Professor Heaton Appointed Faculty Director of Peery Institute

BYU finance professor Hal Heaton has been appointed faculty director of the Peery Institute.PROVO ,Utah – May 17, 2011 – BYU finance professor Hal Heaton will fill the shoes Ned Hill leaves on this side of the globe after he departs to serve as president of the Romania Bucharest Mission this summer. Dean Gary Cornia has appointed Heaton as faculty director of the H. Taylor Peery Institute of Financial Services.

"Everyone is very excited that Hal has agreed to help lead the Peery Institute," Cornia says. "He is a highly respected finance faculty member and will provide great wisdom and insight into accomplishing the institute's goals."

Heaton holds a doctorate in finance and a master's in economics from Stanford University as well as an MBA and bachelor's degree in mathematics from BYU. A popular finance professor, he teaches advanced corporate finance and capital markets. He is also an accomplished author of many articles dealing with optimal capital structure, cost of capital, mergers/acquisitions, and capital markets. Heaton consults with several multinational organizations on issues in corporate finance, exposure management, valuation and capital markets. He also serves as an expert witness at hearings and court proceedings involving business valuation.

Sustained by an endowment from children of the late H. Taylor Peery, the Peery Institute prepares students for dynamic careers in the financial services industry. The institute helps students gain experience solving financial service business problems, develop relationships with industry leaders and find internship and career opportunities.

"The Peery institute serves a terrific function for BYU students as they prepare to break into the field of finance," Heaton says. "It offers specialty classes that help them gain the knowledge and experience that recruiters seek. I'm honored to work alongside those who have made the institute such an excellent organization and will do my best to strengthen its influence among our students."   

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems and entrepreneurship. The school's mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School's graduate and undergraduate programs.