It’s not every day you reach into your mailbox and see your face staring back at you from a magazine cover. Marriott School alumnus Brian Mower says this is one of many surprises hard-working BYU graduates may see from the professional world.
The Journal of Accountancy recently highlighted Mower’s quick rise to chief accounting officer of a public company. Mower became the top accountant in only seven years—an accomplishment that usually requires ten to fifteen years of professional experience. Being featured in the publication was motivating as well as humbling to Mower, who attributes his quick growth to a positive attitude, high ethical standards, and accepting increased responsibility.
“I start each project with the expectation of success,” says Mower, chief accounting officer of IOMED, Inc., a medical products company whose products are used to treat more than two million patients a year. “I continue to be thirsty for success in all my projects and try to implement the skills and standards I was taught by my parents and teachers.”
Mower feels that strong home instruction coupled with a challenging BYU education propels graduates to business excellence. He recalls difficult, late-night coursework with strenuous exams and study projects with a tinge of nostalgia. According to him, the number of challenges and amount of hard work required never changes; it just shifts from preparation to practice after graduation.
“I’ve found that positive opportunities can come from each challenge that presents itself,” Mower reflects. “As I look back on my professional barriers or setbacks I see how each one helped me grow and achieve.”
He explains that refusing to compromise one’s ethical standards will always be the correct and most beneficial choice, no matter how attractive the alternative may appear. “For the most part, those who have succeeded and risen to the top of these competitive business fields have done so through their integrity and keeping appropriate priorities,” Mower says. “That is what the business world has learned to expect from BYU graduates, and I intend to do my part in maintaining that reputation.”
