Giving to JSOM

Jeff Hightower, MBA’01

SVP, Group Manager, Corporate Banking, Green Bank, NA

At Green Bank, Hightower originates and develops relationships with commercial clients. He also oversees a team of relationship managers.

Anjie Vichayanonda, BS’08

Founder And CEO, Leg Up Legal

I wanted to come back to Texas to be closer to family, so I joined the Dallas office of Haynes and Boone, LLP, in 2017.

Joseph James, MBA’10

Entrepreneur

James, who completed his Executive MBA degree in 2010, manages two startup businesses. At 2020 Commercial, he provides commercial real estate sales, leasing and development services. At Mango Farms Digital Marketing, he and his staff provide web and mobile application development and manage digital marketing for clients.

Randall Tan, BS’13

Key Account Manager, An IBM Company.

Randall Tan had plenty of success before launching his academic career at The University of Texas at Dallas. Prior to coming to UT Dallas, he earned the Gold Individual Physical Proficiency Test while serving with the Singapore armed forces. As a marketing student at the Naveen Jindal School of Management, Tan was involved in the Chinese Student Association, American Marketing Association student club and served as public relations chair for the University’s sales club. He lives in the Dallas area.

Gary Tillett, BS’82

U.S. Financial Services Partner, New York Metro Deals Leaderpricewaterhousecoopers

Gary Tillett’s notable career spans three decades and includes roles in several divisions within the same “big four” accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers. Tillett currently serves as the New York Metro Deals Leader and is a partner in the U.S. Financial Services sector at PwC. In this dual role, he leads a practice of more than 400 deals professionals and serves some of PwC’s largest corporate and private-equity clients with investments in the financial services sector. Tillett attributes his success to his commitment to the delivery of quality client service and his desire to maintain a comprehensive lifestyle, which has included active community service within his career and personal life since an early stage.

Glenn D. Lovelace, BS’81

CEO, Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative, Inc.

Lovelace graduated from what was then the School of Management with a marketing degree and minors in computer science and finance.

Abu Sadeq, BS’94, MS’99

CEO and CISO, Zartech Inc.

Sadeq earned two degrees at what is now known as Naveen Jindal School of Management. He received a BS/Business Administration and an MS/Management Information Systems. He eventually started Zartech, a Dallas-based consulting company, which helps clients with cybersecurity diagnostics and strategies and even provides experts for boards of directors facing cybersecurity questions or managing regulatory affairs.

Glenn Egelman, MD, FACP, MS’08

Medical Director, Tricare; Defense Health Agency Headquarters

An unanticipated, unpredictable, traumatic healthcare issue has significantly reshaped my professional life.

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.

The Lanes

Giulia Ippolito Lane and Robert Lane

When Rob entered UT Dallas, he already held an undergraduate degree from University of Southern California. He eventually earned four additional degrees at UT Dallas.

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.

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.

Tina T. Hoang, BS’09

Financial Advisor, Northwestern Mutual

Hoang, who graduated cum laude with a Business Administration degree, says her degree gave her the knowledge, resources and connections to help people with their financial planning needs. “It helped me build character, business acumen and find the passion for what I do now,” she says. She says she is proud her work will impact families and businesses now “and last … on into the following generations.” She was recently selected as one of 60 representatives nationwide to attend a special fast-track program for young advisers in Milwaukee. While there, she took part in the challenge course.

Jessica Pillado Gonzalez, BS’10

Vice President, Santander Consumer USA

Gonzalez is vice president of the U.S. operational strategy and digital transformation team at Santander Consumer USA. In her role, Gonzalez’ team is focused on enhancing business performance and fintech solutions. She manages relationships with key partners and global digital leaders as the digital liaison for Santander Consumer.

Turning Adversity into Achievement: Abinav Bayya’s Academic Transformation

Abinav Bayya came to the Naveen Jindal School of Management to pursue his Master of Science in Supply Chain Management. After a turbulent first semester, Bayya found himself on academic probation.

Corey Hutchins Woolley, MS’12 MBA’16

Senior Routing Manager, Keurig Dr Pepper

At Keurig Dr Pepper, Woolley manages a team that routes the company’s DSD (direct store delivery) trucks throughout the southern U.S., handling 50 locations and more than 700 delivery routes daily. Woolley, who completed her MBA and graduate degree in supply chain management at Jindal School, designed the companywide process for creating balanced sales and delivery route plans.

Brad Perkinson, BS’08, MS’09

Founder,CEO and Brewer, Firewheel Brewing Co., LLC

This Naveen Jindal School of Management grad took the opportunity of getting laid off to pursue a dream of starting what is now known as FireWheel Brewery in Rowlett.

Brittany Weber, BS’14, MS’15

Assurance Senior, EY

As a member of the Professional Program in Accounting, Brittany Weber graduated with a BS in accounting in spring 2014 and an MS in accounting in spring 2015. Through the PPA recruitment process, she was able to secure an internship and later a full-time offer from EY.

Thomas S. Ducote, Jr. , MBA’96

Vice President – Business Development, City National Capital Finance

Ducote, who lives in Austin, works in the equipment finance group for City National Bank, based in Miami.

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.