Lisa Tran currently serves as the Executive Director of the SMU Cox School of Business Career Management Center serving the undergraduate, one-year specialty masters, and MBA populations. Prior to coming to SMU Cox, she worked at Harvard Business School as a Sr. Project Manager and as a Buyer at JCPenney and Neiman Marcus. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from SMU Cox and a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from The University of North Texas. Lisa has presented on career services related topics at regional and national career services conferences and spoken as a speaker at TedXSMU on the topic of work life balance as a career working mother. She is currently a part of the Leadership Class of 2018, a prestigious leadership development program with the Dallas Regional Chamber.

Lisa and her husband, Jimmy, are both SMU alumni and proud parents of 2 girls and 1 boy. In their spare time, they love to travel, run, cycle and practice yoga. She is also an active member at St. Monica Catholic Church and School, Ursuline Academy of Dallas Alumnae Association, SMU Cox Alumni Association and Back on My Feet (non-profit serving homeless through running). She has served as a Country Advisor to Thailand for the past five years, and serve as Co-Director of Community Outreach for three years.

What does “Going Against The Grain” mean to you? “Going ‘Against The Grain’ is to have the courage to try something new without the fear of failure.”

Quote to Live By: “Love begins at home and it is not how much we do…but how much love we put into action” – Mother Teresa
Favorite Food: Pho
Passionate About: Faith, family, and health
Can’t Live Without: Exercise
Color Sign: Solid Gold