News Releases 

Ryan Bingham says he was just a kid from a small farm in northern Utah who was unsure of what he was capable of. Now as vice president of HR for the United States and Canada at Honeywell, he sees attending the BYU Marriott School of Business as a pivotal point in his journey that opened up opportunities that he would have never thought possible—and he’s working to help current students have those same opportunities.

Arriving in Milan—one of the fashion capitals of the world—was a dream come true for fashion enthusiast and strategy student Jordan Faust. “Even before I got into the strategy program, I knew I wanted to be on the study abroad in Italy,” she says. Faust says she would love for fashion to be part of her career one day, but for now she’s focused on learning from the people and opportunities placed in her path.

For Dave Parkes, an alumnus of the BYU Marriott School of Business, wealth management is more than just finances—it is a faith-based practice. “Money is never the outcome; money is a tool that allows us to live a life that we want to live and give back,” he says. So as Parkes manages both his family’s finances and those of his clients, he says he strives to stay grounded in his faith and relationships.

Being a wife, mother, and grandmother are the best jobs in the world to Alison Bawden. But the best job on campus, she says, is being program manager for the Department of Aerospace Studies at the BYU Marriott School of Business. Having worked for three years for the BYU’s Air Force ROTC, Bawden says seeking opportunities to learn and grow has helped her develop greater confidence in herself.

As he struggled to find consulting internships, BYU Marriott School of Business strategy student Charlie Rhodes leveraged his network to find and embrace new opportunities. That approach led Rhodes to London, standing and talking with members of the UK House of Lords about issues surrounding religious freedom in Nigeria.

Liz Dixon believes that when students develop communication skills, they can practice Christlike leadership. Whether students are in a boardroom presentation or around the watercooler, Dixon says they can exemplify this type of leadership by communicating with integrity, respect, excellence, and faith in Christ.

Information Systems student Annabelle Baker remembers crying in her professor's office, overwhelmed by how much more qualified her peers seemed than her. Less than a year later, she accepted a scholarship from the information systems program that those same peers had nominated her for—and she couldn't help but think of how far she had come.

Five pictures of European cities line one wall of Michael Swenson’s office—a nod to the more than 15 trips to Europe that he led for executive MBA students. On the opposite wall, a map marks each of the 30 Major League Baseball stadiums, 20 of which Swenson has visited. This fall, the avid baseball fan may find himself with more time to hit the last 10 stadiums on his list. After 37 years of teaching at the BYU Marriott School of Business—including seven years as a department chair—Swenson retires this summer, concluding a career he says was highlighted by finding connections with students, both in marketing and in their lives.

Brian Adams watched military jets fly over his childhood home in Littleton, Colorado, and dreamed about becoming a pilot. But Adams’s full commitment to the US Air Force wouldn’t come until he tried out the Brigham Young University Air Force ROTC program, in which Adams says he learned to see new and uncomfortable situations as opportunities to grow.

Brigitte Madrian, dean of the BYU Marriott School of Business, has announced the appointment of Isaac Smith, associate professor of organizational behavior and human resources, as the next chair of the Department of Management. Smith will succeed Paul Godfrey, who will return to full-time teaching and research, on July 1, 2026.

Romantic interest wasn’t the only connection between Bryant and Mandy Bingham when they first met in spring 2011: Both were pre-business students interested in the organizational behavior and human resources program at Brigham Young University. Fifteen years and three children later, Bryant and Mandy say they’ve grown professionally and personally because of their experiences at BYU Marriott.

Marylis Fantoni had her first child one week before her final exams as a first-year MPA student in the BYU Marriott School of Business. Having been both a mother and an international student throughout her schooling, Fantoni says that her experiences have prepared her to connect and empathize with her students now as an assistant professor.

Jason Whetstone has led an HR team of two for a company with 200 employees and an HR team of sixty for a company with 8,000. But regardless of the size of his role, he says that the critical thinking skills he developed during his MBA from the BYU Marriott School of Business have been key as he works to add value in both his professional and personal life. 

Known for its entrepreneurial minds and soda bar, the Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology at the BYU Marriott School of Business extends past the main lobby and event space. Down the building’s hallways are studio offices—rooms to support growth and progress for student-owned businesses.

The Romney Institute of Public Service and Ethics at the BYU Marriott School of Business presented Tina Nabatchi with the 2026 Gary C. Cornia Award. In her acceptance speech, she reflected on the responsibility of public service professionals to address social issues and the power that comes from collaboration.

Whether Ben Beck is sitting in the bright green leather recliner in his office at BYU Marriott, at the bishop’s desk of his church building, or in the cramped storefront of a small business in Cambodia, Beck says his goal is the same: to support and encourage the individuals he meets.

Millie Rapp reentered the workforce at a cement plant in rural West Texas, where the environment came with its quirks. “We had a bobcat that liked to eat the heads off birds,” she says. “After a rainstorm, I’d sometimes be walking through water with clear reminders of that—things were never boring.”

Air Force Major Corban Smith faced his own personal doomsday when he was told a medical condition would prevent him from becoming an Air Force pilot—a dream he’d had since he was a child. After being forced to alter his plans, he discovered a new path that’s led him to his current position as the operations flight commander and assistant professor at Brigham Young University’s Air Force ROTC.

The MBA program hosted an internal case competition during winter semester, giving students the opportunity to apply teamwork and problem-solving skills and compete for cash prizes. For some of the 78 MBA students who participated, this event was the first and only case competition they participated in.

More than 1,600 graduates walked across the stage in the Marriott Center during the April 2026 convocation ceremonies for the BYU Marriott School of Business. At each ceremony, graduates were invited to embody BYU Marriott’s values and become Christlike leaders.