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It’s a scorching hot September day in Fort Worth, Texas. The Amon G. Carter Stadium, home of the Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs, falls quiet as 47,000 fans hold their breath in collective anticipation. TCU’s nationally revered college football team is on offense, deep into a fierce contest with cross-town rivals, the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Mustangs.
The ball is snapped back to the quarterback, who catches and fires a short pass to the wide receiver. He gathers the ball, powerfully brushing off a tackle to leave only empty space between him and the end zone. The stadium erupts, and the touchdown takes the Horned Frogs to a 35–24 lead and a famous victory.
Often in attendance at ‘The Carter’ offering support to the team, is TCU’s Chancellor Daniel Pullin and his family.
“My wife and our kids, we love going to TCU sporting events,” he tells The CEO Magazine. “We love seeing our amazing students deliver their talents to the betterment of our community.
“In so many ways, success on the court, on the field and beyond in terms of our student athletes’ academic performance has really put us on the map.”
“There’s a spirit of partnership that’s going on across the state of Texas.”
TCU traces its roots back to 1873, when 13 male and female students were enrolled in a classical education with a strong focus on character development in one of the first co-ed institutions west of the Mississippi. Today, it enrolls approximately 13,000 students who hail from far beyond the borders of the Lone Star State.
“Texas is such a great place to build a career in the context of life,” Pullin says. “It’s vibrant and it’s economically diverse. There’s a spirit of partnership that’s going on across the state of Texas. And so we’re really proud that it resonates with our graduates.”
Pullin brings a wealth of experience of his own to the role of Chancellor. While his path to the role was not typical, it brings unique benefits.
“At some level, I’m a non-traditional academic, even though I’ve been in higher education for about 20 years. I started off in the private sector,” he reveals.
“This gave me a market-driven mentality from running and launching successful private sector ventures. You have to understand the marketplace that you’re entering, the needs of the various constituents and stakeholders, and how you deliver true value to meet their needs and aspirations. Then you can actually operate a university that moves at the speed of business.”
With an MBA from Harvard and a law doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law to boot, Pullin’s skills and experience would add value to almost any organization. Yet he describes a deeper calling as being the biggest influence on his career path.
“Every career decision that I’ve made has always been about one metric, and that’s how can I invest the time and energy that I’ve been blessed with to have the most significant impact on as many people as possible?” he reflects.
“There aren’t many places I can see nationally that intend to go as far and as fast – with quality – as TCU. So when afforded the opportunity to step into the leadership role, I felt like this was very consistent with who I am. It’s such a wonderful place to be.”
Pullin’s plan for taking the university into the future is, simply put, to continue its student-centric growth.
“We see record levels of demand for TCU. Once again, we have record applications this year,” he says. “As we grow, we get a little bit better. You can see that embodied in our historically high retention rates, graduation rates and starting salary rates.
“By adding scale prudently while always keeping the student at the center of everything we do and focusing on their success, we can really advance the impact and the stature of the institution. Our target is to grow about three percent a year for the foreseeable future.”
“We see record levels of demand for TCU. Once again we have record applications this year.”
Related to his focus on maximizing its student impact is Pullin’s emphasis on community, starting with the local area that he has clearly developed a strong affection for.
“We want to take the thought leadership that’s going on as our faculty, staff and students work arm in arm every day and really bring that to the community,” he explains.
“That starts right here in Fort Worth and then expands into a global impact.”
Buoyed by a skilled graduate community (in no small part emanating from TCU), its strategic central location and the attraction of low operating costs, Fort Worth has become one of the fastest-growing business hubs in the United States.
“How fortunate are we to be in one of the great business communities in the country?” Pullin enthuses.
“Fort Worth will soon be a top 10 community nationally in terms of population and the number four major metro as part of the broader Dallas–Fort Worth region.”
“We have a grand opportunity to deliver a university that operates at the intersection of academics and the community.”
TCU partners strategically with many organizations in its community, such as Sodexo Campus, as part of its overarching mission to create a lasting impact.
“We have a grand opportunity to deliver a university that operates at the intersection of academics and the community,” Pullin says. “If we do that, then not only will we ensure our relevance and our sustainability, but we will also flourish in an increasingly competitive higher education landscape.
“Whether it’s Fort Worth, North Texas, the United States or, in some cases, globally, we’re able to provide the highest source of value to people.
“We are tackling some of the greatest challenges of our time – intellectually, socially and economically – in a way that can have a lasting impact.”
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