Christy Baumann on Mentoring the Next Generation

Christy Baumann receiving a scholarship award from Dr. James Benjamin (left) and Dr. Austin Daily (right).

Christy Baumann ’95 arrived at Mays Business School with a great deal of passion and excitement for the world of business, but she lacked specific career direction. As the daughter of a farmer and a teacher, Baumann had supportive parents who encouraged her business aspirations, but they had limited experience to guide her professional journey. As an accounting student, she found a transformational network at Mays. She credits the mentors and connections she made here for helping to launch the successful career she has built in public accounting. Through the hard work she put into learning the language of business and the mentorship of then head of the Professional Program in Accounting (PPA) Dr. Austin Daily, she secured an internship and then full-time position at Ernst & Young (EY).

“Having people take interest in me early on and give me advice — that really impacted the trajectory of my career,” Baumann says. “I would not have stayed at the firm as long as I did. I just think I benefited so much from that.”

Baumann has spent her entire career advancing at EY, and this spring, she was named office managing partner in San Antonio, leading a team of 1,300 employees.

“It’s something I’ve aspired to,” Baumann says. “I’ve been very fortunate to have really great predecessors in this role. I saw them and the impact they have on the people and the community where we live. In San Antonio, we are one of the larger employers, and we are an important part of the business community and part of the nonprofits, because we support them with our time and treasure. We have such an important impact. It’s an honor.”

Over three decades, Baumann remained unwaveringly committed to EY because she says she felt that the firm was equally committed to her. She points to professional development opportunities, mentorship from senior colleagues, and a pivotal moment in her career: becoming a mother. 

“I was ready to start a family and I didn’t want to leave,” Baumann says, but as a then manager, she worried about balancing her commitment to her career while being available in all the ways she wanted to as a mother. “I wanted to be able to go to all the baseball games and the parent teacher conferences and all the things. It was Randy Cain who convinced me to stay.” Together, she and the former vice chair (a Mays Outstanding Alumnus from the class of 1982) worked out a flexible schedule that would allow her to work an 80% schedule (four days a week with flexible start and end times) that met the needs of her family and her teams at EY. It was an innovative way of working at the time. “He said, ‘Why can’t you be the first? Why don’t you do a flex arrangement and be the first?’ And with that kind of support, I ended up staying.”

A family photo with son Cade Baumann ’24, parents (Michael Grimes ’73 and Beth Grimes ’74), husband Brian Baumann ’95, and son Cameron Baumann ’26.

Baumann believes that developing relationships, investing in others, and being accessible are all markers of a great leader. While a mentee in her firm, she was frequently provided opportunities to grow as a professional and as a leader.

“They brought me in when they were making big decisions that can have long-term impacts, to just help me see how they were making that decision or how that process works, so that when it came time, I would know how to navigate that myself,” Baumann says.

Taking a note from those who came before her, Baumann works to empower the next generation of business leaders: Mays students. Two major mentors in her own career progression helped her find ways to give back to students. Accounting department namesake and former department head Dr. Jim Benjamin asked her to serve on the accounting advisory board while in the early stages of her career, and former EY partner (and 2025 Mays Outstanding Alumnus) Andy Beakey ’84 connected her to a more formal recruiting role within EY. Through these positions, Baumann frequently speaks to classes, participates in panel discussions, and finds mentoring opportunities through high impact programs like PPA and Fellows. She feels it’s the responsibility of former students to be available and help shape this generation of students.

“I think we have to be accessible for mentoring,” Baumann says. “And I think it’s on us to be engaged and make sure we’re sharing with the leaders at Mays and being engaged with students. I find a lot of joy in it. It energizes me. My favorite part is helping bring others along and seeing them flourish and start their careers.”

Baumann places strong value in the Aggie Network, and she’s incredibly excited about the future business leaders being produced at Mays. 

“I love how innovative Mays is, and I think they continue to innovate,” Baumann says. “I think that Mays is going to continue to be a leader in developing the top students that are ready to navigate all these new things that are coming our way. And it makes me proud. It makes me proud to be an Aggie.”

Baumann at an EY signing event with sons Cameron and Cade during their time at Texas A&M.