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IN THIS ISSUE
McCombs Establishes BBA Alumni Network
MMA Network Honors Alumni
Full-time MBA Program Ranked by Economist Intelligence

Only 2 Weeks Away! Classes of ’97 and ’02 MBA Reunion.
The 5- and 10-year reunion is November 9-11 in Austin. Be sure to register today. For more information, visit the Web site.
Register Early for Popular MBA Alumni Conference
Register today for the 3rd Annual MBA Alumni Business Conference. This year’s program will feature an expanded schedule with roundtables, corporate speakers and an experienced alumni reunion dinner. Learn more.

MBA Alumna to Head New BBA Alumni Network
With 11 years of success supporting the McCombs MBA Alumni (MMA) Network, the school will extend this effort to BBA alumni by establishing the McCombs BBA Alumni (MBBA) Network. Jennie Loev, MBA ’03 and director of the McCombs MBA Alumni (MMA) Network, is the new director of alumni relations. She will continue with her duties as the director of the MMA Network as well as oversee the operations and planning for the entire McCombs School Alumni Relations Department. Get the full story.

Executive Education Announces New Appointments for Thurman, Burton
Trent Thurman (right above), MBA ’94, has been appointed director of the Texas Thurman_Burton Evening MBA program. Thurman currently serves as the associate director for the Texas MBA in Houston and the Texas MBA in Dallas programs. Thurman spent more than 10 years in commercial and corporate real estate, and worked on Capitol Hill before returning to McCombs in 2005. Steven Burton (right below), MBA ’04, has been named the new director of the Houston and Dallas MBA programs after serving as the director of Career Management for Working Professionals since 2004. While Thurman and Burton will be moving into new roles in Executive Education, they will both still be part of the Working Professional MBA program team within Executive Education and will continue to be helpful across all programs. Congratulations to both!

Srinivasan on Car-Buying Personalities: Nitpickers, Tightwads and Snobs
When it comes to buying a car, are you a nitpicker, a tightwad or a snob? Marketing Associate Professor Raji Srinivasan, who researches how product design relates to the U.S. automotive industry, explained her Total Product Design theory to a group of McCombs undergraduates Sept. 18 as part of the Faculty Research Presentation Series. Get the whole story.

Symposium Examines Marketer’s Role in Sustainability Initiatives
How can green initiatives and environmentally sustainable business practices win out in the marketplace? That question served as the springboard for a lively two-day discussion on the state of corporate social responsibility Sept. 27-28. Taking part in the conversation were academics, students, corporate representatives and at least one politician (Austin City Council Member Brewster McCracken, right). All of the participants agreed that initiatives in sustainability must be accountable for helping the bottom line. “Green has to be green and green means dollars,” said Victor Welch, director of the Corporate Marketing Initiatives Group at GE. Get the full story.

Mahajan Wins Award for Best Book in Marketing
Vijay_5_Small Marketing Professor Vijay Mahajan has received the 2007 Berry-AMA Book Prize for the Best Book in Marketing from the American Marketing Association Foundation. His book, “The 86% Solution: How To Succeed In the Biggest Market Opportunity of the 21st Century,” explains that the developing world now holds the greatest market potential for global companies. The book presents techniques and strategies necessary to win in this market, including creative ways to drive business using local infrastructure and local customs. Get the full story.

Brown: Superior Portfolio Managers Can Be Identified
Brown Is it possible for investors to select, in advance, a superior portfolio manager? That is the question Finance Professor Keith Brown addressed before an audience of McCombs undergraduates during his Faculty Research Presentation Speaker Series talk Oct. 2. Brown’s research has examined the debate about the value of passive versus active portfolio management. He said that passive managers view the ability to consistently beat the market over time as impossible. The idea of active management is that some individuals possess superior information and can generate higher returns on investments. “Active managers are all about trying to capture alpha, which is the shorthand language for the value added,” Brown said. Get the full story.

MBA Alumni Honored
The McCombs MBA Alumni (MMA) Network and the Graduate Business Council hosted the Third Annual MBA Alumni Awards Celebration at the Intercontinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel on Friday, September 28. This annual event recognizes a rising star alumnus/a and an outstanding chapter event. Read more about the event and this year's honorees.

Executive Education Offers Energy Finance Certificate Program
This unique program offers energy industry managers and executives the opportunity to improve their business acumen in an enviromnent focused on the complexities of their field. Click here for more information or call us at 800.409.3932.

ALUMNI NEWS
MBA Alumna Author of No. 1 Bestseller at Whole Foods
Austin Chronicle, September 21, 2007
Earls After a 30-year struggle with disabling psoriasis, Deirdre Earls, MBA ’93, finally refused chemotherapy and began researching ways to reverse her condition with nutrition. Finding success with a whole food, plant-based diet, Earls wrote “Your Healing Diet: A Quick Guide to Reversing Psoriasis and Chronic Diseases with Healing Foods,” which is now the No. 1 best-selling book at Whole Foods’ flagship store in Austin. The book helps readers gain control of their health through diet instead of prescription drugs. Earls said the results from the diet have been her primary marketing tool. “My focus has never been on publicity,” Earls said. “My attitude has been if you do the work and generate results for people, the work will be its own marketing.” Get the full the story.

