Tyler Farrar

Boston College, Carroll School of Management

“Veteran, home cook, and genuine listener who approaches everything with empathy and intention. Happiest outdoors.”

Hometown: Weymouth, MA

Fun fact about yourself: Met and shared a drink with NFL running back Ezekiel Elliott on a random side street in Barcelona, Spain while studying abroad.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Stonehill College, BA in Criminology

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? U.S. Marine Corps, Infantryman

Where did you intern during the summer of 2025? American Express, New York City

Where will you be working after graduation? American Express, Manager, Business Development & Strategy

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: Massachusetts Fallen Heroes, FourBlock, Graduate Finance Association, Boston College Student Veteran Association

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? My first year, I had the opportunity to participate in the Cornell MBA Stock Pitch Challenge with two awesome classmates of mine. It was something I had no prior experience in, which was intimidating, but I took it head on with the help of my team. With tight deadlines, we did our fundamental analyses, built pitch decks, and presented them to equity research directors. Getting to put myself out there and represent my program alongside other students from top business schools across the country was something I was incredibly proud of. Beyond the competition, my peers and their support left no doubt that I chose the right program.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? It was my Marines that I had the privilege to lead and serve with. Watching so many of them go on to graduate from some of the most demanding trainings, earn promotions, and become great leaders themselves is something no metric can fully capture. It is ultimately about the people and impact you leave behind, and seeing their success makes me prouder than anything I accomplished individually. The relationships I built along the way will stay with me forever.

Why did you choose this business school? My last year in the Marines, I stepped into a new role that exposed me to more strategy and data-driven work. Knowing that this was a skillset I wanted to continue building on, Boston College’s emphasis on data analytics made it the natural choice. What drew me in was the opportunity to close that gap and build the technical foundation I simply didn’t have. Throughout my coursework, I’ve developed proficiency in programming languages such as Python and SQL while gaining the analytical toolkit needed to make informed decisions as a business leader.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Professor Arup Ganguly. I took two of his finance courses during my first year and they were among the highlights of my MBA experience. His depth of knowledge, industry experience, and passion deepened my budding interest in the subject. Beyond the classroom, he generously dedicated his time to serve as my team’s advisor during the Cornell MBA Stock Pitch Challenge. He truly cared about his students and the mentorship he provided was invaluable. It ultimately inspired me to pursue the dual degree MBA/MSF that BC offers.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? Managing People and Organizations because it gave structure and language to different workplace dynamics that I’ve previously observed but couldn’t fully articulate. Exploring how individuals and teams actually function under pressure or change was something I genuinely enjoyed. Many of the theories around group behavior, incentives, and organizational culture we learned helped explain different patterns I had experienced firsthand. It challenged me to think more intentionally about culture and influence.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? During orientation, we went through the Dale Carnegie Public Speaking course. Many of us were still getting to know each other when we were asked to stand up and speak in front of a room full of basically strangers. A major theme throughout my career has been stepping out of my comfort zone, and this was no different. It was a great opportunity to sharpen my communication skills and I left feeling noticeably more confident in my executive presence. The experience anchored my transition into business school and really kicked the program off in a meaningful way.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? Honestly, I don’t think I would change a thing. I learned a lot and met some great people along the way. Most importantly, I ended up with a great post-MBA role that I couldn’t be more excited about. If I did have to offer one piece of advice as someone from a non-traditional background, it would be to own your professional experience. Be confident in what you have accomplished and the perspective you bring to the table. I often found that it translates more naturally than you’d expect, so don’t be afraid to offer your take even when it feels worlds away.

What was the most impactful case study you had in business school and what was the biggest lesson you learned from it? The most impactful one for me was the HBS case, “Paul Levy: Taking Charge of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center”. What stayed with me was how direct and transparent he was with the hospital being on the verge of collapse. He didn’t try to soften the truth or control the narrative. Instead, he trusted people with the full reality and invited them into the challenge. Seeing how that openness kept people grounded and moving forward was one of the biggest lessons for me. It reminded that it takes more than just authority to drive real change and build influence.

What business leader do you admire most? Dan Schulman. I’m drawn to leaders who operate with composure and clarity and he embodies that. In addition to being a fellow veteran, he speaks calmy, doesn’t dominate headlines, and is rarely reactive. He also helped lead American Express in expanding beyond the traditional card and travel businesses, which I had the opportunity to contribute to during my internship. His approach through major technological and regulatory shifts is something I find myself coming back to as I think about my own career.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? We had several professional development days and workshops focused on generative AI capabilities. We worked through hands-on exercises to better understand how the tools function and where they add value. Across classes, professors have introduced lectures on generative AI and implemented the use of generative AI tools in assignments. In a strategic pricing course I took for example, we used an AI agent and basic coding applications to test pricing scenarios and simulate customer responses. What I learned throughout business school was that AI is most powerful as a decision-support tool but still requires right judgment to frame the questions and interpret the outputs. I came away realizing that leaders today need both technical fluency and critical thinking to use it effectively. That balance is something that my program emphasized throughout.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I most admire my classmate Alan Iannaccone, co-founder of DocuHounds. Coming from a career in engineering, he identified a real problem students face and built his own platform from the ground up while balancing the demands of business school. Taking that leap takes a level of conviction and work ethic I genuinely admire. He is the kind of person who makes you want to think bigger.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1. Give back to the Gold Star family community. I owe much of my growth and the opportunities I’ve had to the amazing organizations that make up this community. Being able to show up for other Gold Star children walking a similar path would mean a great deal to me.

2. Remain a lifelong student. During my internship, I was struck by how the CEO of American Express, Steve Squeri, and other senior leaders constantly spoke about still learning and evolving despite decades of experience. They spoke about how leadership is a continuous process of development. I want to carry that same mindset of curiosity and humility forward as I carve out my own career.

What made Tyler such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?

“Tyler came to Boston College with a strong commitment to supporting and giving back to those around him. After graduating from Stonehill College with a degree in criminology, Tyler enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. During his four years of military service, he served in training and operations roles that reinforced his analytical mindset and revealed a natural ability for steady leadership. Among his most meaningful contributions in the military was his involvement in the OSCAR (Operation Stress Control and Readiness) program, where he took on a leadership role providing peer-to-peer support for fellow Marines experiencing crisis and stress-related challenges.

At BC, Tyler quickly established himself as a thoughtful and engaged member of the MBA community. He has brought the same discipline and humility that defined his military service to his academic work and career search. Last year, he secured a summer internship with American Express in the firm’s highly selective Global Merchant Services Business Development Program in New York, where he will return full-time following graduation.

Tyler exemplifies the qualities we hope to see in our MBA students. He is both exceptionally bright and remarkably humble—a combination that has made him highly regarded by faculty, administrators, fellow students, and employers alike. He will leave BC with the leadership, professionalism, and analytical capability needed to thrive in his career, and I am confident these qualities will serve him well as he begins his next chapter at American Express.”

Marilyn Eckelman
Associate Dean, Graduate Programs
Boston College Carroll School of Management

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