News & Stories
In other news: February 2024
It’s always a good day to be a Tar Heel, but it’s going to be a particularly great time to be one at UNC Kenan-Flagler from March 25-28.
The School’s inaugural Spirit Week will offer different ways for alumni, students, faculty and community members to engage with the Business School.
Here’s an overview of the week’s schedule with information on how to participate each day. In addition, several alumni chapters will be hosting events around the country.
Monday, March 25 – Blue & White Day
- Wear Carolina colors to show your Kenan-Flagler spirit and support.
- To do:
- Post a photo in your Carolina gear on social media and tag @unckenanflagler.
- Attend the on-campus Spirit Week celebration from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Watch our Kenan-Flagler Spirit Week video and download a curated Spotify playlist.
Tuesday, March 26 – GiveUNC
- Show your gratitude to someone who impacted your life at UNC Kenan-Flagler.
- To do:
- Make a gift to UNC Kenan-Flagler in honor of your mentor.
- Look out for exciting challenges and track our Giving Day progress at unc.edu/cause/kenan-flagler-business-school.
- Help the School claim victory in the Battle for Carolina from 2-4 p.m. by making a gift of any size.
- Send a note of appreciation to your mentor.
Wednesday, March 27 – Business for Life
- Continue learning about various business topics in our series of roundtable discussions.
- To do:
- Sign up to attend a virtual faculty roundtable discussion.
- Post your own thought leadership on a topic of interest or share your career journey on LinkedIn or explore opportunities to get more involved with the Business School’s Centers of Excellence.
- Reconnect with a classmate from your UNC Kenan-Flagler days.
Thursday, March 28 – Building Student Leaders
- Share your advice and experience with current business students to help them prepare for their future careers.
- To do:
- Sign up to be paired with a current business student for flash mentoring.
- Join the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School group on HeelsEngage.
- Post a photo from your days as a student and share advice for current students.
Professor Yunzhi Hu. Photo by Alyssa LaFaro.
Thought leaders
- In a Q&A with Endeavors magazine, Professor Yunzhi Hu discusses his financial problem-solving research, the biggest influence on his career and more.
- Professors Seyed Emadi and Mark McNeilly talked with ABC 11 about how artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting the workforce, especially at companies such as UPS. The story also featured alum and UNC Health CIO Brent Lamm (’13 MBA) and student Emma Lamberson (BSBA ’24).
- Professor James Johnson Jr. will chair the search committee to find NC Central University’s next chancellor.
- Professor Sriram Venkataraman was part of a Charlotte Regional Business Alliance panel of marketing and technology experts speaking about artificial intelligence’s implications for communications.
- In the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise’s monthly press briefing, Professor Christian Lundblad shared his thoughts on the latest expectations-beating U.S. jobs report.
Allison Schlobohm (center) receives the Unsung Hero Award. Photo by Jon Gardiner.
Unsung hero
Congratulations to Professor Allison Schlobohm (MA ’10, PhD ’16) on receiving the prestigious UNC 2024 Unsung Hero Award. The award is presented annually to two University-wide recipients who have made significant contributions to social justice, equity and inclusion in their everyday work and advocacy.
Schlobohm and fellow recipient Cheryl Woods Giscombé, interim senior associate dean for academic affairs, were honored at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture and Awards Ceremony on Jan. 18. The awards are sponsored by the University’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion.
“I am so very, very grateful, humbled and motivated by this award,” Schlobohm said. “I feel fortunate to have experienced Carolina as both a student and a faculty member, and much of my work around inclusion, equity and justice is inspired by the communities I have been a part of here, as well as the communities I rarely saw and hope to help build.”
Standout students and alumni
- Christian Smith (MBA ’16), vice president of finance and investor relations at Redaptive, Inc., talked with IPO Edge about energy efficiency programs from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
- Berwyn James “BJ” Green (BSBA ’92) was named to Atlanta magazine’s 2024 list of the city’s top 500 business professionals. Green is the executive vice president of Cadence Bank.
- Wilson Orr (BSBA ’14) was named a principal at Vestar Capital Partners.
- Scott DeRue (BSBA ’99) was named the CEO of the Ironman Group. DeRue, who serves on the UNC Kenan-Flagler board, previously served as president of the Equinox Group.
Callie Kim (center) with the spring 2024 Phillips Ambassadors.
- Callie Kim (BSBA ’25) is one of six students named North Carolina Phillips Ambassadors for spring 2024 study abroad programs in Asia. Kim will study through Singapore Management University. Fellow new Phillips Ambassador John Cole McGee is a pre-business minor. The Phillips Ambassadors Program, offered through UNC’s Carolina Asia Center and the Study Abroad Office, is made possible through a gift from Earl N. “Phil” Phillips Jr. (BSBA ’62).
