Bauer appoints executive member

Bauer MBA students can look forward to interacting with more prominent business guest lecturers thanks to the recent appointment of John T. McNabb II as an executive faculty member for the college.

McNabb is vice chairman of investment banking for Duff & Phelps Corp. and a current member of the Dean’s Executive Board at Bauer.

“The idea was to create an opportunity for me to spend more time at Bauer and to be of service to the school,” McNabb said. “I enjoy interacting with students and this is a way for me to give back.”

His involvement with UH started after friend and former UH Board of Regents member Jim Wise introduced McNabb to Bauer Associate Dean Robert Casey and former Bauer Dean Arthur Warga.

The introduction led to McNabb developing and eventually teaching a leadership course for three consecutive semesters at Bauer.

“I want to continue to introduce people who need to know and should know about Bauer through relationships I have directly or indirectly,” McNabb said.

McNabb’s network has already connected Bauer students with prominent figures such as former CEO of Petrohawk Energy Floyd Wilson and Chairman of Invesco Rex Adams. In addition, McNabb will teach in the Global Energy Executive MBA program, co-teach a mergers and acquisitions course in the spring with Dean Latha Ramchand and teach a similar mergers and acquisitions course in Dubai with the Chinese National Petroleum Corp.

McNabb received his undergraduate degree and MBA from Duke University. He played on the football team as co-captain, earning distinction as Lineman of the Year in the Atlantic Coast Conference and serving as a member of the All- American team for blocking.

He had a chance to play pro football, but a job opportunity at a DuPont manufacturing plant in Virginia changed his mind.

“I could actually make more money working for DuPont than I could as a professional football player,” McNabb said.

He was then drafted into the military during Vietnam, serving two flight tours while in the US Air Force and received the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

McNabb then worked and coached for two years at Duke while completing his MBA. He received a job offer to work at Mobil Oil from his mentor, Adams, who was vice president of administration at the time. McNabb has stayed in the oil and gas industry ever since.

“Seek out people who you have things in common with, but that you also admire,” McNabb said. “Set your sights as to who you want to be and find people who you can learn from and also give back to them through shared experiences, conversations and doing business together. If you can hang around with people who have integrity and brain power, you’ll be a better person for it.”