Alan E. Hall Center for Sales Excellence Biographies
Dr. Alan E. Hall
Chairman
Alan Hall is a founder and Managing Director of Mercato Partners, a top performing growth equity venture capital fund. Its focus is to invest in high-growth technology companies that need additional funding and expertise in marketing and sales. He is also a prolific angel investor and has over 50 personal investments in early stage companies. He is also the founder, chairman and former CEO of MarketStar Corporation, a global outsourced marketing and sales company with a focus on assisting high-technology companies increase sales. The company employs several thousand employees and generates billions of dollars annually for its clientele. He is an Ernst and Young and Mountain West Capital Network Entrepreneur of Year recipient. He is a frequent speaker, author of three e-books on entrepreneurship and a regular columnist for Forbes and Harvard Business Review.
Dr. Brian Rague
Dean, College of Engineering, Applied Science & Technology
Dr. Brian Rague is the Dean of the College of Engineering, Applied Science & Technology (EAST) at Weber State University, where he is dedicated to expanding student opportunities through innovation, workforce development, and hands-on learning. A Weber State faculty member since 2003, he has served in numerous leadership roles, including Associate Dean of EAST, Chair of the School of Computing, Faculty Senate Chair, and founder of both the Computer Literacy Center and the Data Science Research Center. Dr. Rague earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Utah.
Dr. Brock Adams
Director
Dr. Brock Adams is currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Professional Sales department at Weber State University. He previously taught at universities in Southern Utah and Louisiana. He holds a BS in Mass Communication from Dixie State University, a Masters in Professional Communication from Southern Utah University, and a PhD in Interpersonal Communication from Louisiana State University. His research interests include persuasion, higher education recruitment, and sports communication. His research has appeared in The Journal of Language and Social Psychology.