Justin Sander
Full-time MBA
Justin Sander, MBA ’08, likes the thrill of a business challenge. He
doesn’t purposely seek high-pressure situations, but they seem to find the
laid-back Austin native. And faced with a challenge, he thrives.
On a daily basis, Sander and 14 other full-time MBA students handle more
than $15 million worth of private investors’ money as fund managers with
the MBA Investment Fund. Sander, a member of the energy team, researches
chemical and mining companies, writes reports and presents his findings
to team members. Through this unique role, Sander applies theories and case
studies from class to the hands-on experience of actually managing portfolios.
He says that balancing education with professional application has been
his plan for some time.
After graduating summa cum laude from Texas State University, Sander worked
for two years at PlainsCapital Bank as a financial analyst and a commercial
lender, which he says was a building block for the future.
“Pursuing an MBA was a goal for me even as an undergraduate,” he says. “I’ve
always been someone who enjoys learning, and I like to be in an environment
where I’m challenged.”
Last summer, Sander accepted another business challenge by representing
McCombs with three classmates in the nationally televised “Fast Money MBA
Challenge.” CNBC hosted the students in New York City, where they competed
with students from other top MBA programs in a fast-paced television game
show.
Without much advance information about the show, Sander and his teammates
quickly refreshed their knowledge of business trivia. Still, he says, “There
is no way you can prepare for what they are going to ask.”
After defeating MIT and Columbia in the first two rounds, Texas lost to
Yale in the championship, finishing with impressive second place honors.
“One of the things that separates Texas from other schools is that people
are very humble, well-rounded and can get along well with others,” Sander
says. “We thought this was very important to portray during every interview
and every time we were on camera.”
When he is not submerged in business adventures, Sander enjoys scuba diving,
a hobby he has pursued for 10 years. His first dive was in Mexico’s Yucatan
Peninsula. Years later, both he and his wife were certified as advanced
open water divers during their Jamaican honeymoon.
“We try to go somewhere once a year and would like to go to Australia at
some point,” Sander says.
But Sander’s immediate goal after graduation is to plunge into asset management.
Last summer, he completed a split internship with two different companies.
First he was in New York City with Perry Capital, a private investment management
firm. The second half of the summer he spent in Austin with The University
of Texas Investment Management Co., the first external investment corporation
formed by a public university system. UTIMCO provides asset management and
financial advisory services to clients with the UT and Texas A&M Systems.
After graduation, Sander will begin working as an equity analyst at Waddell
& Reed, one of the oldest mutual fund complexes in the U.S.
Meanwhile, he has plenty of business school activities to keep him occupied.
“The interesting thing about McCombs is that you have so many opportunities,”
he says. “There is no possible way you could run out of things to do.” —Ashley
Warren
