Julian Robertson of Tiger Management and the Tiger Fellowship at UNC – Ken Griffin among others is interviewed in here – see below
The tiger fellowship is about excellence, and it’s about excellence going in, and then it’s about commitment while you were there. And then after a war it is about giving back and Spain connected with the school when the other fellows wherever you are wherever you’re from. I grew up in rural North Carolina and the first person in my family to ever live outside of the state of North Carolina and a very very very long time. And when I had the opportunity to go to New York and meet Julian for the first time I remember walking into his office and seeing this incredible business that he had built and thinking Yeah. He grew up in rural North Carolina and was able to use yes. And even if I don’t have that type of career I shouldn’t feel intimidated by it. I shouldn’t feel like I can’t do anything. I want to be able to do I’m proud of the title of all the groups are the original tiger cubs. It’s something that because so many of my friends and peers have been so successful it carries you and I’m a nice person has to be aware to it that a lot of people try to seize on to it. I’m just thankful to be included in the company of other people who have been so successful.
I was unprepared for the generosity and access that Mr. Robertson afforded me when I was at Carolina and I remember distinctly I think I had four or five visits up the Tiger sat down with Mr. Robertson personally and he was incredibly interested in what I was trying to do and what my ambitions were and not having come from finance. When I went to business school I knew I wanted to go that direction but he not only provided me with some incredible contacts and helped me refine what I wanted to do a little bit and put me on I think very much so on the right path. I want to say the most important part of it was the mindset I came in with because of the diet. Again I’m originally from Brazil. There’s this guy in all of us and I got this great honor not only to be accepted to attack the school in the U.S. but also to have a scholarship and one of the best scholarships that anyone can get. Right. So that triggered a mindset off the bat that I have to get back I had to to be a part of that and it made a difference you didn’t see him. But more than that it made a difference. And I want to be a part of that school and I want to make a difference there.
What was it like to work with your mentor Julian Robertson?
With Julian it was intense. He would call from all over the world and of course, he would ask questions to you in part to keep you off balance to make sure that you didn’t become complacent. He was a tougher manager when you were doing well than were doing poorly. So whatever you needed to be able to analyze a problem he was willing to provide.
And so that aspect of working for someone who constantly worked to hold you to a consistent pattern of excellence no matter how well you have done was a great experience and something that I benefited from. I’m just so grateful for that opportunity that the school that gave me both from my learning perspective and a career perspective but also from a standpoint of becoming part of a Carolina family. It wasn’t just the two years that I sat in school and even thinking of Flager. I came back every year after that for several years. Speaking of Bellmore as investment banking or case speak on panels are to recruit students and that led to me coming back eventually and working for the school for years. Thank you not only for the fellowship itself but for the inspiration that you gave me. I think I have a lot to accomplish. But I’m I’m I’m ready for it and be part of it is because of you taking on Flagler and about your college. I mean it really is a testimony that there’s a lot of people out there that give money. But Mr. Robertson was thinking well beyond that. He wanted to have a positive effect in some folks lives and he certainly did.
