Bella Goren Named Distinguished Engineering Graduate

Bella Goren, B.S. ChE ‘83, was recently named a “Distinguished Engineering Graduate” (DEG) by the Cockrell School of Engineering. A DEG is a graduate who has presented him or herself to the world as a consummate professional and dedicated engineer.

Goren earned her executive and Fortune 500 chief financial officer credentials in the airline industry, one of the most intensely competitive and dynamic global industries. She now serves as a director on the boards of three global companies, including LyondellBasell Industries N.V., one of the world’s largest plastics, chemical and refining companies; Gap Inc., a retail company with a portfolio of brands; and MassMutual Financial Group, a leading mutual life insurance company, with a number of major affiliates, including OppenheimerFunds.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with highest honors from the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin in 1983, Goren joined DuPont, where she conducted nuclear waste disposal research. With the desire to expand her business skills, she went on to receive an MBA from Southern Methodist University, graduating first in her class.

Building on the foundation of her engineering and business backgrounds, Goren joined American Airlines as a financial analyst, beginning her multifaceted, 27-year career with the company. She held roles of progressively greater responsibility in areas that included human resources, revenue management, investor relations, customer services planning, Asia/Pacific operations and customer relationship marketing, before becoming CFO of American Airlines and AMR Corporation.

Goren is fluent in Russian. She resides in Dallas and is active in both professional organizations and philanthropic efforts. She serves on the boards of the Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University and the National Association of Corporate Directors of North Texas. She is also a member of the International Women’s Forum. Previously, she served on the boards of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Business Council for the Arts. In 2013, she received the Dallas Business Journal’s Women in Business Award.

Goren and her husband have two daughters. Among many things they do together, one of their favorites is traveling throughout the United States and around the world.

 

Tags: alumni awards, American Airlines, AMR Corporation, Bella Goren, Cockrell School of Engineering, DEG, distinguished alumni, Distinguished Engineering Graduate, Gap, The University of Texas at Austin, UT Austin