Why I Give

Ab Krall ’81 on community and vision

When Albert “Ab” Krall ’81 got his degree, the Smith School was still called the College of Business and Management. Back then, says Krall, there wasn’t a cohesive feel to the b-school. Classes in any of the business disciplines were scattered among buildings across campus. “It was hard to feel like part of a community,” he says.

For Krall, that sense of community came as an alumnus. Krall went to work for Accenture (then Arthur Andersen) after graduation and stayed there for his entire 27-year career. His work focused on the telecommunications marketplace, and he worked for the likes of Verizon, AT&T, BellSouth and Vodafone and traveled to places as far-flung as Japan and Australia. All that time, Accenture was drawing great graduates from Maryland.

“Maryland alumni at Accenture had a strong sense of community,” says Krall. He enjoyed creating bonds with fellow Terps and looked for ways to get involved with the Smith School, starting with recruiting activities and later joining the dean’s advisory committee. “It was a great opportunity to work on some of the initiatives of the school with people from many different companies who all wanted to see the b-school elevated to a higher status nationally,” says Krall.

Krall enjoyed working with the QUEST undergraduate honors program and other student programs on campus. “It kept me excited about the school because I could see what was happening, and I could participate in some of it. It was exciting to see the effort of the deans and faculty pushing Maryland to a higher level. I could see, right before my eyes, that we were going to be a preeminent business school.”

As a current member of the Smith Advisory Board, Krall gives to the Smith School Annual Fund to support that rise. “If you get involved,” says Krall, “it will definitely spur a desire to support the mission of the school. Take an opportunity to come back and see what’s going on. It might not reflect the experience you had, but if you can play a role in what it’s going to become and help it take the next step, you’ll feel like it’s YOUR Smith School.

“I’ve been able to see that transformation—and it hasn’t stopped. However, it is going to take more support to keep climbing that ladder to the top.”

By Rebecca Winner

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