In Memoriam

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Michael Friezo ’88 

Co-founder, FLOW Partners

Michael Friezo ’88, a finance executive and co-founder of the oil and gas analytics company FLOW Partners, passed away July 15, 2022, surrounded by his family, after a 14-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 59.

Although he was a Jersey boy, Friezo wholeheartedly embraced Texas when he moved there to attend Texas Christian University for his bachelor’s degree. “It was a culture shock,” says Friezo’s daughter, Lauren, who spoke on campus at the annual Scholarship Luncheon honoring donors and recipients. “But instead of worrying about being a fish out of water, my Dad knew that through empathy, curiosity, compassion and understanding – a fish can relate to any other fish.”

Friezo earned his MBA at Rice Business during the oil bust of the late 1980s, graduating a year after the Black Monday stock market crash when the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 22 percent in a single day. “Houston was a crazy place to be then, because of the downturn,” recalls Friezo’s wife, Michele. The pair had just married, and when they moved to Houston, she struggled to find work despite her own finance background. “It was an interesting time.”

Friezo credited his Rice Business education with instilling the leadership skills that carried him through a distinguished 30-year financial career, taking him from Salomon Brothers to Credit Suisse First Boston and then Deutsche Bank, where he ran equity capital markets for the Americas.

Friezo had that ability to understand and motivate others. “He would send article after article based on your skills, interests or opportunities,” says Lauren. “He would recommend books, movies, classes, courses -- all in the spirit of finding more ways to help his people grow, feel valued and be heard.” His #1 recommended book was Meditations by Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. “He found it amazing that the wisdom he expressed almost 2,000 years ago was still applicable today.”

In 2017, anticipating the potential of big data and analytical automation to transform the American energy sector, Friezo founded FLOW with his business partner, Tom Loughrey. FLOW’s quantitative analytics expertise allows users to incorporate high-end engineering into their estimates – even if they have no engineer or technical experience. “That was Michael’s focus for the past five years,” Michele says.

Those who worked with Friezo throughout his career were struck by his inclusiveness, his lack of ego and the respect he showed every member of his team, from executives to the person who cleaned the office when he was there working late. “Michael understood that a great leader isn’t just smart but someone who excites a team around them,” Michele says.

Through deep friendships, mentoring and charitable work, Friezo never made it about himself. He and Michele raised their two daughters, Lauren and Caroline, in Montclair, New Jersey, before moving to Dallas in 2016. Friezo and his family endowed scholarships at Rice Business and Texas Christian University, along with a long list of other charities supporting education, health and socioeconomic initiatives.

Mark Watson ’23, this year’s recipient of the Michael P. Friezo Family Endowed Scholarship at Rice Business, shared his gratitude with Friezo in a letter last year. “Without your gift, I would never have had the opportunity to learn at such a prestigious institution, which has changed my family’s life forever,” Watson wrote.

Since 1990, Friezo and his family have supported Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he received treatment. They donated more than $2 million to establish the Friezo Family Support Fund, which helps alleviate economic concerns for families with children receiving cancer care at MSK. For those who wish to honor Friezo’s memory, the family asks that you consider a donation to the fund. For more information, visit mskcc.convio.net/goto/mpfmemorial.

Liana Hamm

Assurance associate
PricewaterhouseCoopers

Liana Hamm passed away Oct. 19, 2022. She was 23. A National Merit Scholar, she earned her B.A. in economics from Rice University, graduating summa cum laude in 2020, and her Master of Accounting degree at Rice Business in 2021. She sat for the CPA exam, passed all parts on the first try and received the Elijah Watt Sells award for her high scores, the highest in the country. Liana interned at OpenStax, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and PricewaterhouseCoopers. She was also a teaching assistant in Financial Accounting at Rice University during 2020. In September 2021, Liana began full-time employment with PricewaterhouseCoopers as an assurance associate, a job she held until her death. Beyond the immense personal loss for her family and friends, the accounting profession has lost a future leader.

Jim Chan

MBA@Rice

Jim Chan passed away Oct. 12, 2022. He was 40. Jim was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and graduated with a degree in industrial engineering from Iowa State University. On top of working full time as a senior supplier quality engineer at BAE Systems, he managed his own Airbnb property and was a licensed real estate professional and a project manager for multiple properties. During his MBA studies, Jim was selected as team lead for his cohort’s capstone project and Global Field Experience in Berlin, Germany. He completed his MBA coursework last summer and was set to graduate in December. 

Thomas O’Hagan DuPree

Senior consultant, Deloitte

Thomas O’Hagan DuPree, an MBA@Rice student, passed away Nov. 19, 2022. He was 37. His classmates remembered how exceptionally bright he was and how he lightened the classroom with subtle jokes. Thomas was originally from Florida and moved to Houston, where he grew his career as a senior consultant at Deloitte, focused on risk and financial advisory. His previous professional experiences included contributions at Phillips 66 and PwC. He was a graduate of Florida State University, with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance and a master’s degree in accounting. Thomas was a loving husband with a big heart for his family, including his Great Danes.