A Gift To Meet Changing Times

Jon Shulkin, BBA ’97, wants to open students’ eyes to accounting’s new horizons

With his landmark gift to the McCombs School of Business, alumnus Jon Shulkin, BBA ’97, aims to give back to the premier accounting program that shaped his future so it can ensure students are prepared for a changing world. The Accounting Department at Texas McCombs will be named the Jonathan K. Shulkin Department of Accounting in his honor.

“If I had to choose one primary objective I hope this gift enables, it’s to broaden the aperture for accounting students in terms of what they can do with their degree,” he said. “The landscape has changed, and there’s a massive need for experts able to deploy accounting as an operational skill set to help companies measure, identify, and improve return on invested capital, throughput, cost, and cash flow in a way that is enabled by a world-class accounting education.”

Shulkin is a co-president and partner of Valor Equity Partners, an operational growth equity investment firm serving exceptional founders, entrepreneurs, and companies that are making the world a better place.

The skills he gained at Texas McCombs have remained central across his roles, he said. “I think a technical accounting education is one of the best ways to learn how to understand and analyze a business,” Shulkin said. “Whether making journal entries, running financial analysis, operating a business, or understanding cash flow, the education I received from the best accounting school in the U.S. proved foundational to what I do today.”

Shulkin noted that while many accounting graduates pursue traditional roles with Big Four firms, demand is growing for accounting-trained professionals across numerous industries.

“An accounting degree from McCombs gives students the tools to add significant value in environments where purpose and innovation matter,” Shulkin said. “I hope McCombs accounting graduates expand their conception of career opportunities, enabling them to have a great life and give back to UT.”

Department Chair Steven Kachelmeier said Shulkin’s professional journey illustrates the promise of this transformative gift. “Mr. Shulkin’s evolution from his UT Austin accounting roots to co-president of a top operational growth investment firm reinforces the sense that accounting can open innovative and exciting doors to success,” Kachelmeier said. “This gift enables us to embrace the challenges posed by new technologies, new regulations, and new career paths.”

Former Dean Lillian Mills, also a McCombs accounting professor, said the generous gift will help countless students maximize their potential in this new era. “This transformational gift will elevate our thought leadership through research support, sponsored conferences, and faculty development, and enable us to invest in cutting edge accounting education into our second century of excellence,” she said.

Shulkin recently accepted an invitation to join the McCombs Dean’s Advisory Council. He also endowed a scholarship for McCombs students in 2018 and contributed significantly to build James J. and Miriam B. Mulva Hall, the school’s future home for undergraduate education, the MPA program, academic departments, research centers, and faculty offices.