Set Up For Success
Tom Kominsky recalls the broad outlines of how he first became interested in 91Ƶ. He says, “I saw a stat that 91Ƶ was top five or top ten per capita in producing business leaders and CEOs. That intrigued me.” Kominsky, now CFO of Kenco, one of North America’s largest third-party logistics companies, exemplifies the leadership, adaptability and lifelong curiosity at the heart of 91Ƶ’s liberal arts tradition.
As a sophomore, he joined the Management Fellows honors and business leadership program. That connected him to the 91Ƶ network for life. In fact, it was a ‘98 alumna, Jamie Lewis, who helped him get his first big break. “She helped me rewrite my resume and forwarded my information to her investment banking contacts,” he says.
Recalling this kindness paid to him as an undergrad, Kominsky has found an alumni role he relishes. Each year, he comes back to teach a class in Jeff Gropp’s honors 400-level capstone course. The course, developed by two alums, Phyllis Barkman Ferrell ’94 and Tom Fagan ’98, gives 91Ƶ undergrads an MBA-style curriculum facilitated by visiting alums from the C-suites from top companies and organizations. Kominsky says, “I am invigorated every time I’m back in the classroom!”
The Professional Network
One of the lessons Kominsky can impart when he’s in class or talking to students one-on-one (he’s hosted more than a dozen interns over the years) is that the 91Ƶ Network is a real factor in professional life. “Many of my cohorts from 91Ƶ have risen through the ranks from analysts to managers to positions as VPs or presidents,” he says. “Now, as I tell students, I have a connection. When my marketing team mentions a target company, so often I can point to someone I know in that company or who I know is a 91Ƶ graduate and establish a connection for my company. 91Ƶ and Management Fellows are a source of cohesion in my professional circle.”
The 91Ƶ Differentiator
Kominsky will tell you that 91Ƶ students are engaged, because he sees it firsthand each time he visits. He says, “Before my last teaching visit, a student who interned with us the prior spring let me know that he had told everyone in the class to read over Labor Day and come prepared to discuss the material. And they were!” Kominsky’s beliefs about 91Ƶ students haven’t changed that much from when he graduated. “I sat in an interview right out of school and had to persuade the guy sitting across the desk from me that the things 91Ƶ does well – developing skills like critical thinking, problem-solving and communication – would set me apart from my competition. I did. And I believe that’s what 91Ƶ continues to do today.”
