A Note from Patrick McDermott

Dear T-birds,

You all know from personal experience why students come to Thunderbird from around the world. Like you, they seek a truly global education that will offer them new models of leadership that are borderless, span cultural boundaries, and give them the tools they need to navigate today’s rapidly changing business environment. They wish to know the world. T-birds believe that knowing other cultures means living and working globally and that beyond understanding lies a path to prosperity for all. T-birds also know that to be a global leader, one must fundamentally accept that there is never just one way to achieve a goal. T-birds demonstrate every day that we are all citizens of the world and that when we truly know each other, we can achieve great things together.

Thunderbird’s inaugural President, Lt. General Bar ton Kyle Yount, imagined a future where nations and people worked together beyond borders and across cultures. Our early founders made a personal commitment, a philan thropic investment, to establish this School be cause they believed in the fundamental viewpoint of Thunderbird as described by its second President, Dr. William Lytle Schurz, that “Borders frequented by trade, seldom need soldiers.” Embedded in those words is the critical importance of the globally focused education that Thunderbird provided to you and continues to offer our current and future students. Over the past 71 years, T-birds have contributed more than $571 million to make that education possible. They have built our campus, funded our students and faculty, and developed the programs that have made us who we are today. And thousands of the individu al gifts that comprise that figure came to us through gifts to Thunderbird’s An nual Fund.

The world needs Thunderbird now more than ever before, and the School continues to rely on our alumni and friends to fulfil our mission. Thunderbird is uniquely equipped to provide our future leaders with the skills they need to navigate today’s volatile global marketplace. Since Thunderbird’s partner ship with Arizona State University in 2015, our Thunderbird Alumni have worked tirelessly to help grow the School through student referrals and mentoring, campus visits, classroom talks, intern ships, coaching, and job placements - and through A Note from Patrick McDermott, Thunderbird’s Chief Engagement Officer D

the sheer force of their example. More recently, we have also begun to look to our family of alumni and friends to once again consider philanthropic support for our students and programs.

This year we re-launch the Thunderbird Annual Fund, which encourages all alumni to contribute the critical support needed to expand Thunderbird’s reach and strengthen our brand around the world. We are asking for your help. Alumni participa tion in the Thunderbird Annual Fund not only provides critically needed support, it also directly impacts continued growth in attracting high-caliber students, foundation and corporate funding, and our rankings.

We have already seen the impact that Alumni philanthropy can have on our students and pro grams. In just the past year, we have grown the Thunderbird SHARE Fel lowship through new gifts and begun to increase SHARE’s regional impact through country-specific support in Indonesia and Brazil. We have celebrated

the magnificent support of our 1000-strong Thun derbird Japanese Alumni through their fundraising campaign to re-start Thun derbird Japan, with the creation of a new Tokyo office and the appoint ment of a Japan-based Thunderbird staff person. All of this comes at an exciting time in Thun derbird’s storied history. As we prepare to move to Thunderbird’s new home, philanthropy and the support of our alumni will continue to define the School’s future. It has been an honor to work with so many of our Alumni around the world this year and as we continue to grow and strengthen our programs, I encourage all Thunderbird Alumni to engage with the School and to consider support for the programs that are most meaningful to you. With the help and guidance of our alumni and friends, we believe that Thunderbird’s best days lie ahead.

Sincerely yours,

Patrick McDermott

Chief Engagement Officer