Chris Inklebarger was destined to be a Vol For Life since before he was born. His parents, aunt, and several uncles attended the University of Tennessee, and the family has held season tickets to UT football games for generations.

During undergraduate and graduate school, he worked at his family’s restaurant, Little Joe’s Pizza. After finishing his Bachelor of Science in Communication from UT in 2007, Inklebarger worked in marketing for the Charlotte Knights.

However, he had always planned on returning to school to earn his MBA. In 2011, through some timely prodding by family, Inklebarger chose to pursue both a JD and MBA in UT’s dual degree program. The degrees gave him a broader perspective on business which he uses daily in his career.

“The MBA program taught me how to value a company beyond simply plugging financial metrics into a model,” he says. “The skills taught in that program are ones I use today in evaluating potential investment opportunities and presenting my views to our investment committee.”

As vice president and associate general counsel at Bourne Partners in Charlotte, North Carolina, Inklebarger primarily executes sell-side assignments and analyzes firm investments. Prior to joining Bourne Partners in 2013, he worked representing financial institution creditors in Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 proceedings. He is a licensed attorney and a member of the North Carolina State Bar and the Mecklenburg County Bar Association. Inklebarger also serves as the chief compliance officer for Bourne Partners Securities, the firm’s registered broker dealer entity.

Internally compelled to follow the Vol-for-Life doctrine, Inklebarger serves on the Haslam Young Alumni Board. He attended the inaugural meeting earlier this month. The Haslam Young Alumni Board aims to strengthen relationships and create meaningful connections for Haslam’s alumni aged 35 years or younger.

“The business school has been instrumental in my success, and I want to give back in any way that I can,” Inklebarger says about sitting on the board. “Given the industry in which I work as well as the region, I feel that I can provide insight and help with finance students seeking banking opportunities.”

Outside of impacting his community, Inklebarger enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, golfing, and skiing. He also actively supports the Russell C. Guerin Melanoma Research Fund and the Beyond Limits program at the Harris YMCA in Charlotte.