Ashtynne Wade

Brigham Young University, Marriott School of Business

“I’m a passionate innovator eager to use business to make life better for all.”

Fun fact about yourself: I’ve done a backflip on every beach I’ve been to.

Hometown: Lindon, Utah

High School: Pleasant Grove High School

Major: Strategic Management

Minor: None

Favorite Business Course: Strategy Implementation

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

BYU Management Consulting Association, Co-President

• Directed a presidency of 15 students to help 240 club members learn about consulting and become strong candidates
• Launched a one-on-one mentorship program to guide high-potential candidates in their preparations for recruiting season
• Coordinated on campus recruiting activities with consulting firms and increased the number of firms that recruit at BYU

MicroBusiness Mentor, Volunteer Mentor

• Spearheaded private consultations with inexperienced entrepreneurs, guiding them to register and grow businesses
• Explored and sized markets to help clients plan strategic marketing initiatives to generate initial customer base
• Launched Spanish-language consulting practice to expand organization reach and impact in the community
• Scouted out local entrepreneurs to find strong candidates for receiving and repaying microloans

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints                                                                

Bilingual Voluntary Representative         

• Actively lead proselyting and community service efforts; initiated and instructed English classes
• Set and accomplished weekly performance goals while leading and training other volunteers to do the same
• Coordinated and participated in significant clean-up initiatives in the aftermath of hurricane Irma

Awards           

• Marriott School Dean’s List; Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society
• Merrill J. Bateman Outstanding Student Award (given annually to one student from each undergraduate department)

Where have you interned during your college career?

Boston Consulting Group: Summer Associate

Lucid Software: Customer Success Strategy Intern

BrainStorm, Inc.                                                                                 

Strategic Initiatives Intern

Business Intelligence Intern

Where will you be working after graduation? Associate at Boston Consulting Group

What company do you admire most?  Cotopaxi – I admire the innovative ways in which they have built a successful business by selling high-quality products, sharing a passion for the outdoors, and doing good around the world.

Who is your favorite professor? Professor James Gaskin – Dr. Gaskin is committed to providing his students with the type of education that will benefit them in their careers. He organizes his class to teach his students the most important on-the-job skills. More importantly, he teaches students how to continue learning beyond a formal education. Dr. Gaskin cares deeply about his students and roots for them to succeed.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? Businesses can be vehicles for doing a lot of good in this world. They create synergies such that the organization can make a bigger impact than the sum of the individuals’ efforts. When businesses have a meaningful purpose and operate efficiently to execute their goals, they can be a source of significant social impact.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? I would participate in more case competitions and on-campus events that provide hands-on experience. I only joined one case competition, and I walked away from it thinking that I learned more in one week than I had in a whole semester of some of my classes. I wish I would have become involved in similar events sooner.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of?  Landing a position at Boston Consulting Group as a Summer Associate – When I first decided to pursue management consulting, I knew the recruiting process was highly competitive and questioned whether or not I would be able to snag one of the few positions at a top consulting firm. But when I’m committed to something, I go after it whole-heartedly, so I dedicated much time and effort to preparing myself to be an attractive candidate. With diligent preparation, coaching from others, and then perhaps a little bit of luck, I was fortunate enough to land my dream offer.

Which classmate do you most admire? Maddie Wood – I have known Maddie since I was 11 years old and my admiration for her continues to grow the longer I know her. Maddie is a high-achiever and always immerses herself in meaningful experiences that improve her own skills and make a positive impact on others.

Who would you most want to thank for your success?

My dad, John Wade – Since I was little my dad has mentored me in setting my sights high and achieving my ambitions. He always taught me that anything worth doing is worth doing “a WOW job,” meaning that it’s not just a “good job,” but something that would make someone say, “Wow! That’s amazing!” As I have worked toward my personal and professional goals, my dad has been my biggest supporter and mentor, always cheering me on and inspiring me to reach my potential.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1. Get an MBA from a top-tier business school
2. Start a Benefit Corporation

What are your hobbies?

• I am a powder hound when it comes to downhill skiing. This season I have skied over 200,000 vertical feet at eight different resorts. I live by my mantra, “When it’s steez grab the skis; hit the slopes not the trees.”
• I am obsessed with the grandeur and beauty of the red rocks in southern Utah and frequently rappel narrow slot canyons in Moab, Zion, and the North Wash.
• I am an avid rock climber and enjoy both indoor and outdoor sport climbing and bouldering.

What made Ashtynne such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2021?  

“On breadth and depth of the qualities that we hope students exemplify in the strategic management program, Ashtynne absolutely shines. She makes significant contributions both in and out of the classroom, including holding leadership positions in Cougar Consulting Group, our undergraduate class for advising companies on strategic challenges, and in the management consulting association, where she serves as co-president. She is a remarkable leader and contributor in every respect.”

David Bryce
BYU Marriott Associate Professor of Strategy
Brigham Young University (Marriott)

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