October 22, 2003
Austin, Texas

UTIMCO and The McCombs School of Business Host NAFTA Conference

The McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, ZN Mexico Funds, and The University of Texas Investment Management Company conducted a joint conference October 17, 2003, targeted at U.S. and Mexican business leaders and Mexico-based alumni of the University of Texas at Austin. At the conference, various speakers and panelists discussed the opportunities, challenges, and successes they had experienced in operating a business in the NAFTA market.

This inaugural conference, held in Mexico City, addressed issues related to NAFTA and cross-border
investments in Mexico and highlighted the University of Texas at Austin’s role in educating Mexican
Nationals and Mexican Americans.

Dean George Gau of the McCombs School of Business offered opening remarks to more than 80 participants who represented a broad cross section of the business and UT alumni community in Mexico. Bob Boldt, UTIMCO President and CEO, welcomed conference participants and noted that the close relationship between Texas and Mexico would create great investment opportunities in coming years. He added that UTIMCO is partnering with top firms like ZN Mexico to take advantage of these opportunities on behalf of the UT endowments.

Morning panel discussions focused on the opportunities and challenges facing businesses that operate in a cross-border environment. Alejandro Junco, President and Chief Executive Officer of Reforma, one of the largest newspaper and publishing companies in Mexico, outlined the legal and educational challenges Mexico faces in transforming itself into an economic power.

The keynote luncheon presentation was delivered by James R. Jones, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico 1994- 1997. Afternoon sessions examined issues related to successfully executing business strategies in the NAFTA environment. Alonso Garci Tames, Under Secretary of Finance and Public Credit, highlighted the growth in the Mexican economy over the past decade and demonstrated why Mexico receives more foreign direct investment than all other Latin American countries combined.

Other conference speakers included such notables as Eduardo Castro, CEO of Wal-Mart de Mexico; Robert Bubel of the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank; and Cynthia Hostetler, Vice President of Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).

This conference was organized and promoted by Dr. Robert Parrino, Director of the Hicks, Muse, Tate, and Furst Center for Private Equity Finance at the McCombs School of Business. His significant contributions to the planning and execution of the event underscore UT's commitment to its great alumni base. As a result of the tremendous success of this conference, plans are already underway for next year’s event to be held in Austin, Texas.