Excelling in Business
EXCELLING IN BUSINESS
Be self-aware. Embrace unexpected opportunities. Lead with empathy. That’s just some of the great advice shared by alumni who took their SMU degrees and forged unexpected paths after leaving the Hilltop. One thing they all have in common is that they didn’t let fear get in their way. When they have a vision, Mustangs are unstoppable.
“My SMU experience set me on the path to where I am today. Faculty and administrators fed my curiosity, and great professors encouraged me to think. I still regularly visit the Hilltop to expand my knowledge.”
SMU TRUSTEE DAVID HUNTLEY ’80 majored in political science and is the former chief compliance officer and senior executive vice president at AT&T.
“At SMU, I learned how to bring people together. I also learned how to juggle classes, work, activities, community service and family. These experiences prepared me well for the world of consulting.”
THEAR SY SUZUKI ’96 majored in electrical engineering and is Americas advisory talent leader for Ernst & Young.
“To be a leader, you have to be self-aware, and dance is the best way to understand who you are as an individual in space. Studying your physical self leads to having a clearer appreciation of your other abilities.”
ALFREDA NORMAN ’81 majored in dance and is senior vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
“There’s a fallacy that whatever you study is what you’ll do. The liberal arts develop logical thought. I find that if you follow your own path, you stand a better chance of doing something interesting and relevant.”
MATT ALEXANDER ’10 majored in English and is co-founder and CEO of Neighborhood Goods department store.
“An advertising class trip to New York was especially valuable. I shadowed account executives working on major brands. I still have relationships with some of the people I met on that trip.”
MARC PATRICK ’93 majored in advertising and is vice president of global brand marketing for Nike.
“Don’t let fear get in your way. Start making connections with people you think are out of reach or you feel you’re too scared to approach.”
NATALIE WOLFE ’12 majored in journalism, and husband RYAN WOLFE ’12 earned a B.B.A. in finance. They co-founded StudioHop, a boutique fitness studio subscription app.
SMU’s innovation ecosystem attracts problem-solvers, creators and disruptors ready to transform their big ideas into tangible results. Our students and their faculty and community collaborators aren’t afraid to take risks. That’s the enterprising spirit of SMU.