Joy in the Journey: Learn, Grow, Serve

About this event

The Kennedy Center's 2026 honored alum is Jeremy Andrus. Come hear him deliver his Honored Alumni Lecture at the Kennedy Center, part of Homecoming Week! Jeremy Andrus (BS '96, MBA ’02) is President and CEO of Traeger Grills, the wood pellet grill brand. He and a financial partner acquired the company in 2014, transforming it from a small, regional, business into a multi-hundred-million-dollar brand that owns over 50% of the global wood pellet grill market. While Traeger has become Jeremy’s most successful business story, it isn’t his first. He joined the start-up Skullcandy in 2005 with 4 employees and less than $1m in sales. Under his leadership, the headphone company transformed into a $300 million brand. Jeremy was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016, Mountain West Capital Network Utah Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017, and was inducted into the Utah Technology Council Hall of Fame in 2018. He serves on the board of directors of World Trade Center Utah, GOED, Silicon Slopes, and Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation. Jeremy received his MBA from Harvard Business School and BA from Brigham Young University. He lives in Salt Lake City with his wife Kristin and their six children.