Jason Boyd (2017, BS, management, global supply chain) knows his official job title is a mouthful, and explaining his responsibilities is equally verbose. But despite the wordiness of his job description, his work as a creative leader speaks for itself.
As manager of data and projects in processes and technology for business planning initiatives and technical operations at Hawaiian Airlines (told you it was long), Boyd leads a team that handles troubleshooting, provides training, manages projects, and builds automated data dashboards. “I love being a manager more than anything else in my job because I can make a huge impact in others’ lives,” Boyd says. “People always say to find work you love, but I’ve realized your passion can be making a positive impact.”
That commitment to culture is reflected in team meetings. “I keep up with my team through daily interactions so weekly meetings can focus on learning,” he says. Each meeting starts with everyone sharing a leadership philosophy and application. This is followed by a non-work-related activity—such as a game or a quiz—and then a deep dive into skills that help the group problem-solve more effectively.
“You can have some boring topics at work, but the way you present them can totally change your outcome,” Boyd says.
He experienced this principle on the first day of his logistics class at BYU Marriott, when students acted out a supply chain using LEGO bricks and bartering skills. “It was a light bulb moment for me that shaped the way I work with my team now,” Boyd says of the class taught by Scott Webb, a BYU Marriott teaching professor.
After interning in Spain and graduating in 2017, Boyd spent two years at Honeywell Aerospace in Arizona. Initially, he wasn’t sure an office career would suit him since he’d grown up working in construction—roofing, framing, building pools, and renovating houses, including demoing and rebuilding his current Oahu home. But he soon found that the “creative side of my job filled that desire to build.”
The Boyds’ move to the Aloha State in 2019 started unexpectedly. “When we were living in Phoenix, my wife, Emily, and I were trying to have kids, but it wasn’t working out.” Boyd recalls. “One day, Emily said, ‘We’re not happy; what should we do?’ I responded, ‘Let’s move to Hawaii.’ My answer just came out of the blue.”
Soon after that conversation, Boyd met a contact at Hawaiian Airlines, which opened the door to a job offer a few months later—just as Boyd was starting an online MBA program at Boise State University. “We moved to Hawaii and—pregnant, pregnant, pregnant—we had our three kids,” he says. “It’s crazy how things work out.”
Now settled in Hawaii, Boyd spends his time outside of work playing basketball, football, and rugby with friends or enjoying Oahu’s beaches with his family. The island life suits him, as does his job with a ridiculously long title. “The biggest takeaway is that you never know where you’re going to end up,” he says, “so it’s worth just trying things until you find what fits.”
