2019 Olin Distinguished Alumni

Olin Business School will honor these distinguished alumni at a dinner and gala on April 5 and a symposium that morning. They’re innovators, corporate leaders, and benefactors.

For more than 31 years, Olin Business School has recognized and presented Distinguished Alumni Awards honoring alumni who have attained distinction in their careers. Those being honored share the characteristics of leadership: progressive thinking, high standards, uncompromising integrity, commitment, courage, and confidence. Their careers serve as models for all Washington University students and alumni.

They are recognized at a gala dinner celebration with family and friends, as well as past recipients, staff, and faculty of the business school.

Gene Austin, MBA 1987

President and chief executive officer, Quorum Software

Gene Austin has more than 30 years of experience leading high-growth technology businesses. His current position as CEO of Quorum Software, a leading provider of financial and operations software for the oil and gas industry, is one of many tech businesses that he has helmed.

Austin’s career began in 1982 as a sales representative for HP and has spanned many large hardware and software companies such as Compaq, HP and BMC Software. In 1996, he made a career change to venture-backed software companies that began as employee 10 at Careerbuilder.com where he served as SVP of sales and marketing, helping lead the company to an IPO in 1999.

As part of the startup space, Austin spent 15 years as CEO for two software companies: Convio and Bazaarvoice. Convio was a leading provider of online fundraising tools for nonprofits. He joined the company at only $5 million in revenue and led it to a successful IPO in 2010 and a sale in 2012 to Blackbaud. Bazaarvoice is the leading provider of online ratings and reviews where Austin assumed the CEO role in 2013 and led the company to a successful sale to private equity in 2018.

In January 2019, Austin assumed the role of president and CEO of Quorum Software, the preferred software provider to more than 75 percent of the largest oil and gas producers in the United States.

Austin serves on the board of two emerging growth software companies: FastSpring and OutboundEngine. His involvement in philanthropy is centered on his passion for education: he serves as vice chair for KIPP Texas, a charter school network serving 25,000 disadvantaged students throughout Texas. Additionally, Austin served on the board of the Austin Chamber of Commerce for more than 10 years and was board president in 2015.

Gene and his wife, Shar, have two adult children, Kathryn (Ben) and Jay (Sarah), and all reside in Austin, Texas.

Steven Cohen, BSBA 1989

Partner, Elliott Management Corporation

Steven Cohen is a partner and member of the management, risk and operation risk committees at Elliott Management. Cohen oversees global risk and trading with an additional focus on cross-asset derivative products. Since his arrival in 2003, assets under the firm’s management increased from $2 billion to $35 billion, making Elliott one of the largest and oldest hedge funds under continuous management.

Prior to joining Elliott, Cohen was a partner at Cathay Financial, an asset management firm with offices in New York and London. He also worked as an equity and commodity volatility trader at Spear, Leeds & Kellogg, a firm since acquired by Goldman Sachs, from 1989 to 1993.

Cohen earned his bachelor of science in business administration from Olin Business School in 1989. He and his wife Jocelyn are generous supporters of the Scholars in Business Scholarship Program and Steve is a member of Washington University’s New York City Regional Cabinet.

Elliott Management regularly hires interns from Olin Business School and Cohen hosts an annual dinner at Elliott Management for Olin students during the New York Finance Trek.

Steve and Jocelyn have two children, Garrett and Ethan. Garrett is a junior at Washington University and Ethan is a senior in high school. Ethan will attend Syracuse University in the fall, where he will major in sports management at Falk College.  The Cohens reside in Chappaqua, New York.

Teri McClure, BSBA 1985

Chief human resources officer and senior vice president, labor, United Parcel Service

Teri Plummer McClure is responsible for human resources, employee communications and labor relations for the company’s more than 481,000 employees worldwide. Prior to this role, McClure served as general counsel and corporate secretary for the company. McClure is also a member of the company’s management committee, responsible for setting strategy, profit and operating plans for the company’s worldwide operations.

A native of Kansas City, Kansas, McClure earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and economics from Washington University’s Olin Business School and a juris doctorate degree from Emory University’s School of Law. She began her legal career in private practice, focusing on labor-and employment-related civil litigation. Before joining UPS, she practiced with the Troutman Sanders firm in Atlanta.

McClure joined the UPS corporate legal department in 1995 and was promoted into various legal roles. In 2003, she assumed an operational role as president of the central Florida district. Before returning to the legal department, she held special assignments in UPS logistics and distribution and served as UPS compliance manager.

McClure was appointed general counsel and corporate secretary in 2006. She assumed the role of chief human resources officer in 2013.

In addition to her corporate responsibilities, she is a member of various bar associations and serves on the board of trustees of The UPS Foundation. She also serves on the board of directors for Lennar Corporation, Heart for Africa, the Task Force for Global Health, City of Refuge and the board of trustees for United Way Worldwide.

Teri and her husband Roderick reside in Atlanta and are the proud parents of two daughters, Kristin and Morgan McClure.

John P. Wareham, MBA 1968

Chairman and chief executive officer, Beckman Coulter, Inc.

John (Jack) P. Wareham became CEO of Beckman Coulter in September 1998 and was named chairman in February 1999. Prior to these changes, he had served as president and chief operating officer since 1993. He retired in April 2005 and was named non-executive chairman of Steris Corporation in May of that year.

During his tenure as CEO and president of Beckman Coulter, Wareham successfully managed a corporate restructuring plan that resulted in significantly improved margins for the corporation and led an aggressive acquisition strategy that ultimately resulted in the union of Beckman and Coulter as a new industry leader in diagnostics.

Wareham joined Beckman Instruments, Inc. in 1984 as vice president of the Diagnostics Systems Group. In this capacity, he propelled the company’s diagnostic business to a leadership position in the clinical laboratory. Before moving to Beckman, he had a 15-year career with SmithKline Corporation. While there, he held positions of increasing responsibility, ultimately serving as director of business planning at SmithKline & French Laboratories-Worldwide, and finally, president of Norden Laboratories, an animal health subsidiary.

Wareham was chairman of the board for Steris plc, Leicester, United Kingdom, until July 31, 2018, and serves on the board of ResMed Corporation in San Diego, California.

Wareham is a former director and chairman of AdvaMed (Advanced Medical Technology Association); a former member of the board of governors of the Bowers Museum; former member of the board of directors of the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI and National Association of Manufacturers (NAM); and former member of the advisory council the Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences; a former member of the board of Greatbatch, Inc. in Buffalo, New York and Accuray, Inc. in Sunnyvale, California.

Jack and his wife, Lois, have two grown children and three grandchildren. The Warehams reside in California.