Taylor Randall: President of the University of Utah on Leadership, Innovation, and Institutional Growth

In this episode of Case Studies, Casey sits down with Taylor Randall, the 17th president of the University of Utah and former dean of the David Eccles School of Business. With a background as a distinguished economist and academic leader, Taylor brings deep insight into what it takes to lead major institutions through growth, innovation, and cultural transformation.He shares the leadership principles that guided his decade-long transformation of the Eccles School into a nationally recognized and fast growing business program, and discusses how those same values now shape his presidency at the University of Utah. The conversation explores how to build momentum in complex systems, why fast decision making matters, and how to lead with both humility and urgency in high stakes environments.Casey and Taylor unpack topics ranging from academic innovation and public university strategy to entrepreneurship, economics, and the future of higher education.00:00 | Welcome & Introduction to Taylor Randall01:14 | Growing Up at the University of Utah03:10 | Early Career at Arthur Andersen05:01 | Wharton Years & Ambitious Peers06:13 | Academic Curiosity & Consulting for MLB07:34 | Why Chaos Creates Opportunity08:31 | PhD Research on Global Operations Strategy10:27 | Turning Down Chicago to Return to Utah11:27 | Venture Fund & Breaking the Classroom Model13:37 | How AI Disrupts and Enhances Higher Ed14:42 | Launching Lassonde Studios & Student Startups16:59 | Building Immersive, Purpose-Driven Experiences18:50 | Early 2000s Venture Fund Success & Lessons20:31 | Inspiration Behind the Entrepreneurial Institute21:57 | Reimagining the Classroom-Incubator Hybrid22:07 | Teaming Up with Futurists and Architects23:39 | Becoming Dean During the Financial Crisis24:18 | Privatizing the Business School Model27:36 | Program Innovation & Specialized Master’s Degrees30:48 | Education as a Confidence Catalyst32:25 | Mentorship, Mistakes & Growth Moments34:59 | Considering Life After Academia36:15 | Presidential Application Process & Headwinds in Higher Ed38:33 | Interviewing for President During COVID40:13 | Behind Utah’s Nationally Ranked COVID Response43:36 | Lessons from the Pandemic Response Team45:43 | Understanding the University of Utah as a $9B Enterprise47:02 | Medical Education, Research, and Clinical Trials50:36 | Breakthroughs in Neurobionics & HIV Prevention52:04 | University-Owned Businesses & Innovation Ecosystem53:16 | Huntsman Cancer Institute’s Impact on Utah County54:50 | Collaborative Vision Across Utah’s Higher Ed Institutions55:22 | Proxima: Creating Healthcare Career Pathways57:54 | UVU, First-Gen Students & The Promise of Education59:11 | Executive Education & Adapting to a Changing Market59:26 | The Future of College Sports & Athlete Compensation01:03:20 | Sustainable Models for College Athletics Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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