Highest Honor
McCombs Announces 2024 Hall of Fame Inductees and Rising Stars
Friends and distinguished alumni of the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin inducted four alumni into the school’s Hall of Fame on Nov. 7 at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center. This year’s honorees are Christopher Bake, BBA ’88; Ray Brimble, B.A. ’74; Bennett Glazer, BBA ’68; and Brien Smith, BBA ’79, MPA ’81. McCombs Dean Lillian Mills also recognized 2024 Rising Stars Simeon Bochev, MSF ’13; Michael Ginnings, BBA ’09; and Gerardo Guardado, MBA ’10.
The Hall of Fame was established in 1983 in recognition of the University’s centennial celebration, and induction into the Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed by the McCombs School of Business. Honorees are people who have made outstanding professional contributions to the business community and who have advanced humanity through their exemplary civic, philanthropic, and educational activities. A selection committee considers each year’s Hall of Fame nominees for induction.
The Rising Star Award recognizes young alumni who are making their mark in their respective fields. Established in 2004, this award is presented to young alumni who have experienced professional success and have shown exemplary service to the McCombs Alumni Network. Recipients are graduates who exemplify professionalism and dedication in the business world. Each year, the McCombs BBA and MBA Advisory Boards, along with Dean Mills, select the Rising Star awardees.
2024 Hall of Fame Inductees
Christopher Bake, BBA ’88
Executive Committee Member and Head of Origination, Vitol
Christopher Bake as of July 2024 retired from his executive duties on the board of Vitol, a global energy and commodity trading company founded in 1966 that had revenues of $400 billion in 2023.
Since joining Vitol in 1995, Bake has held various management positions in London, Dubai, Bahrain, Buenos Aires, and Houston. He was appointed to the Executive Committee in 2009. Formerly, Bake worked for BP and Phibro.
Bake is chairman of VTTI, an independent provider of global energy storage infrastructure for liquids and gas, and he also chairs Vivo Energy. The GroundTruth Project, which Bake also supports, is dedicated to supporting the next generation of journalists in the U.S. and around the world. It focuses on serving communities that have received little attention and advancing sustainability, innovation, and equity in journalism. Bake is also the founder of the Global Sustainability Leadership Institute at UT. He is a passionate sailor and has been involved in the RC44 one-design sailing class since its inception in 2007. He holds a BBA in international business and marketing from UT. He and his wife, Cynthia, have been married for 30 years and have four children.
Ray Brimble, B.A. ’74
Founder and Chairman, Lynxs Holdings LLC
Founder and Chairman, Scymaris Ltd.
Founder, Seed/Pod Holdings LLC
Ray Brimble is the founder and chairman of Lynxs Holdings LLC, founder and chairman of Scymaris Ltd., and founder of Seed/Pod Holdings LLC. His business portfolio combines entrepreneurial, managerial, and academic accomplishments spanning a 49-year career, which began when he founded his first company at the age of 22.
His leadership talent has earned him a place as an international leader in Texas business circles with global impact. He is the founder of The One Skye Foundation – Brimble Family Foundation, a founding board member of the Austin Together fund, a current member of the McCombs School of Business Advisory Council, and a current member of the International Board of Advisors for the Office of the President at UT. He is on the board of advisers for the Institute for International Economic Policy at the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University, and he is involved with many additional boards. In 1994, he was appointed by the U.S. secretary of commerce as chair of the Camino Real District Export Council (South-Central Texas).
Brimble holds a B.A. in international studies, ampla cum laude from UT, and an M.A. in international affairs from George Washington University.
Bennett Glazer, BBA ’68
President and CEO, Glazer’s Inc.
Bennett Glazer is the president and CEO of Glazer’s Inc. He began his career as a salesman in 1968, and in 1996 he took over the family business when he was elected president and CEO of Glazer’s.
Glazer’s Inc. is the parent company that owns 100% of Glazer’s Beer & Beverage and is a substantial partner in Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. Glazer’s Inc. also owns various real estate companies.
Glazer received a BBA from UT in 1968.
