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 Randall

01:14 | Growing Up at the University of Utah

03:10 | Early Career at Arthur Andersen

05:01 | Wharton Years & Ambitious Peers

06:13 | Academic Curiosity & Consulting for MLB

07:34 | Why Chaos Creates Opportunity

08:31 | PhD Research on Global Operations Strategy

10:27 | Turning Down Chicago to Return to Utah

11:27 | Venture Fund & Breaking the Classroom Model

13:37 | How AI Disrupts and Enhances Higher Ed

14:42 | Launching Lassonde Studios & Student Startups

16:59 | Building Immersive, Purpose-Driven Experiences

18:50 | Early 2000s Venture Fund Success & Lessons

20:31 | Inspiration Behind the Entrepreneurial Institute

21:57 | Reimagining the Classroom-Incubator Hybrid

22:07 | Teaming Up with Futurists and Architects

23:39 | Becoming Dean During the Financial Crisis

24:18 | Privatizing the Business School Model

27:36 | Program Innovation & Specialized Master’s Degrees

30:48 | Education as a Confidence Catalyst

32:25 | Mentorship, Mistakes & Growth Moments

34:59 | Considering Life After Academia

36:15 | Presidential Application Process & Headwinds in Higher Ed

38:33 | Interviewing for President During COVID

40:13 | Behind Utah’s Nationally Ranked COVID Response

43:36 | Lessons from the Pandemic Response Team

45:43 | Understanding the University of Utah as a $9B Enterprise

47:02 | Medical Education, Research, and Clinical Trials

50:36 | Breakthroughs in Neurobionics & HIV Prevention

52:04 | University-Owned Businesses & Innovation Ecosystem

53:16 | Huntsman Cancer Institute’s Impact on Utah County

54:50 | Collaborative Vision Across Utah’s Higher Ed Institutions

55:22 | Proxima: Creating Healthcare Career Pathways

57:54 | UVU, First-Gen Students & The Promise of Education

59:11 | Executive Education & Adapting to a Changing Market

59:26 | The Future of College Sports & Athlete Compensation

01:03:20 | Sustainable Models for College Athletics

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