HUNTINGTON — Brad Smith, the former Intuit executive who spearheaded the company’s move to bring offices to Bluefield, has been named president of Marshall University.
The Marshall Board of Governors announced the decision Thursday and the West Virginia native and Marshall alumnus will take over the reins of the university in January.
Smith headed the Intuit team who came to Bluefield in March 2019 to announce the giant, California-based information technology company was creating a Prosperity Hub in downtown Bluefield, eventually employing up to 500 people.
The hub includes a customer success center as well as an innovation lab to assist entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said Thursday the board of governors made an “excellent choice.”
“I want to give a good welcome to him and congratulate the board on an excellent choice,” she said. “Brad and Alys, his wife, will be wonderful additions to the Marshall family and I look forward to working with them.”
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., also praised the selection.
“Brad Smith is a proud West Virginian and accomplished businessman,” he said. “He is the perfect person to lead Marshall University in this next chapter and to be a force in helping our entire state succeed and grow. As CEO, Brad led Intuit for 11 successful years and continues to serve as the Executive Chairman, representing West Virginia and Marshall University on a national stage for over a decade.”
Manchin said Smith and Alys have “continued to give back to the Mountain State, through their efforts at Marshall and the Wing 2 Wing Foundation to spur entrepreneurship across the state.”
“We are proud to welcome Brad and Alys home to Marshall University, and I look forward to working with him in the years to come,” he said.
Rep. Carol Miller, R-3rd District, said Smith is the “perfect choice” for the job.
“I am so happy to welcome Marshall’s new president, Brad Smith,” she said. “As a longtime job-creator, philanthropist, Marshall alum, and lifelong West Virginian, Brad is the perfect choice to continue and expand Marshall’s work as a world-class university. I look forward to working with him in our shared mission to support West Virginia’s next generation of leaders and ensure they are prepared to prosper in our state and beyond. I also want to thank outgoing President (Jerome) Gilbert for his years of leadership, and wish him well in his next chapter. Go Herd!”
Smith was Intuit’s CEO and executive chairman of the Intuit board.
The international company was founded in 1983 and produces online services including TurboTax, a consumer tax preparation application, the accounting program QuickBooks, Mint, professional tax solutions ProConnect Tax Online, ProSeries and Lacerte, and multiple payroll products.
When he made the announcement in Bluefield, he said the company was based on values he learned growing up in West Virginia, including “integrity without compromise” as well as humility, teamwork and giving back to the community.
Smith said the company’s philosophy of powering prosperity is one of the reasons that led them to Bluefield as part of Mission Hope, which started in 2016 as a way to reach out to communities that have been hit hard economically.
After stepping down from his leadership role at Intuit, Smith, a Kenova native, returned to West Virginia and, along with Gov. Jim Justice, last year announced a new program, Ascend WV.
The program, which targets professionals who are also outdoor enthusiasts “will allow adventurers to enjoy world-class recreation, uncrowded spaces, and a low cost of living while staying fully connected to their jobs, and it comes with the country’s best remote worker incentive package: $12,000 and a year’s worth of free outdoor recreation.”