Professor Monte Swain Appointed Associate MBA Director

Accounting professor Monte Swain was appointed as the new associate director of the BYU MBA program.PROVO, Utah – Sep 2, 2011 – As the MBA program turns 50 years young this year, Marriott School of Management Dean Gary C. Cornia appointed accounting professor Monte Swain to serve as the new associate director of the MBA program.

"Monte has been an exceptional educator in the School of Accountancy for years, and we are excited to have him join the MBA leadership," Cornia says. "We are confident his professional expertise and positive energy will complement the program as it continues to grow."

Swain replaces associate director Bill Sawaya as he retires after more than 20 years of MBA leadership, most recently as associate director. In the three-year appointment, Swain will assume responsibility for streamlining the MBA and EMBA curricula as well as directing the Executive MBA program, a role previously held by Tad Brinkerhoff.

Brinkerhoff is transitioning into the newly created role as director of the Cardon International Sponsorship program. The CIS program is designed to recruit and provide financial support to qualified international graduate students. Brinkerhoff's appointment to this new position underscores the importance the school is placing on international students.

"Bill and Tad deserve tremendous credit for their part in making our MBA program one of the best in the country," Cornia says. "They will be missed in their former roles, but we are also excited for the unique talents Monte brings."

After Swain earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in accountancy from BYU, he went on to earn a PhD from Michigan State University. In addition to teaching graduate students for more than 20 years, Swain has also served on the EMBA operating committee for the last several years.

"The associate director position is very student-focused, and because Monte has taught both MBA and EMBA students, he is an ideal candidate," says Craig Merrill, MBA program director. "He is innovative — consistently thinking of better pedagogy, better ways of doing things and better opportunities for our students."

As both a professor and a committee member, Swain has seen the ins and outs of the two programs. He says the Marriott School is on a trajectory of growth, becoming a significant voice in the Mountain West business community.

"I expect to see our impact continue to grow," Swain says. "As the MBA and EMBA programs expand, strengthen their outreach, enroll more students, and provide more services, the U.S. and international community will increasingly recognize the Marriott School as a bastion of good business intelligence."

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 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.