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Jimi Curry '08
United States
"My view of the world and respect for culture has not changed, but since attending Thunderbird, my view of how business shapes the world has changed. It’s become apparent to me that business is a language we all share."


Jimi Curry '08

Jimi Curry’s respect for on-the-job training began as a teenager, when he volunteered during the summers to build churches and schools in Mexico. By the time he graduated from University of Texas in 2007, he was ready for a new adventure and spent a summer in south India, teaching conversational English to a community group.

“Being all alone for these trips taught me how to survive when completely out of my element, and I embraced the experiences wholly,” explains Curry. “I loved the food, people and the lifestyle. And I loved so much the feeling of being in new and exciting places.”

That love of culture and new experiences was a theme Curry embraced, even at Thunderbird. “I spent Thunderbird’s summerim session in Argentina and Chile, learning the nuts and bolts of both American companies doing business in Latin America, and how indigenous businesses work. My time in South America was irreplaceable.”

As a student in the MA in Global Affairs program, Curry also took on the role of Thunderbird Student Government president, served as the chair of the Scholarship Committee, participated in the Campus Ambassador Program and assisted with marketing for the rugby football club.

“These roles were essentially on-the-job training for leading a team,” explains Curry, who is today a risk management consultant in the financial services arena with The Texas Financial Group. He works closely with business owners and individuals, consulting on investments and insurance products.

“Being in financial services would not have been possible without Thunderbird’s MA program,” explains the 28-year-old native of Texas. “Given that I was a political science major and had zero finance exposure in college, I would never have discovered my love for finance, nor had the necessary training. The MA program builds on political science foundations, providing a base of international business skills. The curriculum, combined with the renowned international experience Thunderbird provides, set the program apart from other master’s programs.”

Curry says that working in his current diverse office setting of more than 300 consultants is second-nature thanks to his global exposure at Thunderbird. The self-proclaimed risk-taker, newly married in September, says he can’t deny the continued draw of the global world and looks forward to a global assignment in his future.