Meet SUU’s Board of Trustees Chair Rich Christiansen

Posted: November 16, 2021 | Author: SUU Marketing Communication | Read Time: 1 minutes

Rich Christiansen was re-elected to serve a second term as Southern Utah University’s Board of Trustees Chair in August 2021. He has served on the Board since 2017 and is a staunch supporter and promoter of all things SUU. Rich has been particularly engaged with SUU’s student entrepreneurs through the Larry H. & Gail Miller Center for Entrepreneurship since its inception. He was a founding member of the Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Council and has mentored and trained current and aspiring entrepreneurs on the state, national and international stage. Rich is always looking for ways to provide visibility to the incredible accomplishments of SUU’s students, faculty and staff. 

Christiansen is well known as a thought leader and national best-selling author of the book The Zig Zag Principle (McGraw Hill, 2011). He is a serial entrepreneur and has been the founder or co-founder of 52 businesses, of which 16 have become multimillion dollar successes. Rich is also a philanthropist and humanitarian with a special interest in projects where he can take an active role in educating the next generation of leaders. His latest endeavor is as the co-founder of Legado Family, an organization to help families create a financial and cultural legacy. 

Rich earned a bachelor’s degree in Electronic Engineering Technology and an MBA from Brigham Young University. In his spare time, Christiansen enjoys golfing, skiing, climbing some of the world’s tallest mountains and spending time with his wife, Gaye, and six children.