Recent Events

Date April 23, 2009

Place:  Four Oaks Place Auditorium

Sponsors:  Wells Fargo Bank

Event:  Faculty Speaker Series, McCombs MBA Alumni Network 

This was a great chance to network with the McCombs BBA crowd.  We had a full auditorium and a delicious spread of food. Dr. Eli Cox, Director of the McCombs business school marketing department, presented and led the discussion on the complex issues of motivation in economics and business.  The presentation revolved around Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” of self interest, and social requirements of economic predictability.

_____________________________________

Date: Feb 19, 2009

Location: Rice University: Jones Graduate School of Management
Cost: $ 25

Special Event in conjunction with MBACH (MBA Council of Houston)

Panel of Retained Search Professionals:  "Growing Relationships with Headhunters"

At Rice University - very well attended, three experienced headhunters from three of the most prestigious firms in the business.  A full hour of questions from the audience.  Very high value for all in attendance.  See the complete summary / writeup at http://www.houstonmma.wordpress.com

 ____________________________________

Date: Jan 14, 2009
Location: Cova's Wine Bar

Cost: no charge

Winter Reception:  Great visit from the new Dean of the McCombs Graduate Business Program.  80 people showed up, the wines were great.  Dean Gilligan was accompanied by half a dozen staff from Austin.  A great show of resources and support for the Houson Alums.  The food was great.  Trendy, very comfortable bar on Washington St.

____________________________________ 

Date: Jun 5th, 2008
Location: Gravitas  -on Taft near the Fed Reserve Bldg
Cost: no charge

Summer Reception

Warm summer night, and about a hundred people showed up and enjoyed the evening in the upstairs meeting room at Gravitas.  Excellent hors de'Oeuvres.  Great mix of people.

_____________________________________________ 

Date: Jan 24, 2008
Location: Hotel Zaza
Cost: no charge

Winter Reception

The traditional get-together for the McCombs MBA crowd was a success. The venue was the latest and greatest hotel in Houston. About 80 people arrived and enjoyed great company, and gourmet appetizers well into the evening.


____________________________________


Date: Sept 12, 2007
Location: The Houstonian
Cost: $ 15

UT Distinguished Speaker Series:
Lewis Spellman, Professor, Department of Finance

"The US Economy and Financial Markets Caught in the Grip of Globalism"

Professor Spellman covered how global influences have crept into our measurement and tracking of US economic performance and financial and real estate markets in the last decade.

He explained how global interactions have been at the heart of a good US economic and financial performance, but at the risk of a vulnerable future.

Dr. Spellman covered in great detail how the US's global financial situation is very much unprecedented. We are dependent on relationships, and these relationships are changing in ways we have never seen before.

Balance of Trade, value of the dollar, mortgage lending and medicare liabilities and the price of oil make it more difficult than ever to suggest near-term strategies.

Dr. Spellman gave us all plenty to think about, and talked about personal investment alternatives and hopes for the near future.

----------------------------------------------------

Date: June 24, 2007
Location: VIN Bistro - Bayou Place
Cost: no charge

Our Summer Reception was in the elegant and trendy downtown VIN, in the heart of the theater district. Good company on a rainy evening - 80 or so alums showed up and had a good time, unwinding, making new friends, meeting old ones. Eric Hirst, the Associate Dean of the Grad School of Business was in attendance, along with Jennifer Loev, in charge of the graduate alumni program.


__________________________________________



Date: Jan 11, 2007
Location: The Cotton Exchange
Cost: no charge

One of the two traditional main events of the UT MBA crowd in Houston. We had about 90 professionals in attendance. The program administration from Austin was well represented.

Hors d'oeurvres were catered and included quail and crab. The Cotton Exchange was a great place to meet, where Houston was first put on the map 125 years ago when “cotton was king.”

___________________________________________


Date: Jun 10, 2006
Location: Alley Theater, downtown
Cost: $19

This event was at the Alley Theater, one of Houston’s true cultural assets. Before curtain time we had a great buffet catered from a downtown restaurant, with wine and mixed drinks. We got a good summary of how the play came together from the producer before the show.

After watching the play (Molier’s “The Miser”) there was special chance to interact with the theatrical talent and the management from the Alley Theater, where we found out about their craft and their business.


________________________________________


Date: Jun 1, 2006
Location: Rainbow Lodge
Cost: No Charge

Houston's one and only Rainbow lodge, set off of Memorial Drive, rolling grounds, waterfall, balconies, hunter's trophy room, and food and drink second to none.

About 120 MBAs attended, in the top floor, we had lots of time to reconnect, make new friends and discuss opportunities. In attendance were Eric Hirst, Assoc. Dean of the McCombs School of Business, and Kit Ashby, former US Ambassador to Uruguay.

There was also a dinner afterwards, sponsored in part by UT, for the Dean to get to know the board.


________________________________________



Date: Mar 9, 2006
Location: Houstonian Hotel and Conference Center
Cost: No Charge

John Dogget, Senior Professor of International Business discussed changing energy markets and their implications for social change now and in the future that are evident in China and the US this was followed by a lively discussion.

This was a thorough overview of current economics in the growing markets in China. Mr. Dogget had just returned from a lengthy visit of major industrial and population centers in China.