque, Rayburn is responsible for continuing medical education and professional development of the school’s faculty.

Randy Black, CFP, CDFA, BS’06

Financial Planner, Spectrum Financial Group

Black, a certified financial planner, is certain that a successful leader will go above and beyond what is expected when helping others. This value is evident in his work helping numerous clients reach their financial goals. Since his May 2006 graduation from the Jindal School, Black has exceeded several industry standards even though he has not yet reached his 10-year mark in the professional world.

Scott Birnbaum, BS’84

Founder And President, Reclaimed Textiles Co.

Scott Birnbaum, a former CPA, founded a business that recycles items otherwise destined for the garbage heap. He established Reclaimed Textiles Co. (RTCM), which repurposes discarded textiles for new use. As president, he is active in all aspects of the company and constantly relies on skills learned while a student at the Jindal School. In addition to his 18 years in textile recycling, he has experience in defense manufacturing, transportation and publishing. Scott established RTCM based on his values regarding quality, innovation and customer focus, and he is committed to developing new means to repurpose used goods in the U.S. and in developing countries.

Geetha Hathikal, MBA’13

Business Analysis Manager, Ericsson

Hathikal, who has been with Ericsson for more than four years, works as a business consultant in the networks strategy planning group of the organization.

Sejal Desai, MBA’99

Program Director, Entrepreneurs for North Texas

Establishing the Desai Family Fellowship at Naveen Jindal School of Management is just one thing Desai has done to improve the lives of others.

Samir Patel, BS’13 MBA’14

Founder/Portfolio Manager, Askeladden Capital Management

Askeladden is the investment adviser to a long-only limited partnership (hedge fund) and separately managed accounts (SMAs), running a concentrated, long-term oriented, small-and-micro-cap portfolio. Patel graduated magna cum laude with a biochemistry degree from UT Dallas when he was 19 years old, and concentrated in finance and supply chain in his MBA, which he completed when he was 20.

Eugene Murray, MS’03

President, W&M Environmental Group, Inc.

With more than 30 years of experience in environmental consulting and two degrees in geology, Eugene (Gene) Murray, president of W&M Environmental Group, Inc., intended to take just one statistics class to further enhance his business skills. But after one class, Murray discovered the numerous benefits of a Jindal School education and decided to pursue a master’s degree.

Capt. Chris Hampton, USN, Retired , MBA’11

Consultant

Hampton, who by his own account was at the doorstep of international relations and global events as an officer with the U.S.

Mark Fuqua, BS’79

Exec Vice President And Manager, Energy Banking Comerica Bank

Fuqua completed his BS/Business Administration degree with a finance concentration at UT Dallas when undergrads had been on the UTD campus a mere four years.

Clarisa Duran Lindenmeyer, MBA’09

Founder/president: Proximity To Power

Lindenmeyer says that in her current role as a C-level strategist in sales, marketing and growth, her MBA helps round out her ability.

Steven P. Nelson, MBA’89

Director, Ecosystem and Marketing Platformsfreescale Semiconductor

When Steve entered the Jindal School’s MBA Program, he decided to stray from his engineering background and pursue a concentration in marketing. That unlikely decision uncovered a new passion and ultimately shifted his career path.

Lester Dsouza, Class of ’21

Financial Analyst at CBRE

During my research for a good graduate school, I saw that the MS in Finance at JSOM offered more than just quality education, it provided an access to huge knowledge pool and experience from the faculties and the peers alike. It had the widely diverse class with students from all around the world to learn from, while having 200+ student organizations to develop myself outside of the classroom and make friends. Being located really close to Dallas, a major city which has great opportunities also influenced my decision to enroll at JSOM.

Brandy Arbuthnot, BS’99 MS’02

Tax Partner, BDO, USA LLP

In her current position at BDO, Arbuthnot assists accounting clients with their tax compliance and consulting needs including tax returns, tax provision preparation and review, assistance with tax implications of mergers and acquisitions, and other tax planning matters. She joined BDO, an international assurance, tax and financial advisory services firm, after earning her undergraduate accounting degree. Her master’s degree is also in accounting. “My degrees prepared me for a career in public accounting and the necessary qualifications for the CPA exam. Furthermore, my experience at UT Dallas prepared me to have success the professional world,” she said. BDO certainly covers the world, with offices in 167 countries.

Ernest Lowery, BS’08, MS’09

Assurance Director, PwC

Ernest has worked in the assurance practice at PwC for over 10 years. He has worked with public and private clients in a number of industries, including energy, industrial products, media and entertainment and technology. He most recently worked in a digital role, where his primary focus was helping to develop new tools to be used across the assurance practice. What he enjoys most is working with clients and his teams to complete a common goal.

Craig Weigel, MBA’03

Human Resources Director, PepsiCo

Weigel, an HR professional for more than 18 years, has worked for multiple Fortune 100 global companies in various roles, including recruiting, mergers and acquisitions, compensation, and business partnership. He is most proud of his short-term projects in Asia and Europe, which broadened his cultural awareness and global business knowledge.

Jonathan “J.J.” Jones, BS’12, MS’14, MBA’16

Senior Property Manager, Crescent Property Services, LLC

In his current position, Jones manages a Class A commercial real estate portfolio for Crescent, which acquires, develops and operates high-end properties alongside an exclusive group of investors and high-net-worth clients. Crescent currently has $3.5 billion in assets in its portfolio. Jones said his education at Jindal School has opened a lot of doors for him. “I don’t think I’m smarter than I was, but it helped me in my ability to creatively problem solve, navigate multiple fields of expertise and remain confident in a rapidly evolving business environment,” he said. He earned three degrees at the Jindal School – a BS in Business Administration, an MS in Supply Chain Management and an MBA.

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