Homecoming week at BYU is an annual tradition celebrating the university’s continual connection with students and alumni. As a part of this year’s Homecoming celebrations, BYU presented an Alumni Achievement Award to Brandon Robinson, a 2009 BYU Marriott School of Business MBA graduate.
Robinson received the award for his distinguished career in the financial service industry and his efforts to serve his local New York City community.
Alumni Achievement Awards recognize graduates with significant professional accomplishments. Robinson is the current deputy chief administrative officer of J.P. Morgan Asset Management and CFO of Global Alternatives for the company. In his role, Robinson helps J.P. Morgan invest in companies run by women and other diverse groups around the world.
Outside of work, Robinson advocates for improved educational systems for underrepresented communities in New York City. He also serves as chair of the Advisory Board on Race for the BYU Marriott National Advisory Council. In addition to his MBA degree, Robinson holds a bachelor’s degree from BYU in political science, which he completed in 2005.
As part of receiving the award, Robinson gave a lecture to BYU Marriott students and faculty titled, “Where Do We Go from Here: A Perspective on RACE (Religion, Academia, Community, and Economics).” In his lecture, Robinson outlined a snapshot of how minorities, specifically Black Americans, are disadvantaged in those four categories. He then provided specific solutions to those challenges that everyone can incorporate into their lives. These solutions included planning service projects with church groups, reading books with new perspectives, volunteering for local nonprofits, and investing financial assets as individual circumstances permit.
Robinson says that more importantly, the main solution to institutional racism is internal, as he emphasized the need for changing hearts among all people. “You have the power within you to make a difference and change your heart because Christ is within you, if you want Him to be,” Robinson counseled attendees. “When you start within you, change will begin with you.”
Brigitte Madrian, dean of BYU Marriott, shares that she is grateful for Robinson’s insights and the light he shares with those around him. “People like Brandon Robinson make me proud to be associated with BYU Marriott,” Madrian said. “Brandon’s efforts to address some of the toughest challenges of our day are worth every bit of praise. It is my hope that each of us can look for ways to put into action his counsel and do what we can to lift those in need.
_
Writer: Mike Miller