A helping hand

When Collat school of business alumnus Hafiz Chandiwala (’94) received a scholarship during his junior year at UAB, he made a promise to himself. More than three decades later, he’s still keeping it.

Chandiwala received that scholarship at a banquet for Beta Alpha Psi, an international honor society in accounting that Professor Ollie Powers encouraged him to join. He took time off work and away from his young family to attend, and his commitment was rewarded when he received one of the two largest scholarships given that night by David Kassouf, a local CPA.

“I about fell out of my chair,” said Chandiwala. “That scholarship made a significant difference in my finances that semester and that year. I remember telling myself then, ‘When I can afford to pay it forward, I need to, and I will.’ That was important to me.”

The scholarship and encouragement have paved the way not only for a successful career in accounting and finance—Chandiwala currently serves as executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Coca-Cola Bottling Company United—but also for an abundance of meaningful alumni and scholarship opportunities at UAB that will impact students, the university, and Birmingham for generations to come.

“UAB provided an excellent foundation for me, not just in accounting but in business in general,” said Chandiwala. “UAB also provided me an opportunity to work while I pursued my education. The work ethic I observed among other students at UAB drove me to work harder.”

Serving at Coca-Cola United

Chandiwala graduated in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. During college he interned with Warren Averett and got a job with Arthur Anderson following graduation, where he worked with Coca-Cola United as a client. After a brief tenure with Birmingham Fastener & Supply, he joined Coca-Cola United in 2001 and has been a part of its leadership team since, recently being elected to join its board of directors.

“The culture at Coca-Cola United is associates-first—the focus is on taking care of our people and our communities,” he said. “This aligns well with my personal goals and values. It is my honor to serve in a senior role here.”

In his capacity as an executive, Chandiwala has helped the Birmingham-based bottler grow to represent approximately 12% of the bottle and can production and distribution of Coca-Cola products in the United States. Both the company and the Johnson family that founded it in 1902 have a long history of investing in projects that serve as a catalyst for growth in the community, most recently supporting a major new landmark in downtown Birmingham: the Coca-Cola Amphitheater. And the company’s new $330 million corporate headquarters—built on a former industrial site and one of the first things visitors will see when flying into the Magic City—is one of the largest investments by a private company in Birmingham’s history.

“Hafiz is the kind of alumnus that every school dreams of,” said Christopher L. Shook, dean of the UAB Collat School of Business, noting that Chandiwala also helped raise funds for the school’s new building in 2016. “His support as an alumnus and feedback as a business executive in Birmingham help us change lives and transform futures, just as I imagine UAB did for him when he was here and later when his son attended UAB. Those are the kinds of full-circle moments we hope to cultivate.”

Serving UAB

Chandiwala also was president of UAB’s National Alumni Society Board of Directors during the 2019-2020 academic year, and he currently serves on the Collat School of Business Advisory Board and the UAB Athletics Foundation Board. In 2009, he established the Hafiz Chandiwala Endowed Scholarship in Accounting. He was honored with the UAB Distinguished Alumni Award in 2023 and Collat’s Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2007.

Chandiwala’s latest UAB endeavor? Helping raise funds for the Blazer Made Program. Housed in UAB Athletics, the program prepares UAB student-athletes to thrive long after graduation by focusing on financial education, mental health and wellness, career development, leadership, and service. Chandiwala is focused on the financial education component of the program, which is executed in partnership with Collat School of Business.

“When I found out Hafiz requested that I work on this project, I knew it was going to be something special and impactful for our students,” said Stephanie Yates, Ph.D., CFP, the Regions Institute for Financial Education Endowed Professor in Collat. “I wanted it to be something he could be proud of.”

In the Blazer Made Program, all UAB student-athletes will be offered multiple sessions—day and evening, virtual, and live. The topics covered include those critical for student-athletes, like budgeting, credit, taxes, negotiating deals, and preparing for emergencies. And to make it more personal, the program will host former UAB student-athletes like former NFL quarterback Joe Webb and former NBA guard Tracy Foster, who will speak from their own experiences.

Yates said alumni like Chandiwala are UAB’s lifeline to the business community, not only through their generous financial support but also helping the school understand the needs of businesses, keeping Collat current and relevant.

“Our relationship with Hafiz is very, very meaningful,” she said. “The program is important on its own but having Hafiz behind it raises the bar. I want for him to say, ‘That’s what I had in mind.’”

Chandiwala said it’s easy to give back to a place that gave him so much.

“I think UAB is the heartbeat of the greater Birmingham area, and I should give back and support UAB,” he said. “When UAB calls, my first thought is ‘How can I help?’”