In celebration of 30 years of the Tuck Diversity Conference, we’re recognizing the many journeys and voices through and to the Tuck experience. Meet three former DivCo co-chairs: Martial Combari T’18 Elisabeth Sum T’21, and Fidel Agbor T’16.
Senior Vice President at Blaylock Van, LLC
What have you been up to since attending Tuck?
Since attending Tuck, I have held several strategic roles in the finance sector, with a strong focus on project finance, private credit, and structured finance. My career journey has taken me from managing project-level tax equity debt for U.S. solar and storage deals at an independent power producer, to executing energy transition projects at Metrus Energy. I also led the underwriting of over $1 billion in private credit project finance debt transactions at Nuveen Investments, contributing to the growth of the firm’s portfolio and ensuring robust risk management. Currently, I’m a Senior Vice President at Blaylock Van, LLC’s Investment Banking arm, advising corporate clients on securing capital in the markets.
How would you describe your Tuck MBA experience?
My Tuck MBA experience was essential in shaping both my personal and professional path. It equipped me with the skills to advance my career while building meaningful, lasting connections. The collaborative environment and challenging curriculum honed my strategic thinking and leadership abilities, while the strong sense of community deepened my commitment to fostering inclusion.
While I knew what field I wanted to pursue upon graduation, meeting mentors like Dean Matt Slaughter, Jose Minaya T’00, and Steve Munger D’79 at Tuck was pivotal to my career trajectory. They helped me refine my ideas, navigate challenges, and open doors I hadn’t considered. Their guidance profoundly shaped my path, influencing how I approach both leadership and decision-making.
As we celebrate 30 years of the Tuck Diversity Conference, what’s one of your favorite memories from DivCo?
One of my favorite DivCo memories is from 2015 when I attended as a prospective student. I arrived without my luggage and was anxious about getting back to the Lebanon Airport. Amy Mitson, embodying Tuck’s supportive nature, offered me a ride after the social gathering. This act of kindness set the tone for my entire weekend, reinforcing my decision to choose Tuck. Another memorable moment was receiving a letter from a prospective student during my year as co-chair, expressing how our interaction at DivCo had significantly impacted them. Later, that student was accepted and became a part of the Tuck family.
What accomplishments are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of my contributions to the energy transition in the renewable sector, where I’ve led and executed complex financing deals to address how we consume energy. These accomplishments reflect my commitment to addressing climate change, which I consider one of the most critical challenges we face today. By leveraging my skills in finance, networking, capital fundraising, and team leadership, I’ve made a tangible impact, and I am driven to continue this work with my corporate clients and partners.
What keeps you busy? How do you like to spend your time outside of work?
Outside of work, I stay engaged in global affairs through my involvement with the Council on Foreign Relations. There, I explore issues that intersect with finance, international policy, and economic development. I also enjoy playing squash, a sport I picked up at Tuck, to stay active and unwind. I’m passionate about mentoring young professionals and supporting initiatives that promote economic growth, particularly in Africa. My wife and I also love to travel and explore local restaurants in our Brooklyn neighborhood during our walks.
Who do you most admire and look up to? Who inspires you and why?
My mom, whose unwavering belief in the power of education has been a guiding force in my life. She instilled in me the importance of learning and perseverance, never compromising on the quality of my education. Her resilience and dedication continue to inspire me to strive for excellence in everything I do.
In your opinion, what makes a good leader?
A good leader must be open-minded, continually seeking out new experiences to expand his or her mind. It is only through this that they can understand their biases. Most importantly, I believe that successful leaders must also lead with their hearts, not just their heads.
What have you recently, read, watched, or listened to that you enjoyed and would highly recommend to others?
I recently finished Red Helicopter by James Rhee, an impact leader, entrepreneur, and educator. The book delves into themes like kindness, empathy, work-life balance, transformational leadership, and cultural values. Rhee’s approach to leadership, which combines mathematical rigor with emotional intelligence, offers an innovative and humane perspective on both business and personal success. It’s a powerful read that I highly recommend to future business leaders looking to gain insights into the human side of leadership.
Martial Combari is a Senior Vice President at Blaylock Van, LLC’s Investment Banking arm in New York, where he advises corporate clients on securing capital in the markets. Previously, he served as Director of Project Finance at an independent power producer. At Metrus Energy, Martial successfully executed C&I Energy-efficient Project Finance deals. His experience also includes roles at Nuveen Investments, where he managed private placements and project finance debt, and at Wells Fargo, where he began his career. Martial is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and was a 2021 fellow at The Economic Club of New York. He holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and a BBA in Marketing and Economics from Baruch College.
Manager, Altman Solon
What have you been up to since attending Tuck?
Since graduating from Tuck, I’ve established my career as a strategy consultant and was recently promoted to a manager position last December. My household has also grown with the addition of Willow, our golden retriever, and I’ve relocated to the suburbs of Redwood City, CA
As we celebrate 30 years of the Tuck Diversity Conference, what’s one of your favorite memories from DivCo?
The COVID-19 pandemic created some difficulties during the year I helped chair DivCo, but I’ll never forget how we came together to make the most of the experience for the prospective students. My co-chairs Nichula, Greg, Kristin, Kristen, and Rukhaam made the ultimate dream team! One of my favorite memories of being a part of this team was packaging and mailing swag boxes to every person who attended DivCo. We sent custom T-shirts and a cookbook that my family and I still use today!
What accomplishments are you most proud of?
