Nadine Tribur

Texas A&M University, Mays Business School

“Passionate, results-driven, servant leader that loves her family and strives for excellence in all endeavors.”

Age: 42

Hometown: Houston, TX

Family Members: Mark Tribur (Husband), Hannah and Haley Tribur (Daughters)

Fun fact about yourself: I enjoy a variety of outdoor activities while vacationing with my family. I mix up our vacations and we can be doing anything from whitewater rafting to mountain climbing or zip lining over an alligator pit. I try not to do the same things twice.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Houston 2006

Where are you currently working?

S&B Engineers and Constructors, Ltd.

Instrumentation / Electrical Department Manager

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work, and Leadership Roles:

NCEES Test Committee

University of Houston Downtown Industrial Advisory Board

Professional development seminars at the University of Houston and Texas A&M

Career speaking engagements at local community colleges and high schools

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Graduating from the MAYS EMBA program was the academic achievement of which I am most proud. I have successfully completed the steps necessary to be a well-rounded leader.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am proud to have been promoted to a position in which I can have a larger impact in helping people develop in their careers.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Dr. Withers for Corporate Strategy. His material and presentations were insightful and relevant. It was apparent that Dr. Withers genuinely cared about the ability of the class to process and retain the information and he was so enthusiastic! He also had a way of keeping the class’s engagement level high through the long days.

What was your favorite MBA course and what was the biggest insight you gained about business from it? That is a difficult question to answer as I found all of them useful and plan to review some of the material more in depth. That said, the Capstone class was my favorite as it was a culmination of my learning. It helped me to add value to my organization and solve real problems that we are facing.

Why did you choose this executive MBA program? Texas A&M is known for its strong network and curriculum and that piqued my interest. Their culture is inviting. After an information session, I knew I “belonged” there. Also, the environment was attractive as it provided the opportunity to learn from a professionally accomplished peer group.

What did you enjoy most about business school in general? The people!!! The MAYS EMBA program provides the opportunity for interaction with top executives in a classroom setting. That paired with A&M’s impressive professors broadened my perspective. Overall, I enjoyed the whole program.

What is the biggest lesson you gained during your MBA and how did you apply it at work? One of the biggest lessons I learned was to be aware of my personal biases and to seek input from others. I was continually surprised at the out-of-the-box solutions that my peers offered for cases we analyzed. This has prompted me to look fervently for perspectives that differ from my own.

Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family, and education? For me, the key to building a career and going back to school was a heavy reliance on my family, particularly my husband. He does most of the heavy lifting by taking care of the day-to-day tasks, making dinner, and keeping my schedule straight. I had a death in the family during my first semester. My husband set up plane tickets, hotel, car, and made sure everything was taken care of at home. I just had to get on the plane. I credit him with my success and thank him for giving me the opportunity to focus intently on the EMBA program and my career.

What advice would you give to a student looking to enter an executive MBA program? Prospective EMBA students should come with an open mind and a willingness to participate actively. A student can get as much or as little as they want from the program. From my viewpoint, an EMBA is so enriching. Why would one squander that opportunity?

What is the biggest myth about going back to school? The biggest myth was whether it would be worth it. It is a large investment of time and money. I can emphatically say it was worth it and the EMBA program immediately opened opportunities for me within my organization. This program gave me the tools necessary to communicate and apply business principles beyond my technical skillset.

What was your biggest regret in business school? This will sound strange, but I wish I had more time in the program. A large amount of coursework is covered in a two-year period and there were some subjects I wanted to get a deeper understanding.  Thankfully, the course material and books provided allow me to continue my study.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Do I have to pick just one? I can honestly say that I admire all of my classmates. I found each had unique perspectives and skillsets from which I could learn.

“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I felt that I could not actively participate in conversations regarding business. It bothered me and I knew I was missing the tools needed to contribute more to my organization. I realized I needed an MBA to fill in the gaps.”

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? Long-term I would like to broaden my influence in order to help more people recognize their professional goals. I see so much potential in people and personnel development is a passion of mine.

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? Nadine Tribur could be counted on to give 110% to her classmates, and the program and she is someone who genuinely cares about others.

What are the top two items on your bucket list? I am currently looking into how I can make the most impact for at-risk inner city youth. I was in custody of the state during my high school years and I am thankful for all of the people that helped me along the way. I hope to open opportunities to those that have little hope and difficult family situations.

Second, I would like to continue to travel with my family. I find different cultures, geographies, and architecture fascinating.

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

“The EMBA Program at Mays Business School is designed for working students. The intent is for students to learn on the weekend and apply academic lessons during the week at work. Students who commit their time and talent to integrating classroom learning with workplace responsibilities gain the most from the program. Nadine Tribur has been transformed by her commitment to this work/learn/apply cycle. Her leadership and technical skill development were evident in her capstone project. She led a team evaluating an investment in software from cost, functionality, customer service, and internal process perspectives. This software is the technology most fundamental to the work product of her employer, a designing and engineering firm. That Nadine was entrusted with this responsibility is validation from her employer that she is recognized as a key executive in the enterprise. Competencies related to both the leadership and technical skills of the EMBA program were deftly melded in the execution of the capstone project.  In completing the EMBA Program, Nadine has dramatically evolved in her ability to impact the world.”

Dr. Michael Kinney

Senior Associate Professor of Accounting

Mays Business School, Texas A&M University

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