The UNC Kenan-Flagler Charlotte Executive MBA Program recently hosted Ali Summerville as the featured speaker for the program’s Executive Friday series. As chair of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, Business Administration Executive at Ally Financial, and proud Tar Heel alumna, Ali shared her views on leadership, the principles that have guided her career, and highlighted her commitment to serving Charlotte through the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance and Habitat for Humanity.
In a conversation with Atul Nerkar, Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at UNC Kenan-Flagler, Ali spoke about her career journey, finding success at Ally, and the role of communities at work. She described the enthusiasm for helping build Ally: “I always had faith things would work out because we had the right talent to solve problems from the start. I was with good people in the foxhole.”
Ali attributed her success to “being honest, building trust, and fostering relationships. There is no formula for getting this right. You just have to lay the groundwork and always be transparent.”
Ali spoke of the unity in the Charlotte business community and the role of the CLT Alliance in the city.
“There is something special about Charlotte,” she said. “It is unique how the businesses here work together. When we put our heads together, we can make things happen. You can see this clearly through the work of the Alliance.”
Atul enjoys “bringing a little bit of Chapel Hill to Charlotte” during these faculty-led conversations. He underscored the benefit of hosting leaders like Ali Summerville in the MBA classroom to share the unique perspective of looking at their career backwards.
“Ali and our previous executives share little pieces of their journeys and allow us all to learn different lessons from their perspectives,” Atul said. “Ali offered meaningful insights from her career journey with the next generation of business leaders in Charlotte at UNC Kenan-Flagler.”
Prior guest speakers include Hugh McColl, Malcomb Coley, Bill Rogers, Tino McFarland, Kimberly Moore-Wright, and Darius Adamczyk, among others.
When asked by a student about pursuing a career in banking versus other industries, Ali answered, “The idea of banking is to help people achieve a dream. It could be saving for college or buying a house. We are helping people and communities become more resilient.”
Ali advised students to be flexible as they built their careers. “If you’re approaching your career with a myopic focus you may miss opportunities. Be open-minded. Build trusting relationships. You’ll never be satisfied chasing money and titles; find things you really care about.”
The Executive Friday series provides a unique educational opportunity for students in the Charlotte Executive MBA program to hear from transformative business leaders who’ve significantly impacted their fields and the local community.
