As a foreign exchange student thousands of miles from home, Thomas Hung didn’t realize living in Utah would put his future career in finance on the fast track.
Fifteen-year-old Hung left Sydney, Australia, to live with a family in West Jordan, Utah. Although a member of the LDS Church, Hung says he experienced a severe case of culture shock upon arriving in the Beehive State. But the longer he spent in Utah, the more his activity in the LDS Church increased, which proved to be a game-changer in his life.
“Growing up in a non-member family and with nonmember friends, coming to Utah was very different,” Hung says. “I was baptized in Australia, but I grew the most spiritually while in the States.”
Currently Hung is vice president of syndications and business development for GE Capital Franchise Finance, a division of General Electric. To earn this prestigious position at a multibillion dollar company typically comes at the end of a career, but Hung earned the position by the age of twenty-six.
“It’s challenging and rewarding, but I enjoy helping entrepreneurs shape the future of their businesses and achieve their dreams,” Hung says.
Hung entered the fast track when he attended Copper Hills High School in West Jordan and also enrolled at LDS Business College. After two years he transferred to Brigham Young University and earned his BS in business management in 2001 as a twenty-year-old.
Shortly after graduation Hung worked with J.P. Morgan for two years as an investment banking analyst in San Francisco. He then earned his MBA from Cornell University in 2005. Hung returned to California after graduation to work for Montgomery & Co. in Los Angeles as an investment banking associate.
In 2007 Hung left the investment banking sector to join GE Capital Franchise Finance, the largest financier to the restaurant industry in the United States, with more than $13 billion in total assets. Hung manages GE Capital’s acquisitions and manages client relationships in the company’s Scottsdale office.
“I wanted to relocate to Arizona, and it was a great opportunity to join a large firm in a leadership role at the senior management level,” Hung says.
Hung understands his educational and professional progression has been atypical. In fact, Hung says he never officially graduated from high school but is happy to report he recently passed the GED with a comfortable margin.
Hung lives in Mesa, Arizona, and is a member of the BYU Cougar Club. He enjoys cheering for the football team at both home and away games. He is also an international traveler and recently celebrated his thirtieth birthday with a trip to Aruba. On his trips he enjoys getting off the beaten path to better understand the locals and their way of life.
