Skateboarding and Business

PROVO, Utah – Nov 21, 2019 – At the age of thirty-six, Marc de Schweinitz strapped on his helmet and barreled down the halfpipe on his skateboard for the first time in fifteen years. This one-of-a-kind BYU Marriott alum chases his dreams, whether on a skateboard or in the office. 

Every morning before work and on Saturdays, you can find de Schweinitz at the skate park, perfecting his craft. Even when he travels for work, de Schweinitz finds a way to skate. “I bring my skateboard in my work bag,” he says. “My co-workers think it’s hilarious.”

For his day job, de Schweinitz works as a retail account executive at the Google office in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he is motivated by his love for international business. Understanding diverse global business practices is something he learned while earning his Global Management Certificate at BYU Marriott.

The international knowledge he gained at BYU Marriott helps de Schweinitz reach a wide audience as he assists clients in their advertising campaigns using Google products. “We make sure the advertising messages resonate with different cultures, races, and nationalities,” he says.

From a young age, de Schweinitz’s mother helped him develop a passion for foreign cultures. Thanks to her love of travel, de Schweinitz spent his youth globetrotting and getting to know the foreign-exchange students his family hosted.

After high school, he attended BYU–Hawaii, furthering his appreciation for culture and diversity. He recalls being in a class of thirty students where twenty-six different nationalities were represented. His admiration for foreign cultures grew even more after serving a mission in France for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

While earning his MBA at BYU Marriott, de Schweinitz felt a desire to work in the global arena. Through the Global Management Center, he discovered the Global Management Certificate, a program that gave him the international business experience he desired.

To receive the certificate, students are required to demonstrate foreign business-language competency, complete international business coursework, and have an international business experience. To accomplish the requirements, de Schweinitz brushed up on his French, completed the coursework, and worked on a clean-water initiative in Ghana. 

Though de Schweinitz has been inspired and motivated by international business, when asked what his ultimate career goal is, he says it is to be a professional skateboarder. “My true interests lie in sports, and I would love to be able to focus on becoming a world class athlete,” says de Schweinitz.

This now forty-one-year-old rediscovered a love for skateboarding after seeing the legendary Tony Hawk at a local skate park opening. “Watching one of the best athletes in the world who was older than I was opened my eyes to the fact that I wasn’t pursuing the sport I loved because I thought I was too old,” says de Schweinitz. “After that experience, I made a commitment to get back into skateboarding.”

Recently, de Schweinitz interviewed his idol Tony Hawk for a Talks at Google video. After the interview, de Schweinitz got to skateboard with Hawk. “It was awesome,” he says.

Though de Schweinitz is busy working at Google and honing in on his skateboarding abilities, he finds time to prioritize his family. "My wife and four children are my greatest adventure in life," he says. 

De Schweinitz proves that following your passion is a lifelong journey, and he doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon. “I’ve made a lot of progress in my career and in skateboarding. I am better than I ever have been in my life,” he says. “I’m not where I want to be yet, but I’m getting there.”