MBA News 

Before many of them start their first internship, BYU Marriott School of Business MBA students who take MBA 657: Brand Management Strategy already have hands-on experience solving problems for brands. Whether students are brainstorming sweet solutions for Hershey’s, venturing into challenges facing Indian Motorcycle, or analyzing dilemmas other companies face depends on the semester; what’s constant is the chance to act as a brand manager in real-world situations.

From performing arts to chemistry to business to family, Mandy Crane, an alumna of the BYU Marriott School of Business, has forged a variety of paths. “In some ways,” she says, “when you follow a path that no one else is following, you’re creating a better experience for yourself and for your family.”

When Rebekah Koster took her first finance midterm in the MBA program, she felt like she had no idea what she was doing. The test scared her, so she decided to switch her track—not away from finance, but to it. “Part of who I am is choosing and going after really hard things,” says Koster, a second-year MBA student from Mesa, Arizona. “I love doing things that stretch me.”

Four professors from the BYU Marriott School of Business received awards at BYU’s 2025 University Conference. John Bingham, Michael Drake, Melissa Larson, and David Wood received awards in recognition of their contributions to BYU.

Since the pandemic, Zoom classes—often filled with muted participants and blank screens—have been a new part of the classroom experience. But for students at the BYU Marriott School of Business who are part of the Silver Fund class, a Zoom discussion featuring 65 BYU–Pathway Worldwide students in 18 different countries provided inspiration and connection.

Every year the Whitmore Global Business Center at the BYU Marriott School of Business honors first-year MBA students with the Eccles Scholars Award, which includes $9,000 to support students with a strong interest in and commitment to international business. With hometowns ranging from Orem, Utah, to Paraná, Brazil, and speaking languages like Tagalog and Italian, this year’s recipients were chosen for their academic performance, prior international experience, second-language fluency, and focus on developing an international career in business.

In April the 2025 George E. Stoddard Prize was awarded to 11 second-year MBA students at the BYU Marriott School of Business. These students are committed to pursuing a career in finance and have displayed leadership and academic excellence.

Nine BYU Marriott School of Business MBA students received the 2025 Hawes Scholars Award. The award, which includes a $10,000 cash prize, is one of the highest distinctions given to graduating MBA students at BYU Marriott.

Five MBA students at the BYU Marriott School of Business received the 2025 Gary P. Williams Leadership Award. The award recognizes distinguished students who have been nominated by their peers for demonstrating extraordinary leadership that embodies the values of BYU Marriott.

On April 8, a packed ballroom of students from the BYU Marriott School of Business listened to what Mary C. Daly, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, had to say: “If you want to learn and you want to give, you’ll have a beautiful life. That’s my main message to you today.” Then she added, “I’ll talk about the economy, too.”

It was in the aftermath of a devastating 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Talcahuano, Chile, that Josue Bustos—then serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—realized what he wanted to do with his life: help those in need.

Lisa Jones Christensen’s career has taken her through several industries: investment banking in San Francisco, business development in Silicon Valley, humanitarian and nonprofit work in Honduras, and teaching organizational behavior and human resources at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the BYU Marriott School of Business. Her motivation for personal, professional, and global impact is simple: It’s all about seeking continual growth.

Kjerstin Roberts was teaching high school English in Jacksonville, Florida, when she decided to get her MBA. While her dad had been praising the benefits of the graduate degree for years, Roberts didn’t realize that an MBA would also introduce her to a career path that she hadn’t anticipated: getting a PhD and becoming a college professor.

Christina Muhlestein Bates had a track record for going for what she wanted, until a bad experience working in business left her unsure of her next step. Feeling a little stuck, she decided to earn an MBA from the BYU Marriott School of Business, where she discovered she had gained the skills, network, and knowledge to do and become anything she wanted.

As a practicing Muslim, Arizona State University student Mohammad Awwal has sometimes found it uncomfortable to incorporate his faith at work. “Muslims pray every day, even during work hours. So for me, in an environment where it’s kind of taboo to talk about your faith, when I need to take maybe a couple of minutes off to have my prayer, then it becomes a very discomforting experience,” he explains. His situation has made competing in the 2025 Faith and Belief at Work MBA Case Competition not just a theoretical discussion but a personal reality.

Alexis Belliston wasn’t planning on graduate school—her focus was on creating a graphic design career at home while raising her family. But two years ago, when she was inspired to pursue an MBA at the BYU Marriott School of Business, she felt God pave the way for her to go back to school, building her faith and confidence along the way.

The BYU Marriott School of Business MBA program comes in at No. 2 in the world for “Overall Satisfaction” according to newly released global MBA rankings from The Financial Times.

Attendance at the 2024 Women in Business Conference quadrupled from its intimate inaugural gathering in 2023, drawing students, alumnae, and faculty for professional development training and a celebration of women in business.

While studying information systems at the BYU Marriott School of Business, Doug Maxfield planned to pursue a career in technology development. Then he found an untaped passion that changed everything.

Jeff Bednar, an associate professor of organizational behavior and human resources at the BYU Marriott School of Business, has seen how focusing on relationships and telling his personal story have brought the most meaning to his professional life.