Chamber Power Lunch | University of Utah

Taylor R. Randall was selected by the Utah Board of Higher Education as the 17th president of the University of Utah in August 2021. An award-winning educator, innovative leader, and champion of higher education, he comes to the position with more than two decades of experience at the U, serving as both dean of and an accounting professor in the David Eccles School of Business. He is the first alumnus since 1973 to serve as president.

Randall began his tenure by declaring a bold vision to make the U a top 10 public university with unsurpassed societal impact. His strategy outlines three objectives: to inspire a new generation of students by revolutionizing the student experience, innovate and generate discoveries that change the world, and serve our state to impact the lives of all 3.5 million Utahns. The vision includes goals to increase enrollment to 40,000 students and secure $1 billion in research funding annually.

Since his inauguration in March of 2022, Randall has achieved significant milestones on strategic initiatives:

• Embarked on a statewide tour and signed a new compact with the state of Utah to rededicate the U’s role as the state’s flagship university, pledging six commitments to lead, partner, educate, research, provide health care, and serve
• Jointly initiated the Great Salt Lake Strike Team with Utah State University to apply university research expertise to lake preservation efforts 
• Implemented campus transformation plans to add 5,000 student housing beds and create a 24/7 college experience
• Hired a Chief Experience Officer to help revolutionize the student experience
• Launched the Wilkes Center for Policy and Climate to leverage the U’s expertise in combatting climate change
• Saw research grants grow to $768 million
• Announced the Climate Change Action Plan to move the U’s net-zero emissions from 2050 to 2040
• Launched the West Valley initiative, a hospital and outpatient health center that offers world-class and culturally appropriate care alongside an academic campus to support education and career pathways
• Launched the Stena Center for Financial Technology, designed to accelerate financial technology innovation and propel the fintech industry forward and cement Utah as a center of excellence
• Announced a $100 million investment in the newly created Responsible AI Initiative 
• Oversaw the opening of the reimagined U Career Success Center to improve campus-wide job placement, starting salaries, and other career success metrics
• Initiated a comprehensive strategic planning process, Impact 2030, as well as a 10-year university physical development plan.

Randall began his career at the U as a professor of accounting from 1999-2009, then led the David Eccles School of Business from 2009-2021. Under his leadership, the school grew five-fold and expanded its experiential learning opportunities with the creation of the Goff Strategic Leadership Center, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, the Marriner S. Eccles Institute for Economics and Quantitative Analysis, and the Sorenson Impact Center. His professional experience includes consulting positions with major companies such as General Motors, Dupont, and O.C. Tanner. He graduated from the University of Utah in 1990 with honors in accounting and earned an MBA and a doctorate in operations and information management from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. 

Randall and his wife, Janet, have four children, one daughter-in-law, and one son-in-law. He loves spending family time playing games, relaxing in the backyard, mountain biking, road biking, golfing, and all things sports-related.