Branden McCune

New York University, Stern School of Business

“A persistent and adaptable community builder with an evolving pallet and inclination toward wellness.”

Hometown: Lawrenceville, Georgia

Fun fact about yourself: I ate an aggressive number of chapulines (grasshoppers) while on vacation in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Georgia State University, Bachelor of Science in Economics

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? U.S. Army, Battery Commander

Where did you intern during the summer of 2023? RBC Capital Markets, New York, NY

Where will you be working after graduation? DaVita, Redwoods Resident

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

Co-President, Association of Hispanic and Black Business Students

VP of Career Development, Military Veterans Club

Fellow, Consortium for Graduation Study in Management

Fellow, Fertitta Veterans MBA Program

Fellow, NYU Stern Board Fellows Program

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? When I arrived at Stern, the school’s social environment was still transitioning from a primarily virtual environment, due to COVID’s impact on NYC, to the highly engaging and collaborative in-person ecosystem the school had been known for before the pandemic. I knew that for the student body to realize the full potential of the MBA experience, students would need to be proactive in reviving the events and traditions of years past. I decided to focus my efforts on the Association of Hispanic and Black Business Students because it is an affinity group I feel deeply connected to and has been historically one of the most active clubs at Stern. Through my involvement, we’ve organized weekend retreats to Hudson Valley, hosted holiday parties with alumni, held game nights, and much more. Most importantly, however, our members have fostered personal and professional relationships that will last a lifetime.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Early in my career as an Army officer, I had the privilege of leading a crew of 12 air and missile defense soldiers through a technical certification that qualified us for a Middle Eastern deployment. Many of these soldiers were in their first year of service and almost all of us were inexperienced with this type of certification. Through weeks of intense training, we were able to master the operation of our equipment, pass our written examinations, and ultimately pass the certification on our day of evaluation. We performed so well that we were recognized as the best crew of the 12 that were evaluated, and each member of my team was awarded an Army Achievement Medal for exceptional performance.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose NYU Stern because of the Fertitta Veterans MBA Program. I was nervous about transitioning out of the military and moving to a new city where I did not know anyone. I was sold when I learned that Stern offered a program that allowed veterans and active-duty students to come to campus early in a special cohort for a summer session as a way to ease the transition to business school. To this day, I think fondly of that experience and ultimately, I believe it is why our veteran community is so close-knit.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Julian Yeo, a Clinical Professor of Accounting and French-trained chef, is not only a phenomenal professor but he may also be the most interesting man in the world. I took his Financial Accounting and Reporting and Financial Statement Analysis classes and went from zero knowledge of accounting to becoming quite comfortable with the subject. His level of patience and well-timed food analogies make for quite an enjoyable academic experience.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My favorite learning experience has been “ETA Search Pipeline Deal Sourcing,” a Stern Solutions experiential learning project led by Professor Andrew Breen and  focused on entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA), where students work with The Buy Build Fund to source small to medium-sized businesses for acquisition. Through this course, I learned how to use the tools and databases to search for companies, assess the value of small businesses, and navigate conversations with small business owners.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? I love Passport Day, which is an event where we celebrate the cultural diversity of the school. Students bring food and beverages native to their culture to Stern and can sample a seemingly endless array of the most delicious foods the world has to offer.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? If I could redo the experience, I’d take advantage of our global education opportunities earlier in the program. I took a one-week course called Doing Business in Mexico, where my classmates and I visited Mexico City, participated in case-based discussions, and toured different companies. I had such a great experience that I wish I had taken advantage of it during my first year.

What is the biggest myth about your school? The biggest myth is that the absence of a traditional campus makes it difficult for students to socialize outside of the classroom. I think the opposite is true. Being located in such a lively part of NYC makes students want to network with one another even more since there is always an abundance of activities to partake in.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? I love NYC because of the seemingly unlimited supply of opportunities available to students. I’ve attended industry-focused conferences led by top experts, I’ve worked with small businesses in the NYC area, and I’ve been able to network with dozens of alumni who still live in the city.

What surprised you the most about business school? I’m surprised by how busy I’ve been. At times it has felt like a full-time job. Between recruiting for internships, student club activities, and a lot of group projects, every moment has been filled with a novel and rewarding experience.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I’m a big fan of my classmate and Association of Hispanic and Black Business Students Co-President Ximena Tellez. She is a passionate champion of inclusion, diversity, belonging, equity, and accessibility (IDBEA) and is always first to register for events held by the many Stern affinity groups. She is truly the embodiment of Stern EQ and is a pivotal member of our MBA community.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1. I’ve spent most of my professional career leading teams in the U.S. Army. I’d like to take my management skills to the next level in a new industry and hopefully lead a company one day.

2. I’d like to be able to create opportunities for black entrepreneurs by providing access to capital and mentorship as an investor and board member.

What made Branden such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“Branden McCune is a Full-time MBA student, a member of the NYU Stern Fertitta Veterans MBA Program, and Consortium Fellow. I had the pleasure of meeting Branden during the spring 2023 semester when he interviewed for the Stern Board Fellows program, a year-long experiential learning course where MBA students work with a non-profit organization to provide consulting on board governance issues. The social impact space, in which many nonprofits operate, is one of the reasons why Branden was intrigued by this course, coupled with his interest in entrepreneurship and desire to lead a board. Along with his team, he is on track to deliver strategies to a large NYC organization’s board on how to improve board engagement and professional diversification.

During the fall 2023 semester, Branden interviewed to participate in our “Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition” Stern Solutions experiential learning project. This unique and inaugural project provides students with the opportunity to explore entrepreneurship while working with and sourcing companies for The Build Buy Fund, a PE firm co-founded by Stern Professor Andrew Breen. Entrepreneurship is an aspiration for Branden as he equates ownership with financial security and hopes to create opportunities for others in this space.

The correlation between Branden’s academic, professional, and personal interests and his campus involvement is evident. He serves as the Co-President of the Association of Hispanic and Black Business Students (AHBBS) and VP of Career Development for the Military Veterans Club, which are two groups he feels deeply connected to and has been invested in during his time at Stern.

In summary, Branden is a champion of social equity and economic empowerment. He has helped build communal support within AHBBS by collaboratively leading social and professional events. He has been an advocate for military veterans and their career development. And lastly, he is equipping himself with the knowledge and skills through his academics to achieve his professional aspirations to ultimately be well-positioned to empower others to achieve professional and financial mobility.”

Taneya Waithe
Assistant Director, Experiential Learning

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2024