Texas A&M Tops Rankings as No. 1 Public University for Fortune 500 CEOs
A remarkable number of Texas A&M University graduates are leaders in America’s biggest companies, according to new findings showing a preeminence of Aggie CEOS in the Fortune 500.
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled by Fortune magazine of the 500 largest corporations in the U.S. based on their total revenue from the previous fiscal year. The list includes both public and private companies.
This year, investment analysts at Strategas Research Partners examined where the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies went to college for their undergraduate degrees. They found that Texas A&M is the nation’s No. 1 public university, No. 5 overall, and the only Texas university in the top 10, with seven CEOs on the list.
Texas A&M is tied in the rankings for the first public position with Purdue University and University of Michigan. Private universities in the top 10 include Cornell, Princeton and Harvard.
Aggie CEOS In The Fortune 500
- Bruce D. Broussard ’84, Mays Business School, Humana
- David M. Cordani ’88, Mays Business School, The Cigna Group
- Kimberly A. Dang ’92, Mays Business School, Kinder Morgan
- Robert E. Jordan ’85, ’86, College of Engineering, Mays Business School, Southwest Airlines,
- Travis D. Stice ’84, College of Engineering, Diamondback Energy
- Noel R. Wallace ’87, Mays Business School, Colgate-Palmolive
- Darren W. Woods ’87, College of Engineering, Exxon Mobil
Word From The C-Suite
One of the Aggie executives on the list is David Cordani, chairman and CEO of global health company The Cigna Group. Cordani, who credits his time in Aggieland as foundational to his leadership style, earned his bachelor’s in accounting from Mays Business School in 1988.
“Texas A&M taught me perseverance and hope, and to not quit five minutes before the miracle.” Halliburton CEO Jeff Miller ’88
“A big part of college and university life is discovering who you are, making new friends, and working hard towards a goal,” Cordani said. “It’s also about practical lessons and how those — when combined with academic learning and experience — create leadership. I was delighted, but not at all surprised, to learn that Texas A&M has served as a formative launching pad for so many of today’s business leaders. I am certain that many CEOs and leaders past and present share my deep feelings of gratitude for being an Aggie. The university’s Core Values of respect, leadership and selfless service are embedded into its culture, and these continue to be the bedrock of my working philosophy and how I lead others.”
Halliburton CEO Jeff Miller, who received his MBA from Mays in 1988, says Texas A&M’s focus on leadership development contributed greatly to his career success. Halliburton is a global energy company headquartered in Houston; the company hosted Aggie entrepreneurs from around the nation earlier this year.
“Texas A&M taught me perseverance and hope, and to not quit five minutes before the miracle,” Miller said. “My time there was an opportunity to do brand new things and to learn brand new things; it’s been foundational for my whole career. The Aggie Core Values are applicable in everything, and they make for great leaders.
“Aggies are about something bigger than themselves,” he said.