Brigham Young University's Executive MBA program recently presented alumna Carine Clark with its first-ever Executive MBA Honored Alumni Award and also recognized associate professor Burke Jackson with a special faculty award. The EMBA program paid tribute to these two at a banquet in their honor last March.
Tad Brinkerhoff, director of the EMBA program, says the program wanted to recognize an exceptional alum from one of the 26 graduating classes.
"It became obvious that the BYU Executive MBA program had many alumni who were really excelling," Brinkerhoff says. "We wanted to recognize a graduate who has done well in his or her career after earning his or her EMBA and also given back to the university — Carine Clark has done just that."
Clark earned her bachelor's degree in English from Brigham Young University in 1987 and earned her Executive MBA five years later. For the last twenty years Clark has led successful software companies and currently serves as senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Symantec, the largest maker of security software for computers.
"When we work with people within Symantec they say wonderful things about Carine," Brinkerhoff says. "They frequently comment on her dedication to teamwork and the support she gives to employees."
Clark's support is not limited to those within Symantec; she has also given back to the BYU community. She is a member of the marketing program advisory board, a frequent campus presenter and an advocate for many students. Clark has advised dozens of students one-on-one and has helped many BYU students secure internships and jobs with Symantec.
Like Clark, Jackson also helps Marriott School students succeed. Jackson was given a special faculty award for his 35 years of service to thousands of business students as well as being an associate director and director of the MBA program. One of Jackson's key contributions was his pioneering role to implement the Executive MBA program in 1983, which has provided more than 1,450 students with the opportunity to earn their MBA while working full time.
"It was an experiment that we thought we'd try for a few years and see if we'd exhaust the local community of demand for the program," Jackson says. "I'm not sure we could have predicted the success and longevity that has occurred since that first class."
This is the first year the Executive MBA Honored Alumni Award has been given. Nominations were accepted from alumni, faculty, staff and students. The winner was chosen by an Executive MBA selection committee.
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.
Writer: Sarah Tomoser