Brien P. Smith, BBA ’79, MPA ’81
Managing Director and Senior Adviser, Neuberger Berman Private Capital
Brien Smith is a managing director of Neuberger Berman and senior adviser of Neuberger Berman Private Capital. He is a member of the Private Portfolios, Co-Investment, and Private Debt Investment Committees. Smith is also a member of Neuberger Berman’s Private Asset Valuation Committees and the Global Risk Committees. He was senior portfolio manager from 2001 to 2017 and chief operating officer of Neuberger Berman Private Capital from 2017 through 2022. Before joining Neuberger Berman in 2001, he worked in the middle market private equity firm Mason Best Company LP and its affiliates. He began his career at Arthur Andersen & Co.
Smith is a life member of the McCombs School of Business Advisory Council. He also serves on the Ex-Students Association of The University of Texas Board (“Texas Exes”), chairing its Investment Committee from 2017 to 2024 and serving as the organization’s president for the 2024–2025 school year.
He received BBA and MPA degrees from UT. Smith and his wife, Anne, have been married for almost 45 years since meeting in a finance class in the “BEB” (Business-Economics Building — or — more playfully “Big Enormous Building,” now CBA or College of Business Administration). They have two sons and five grandchildren.
2024 Rising Stars
Simeon Bochev, MSF ’13
Co-Founder and CEO, The Compute Exchange
Simeon Bochev is the co-founder and CEO of The Compute Exchange, a seed-stage fully funded artificial intelligence infrastructure startup based in the San Francisco Bay Area. His mission is to build the world’s most trusted, transparent, and efficient exchange for “compute” — a general term for the various components of technology infrastructure, which include central processing units, graphical processing units, and data centers. He is excited to accelerate the development of the AI ecosystem by removing infrastructure friction and facilitating democratized compute availability and financial risk management — critical to distributing the benefits of AI worldwide. Bochev is also currently advising dozens of CEOs and businesses, including many in the Fortune 100, and sits on several private boards, including the Pride (LGBTQ) Chamber of Commerce in Japan. Bochev also regularly consults governments on tech, AI, and business policy, including U.S. presidential campaigns and administrations, EU member states, and the Japanese government.
Bochev is a seasoned global tech leader, board member, entrepreneur, and investor with extensive operations, strategy, and engineering expertise in Big Tech, in rapidly growing pre-seed to pre-IPO startups, and in large corporates. Bochev has significant leadership experience in multinational environments, having lived and held executive positions across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region.
Bochev has a B.S. in electrical and computer engineering and an M.S. in finance from UT, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Michael Ginnings, BBA ’09
Managing Director, Credit Solutions, TPG Angelo Gordon
Michael Ginnings is a managing director at TPG Angelo Gordon. He leads the Credit Solutions Group’s investments in technology and communications. Prior to joining TPG Angelo Gordon, Ginnings was a managing director at Contrarian Capital Management. He was previously a senior investment analyst at Panning Capital Management and Golub Capital. Ginnings began his career at Evercore. He received a BBA in finance from UT. He is the incoming chair of New York for McCombs, a council that is designed to strengthen the McCombs School of Business’ network, increase opportunities for students, and foster alumni engagement.
Gerardo Guardado, MBA ’10
CFO, VP Finance and Development Committee, The Home Depot Mexico
Gerardo Guardado serves as CFO for The Home Depot Mexico. The largest home improvement retailer in the world, The Home Depot operates in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
After more than 25 years as a financial executive, Guardado has a strategic mindset and a collaborative leadership style. He has well-rounded experience in mergers and acquisitions, business process efficiency, strategic business development, and sales and operations in several industries, including petrochemical, oil and gas, consumer packaged goods, and retail.
He has had international assignments working as an expat in the U.S., handling acquisition and post-merger integration in South America, and gaining go-to-market experience in Mexico, the U.S., and Europe.
Guardado graduated with a B.S. in industrial engineering from Tec de Monterrey and an MBA from UT’s McCombs School of Business, where he served as president of the Hispanic Graduate Business Association and as a member of the Graduate Marketing Network and Entrepreneur Society.
Guardado and his wife, Alejandra, reside in Monterrey, Mexico, with their two children.
