2019 Best EMBAs: Chris Bellotti, Texas A&M (Mays)

Chris Bellotti

Texas A&M University, Mays Business School

“I work to prevent and resolve disputes of all kinds.”

Age: 44

Hometown:

Current: Sugar Land, TX

Original: Middletown, CT

Family Members: Jenny (wife); Clement (son); Hayden (son)

Fun fact about yourself: Former full-time ski instructor

Undergraduate School and Degree:

B.A. Palm Beach Atlantic University (’98)

Graduate: J.D. New York Law School (’02)

Where are you currently working? Halliburton, Assistant General Counsel

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles:

  • Student-elected speaker, Mays Executive MBA Closing Ceremony
  • Boards of Directors (Pre-Executive MBA program): Logos Preparatory Academy, Sugar Land, TX; Cornerstone Christian Academy, Sugar Land, TX; Sugar Grove Church, Stafford, TX
  • Two-time “Top Performer” in Mays Executive Education courses (Pre-Executive MBA program)

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? During first semester, I earned perfect scores on team and individual business analytics exams. This indicated to me that: (a) our MBA team could excel in the program; and (b) I could individually excel in the program, and (c) extra hours spent scouring for errors when work is already “done” pays-off.

I am also proud of being selected as the student-elected speaker at our closing ceremony because it is a vote of confidence by my peers.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I saved somebody’s job. (Details are confidential.)

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Bala Shetty. Dr. Shetty is the ideal combination of insight, wit, and excellence coupled with patience and encouragement. These latter attributes were critical for me to learn the statistical and analytical concepts he presented.

What was your favorite MBA course and what was the biggest insight you gained about business from it? Corporate Finance. These classes drove home the need to overcome costs in every aspect of any organization, especially the need to overcome the cost of capital.

Why did you choose this executive MBA program? Two reasons: First, I was exposed to Mays Business School faculty through its executive education programs at Halliburton. I was very impressed by them. Second, the reputation of Texas A&M University and its robust Aggie Network caught my attention.

What did you enjoy most about business school in general? The live class sessions. When we are in class, I’m able to interact with the professors and my classmates.

What is the biggest lesson you gained during your MBA and how did you apply it at work? I don’t know if “lesson” is the right word, but the biggest takeaway is being able to reason with a business mindset. I constantly apply this at work, both when problem-solving and in day-to-day interactions in the workplace.

Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family, and education? My son and daughter-in-law scheduled their wedding ceremony around my school commitments. A student needs to be prepared to be creative about using much—but not all—of what would otherwise be downtime. For example, I have studied during my son’s swim meets and scheduled calls around classes among other things.

What was your biggest regret in business school? That the in-class sessions will end.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Rex Bomer. He is a superb student, friendly and witty, who has consistently demonstrated creativity and a mastery of business school concepts in his presentations.

“I knew I wanted to go to business school…while working on business or nonprofit problems, MBAs and accountants would ask questions that would never come to my mind. Even once the question was answered, I sometimes struggled to fully grasp the relevance of the issue.”

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? To be a senior officer of a for-profit or nonprofit enterprise who is known to (a) exercise good judgment and (b) lead and motivate successful teams of engaged team members.

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? As someone who valued and respected them and as someone who contributed valuably to their MBA experience.

What are the top two items on your bucket list?

Reclaim some free time.

Develop a bucket list.

What made Chris Bellotti such an invaluable addition to the class of 2019?

“Chris is unquestionably one of the most extraordinary MBA students I have had the pleasure to work with during my 34 years at Texas A&M University. He is bright, inquisitive, and most importantly humble despite his enormous talents. It is no surprise he is uniformly respected by his faculty and peers. His work is always perfect and his smile infectious. It is unusual for someone to be at the top of the class academically and at the same time possess outstanding leadership and communications skills. That’s what made Chris stand out among the very best Executive MBA students.”

Bala Shetty

Professor of Information and Operations Management

Cullen Trust for Higher Education Chair in Business

DON’T MISS: THE ENTIRE LIST OF THE BEST & BRIGHTEST EXECUTIVE MBAs OF 2019 or RANKING THE BEST EMBA PROGRAMS IN THE U.S.

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