Marriott School Alumnus Featured in Journal of Accountancy

PROVO, Utah — May 11, 2006 — It’s not everyday 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 which usually requires 10 to 15 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, CAO of IOMED Inc., a medical products company whose products are used to treat more than 2 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 it’s this strong home instruction coupled with a challenging BYU education that 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 amount of challenges or 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.”

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, organizational behavior 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.