Illustration by James Yang
Corporate Takeover
Alumni excel in leadership roles at area Fortune 500 companies
Summer 2011 · Comment ·
“In major corporations, that’s what it’s all about. You must be able to think analytically to solve issues and problems.”
Some of the world’s largest corporations call North Texas home. ExxonMobil, AT&T, AMR, Texas Instruments, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, and Energy Future Holdings are among the two dozen Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.
Ask executives at any of these firms and they’ll tell you that hiring talented, dedicated employees is the key to success. Dig deeper and you’ll discover UT Arlington’s reputation for preparing its graduates to help the business giants thrive. It’s a reputation based on fact. UT Arlington alumni hold leadership positions at all 24 of the area’s Fortune 500 companies.
As vice president for safety, security, and environmental at American Airlines, alumnus David Campbell is responsible for protecting the carrier’s passengers, employees, and guests. He oversees regulatory relationships with the Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, and other agencies and manages the company’s broad-based sustainability initiatives.
Before taking the job in 2009, Campbell was senior vice president of technical operations for American Eagle Airlines. He has held numerous other management positions since joining American as an aircraft maintenance technician in 1988.
His UT Arlington instructors were “knowledgeable, dedicated, and highly engaging,” says Campbell, a 2007 MBA graduate. “UTA provides real-world applications of business processes, which is one of the most powerful tools the University has in its belt. This allows a job candidate or leader in the workplace to be successful.”
One such success story is alumna JoAnn Lee. As assistant general counsel for ExxonMobil, which ranks second on the Fortune 500 list, she oversees global litigation for the world’s largest publicly traded international oil and gas company.
Lee, who earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1976, and her team work to protect the company’s interests while maximizing its value for shareholders. She says she wouldn’t be where she is today without her UT Arlington education.
“UTA taught me how to think critically and analytically,” she says. “In major corporations, that’s what it’s all about. You must be able to think analytically to solve issues and problems.”
A record 6,165 Mavericks earned degrees in the 2009-10 academic year, infusing Texas businesses, large and small, with the educated employees they demand.
“UT Arlington produces lifelong learners and critical thinkers who become vital members of the workforce, whether at area Fortune 500 companies or smaller organizations throughout the state, nation, and world,” Provost Donald Bobbitt says.