- Kelli Knoble (BSBA ’91, MAC ’92) was elected the first female chairperson of Grant Thornton LLP’s Partnership Board. Knoble, Grant Thornton’s national managing partner of wealth and human capital services, also serves on the UNC Kenan-Flagler Tax Center board and MAC advisory board.
- Michael Fussman (MBA ’14) was named managing director of restructuring and dispute resolution at CohnReznick.
- Mojdeh Poul (MBA ’94) was appointed to Align Technology’s board of directors. She also serves on the board of directors for iRhythm Technologies and Stanley Black and Decker. She was most recently the executive vice president of healthcare at 3M.
- Kevin Boone (MBA ’06), executive vice president of sales and marketing at CSX, was named one of the top 100 global sales leaders of 2023 by The Modern Sale.
- David Norman (MBA ’72) received the Institute of Management Consultants USA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Norman has nearly 50 years of experience consulting and spent 14 years as an executive coach. He is chair of The Consultants Peer Group.
- Security company HavenLock, led by CEO and Adjunct Professor Alex Bertelli (MBA ’16), was awarded funding through the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to develop networked mesh radio technologies for expeditionary security and communications.
- Darrius Barnes (MBA ’25) was named the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Executive of the Year. He is the president of Crown Legacy FC and was honored for leading the launch of Charlotte FC’s new MLS NEXT Pro team.
UNC Kenan-Flagler MAC students meet with recruiters at the Friday Center.
MAC Program career satisfaction
The Master of Accounting (MAC) Program’s Class of 2023 for the on-campus program has achieved a 99% acceptance rate for full-time job offers, showcasing the success of students embracing opportunities presented through a structured recruiting process, according to the program’s latest employment outcomes survey.
North Carolina remained the top preferred destination, with 65% of graduates accepting positions in Charlotte, Raleigh and elsewhere in the state. The most popular fields were audit/assurance (65%) and tax accounting (22%).
“We applaud the accomplishments of every graduate, and we eagerly anticipate the impact they will make in public accounting and beyond,” said Shannon Keith, MAC director of career services.
Spotted on social
- International and exchange students were treated to a Super Bowl orientation before the big game. It was led by Daniel Hawkins and Alex Daniels (both MBA ’24), MBA Career Coach Spencer Shih shared on LinkedIn. They covered football basics, the business behind the game and its social and cultural significance in the U.S.
- Hannah Reed (BSBA ’26) shared her inspirational experience meeting Joshua Esnard, founder and CEO of The Cut Buddy, in her Intro to Entrepreneurship honors class taught by Scott Maitland. “Joshua’s transparency about the hurdles he overcame offers invaluable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs,” Reed posted on LinkedIn.
Joshua Esnard and Hannah Reed
- Legendary Professor Mustafa Gültekin will be honored in the spring by the Center for Excellence in Investment Management as he retires after 39 years at the School. Registration is now open for “Passing the Torch: Future of Investment Management,” to be held April 25 -26 and will include sitting in on investment management classes, a dinner celebrating Gültekin and the second Undergraduate Alpha Challenge, Professor Pramita Saha posted on LinkedIn.
- Angeles Camacho Benitez (BSBA ’25) shared her experience participating in a Global Immersion Elective focused on sustainability and ecotourism in Thailand over winter break and led by Professor Jenna Haugen. Students visited sustainable agribusiness Patom Organic Living, Siamya Chocolate and BeeConscious Co Ltd. “I express heartfelt appreciation to the generous donors of the Kenan-Flagler Study Abroad Scholarship for providing me with the chance to expand my learning beyond the classroom and explore the other side of the world with my fellow Kenan-Flagler peers,” Benitez shared on LinkedIn. “Gracias Kenan-Flagler.”
- The UNC MBA Real Estate Club traveled to Charleston for its annual Career Trek, visiting The Beach Company, Greystar, Jamestown and Blaze Capital Partners, LLC. The UNC Wood Center for Real Estate Studies shared photos of the trip on LinkedIn.
Warm welcome
Wayne Freeman is a legend at the Business School thanks to his many years with Carolina Dining Services. His new role is the McColl Building’s front desk attendant. A former football player for the University, Freeman is dedicated to Carolina in every way. We’re grateful to have him.
Dean Mary Margaret Frank shared her favorite Wayne memory on Facebook.
“My favorite moment was my return to Cafe McColl after over two decades,” she wrote. “Wayne modeled leadership without titles through his enthusiasm and care for the people who passed by him. He led the Kenan-Flagler Way – setting an example that others follow.”