Questions (MBA '84) Jim Cooper

2. What’s the best advice you have ever received?

A grad student in my fraternity took me aside and told me an MBA would look great with my engineering degree. I am not sure I would have known that otherwise.

3. Whom do you most admire?

My father. He passed away two years ago. He worked full time to get through college and then saved enough to make sure his children would never have to do that.

4. What motivates you? That has changed over time. Decades ago, it was to learn as much as possible, then for a while it was to earn as much as possible. Now I’m in the give back mode.

5. What is your “superpower”? Extreme rationality.

6. When and where do you do your best thinking?

In a car with no passengers.

7. What’s been on your mind lately? How will interest rates affect the private equity business.

8. How do you recharge? I sit in front of a fire with a hockey game on.

9. What’s your motto? Lead, follow or get the _____ out of the way.

10. How do you deal with conflict? My first instinct is to deconflict.

11. What characteristics do you look for in people? Loyalty.

12. What makes you feel hopeful? About anything, people have predicted societal or economic gloom and doom for decades. It hasn’t happened.

13. What is your favorite cause? Education as a means to lift people out of poverty.

14. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

Ketchum, Idaho. It’s a few years off still.

15. What do you lose sleep over?

Early morning plane flights; fear of oversleeping has me awake hours early.

16. Which class at Darden impacted you the most?

I hated what was called Organizational Behavior. It was too squishy; too much play acting. However, I constantly use what we learned in my daily life.

17. What’s your favorite Darden memory? We had a blowout party in February of my First Year after two weeks of difficult classes and a series of exams. It was a tremendous release of tensions. At least I sort of remember it.

18. Interest rates are rising. Banks have failed or been bailed out. Stock markets are wobbling. Some economies teeter on the edge of recession. We’re in a complicated investing environment. As a private equity professional, what’s your philosophy for times like these?

It’s a good time to sit on the sideline to see how things evolve.

19. You’re a member of an all-local group that owns the NHL’s St. Louis Blues. What drew you to hockey franchise ownership? I played growing up and early in adulthood. I had friends whose fathers bought the St. Louis Cardinals and I saw how much fun they had. The Blues have brought our family great memories.

20. As chair of Darden’s Powered by Purpose capital campaign, you led a successful effort to reach the initial $400 million fundraising goal. What are your initial thoughts on what this milestone has meant and will mean for Darden?

Given it is nearly triple the last campaign total, it’s a pretty big achievement for Darden. Lots of people contributed to the success: the dean, the staff, alumni. The amazing thing is how broadly the financial support was in the alumni base.

DARDEN ALUMNI RECEIVE A 30 PERCENT DISCOUNT. USE ALUMNI30 WHEN YOU REGISTER ONLINE. For up-to-date information on upcoming programs, please visit darden.edu/ee-fall23