Center Leadership Team
Board of Advisors
The Center for Global Business is supported by a seasoned team of business executives who give their time, energy, expertise, and resources to build McCombs’ global influence.
Raj Mahale
Raj is the Chair of the CGB Board of Advisors. He was ranked one of the top Corporate M&A attorneys in the USA and India in Chambers Global, 2013 and 2014 and has been recognized and ranked by SuperLawyer and SuperLawyer Magazine for the past decade.
EMEA, APAC
Noël Ellison
Noël is the Vice Chair of CGB’s Board of Advisors. She is a global mobility tax consultant and partner at KPMG, and her work involves helping companies move talent around the globe by introducing tax-efficient policies, process improvements, and compliance services.
Europe, Australia
Ray Brimble
Ray Brimble, Emeritus Chair of the CGB Board of Advisors is the founder and CEO of the Lynxs Holdings, LP, a group of approximately thirty companies throughout North America, Europe and Latin America. The company is involved in transportation infrastructure-related assets, with a specialization in airport facilities development.
N. America, Europe, LATAM
Louis Jean Chartier
Louis Jean is a UT alumnus and global business leader with over three decades of experience in energy and infrastructure finance across the Americas and Europe. He has contributed his expertise in fundraising, creating investment platforms, and managing government and media relations to the CGB board.
Europe, N. America, LATAM
Rogelio Cueva
Rogelio is an entrepreneur who has founded multiple foods businesses in Mexico. From 1979 to 2020, he focused on sales, administrative and finance of these, before retiring in 2020 from day-to-day operations. He continues to serve on the board of one, Mega Alimentos, where he has been active since 1987.
LATAM
Scott Finkelstein
Scott is Co-Founder & CEO of MyWorkout.AI and a Co-Founder of Executive Council Network. He is a P&L leader and advisor and mentor for startups. He helps businesses create sustainable growth via proven systemization and technology.
N. America, LATAM, EMEA, APAC
Linda Gerber
Linda is a retired member of McCombs’ international business and marketing faculties and the former international business Academic Advisor. Despite her official retirement, she still teaches international business in McCombs’ summer program in Prague.
Global
Edward Ho
Edward Ho is a Managing Director at Arena Financial Services, LLC, with over 30 years of experience in finance and asset management. His work involves strategic analysis and developing innovative investment solutions. As a CGB board member, he is working to enhance the financial position of the IB program at UT.
Global
Rajul Kadakia
Rajul is the Cofounder and Chairwoman of ayana, a 501(c)(3) foundation dedicated to empowering and uplifting founders worldwide through education, mentorship and access. She is a serial tech entrepreneur and angel investor who is passionate about emerging trends in technology, mentoring female founders and working with early-stage startups.
N. America
Jeff Mihm
Jeff is the Former CEO of Noven Pharmaceuticals and former Executive in Residence at the McCombs School of Business. He currently teaches international business and strategy at McCombs.
N. America, APAC
Mark Mirelez
Mark is CEO of Trillium Engineering. Mark is a seasoned leader with many years of experience in high-stakes industries such as defense and aerospace. His work has often included international strategy, and he has contributed both strategic thinking and operational expertise to the CGB board.
APAC, EUR, LATAM, N. AMERICA
Gretel Perera
Gretel is a trilingual public relations professional who leads consumer public relations for Expedia and is the Founder and President of L500. She has 20 years of agency, corporate, startup and international experience, with a specialty in Latin America and U.S. Hispanic markets.
N. America, LATAM
Kumar Singirikonda
Kumar is a DevOps leader at Toyota North America whose expertise has earned him awards and publications in the field. An industry innovator known for his transformative achievements, Kumar builds upon his legacy by mentoring and empowering the next generation of DevOps leaders.
N. America, Europe, EMEA, APAC
Juan Carlos Sosa
Juan Carlos is a global business and government relations expert who has served as Panamanian Consul General in Antwerp, Belgium and Panama’s Vice Minister of Foreign Trade. Also owner of high-performing food franchises in Latin America, he brings extensive experience in negotiating and building international relationships.
LATAM
Marissa Vidaurri
Marissa is Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at Open Lending. With more than 20 years of finance, communications, and global marketing experience, she is contributing her diverse skills to CGB’s corporate engagement program.
Europe, APAC
Ana Villegas
Ana is Board Director for Latinitas, an Austin-based non-profit that empowers students to innovate through media and technology. She is a senior marketing leader with an engineering background who uses both data analytics and creativity to get results. Ana has 26 years of Global Marketing and online experience working across diverse customer segments and world regions.
LATAM, N. America, Europe, APAC
Robert Williams
Robert currently serves as the CEO of Scotiabank Central America, steering the strategic direction and growth of the franchise in the region. His areas of expertise include wholesale and retail banking, wealth management and treasury, and is a staunch advocate for empowerment, innovation and higher education.
LATAM
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