Having earned a bachelor's degree in finance and economics in just three years, 20-year-old Brian Wilson had fast-tracked his way straight into a catch-22: He craved an M.B.A., but most business schools wanted sterling academic achievement to be leavened with work experience.
Wilson—now the CFO of Barentz North America, a distributor of life sciences ingredients and specialty chemicals—had pristine grades, a 90th percentile GMAT score, and a blank résumé.
“I applied to the University of Miami, I think in February of 1991,” recalled Wilson, who’d graduated from Southern Illinois University. “And I got a letter back that they were offering me a graduate assistantship, full tuition, basically.
“I am so grateful for that scholarship,” Wilson said. “I wouldn’t have been able to go near the University of Miami had I not gotten that. It was a life-changing event for me, and I’ve always wanted to pay that back.”
Which is precisely what Wilson, who received an M.B.A. in finance and international business from the University of Miami, did. He recently partnered with Miami Herbert Business School to establish an endowed scholarship exclusively for M.B.A. students.
“The endowment is there forever,” mused Wilson, who waited until both of his children had graduated from college to launch his payback project. Wilson also took advantage of a unique 1:1 Endowed Scholarship Herbert match that Patti and Allan Herbert established when the Miami Herbert Business School was named after the late philanthropists.
“Scholarship money is appropriated from interest accrued and Miami Herbert doesn’t touch the principal,” Wilson added. “I think I’ll add to it this year.”
“We are profoundly grateful for Brian’s support,” said Paul A. Pavlou, dean of Miami Herbert. “Scholarships are more than aid; they are a catalyst for our students. Scholarships propel opportunity, attract the best talent, and ensure future leaders can rise without financial barriers. That is how we shape business and society at Miami Herbert.”
Still grateful, 34 years later, for his Miami Herbert graduate assistantship work—which saw a 21-year-old Wilson tutoring executive M.B.A. students in their 30s—the Illinois native also credits his alma mater for a successful career that began when he was hired by Miami-based Ryder System Inc.
“There were quite a few Miami alumni within Ryder,” said Wilson, who worked with the corporation for 15 years and in September became the CFO of CME Corp., a national health care equipment company. “I owe my first job to Miami Herbert, thanks to the strong background I had in finance and international business.
“For a long time, I’ve wanted to pay back the opportunity that I had to someone else, because it was so transformational in my life,” Wilson said. “I’m very grateful to the University and wanted to acknowledge that through my gift.”
If you’d like to learn more about supporting scholarships, please contact Casey Supple, csupple@mbs.miami.edu.
