Success Stories

Mark Plunkett is living the American Dream.  A small-town boy from Camden, Arkansas, Plunkett came to SMU as a Presidential Scholar and National Merit Scholar. Originally focused on environmental engineering and pre-law, Plunkett began exploring the Cox program and was impressed with the students and exceptional faculty.  His decision was made easy when he was accepted into the honors program and awarded additional scholarships. Plunkett definitely made the most of his time at SMU, receiving BBA and BS degrees as a triple major in finance, organizational behavior, and economics with a minor in history.  But college wasn’t just about hitting the books for Plunkett.  He served as student body president and was selected as “Outstanding Senior” and “Outstanding BBA.”  He was also Homecoming King and involved with his fraternity, Sigma Chi, as well as being an officer with the Interfraternity Council. “Cox gave me a solid business foundation,” said Plunkett.  “I learned how to approach problems along with practical skills.  Furthermore, a lot of good firms recruit from SMU Cox, which helped me secure my first job.” Upon graduation, Plunkett went to work at McKinsey & Company, Inc.  He credits his experience at Cox in helping him land this position, which was instrumental in setting the trajectory of his business career.  After spending two years at McKinsey, he was hired as an associate with Cardinal Investment Company, Inc. where he was the first non-MBA hire for the private equity group.  After Cardinal, Plunkett was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship.  As a Fulbright Scholar, he lived in Mexico City, where he worked with Hicks, Muse, Tate, and Furst, helping the firm with a management affiliate start-up.  He also did academic research on technology and its impact on Latin American economies in addition to work on private equity as an emerging asset class in the region. In 2001, Plunkett headed to Harvard, where he received his MBA.  At Harvard Business School (HBS), he was elected student body co-president and served as an ex-officio member of the HBS Alumni Board.  Since graduating, he has served as fund chair for the Class of 2002, and a committee member on the HBS Fellowship Committee.  He is currently co-chairing his fifth year reunion. After business school, Plunkett returned to private equity with the Washington DC-based Carlyle Group working in its special situations fund.  He then entered the hedge fund ranks with Atlas Capital, where he currently serves as a principal. Since graduating, Plunkett has maintained strong connections to SMU and the Cox School of Business. Having served as a Business Associate Program (BAP) mentee, Plunkett now serves as a BAP mentor.  He also serves as a member of the 21st Century Council, Crain Leadership Advisory Board, SMU Young Alumni Board, SMU Political Forum, five-year reunion chair, 10-year reunion committee member, and was on the President’s Scholars Endowment Committee. “The SMU alumni network has really helped me, especially in Dallas,” said Plunkett.  “Cox has such a loyal following in the Dallas community.” Never forgetting his roots, Plunkett credits his parents’ understanding of the value of hard work and importance of education for getting him to where he is today.  He strives to be respected by his peers, to enjoy what he does, and to work with exceptional people. “I have certainly worked with a variety of exceptional people and have been challenged along the way,” he said.  “Just like any path, you have your ups and downs, but I have found my professional life so far to be a rewarding one.”