Ryan Smith

Group President of North America, Cf

Search every verified Ryan Smith interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In an April 2019 commencement speech at the BYU Marriott School of Business, Ryan Smith, co-founder and CEO of Qualtrics, urged graduates to be "all-in" on their careers, families, and faith. He described his own experience of "friction" while living in Korea, where he said he ate ramen noodles three meals a day and slept on a couch at a school where he taught English. Smith stated that had he quit during that time, there would be "no chance" he would have had his later success. Smith advised graduates to avoid switching jobs frequently, saying they would "never be anywhere long enough to actually make an impact." He also said that being "all in" on a career while the rest of one's life is "a complete disaster" is not success. Smith spoke about his faith, stating that he had lived "without the gospel of Jesus Christ" and "with it," and that "life is better with it." He described faith as "the only compass that's driving you" and said that "doubt and cynicism are fashionable" but that being "all in" on faith brings happiness.