Alumnus Appointed to Board of Pride International
Pride International, Inc. (NYSE:PDE) recently announced the appointment of Robert G. Phillips (BBA ’77) to the company's board of directors. Phillips, a member of the McCombs School Advisory Council, has worked in numerous senior management positions in the oil and gas industry for more than 26 years. Get the full story.

MBA Alumnus Named CFO of Intel
Stacy Smith, BBA ’85, MBA ’88, and new McCombs Advisory Council member, was recently was named chief financial officer and vice president of finance and enterprise services for Intel Corp. His promotion came after assisting the company’s former CFO for the past 18 months. Prior to serving as assistant CFO, Smith was the chief information officer and general manager of Intel’s European, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. In his new role, Smith is responsible for leading the worldwide finance organization and overseeing operation finance, accounting and reporting, tax treasure, internal audit and investor relations. Smith has worked at Intel since he graduated from the MBA program.

McCOMBS IN THE NEWS
Full-time Texas MBA Ranked by Economist Intelligence
The Economist Intelligence released its annual global rankings of full-time MBA programs last week. The McCombs School received a global rank of 45 (up from 55 last year). Among U.S. schools, McCombs ranks 25 (up from 33). The survey considers four criteria: gauge of effectiveness at opening new career opportunities, personal development and educational experience, increase in salary and potential to network.

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	Vol. 10, No. Oct. 25, 2007
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	Grad Talks Investments— in Stocks and McCombs Craig Hester BBA ’71, MBA ’72 Craig Hester has been hitting the business news circuit, making rounds on Bloomberg Television, Bloomberg Radio, CBS Radio and most recently CNBC’s “Closing Bell.” During his appearance on that show in October, Hester discussed his picks for value stocks, a subject he handles with aplomb from 19 years of experience running Hester Capital Management. The Austin firm manages just under $1.6 million for individual and institutional clients. Since Hester founded the company, the firm has grown steadily, starting with just one employee in 1989 to 17 today. His client base comes mainly through referrals and though his firm is successful, Hester’s desire isn’t to grow the company so large that it becomes impersonal. “Money management is a relationship business at the end of the day,” Hester says. “It’s built on trust and credibility, and my team and I work hard to preserve that.” Before starting out on his own venture, Hester began his career as a financial analyst with the Texas Retirement System of Texas and Republic Bank. Later, he gained experience in money management with the Texas Municipal Retirement System and InterFirst Investment Management. In all of these roles, he cultivated relationships with people across the state, many of whom would later become clients of Hester Capital Management. In part because of his own successes and because he’s a strong believer in education, Hester remains involved with McCombs. He serves as a member on the Advisory Committee for the MBA Investment Fund, where he interacts with student managers and faculty. “I think advisor participation was designed to be educational for the MBAs,” Hester says. “But I’ve learned just as much from the faculty and students and been introduced to very bright people.” Among those bright stars, Hester counts three of his current employees—former McCombs MBA students who worked on the MBA Investment Fund. “Being involved with McCombs is a winning situation for me. We employ interns from McCombs and hire grads. I buy the McCombs product and am proud to come to work with these people every day.” When he isn’t managing money for his clients or giving back to McCombs, Hester splits his time between a small Texas ranch and traveling to Colorado to hike. In 1998, Hester made it a personal goal to climb the 54 Colorado peaks that reach over 14,000 feet. He’s managed to meet that goal half way, climbing 27 of those peaks thus far and has plans to complete the remaining in the following years. For Hester, raising new heights is equally important in both his personal and professional lives.
	Hire McCombs Alumni through the McCombs Job Board Search for a job or promote employment opportunities to both current students and alumni of the McCombs School of Business. Both the Alumni Directory and the McCombs Job Board are accessible through your UT EID (University of Texas Electronic Identification). Click here for more information on finding your UT EID, or contact the Registrar's office at 512-475-7656. If you have any questions, please email us and refer to "Alumni Directory" or "McCombs Job Board" in the subject and content of your message.

	Investment Opportunities Make a gift to the McCombs School Annual Fund and help us achieve our goal of becoming the best public business school in the nation. Give now. The McCombs School of Business 2005-06 Investors' Report is now available online. Visit the home page to view the 2005-06 donors and financial information. Related Links Hermes Society Matching Gift Program Give Online The MBA Alumni Endowed Excellence Fund provides an excellent opportunity for all alumni to give back to the school. Launching new MBA initiatives that will enhance the educational experience of MBA students, this fund is unique in that a committee of students, alumni, and MBA program office staff will work together to determine optimal usage of the funds. McCombs Merchandise
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