THE MISSION OF THE GRAZIADIO BUSINESS SCHOOL

The mission of the George L. Graziadio Business School is to develop values-centered leaders and advance responsible business practice through education that is entrepreneurial in spirit, ethical in focus, and global in orientation.

As a professional school growing out of the tradition of a Christian University, we seek to positively impact both society at large and the organizations and communities in which our students and graduates are members. Therefore, we affirm a higher purpose for business practice than the exclusive pursuit of shareholder wealth. We believe that successful management seeks collective good along with individual profit and is anchored in core values such as integrity, stewardship, courage, and compassion.

GEORGE L. GRAZIADIO, JR.

1919 – 2002

George L. Graziadio, Jr., benefactor and namesake of the Graziadio Business School at Pepperdine University, enjoyed a long and storied career that continues to positively impact education and enterprise. With his business partner George M. Eltinge, Mr. Graziadio founded and opened in 1963 the first Imperial Bank in Los Angeles, which became a leading financial institution with $8 billion in assets. As a partner in the Eltinge and Graziadio Development Company and other real estate firms, Mr. Graziadio also developed more than 100 shopping centers and stores in 20 states.

During his abundant life, Mr. Graziadio devoted time, leadership, and resources to a host of civic and community causes. He served as international president of the 20-30 Clubs and the World Council of Young Men’s Service Clubs, chairman of the board of trustees of the Hugh O’Brian Youth Foundation, a board member of the French Foundation of Alzheimer’s Research, and a member of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council. He also served on the boards of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and was a charter member of the National Italian American Foundation, which awarded him its Lifetime Achievement Award for Humanitarian Service.

Mr. Graziadio was the deserving recipient of many honors, including the Horatio Alger Award, the Albert Schweitzer Leadership Award, the Newcomen Society Award, the Great American Traditions Award of the B’nai B’rith Foundation, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and an honorary Doctor of Laws from Pepperdine University. Other recognitions include the Marconi Award from the Sons of Italy of America, the EDDY Award from the Los Angeles Economic Development Agency, the President’s “E” Award from the US Department of Commerce, the Americanism Award and the Good Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America, the Humanitarian Award of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the Grande Ufficiale Award in the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy.

In 1996 Mr. Graziadio and his wife, Reva, whose involvement with Pepperdine spanned many years, made a monumental gift to the University’s business school, which gained a proud new identity bearing his name. Mr. Graziadio served with distinction as the founding chair of the Graziadio Board. Today, the beautiful Villa Graziadio Executive Center on Pepperdine’s Drescher Graduate Campus stands in testament to the steadfast commitment of the couple, whose legacy endures at the Graziadio School through the active involvement of their children, Mary Lou, Alida, and Louis, and their spouses.

Antonio Gaskin

Antonio Gaskin is a director of field operations at Frontier Communications, overseeing operations, community engagement, and market growth while ensuring the reliable provision of broadband internet, video, and telephone services to clients throughout Southern California. Previously Mr. Gaskin served in several leadership roles at Verizon, where he trained and directed technician teams; implemented processes to keep pace with an ever-changing technological landscape; and increased productivity, efficiency, service performance, and customer satisfaction.

Mr. Gaskin serves on the boards of both the United Cambodian Community and the Long Beach branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and he volunteers at the Union Rescue Mission in Downtown Los Angeles. During his time at the Graziadio Business School, Mr. Gaskin was active in student life, participating as a student ambassador, an executive mentor to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Management program, and as president of the Black Student Association.

Antonio Gaskin received his associate of arts from Marymount California University in 2019, and in 2021 completed his bachelor’s degree at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. In 2022 he earned associate’s degrees in labor studies and interdisciplinary studies from Los Angeles Trade Technical College. Today he will receive his executive master of business administration from the Graziadio Business School.

BRANDI M. HARLEAUX

Brandi M. Harleaux is chief executive officer of South Post Oak Recycling Center in Houston, Texas, where she oversees the responsible, sustainable handling of scrap metal from private, industrial, and governmental clients. She is a sought-after speaker and entrepreneurial expert who openly turns to her personal faith as a guide in her life’s work and service.

Previously Mrs. Harleaux worked at various Fortune 500 companies including Northrop Grumman, Target Corporation, Southern California Edison, and the Walt Disney Company, where she served in leadership roles using her expertise in organizational development and talent management. In 2013 she took the reins at South Post Oak Recycling Center, becoming the second generation to lead the business founded by her parents nearly 30 years ago.

Mrs. Harleaux has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including the International Rising Star Award from the Houston International Trade Development Council in 2021. This year she received both the Texas Small Business Person of the Year Award and the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Mrs. Harleaux serves on the board at the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries and chairs the advisory board for Houston’s Office of Business Opportunity. In 2022 she joined the Graziadio Board and has been a dedicated leader of the Houston chapter of Pepperdine’s Alumni Association since 2016.

Brandi Harleaux received her bachelor of science in psychology and business administration from the University of Houston. She earned a master of science in industrial organizational psychology from California State University, San Bernardino, and in 2012 she completed her MBA at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.