UT Regents name Howard Berk to UTIMCO Board
Berk brings extensive leadership experience in public and private equity investments

AUSTIN, TX (May 26, 2023) – The UT System Board of Regents approved a recommendation by Chairman Kevin Eltife and UTIMCO Chairman Rad Weaver to name Howard Berk as a new external director to The University of Texas/Texas A&M Investment Management Company board to fill a spot vacated by Robert Gauntt. Governor Greg Abbott recently appointed Gauntt to serve on the UT System Board of Regents.

Berk is a Senior Advisor to BDT & MSD Partners, a merchant bank with an advisory and investment platform built to serve the distinct needs of business owners and strategic, long-term investors. He previously served as vice chairman of MSD Partners, a predecessor firm to BDT & MSD where he oversaw public and private equity. Prior to joining the firm in 2002, Berk was Managing Director of TG Capital Corp., a single-family investment office investing across all asset classes. Berk also served with the Stenbeck Group where he acquired and managed businesses in multiple countries. Berk began his career at Goldman Sachs, where he worked in Mergers and Acquisitions and Private Equity and co-founded Goldman’s non-Japan Asia private equity business.

Berk is on the boards of White Plains Hospital and Dine Brands Global (NYSE: DIN), where he chairs the Compensation Committee and serves on the Audit & Finance Committee and is a past member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. He also serves on The National Council of The Humane Society of the United States.

Berk is an alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin and Harvard University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and MBA, respectively.  He currently serves in multiple volunteer leadership roles at UT Austin, including as incoming vice chairman of the McCombs School of Business Dean’s Advisory Council and vice chairman and a founding director of New York for McCombs. 

About UTIMCO

UTIMCO is a not-for-profit corporation that oversees the asset investment of The University of Texas and Texas A&M Systems. Since its establishment in 1996 as the first investment corporation formed by a public university system, UTIMCO has grown to be one of the nation’s largest university endowments. It is governed by a nine-member board consisting of at least three members of the UT System Board of Regents and four members appointed by the UT System Board of Regents, three of which must have substantial background and expertise in investments, and one must be a qualified individual who may be the UT System Chancellor. Two members are appointed by the Texas A&M System Board of Regents, one of which must have a substantial background and expertise in investments.

About The University of Texas System

For nearly 140 years, The University of Texas System has improved the lives of Texans and people all over the world through education, research and health care. With 13 institutions that enroll more than 243,000 students collectively, the UT System is one of the largest public university systems in the United States. UT institutions produce more than 64,000 graduates annually and award more than one-third of undergraduate degrees in Texas and more than 60% of the state’s medical degrees. Collectively, UT-owned and affiliated hospitals and clinics account for more than 10 million outpatient visits and more than 2 million hospital days each year. UT institutions are among the most innovative in the world, ranking No. 1 in Texas and No. 2 in the nation for federal research expenditures. The UT System also is one of the largest employers in Texas – employing more than 116,000 faculty, health care professionals, support staff and student workers – and has an operating budget of $25.2 billion for fiscal year 2023.

News Contact Information

Catherine Frazier: cfrazier@utsystem.edu • 512-499-4360 (direct)