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Cox School of Business Announces Distinguished Alumni Awards
DALLAS, Texas (SMU) - In its 16th year of recognizing outstanding alumni, the Cox School of Business honored five graduates at the Distinguished Alumni Awards Luncheon today. Jean M. Birch, Tucker S. Bridwell, and Frederick B. Hegi were named as Distinguished Alumni. Seth W. Hall, Jr. and Mark B. Plunkett were awarded the Outstanding Young Alumni award.
Alumni are nominated based on their demonstrated civic and business leadership and success in their field of endeavor. Outstanding Young Alumni must be 40 years old or younger. Honorees have included both graduate and undergraduate alumni.
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI
Jean M. Birch received an Executive MBA from SMU Cox in 2001. In her current position as president of Romano’s Macaroni Grill—the second-largest concept in the Brinker International restaurant portfolio—Jean oversees the operations of more than 240 restaurants in the United States and six other countries. Jean has also played an integral role in promoting the professional development and advancement of women leaders in her industry… serving as the 2003 National Leadership Conference Chair of the Women’s Foodservice Forum. She currently serves on the board of directors of this forum. In addition, she is on the board of the Meals on Wheels Association of America Foundation.
Tucker S. Bridwell has dedicated the past 25 years of his life working in the oil, gas, and energy industry. A two-time graduate from the Cox School and a certified public accountant, Tucker has also worked in the banking, accounting, and automotive industries. And he has devoted much of his time to improving the community of Abilene, Texas. Tucker currently serves as president of the Mansefeldt Investment Corporation, where he spends most of his time managing private equity investments for Dian Graves Stai and her private foundation—the Dian Graves Owen Foundation. The foundation has grown to more than $60 million in the past 10 years and currently disperses more than $3 million a year to charities, primarily in the Abilene area.
Frederick B. Hegi earned his bachelor’s of business administration degree from SMU Cox in 1966. Since that time, he has made a lasting impact on businesses in a wide range of industries, including meat processing, children’s safety products, armored car services, business supplies and equipment, and banking. Fred has served in leadership roles at Wingate Partners and United Stationers. In addition, he serves as a director of several companies: Lone Star Technologies, Inc., Drew Industries Inc., Texas Capital Bancshares, Inc., Hallmark Cards, Inc., and Austin Industries. In addition to his corporate involvement, Fred provides leadership as trustee of several non-profit organizations.
OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNI
Seth W. Hall, Jr. is President and Co-Founder of Source One Spares, an international company that repairs and stocks refurbished components for Boeing and Airbus aircraft. Since its start in 1997, Source One has expanded internationally and has done business with just about every airline flying in the world. The company has generated over $250 million in revenue since its inception in 1997. The corporate headquarters are in Houston and the company has offices in Hong Kong, London, and Los Angeles. He received an MBA from SMU Cox in 1996.
Mark B. Plunkett serves as Principal for Atlas Capital. At the time of his joining, Atlas managed approximately $100mm in assets. It now stands at approximately $400mm in total assets under management and continues to apply a value focused approach as a long/short equity fund. Mark manages more than $130mm of capital in both long and short investments. Mark has always maintained strong connections with SMU and the Cox School of Business and Harvard Business School, where he received his MBA in 2002. He is also highly involved within the community, serving on various non-profit boards.
About SMU Cox
SMU’s Cox School of Business offers a full range of business education programs, including BBA, full-time MBA, Professional MBA (PMBA), Executive MBA (EMBA), Master of Science in Management (MSM), and Executive Education. The school also offers a number of unique resources and activities for students, ranging from its Business Leadership Center (BLC), Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship, Maguire Energy Institute, and American Airlines Global Leadership Program (AAGLP) to its Associate Board executive mentoring program and an international alumni network with chapters in more than 20 countries. SMU Cox is ranked among the top business schools nationally and internationally by major publications, including BusinessWeek, The Economist, Financial Times, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and U.S. News & World Report.
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