UAA College of Business and Public Policy

The College of Business and Public Policy's Tom Case Leadership Fellows Program pairs high-performing CBPP students with a mentor in the Anchorage business community, giving students the opportunity to learn about real-world leadership from local business leaders. To begin the program, each student protégé interviewed their new mentor.

Today’s featured protégé/mentor interview is Ashley Roylance, and her mentor Michael Thomas, CEO/President of Tubular Solutions Alaska Inc.

1 Where are you from? How did you decide to pursue a career in Alaska? 
“I grew up on a farm in a small town in Eastern Idaho that only had a 74 person population. I chose a career in Alaska because I was recruited right out of College by Sumotoma Corporation and they wanted me to move and work in Alaska. I have moved to different locations within the company and have worked in Anchorage and Houston and often travel between the two.”

2 Where did you go to college? What did you study in college? 
“I went to University of Arlington Texas for a year and then took a break and went to Venezuela for a little over a year. After I came back home I attended Oklahoma State and graduated with a Bachelors in International Business with a minor in Iberian Literature. ”

3 Did you have anyone you relied on for mentorship/solid career advice? If yes, what is the most important leadership advice they shared with you? 
“Yes, a mentor of mine is the Senior VP/President of Internal Consulting for Sumotoma Corporation. He was actually the speaker at the recruitment event that I attended and was my first boss within the corporation. He is someone who when you look at them, you wouldn’t expect them to be a President or Senior VP. He needs a personal assistant because he can’t keep anything organized, but he has an incredible view and can truly tell what could push a company to excel. He taught me quite a few things about leading and recruiting, one of which, when you hire someone - ask yourself, ‘Would you have a beer with them?’ As a leader he has a golden set of rules including commanders command, always do what is right, promote the concept, and be opportunity focused.”

4 It is important and beneficial for CBPP and Anchorage’s business community to collaborate and invest in the next generation of leaders. What do you think should be conveyed to our next generation of leaders?
“Our next generation of leaders needs to stop viewing the world through a short-sighted lens. My parent company has a 200-year plan because we believe in sustainable and future-thinking business tactics. There was a headline on a news source last December that said they were surprised that retail business in Anchorage is declining. Why were they surprised? The largest industry on the state (oil/gas) took a huge hit and had to lay off a significant percentage of their workforce. Future leaders can’t have this view and need to be strategic, future thinkers.”