Gift to McCombs Center for Global Business at UT Positions Students for World’s Challenges
$2.5 million initiative highlights connections, removes barriers for leaders-in-training
Cutting-edge international coursework and global experience will become more accessible for students at The University of Texas at Austin thanks to a $2.5 million gift to the McCombs School Center for Global Business.
Austin resident Raymond Brimble, founder and CEO of the Lynxs Holdings LP, and his wife, Karen, made the gift in support of the center, where he is emeritus chair of the advisory board. A UT graduate who has founded and managed 30 companies across North and Central America and Europe, Brimble hopes to enhance global resources for students entering an increasingly multicultural and interconnected workforce.
“Texas is a global player, and its future professionals need to be ready,” Brimble said. “It’s our dream that we can support new and enriched programs that will make an international business education available to more students. Rapid global change calls for the leadership that a UT education provides.”
The Brimble Global Impact Initiative will elevate student access to the professionals, curriculum and skills that an international perspective requires. Programs will help McCombs to provide global business education to students within the school and throughout campus, to engage with international alumni, and to remove financial barriers to experiential learning.
Raj Mahale, chair of the advisory board and a graduate of the International Business program, sees an opportunity to cultivate valuable global business acumen for students from diverse backgrounds and nonbusiness fields of study. He is eager to grow enrollment and strengthen global alumni connections to expand mentoring and career opportunities.
“I am deeply grateful to Ray for this contribution. When I was a student, the International Business program opened my eyes to resources and opportunities beyond any I envisioned when I first stepped on campus,” said Mahale. “I felt the pull to develop as a global citizen, and these programs showed me the way. Now, more students will have access to relevant coursework to become competitive on the world stage.”
Currently a partner at KPPB Law, Mahale has spent nearly two decades as a corporate attorney advising businesses in South and Southeast Asia, China and the Middle East. He mentors international business students and encourages them to build international professional networks. The Brimble Initiative will help enhance networks such as these.
The initiative is well timed as the rising pressures of world events affect all markets and nations, said Deirdre Mendez, director of the Center for Global Business.
“Understanding global repercussions has never been more important. This gift positions us to prepare UT students as global leaders,” she said. “It’s been a pleasure working with Ray to find ways to expose more students to a global experience while strengthening connections to international alumni.”
Immediate goals for the initiative include new and updated international business course offerings; scholarships to make study abroad and other experiences more accessible; enhanced advising services; and broader outreach to alumni who can serve as speakers, mentors and potential employers.
The new opportunities are expected to appeal to traditional business majors and students adding a valuable minor.
“We like to point out that business has no borders, and that applies on campus, too. Whether you are studying communications or engineering, natural sciences or computer science, understanding international business has never been more relevant,” said Deborah Salzberg, global readiness adviser for the center. “This gift will open doors to global readiness across the university.”
For more information:
The Brimble Global Impact Endowment:
https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/centers-and-initiatives/center-for-global-business/donate/
