Tom Kominsky ’03
Tom Kominsky ’03
Students Bring the Energy
Following the Management Fellows business and leadership honors class he guest taught, Tom Kominsky stayed after class as a line of DePauw students wanted to thank him, follow up on an email or ask a quick question. Kominsky confessed to a small case of “nerves” the first time he got in front of a 400 level class. Those feelings quickly dissipated for Kominsky who estimates he’s now in his seventh or eighth year of returning to lead a class. “Invigorating is how I’d describe my time back on campus,” Kominsky says.
The capstone course Kominsky participates in was created by alumni Phyllis Ferrell ’94, Tom Fagan ’98 and professor Jeff Gropp. It offers DePauw undergrads interested in business and leadership the opportunity to take an MBA-style course based on Ferrell and Fagan’s experience at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Guests like Kominsky bring that curriculum to life with real-world examples.
Real-world discussions
Kominsky, the chief financial officer at Kenco – one of North America’s largest third-party logistics firms – revels in the robust dialogue that occurs in the class. Even this class, which fell on the Tuesday following a Labor Day holiday, was spirited. Kominsky arrives to class with a defined mission – matching the curriculum with his experiences. “On this visit, we discussed a business strategic framework and talked about it in connection to crucial decisions I had to make just last week. These were decisions that can change the trajectory of our business,” he says. “In this class, I can lay those scenarios out and talk about how we made these decisions. And the students, as undergrads, can engage with what they’ve read and have a strong dialogue about our decisions and strategy and how this MBA-level course material applies.”
Paying it Forward
Staying connected with DePauw helps Kominsky remember his own story. “I was interested in finance when I graduated. But it was clear I didn’t know how to go about taking the next step,” Kominsky says. He met Jamie Lewis, a ’98 graduate. She said, “Tom. I met you once on a phone call and I like you. I’m going to rewrite your resumé. And I’m going to send it to a bunch of investment banks.” That’s the DePauw Network. He laughs at the thought of it. “She really helped me out and changed my path in a big way. Now, I get to pay it forward.”
Advice
Asked if he comes prepared with advice that he gives each class, Kominsky’s enthusiastic answer is ‘yes!’ “I always tell these students to come to a meeting with a point-of-view. Have a perspective and never just show up. Add value, even if it’s mostly listening. I also have a phrase I’ll use, ‘Choose hard’. By that I mean, don’t pursue comfort right now. Put in the work, gain skills and build your credibility by doing the extra work. It will have a compounding effect on your career. Choose hard.” He notes the DePauw students he meets are equipped for this, having chosen a rigorous school and programs. The last piece of advice Kominsky imparts to the Management Fellows class or any student asking for career advice is a reflection of his own approach. He says, “Be intentional with career planning. Plan in 3-year chunks. Year one is intensive learning, year two is performing and year three is planning for what’s next - whether that’s a promotion, the next industry, whatever the case may be. You own your career. Be intentional about its path, your plan and the process you’ll use to get there.”