Taylor, Currie and Roberts Receive Outstanding Alumni Award
May 17, 2019
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Dorian Martin
Mark D. Taylor ’83, Peter H. Currie ’85, and Wayne Roberts ’85 were honored as recipients of Mays Business School’s 2019 Outstanding Alumni Awards. The trio was recognized during an April 25 awards dinner attended by many of Mays Business School’s leading former students, faculty, current students and supporters.
The Outstanding Alumni Award recognizes former students who display transformational leadership in their profession and community as well as their service to Mays Business School. Honorees embody the Aggie core values of loyalty, integrity, excellence, leadership, selfless service, and respect. “Each year we honor our graduates who exemplify the Aggie Core Values and who have lived their lives with distinction with the Mays Outstanding Alumni Awards,” said Dean Eli Jones ’82. “Recipients come from all industries and have been active in their communities. They continue to serve our alma mater through giving their time, their talents, and their finances to help raise the reputation of Mays Business School and Texas A&M. We are truly grateful for their contributions.”
A leading lawyer
Mark D. Taylor ’83, a partner in Baker McKenzie’s Dallas office, is thankful for the quality of education that he received at Mays Business School. After graduating from Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance with Honors in 1983, Taylor earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Texas Tech in 1986.
Those degrees prepared him for a successful law career at the leading international law firm of Baker McKenzie. Taylor’s practice focuses on the defense of class actions, collective actions, and multi-district litigation cases. His areas of expertise include commercial litigation, trade secret litigation, post-M&A disputes and employment-related litigation. During his career, Taylor has argued or tried lawsuits before state and federal courts in more than 25 states. His Partners elected him Chair of the Firm’s North America Litigation & Government Enforcement Practice Group from 2013 to 2018.
Taylor’s service to Mays Business School extends across many areas. He is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board and a regular guest speaker for Mays classes and groups. In addition, Mark and his wife, Christine, created the Mark D. Taylor ’83 and Christine D. Taylor Business Honors Scholarship fund, which provides an annual award to high-performing Business Honors Program students. “I really believe that students who are talented enough to go to Texas A&M but who don’t have the resources should be able to go,” Taylor said. “If we can help a little bit toward that, I think that’s very important. That motivates me to give back to both the school and to the students who are deserving and who could benefit, like we did, from Texas A&M and the education that we received.”
Energy, investments, and Traditions
Peter H. Currie ’85 credits Mays Business School for instilling foundational business principles that have guided his professional success. After graduating from Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Management, Currie focused his professional career on the energy and investment industry. He was co-founder and managing member of CIMA ENERGY, LTD., an initial investor and director of Patriot Bank in Houston, TX, a director of Municipal Energy Resources Corporation, and an executive vice president of Huddleston & Co. Additionally, Currie represented the group of developers that acquired Traditions Club and Traditions Community in Bryan/College Station in 2009.
Currie presently is CEO of CenTree Ventures, LLC and Posse Resources, LLC, which manage oil and gas joint venture and partnership interests in nearly 3,000 producing properties and minerals covering 300,000 acres throughout the U.S. Currie also is CEO of Continental Operating Company, which operates oil and gas properties in Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Additionally, he manages more than $100 million in assets in numerous private investment partnerships and company retirement funds.
Currie remains very active at Mays Business School, having served on the Dean’s Advisory Board since 2008. Currie and his wife created a $1 million endowment in 2007 that supports the Lisa Huddleston Currie ’85 and Peter H. Currie ’85 Chair in Business. They also established the Lisa Huddleston Currie ’85 and Peter H. Currie ’85 Chair in Business through a $3 million gift in 2017. “Today’s students have the opportunity to learn the same business principles, have the same drive, and experience the same spirit of Aggieland,” Currie said. “I think it’s very important to bring those young men and women into the workforce in the state of Texas and beyond.”
A servant leader
For Wayne Roberts ’85, the core values and mission of Texas A&M are what attracted him as a prospective student and continue to resonate today. His service to the university began as a student where he held numerous leadership positions in campus organizations and was the recipient of the Buck Weirus Spirit Award. That involvement and selfless service has only grown since graduation and he continues to give back to his alma mater through a variety of ways, most notably at the Mays Business School and the 12thMan Foundation, where he serves on the Boards of each organization.
Roberts, who earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Business Analysis and a Master of Business Administration degree from Texas A&M, is currently President and Chief Executive Officer at Abrigo, Inc., the leading provider of solutions that manage risk and drive growth for America’s community financial institutions. A strong mentor and coach, he has successfully built or transformed numerous high growth teams and companies throughout his career while establishing employee-centric cultures that deliver great results.
A regular guest speaker at Mays events, Roberts also serves as the co-chair of the Student Recruitment and Career Development Committee on the Dean’s Advisory Board. Roberts and his wife created the Shannon ’86 and Wayne Roberts ’85 Excellence Endowment, the largest planned gift in the history of the Mays Business School. They have also established a Mays Business Honors Scholarship and continue to give their time, energy and resources to support all things Aggie related. “Texas A&M and the Mays Business School are special. What motivates me is the pursuit of greatness, giving back, leaving a legacy, and serving others,” Roberts said. “So, it is an easy decision to support something that has made such a positive difference in our lives and will continue to do so for future generations of Aggies.”
