Brad D. Smith is an alum and longtime benefactor and friend of Marshall University. Smith graduated from Marshall with a BA in business administration in 1986 and, in October 2021, was unanimously chosen as the university’s 38th president. He formally stepped into the role in January 2022
A West Virginia native, Smith and his wife, Alys, who is from Ohio, have donated more than $35 million to the college. In 2015, the pair established the Brad D. and Alys Smith Family Scholarship with a $10 million donation to Marshall University. Prioritizing students from West Virginia and Ohio, the scholarship is meant to help propel students from underserved and overlooked zip codes into higher education. In 2018, the Smiths donated an additional $25 million to the Schools of Business to support future business leaders. In honor of this gift, the undergraduate and graduate Schools of Business were named the Brad D. Smith Schools of Business.
As an executive leader, Smith is perhaps best known for transforming the business software company Intuit into the global name it is today. Over his 11-year tenure, Smith utilized his sharp business acumen and generous heart to pivot Intuit from a financial software company to a cloud-based platform with a portfolio that includes TurboTax, QuickBooks and Mint. His humble leadership style helped foster a culture of innovation and collaboration, earning Intuit consistent recognition on Best Places to Work lists in the tech and finance sectors. In 2019, Smith stepped down from his position as CEO but continued to serve as Executive Chairman of Intuit’s Board until 2022.
While much of his current focus is on Marshall, Smith continues to contribute his business expertise on several notable boards. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Humana Inc., as well as the Audit Committee for Amazon. In 2025, he began serving on the Board of Directors for JPMorgan Chase. In addition to these roles, Smith is a Board Advisor for DignifiHealth and serves as Co-Chair of the Southern Regional Education Board’s Commission on AI in Education.
Smith’s commitment to his home state of West Virginia remains strong. Alongside his wife, Alys, he co-founded the Wing 2 Wing Foundation – a nonprofit organization named after one of the Smiths’ favorite quotes: “We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another.” Through its entrepreneurship pillar, Wing 2 Wing empowers local businesses and helps strengthen the region’s economy by providing access to business development opportunities across Appalachia.
