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Q & A with Mark Chronister

November 12, 2018
Q & A with Mark Chronister
Mark Chronister served as an alumni representative in the college’s strategic planning.
Class of 1973
 
As co-founder of Chronister Strategies Ltd. and previously as partner at Templeton Laird, Mark Chronister devotes his time to bridging business, education and nonprofit service. At PricewaterhouseCoopers, he provided expertise to financial services and higher education institutions for more than 30 years. Known for his leadership and strategic contributions, he chaired several boards such as the Minneapolis Foundation, Minneapolis Downtown Council, University of Nebraska Foundation and St. Catherine University. As the 2016 College of Business Master, he shared how optimism and resilience are keys to finding one’s way in business and life.
 
How important are connections?
Connections are important but they are just a start, a beginning. They become important when the people I connect with are important to me. Important can mean different things – important for information they possess, knowledge and insights they have and share, a passion for the things I, too, share a passion, which can lead to a feeling of purpose.
 
Tell me a story about how having a connection improved your college experience.
Let’s start with a simple connection – a college professor, one with knowledge and insights – Stephen Kellison taught a beginning course in actuarial science.  He later became the president of the Society of Actuaries. Little did I know that I would spend a significant amount of time in my accounting career working with life insurance companies and actuaries.
 
Why is engagement important to you?
To me engagement helps me discover and reinforce my purpose in life. So for me engaged = purpose. I now know that having a connection and even more, a mentor, can be important in the decisions students make as they go on their journey through life, which is transformational.
 

I am grateful for the knowledge and opportunities that attending and graduating from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Business provided me and my purpose is fed by sharing this with others.

"I am grateful for the knowledge and opportunities that attending and graduating from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Business provided me and my purpose is fed by sharing this with others."
Mark Chronister
Co-founder of Chronister Strategies Ltd.