Richard Castleberry spent around 14 years traveling to different portions of the world to spread his knowledge as an academic lecturer and leader of university development programs. After leaving his last role as head of Business Development for Academic programs at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan, he returned to the United States to serve as Director of the Full-Time MBA and MS Business Programs at Texas A&M - Mays Business School. After serving in this role for about four years, he has recently transitioned into his current role of Director of Corporate Relations for Texas A&M University. He's a passionate and driven leader who utilizes his cultural experiences and excellent communication skills to foster an engaging environment for all students that attend the universities that he leads. Please welcome my next guest, Richard Castleberry.
Where Did It All Begin?
Richard's early life took him all around the world as he and his family followed his father from one Air Force base to the next. Castleberry described his time abroad as a child, at one point living in Japan for 4 years, as a driving force behind his love for traveling.
Being provided the opportunity to experience new cultures and ways of life allowed his curiosity to flourish, and he eventually decided to follow that curiosity all of the way to Milan, post college graduation.
"As a freshman, having visited Milan with my roommate who was from Milan, I was able to really fall in love with Europe. I feel like I have a European soul."
Unbeknownst to Castleberry at the time, this trip would influence his career trajectory just a few years later as he finished his Master's of Business Administration (MBA) program at Loyola Marymount University.
"It was in my MBA program where I got that itch of wondering what it would be like to teach business."
With this inspiration in mind, Castleberry would begin diligently searching for opportunities to teach abroad before eventually deciding on the Zagreb School of Economics and Management in Zagreb, Croatia.
A few years later, Castleberry would find his way to Kosovo, teaching at an affiliated campus for the Rochester Institute of Technology. It was during this phase of his career that he would venture into academic management and become head of the Management department.
Castleberry reflected back on how much he loved his time in Kosovo by saying,
"Fantastic place - I can't speak highly enough about the Kosovo Albanians. My wife, is a Kosovo Albanian. We're getting ready to go back in June for my first vacation in five years."
After a few years really growing in his role and developing a family in Kosovo, Castleberry began to explore opportunities elsewhere.
The Next Phase of Life
Prior to beginning his time at Texas A&M University, where Castleberry currently works, he worked for six years in Astana, Kazakhstan at Nazarbayev University.
The transition from Kosovo to Astana was not only a change in scenery, but also in overall role at the university. This was a chance for him to a more high profile leadership role that aligned with exceedingly growing skillset.
Castleberry excelled in his new position at Nazarbayev by showcasing his deep knowledge of business and ability for developing genuine relationships. As part of his role, Castleberry needed to form and maintain connections with corporations. With this being a new location and the need for new connections, Castleberry spoke about the challenges of creating relationships by saying,
"It was an enormous challenge. And remember, too, English is the third language there."
As soon as he would find his way into meetings with executives at large companies in Kazakhstan, he would be greeted with a challenging conversation between himself and the executive with little to no English experience.
Want to listen to the full episode? Click the links below or search "Up to the Mic" on your favorite listening platform.
After overcoming the initial growing pains and developing connections despite the language barriers. Castleberry began to take on a new challenge in helping launch the Executive MBA program at Nazarbayev University through partnership with Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.
He attributes many connections (no pun intended) that he was able to create during his launch of the Executive MBA program to none other than everyone's favorite social media platform, LinkedIn.
After many wonderful years in Kazakhstan, Castleberry and his wife decided that it was time for their family to head back to the United States.
Texas A&M University
The Dean's office at Mays Business School reached out to Castleberry one day shortly after his family had started considering a move the United States and it seemed like a great opportunity. However, he recalls being at an extremely busy time of year trying to really spearhead the growth of Nazarbayev University and was traveling almost non-stop.
"I was on a business trip to Geneva and I had a Skype call - so this was obviously before Zoom - with the Dean of Mays."
After a great conversation and a few days passing, Castleberry would find himself on campus at Texas A&M meeting with administration and faculty members from across Mays Business School. A few weeks would pass before hearing back from the dean, notifying him that they were extending him an offer to become Director of Full-Time MBA and MS Business Programs.
He recalls how it wasn't very difficult for him to accept the opportunity because,
"The people are what make the place. When I get out of my car in College Station, it's a different world - a very special place to be."
Castleberry would go on to spend four years in this role before transitioning into his current role as the Director of Corporate Relations for Texas A&M University. When asked about why he is excited to pursue this new adventure he exclaimed,
"I truly believe it's going to allow me to make an even greater impact on Mays Business School and seeing the success of our students."
Final Thoughts
Richard Castleberry is an intelligent and inspiring leader, as showcased by his lengthy track record of building successful academic programs. However, after getting the chance to speak with him, I believe his greatest gift is that of being a world-class storyteller.
It's one thing to be good at the day-to-day of your job but to have others buy-in to the goal you're chasing and the vision you're striving for, it requires a special person to convey the message - Richard Castleberry is that person.
This article is just a small snippet of the full interview with Richard where he offers more stories from his journey, advice for anyone considering an MBA, and his love for Texas A&M. Go watch it on YouTube or listen to the episode on your favorite podcast streaming platform.
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