An accomplishment I am especially proud of is founding Altman Solon’s Pan-Asian employee resource group and supporting my community in a small yet impactful way. I am equally proud of the various ways I’ve worked to enhance Altman Solon, including the efforts I’ve made to advance our thought leadership in generative AI. I’ve helped expand our practice through the evolution of existing, disruptive technology with cosponsored studies with companies such as Amazon Web Services (AWS).
What keeps you busy? How do you like to spend your time outside of work?
Willow, the golden retriever, joined our family last December! She’s 10 months now as of August and has definitely kept me busy. It’s been a joy watching her grow up, visit new places, and stick by our senior dog, Luke’s side. She’s been a whole new adventure that I wouldn’t trade for the world.
Who do you most admire and look up to? Who inspires you and why?
My parents are the people I most admire. They embody all the behaviors I want to emulate and the lessons I hope not to repeat. They both immigrated to the U.S. for college from Asia and despite not speaking the language, they worked their way up in the corporate world with little to no support. I learned the true meaning of hard work, perseverance, and ethics from them. Additionally, I gained insights into breaking generational trauma, the value of empathy and patience, and the importance of mental health and happiness. I am deeply grateful to them for teaching me these lessons.
What does diversity, equity, and inclusion mean for you today, and in your words, why is it so critical?
To me, diversity, equity, and inclusion mean ensuring that underrepresented voices are heard and have a place at the table. I mentor lots of recently graduated young professionals of minoritized backgrounds. A key focus of mine is helping them build their confidence, which can often be overshadowed in a predominantly white community like consulting. Even if they don’t remain in consulting, I aim to equip them with the tools to advocate for themselves professionally, regardless of where their careers take them.
In your opinion, what makes a good leader?
Empathy and trust make a good leader. Empathy allows a leader to view team members not just as employees but as human beings, while trust enables a leader to allow their employees to grow without letting them fail or doing the work for them. It is a fine, but crucial balance.
Elisabeth Sum is a Manager at Altman Solon, a global strategy consulting firm focused on the TMT sectors. At Altman Solon, Elisabeth has built expertise in generative AI, media technology, and enterprise B2B technology. Additionally, she is the founder of Altman Solon’s Pan Asian Network, an employee resource group focused on an inclusive community among the Pan-Asian staff. In 2021, she completed her MBA at Tuck as a Forte Fellow, Revers Fellow, and Julia Stell award recipient. Before Tuck, she was the Chief of Staff at the Pacific Gas & Electric Company, managing an affordability strategy to optimize operational effectiveness and re-imagine functions and processes. Additionally, she has been on the board of PG&E’s Asian Employee Resource Group since 2013. In her spare time, Elisabeth enjoys spending time with her 2 golden retrievers Luke & Willow, fostering & rescuing dogs, hiking, rock climbing, and white water rafting.
Head of Product Management, Huber Advanced Materials
What have you been up to since attending Tuck?
What a whirlwind it’s been! I’ve been hard at work establishing my career, gaining experience, and reflecting on what I want the next stage of my career to look like. I’ve also tried to positively impact my local community by taking on a role as treasurer for an educational non-profit.
Describe an ah-ha moment for you—a defining moment that changed the course of your life, career, or altered your way of thinking.
An important lesson I’ve learned is to always market yourself. When you have coffee with a VP, plan to share projects that will significantly move the company forward. If you don’t have projects of that scale, you are working on the wrong things. Don’t always be in crisis mode, take time to reflect and highlight your worth to senior leaders. They see less than you think (they are busy).
Describe a challenge(s) you encountered in your life and/or career, how you were able to overcome it, and what you learned.
The best things in life are taken, not given. I had to fight for my current role at Huber Advanced Materials. When we got a new president at the company, we had to reorganize the employee structure. Regardless of my qualifications, I wasn’t just given an elevated role. I took the initiative to speak with a few other company leaders who knew my work and confirmed they would vouch for me. I also spoke with the president and CEO explaining why I was qualified. I was given the role later that week. While navigating this experience, I had to control my emotions and be firm and prepared. The president and CEO commented on how they appreciated my tenacity to fight for the role.
In your opinion, what makes a good leader?
In my opinion, a good leader balances performance with the well-being, development, and excitement of their team. A good leader establishes a clear vision and direction, empowering team members to act independently and effectively on a smaller scale. A strong sense of ownership and buy-in is largely instilled by a good leader who gives team members agency and a voice.
Fidel has 10 years of experience developing and executing growth strategies for companies across multiple industries including healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation. He has led several product launches, operational improvement initiatives, and M&A evaluations. Currently, Fidel is Head of Product Management at Huber Advanced Materials, a J.M. Huber Corp. portfolio company where he manages a $550M line of business. He received his MBA from Dartmouth College and his BBA from the University of Georgia.
The Tuck Diversity Conference (DivCo) was founded in 1994 by Tuck alumnus Scott Johnston T’93 as an opportunity for alumni to reconnect. Beginning in 2001, Tuck began welcoming prospective students to the event. This annual tradition now supports Tuck’s efforts to increase representation in all of our programs, and ultimately the world of business. One of the things that makes DivCo special is that like most of our conferences, it is student-led. DivCo co-chairs work together over the course of 6 months to plan, design and deliver a weekend of discussion, networking, mentoring, and socializing that includes faculty, staff, alumni, students, and prospective applicants.
Many Voices, One Tuck celebrates the stories of our vibrant and diverse community. What’s your story? Email DEI at Tuck if you’d like to contribute to the MVOT project.
Note: MVOT is open to members of the Tuck community, including students, alumni, faculty, staff, TEE and Tuck Bridge participants, and MHCDS graduates.
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