Texas top-gun Gators: Warrington alumni in the state where everything’s bigger
When Business Gators leave The Swamp, they embark on a journey to make their mark on the world. Many take their shot in the Lone Star State: Texas.
Daryl Kenningham, Kamila Chytil and Frank Lao are just three of the 2,750 business Gators who have made it big in the state where everything’s bigger.
With hundreds of Gators across the state, there are plenty of opportunities for students to take a chomp at, including connecting with alumni. Here at Warrington, students can also expect immersive programs like the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center’s Austin Immersion Program to facilitate trips to major Texas cities like Austin.
Read how Kenningham, Chytil and Lao triumphed in Houston, Dallas and Austin.
Daryl Kenningham, MBA ’88, CEO, President and Director of Group 1 Automotive
Daryl Kenningham (MBA ’88) knew coming out of the University of Florida that he would pursue work in the automotive industry, as the fourth generation in his family to do so.
Kenningham’s great grandfather worked as a mechanic on Ford Model T’s when the industry first got started. His grandfather, Eddie, whom he keeps a picture of on his desk, worked in the industry for 60 years. He was one of Kenningham’s largest influences.
Growing up, the automotive industry was “something that what we talked about at the dinner table at night,” Kenningham said.
After graduating, Kenningham joined the Nissan Motor Corporation. He worked for Nissan for 10 years in the company’s regional office in Jacksonville, national headquarters in Los Angeles, California, and world headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.
Kenningham has been in Houston now for about 20 years. He is currently the CEO, President and Director of Group 1 Automotive, a Fortune 250 automotive retailer with 260 car dealerships in the US and UK, 20,000 employees, and about $21 billion in revenue.
In his role, Kenningham leads the team that runs the company.
“I’m constantly thinking about how we grow the company, how we become a better place to work, and how we become great for our customers and our shareholders.”
Kenningham said Warrington’s “intense program” changed him into an analytical person with a better understanding of how to prioritize—a characteristic he says has helped him a lot in his career now.
“I had some of the best professors I’ve ever had, some of the best teachers, people who challenged me, and I can still remember them to this day.”
Although he had no ties to the university before attending, now Kenningham says he is a proud Florida alumnus.
He met his wife here, and one of his daughters graduated from UF just this past summer.
He encourages young professionals not to worry about the finish line and instead to focus on the journey.
“There’s no one way to success.”
Kamila Chytil, MBA ’06, COO of DentaQuest
Kamila Chytil, (MBA ’06) grew up in Poland and Beijing, China and her time at the International School of Beijing helped shape her perspective on the world.
“People were there because of a common business setting or foreign relations role as embassy representatives,” she said. That diverse community helped her see the world beyond stereotypes.
She moved to Florida for her undergraduate degree and decided to pursue her master’s in business administration at the University of Florida.
Now, Chytil is the COO of DentaQuest.
While in school and once completing the MBA program, Chytil worked at FIS for over 10 years, moving her way up from Risk Analyst to Senior Vice President and General Manager of Retail Payments. She then transitioned to MoneyGram International for five years where she became the COO of the company.
In her role as COO of DentaQuest now, she oversees both the operational side of the business as well as marketing and the IT delivery of the customer experience.
While dental isn’t always the “bleeding edge” for innovations, at DentaQuest, Chytil said they have been able to lead transformations in digital adoption and engagement, particularly for underserved populations.
“It’s rewarding.”
Chytil said she uses experiences from her time at Warrington in her career now.
“The quality of instruction, quality of candidates,” prepared her well for the business world, she said.
Chytil even stays in touch with some of her Warrington peers.
In addition to her work as COO of DentaQuest, Chytil also serves as an independent director for Synchrony Financial, a consumer financial services company that was ranked No. 5 in the Fortune 100 best companies to work for in 2024.
She said her time with Synchrony Financial BOD has been fascinating and allows her to stay abreast developments in the financial services industry since her primary executive role is now in healthcare.
Chytil is a big advocate and mentor for women in business. For decades she said, “women have been so underrepresented in senior leadership roles, and while that is now changing, it’s still not happening fast enough.”
Chytil encourages women to “be bold, be decisive and take your space.”
Frank Lao, BSBA ’91, Vice President of Investment Operations at Dimensional Fund Advisors
Frank Lao, (BSBA ’91) decided a few weeks before the beginning of his freshman year to pivot from attending Florida State University to the University of Florida.
It was a difficult decision for him. Some of his best friends from his hometown in Sebring, Florida were also planning to attend FSU, but he made the last-minute change based on Florida’s academic offering.
“I would say things happen for a reason,” Lao said. “But it was absolutely the right decision for me to be a Gator.”
Now, Lao is the Vice President of Investment Operations at Dimensional Fund Advisors in Austin, Texas.
After graduation, Lao started his career at Merrill Lynch where he worked for 7 years in various corporate finance, project management and offshore operations roles in the company’s Jacksonville and London offices. He then transitioned to Janus Capital Group in Denver, Colorado where he worked for the next 12 years and was the Vice President of Global Operations.
His experience in finance, operations and management helped prepare him for his current role at Dimensional Fund Advisors, where he has worked for the past 13 years. Lao heads up the Investment Operations Team in North America and oversees Fund Services for the company’s mutual fund and ETF products.
He says his team takes a very collaborative approach in how they operate. “We’re constantly working with internal and external business partners across various functions and global locations, which makes things fun and interesting.”
Lao talked about the problem solving, collaboration and networking skills that he learned by interacting with his peers and professors at Warrington.
“I use those skills pretty much every day.”
His involvement with the Gator family didn’t end when he graduated. He still enjoys coming back to Gainesville to meet up with his Delta Tau Delta Fraternity brothers for Florida football games or traveling to road games.
Lao advises students to take initiative, get out of their comfort zone, be adaptable and focus on honing their people-skills. He also encourages students to leverage their Gator network to keep building new connections in the business world.
“At the end of the day, people and relationships help you get things done in the business world, no matter what career path you choose.”
