Major Gift Creates Sales Professorship at UW

A gift to the University of Wyoming has established an endowed professorship in the College of Business’s Center for Professional Selling.

UW alumnus Dimitrios Smyrnios’ major gift has created the Smyrnios Family Sales Professorship. The professorship will boost the university’s ability to recruit and retain exceptional faculty members in the Center for Professional Selling.

“I am very impressed with the commitment of the UW College of Business to teach and develop sales skills in our future business leaders,” says Smyrnios, who earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from UW. “I believe that sales skills are needed regardless of the role or career that a student chooses. It’s a privilege to support students on their sales journeys, and it’s personally rewarding to be able to help the dean and faculty of the College of Business.”

Smyrnios’ gift was matched through Wyoming’s state endowment matching program, for a total of $500,000. The matching program doubles the impact of Smyrnios’ gift and supports UW’s long-term commitment to faculty excellence.

UW’s Center for Professional Selling is dedicated to excellence in sales education and to advancing the sales profession. The center promotes professional selling and sales management, delivers innovative sales instruction, provides industry engagement opportunities and conducts research that advances the sales field. It recently attained full-time membership with the University Sales Center Alliance, a distinguished association representing sales centers across the United States and Europe.

The center’s sales program offers a major in professional sales and a minor in professional and technical selling. Both the major and minor prepare students to effectively engage and manage business clients from for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Students receive rigorous classroom training and participate in experiential learning opportunities, including the opportunity to compete in on-campus and national sales competitions.

“We are deeply honored by this generous endowment supporting our sales program and thrilled to welcome Dr. Molly Burchett as the Smyrnios Family Sales Professor,” says Scott Beaulier, the H.A. “Dave” True Jr. Family College of Business Dean. “Year after year, our UW sales program propels top students into outstanding careers, and this gift strengthens our ability to sustain and elevate that success. With this support, we can enhance our engagement with both students and industry, ensuring even greater impact for years to come.”

Support for UW faculty -- specifically, named faculty positions -- remains one of the university’s most important fundraising priorities. An endowed professorship can enhance the prestige and reputation of UW. The position can help the university attract and retain a high-caliber faculty member who is focused on faculty excellence and student success. Additionally, an endowed professorship provides dedicated financial resources that can be used to support cutting-edge research, innovative teaching methods, special projects and other needs.

“This incredible gift from Dimitrios Smyrnios strengthens our commitment to faculty excellence and student success,” says Scott Turpen, UW’s interim provost. “By investing in our faculty, he is ensuring that UW remains at the forefront of sales education and professional development.”

Smyrnios retired last year as CEO of Schwan’s Co., a position he held since October 2013. He was the sixth CEO since the company’s founding in 1952. With Schwan’s becoming an affiliate of CJ CheilJedang, he received in 2020 the expanded role of serving as executive chairman of CJ Foods, Americas, in which he provided strategic and operational oversight of CJ’s food businesses in the Americas.

He began his career with the Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo, where he spent eight years in progressive roles with sales and marketing teams. In 1993, Smyrnios joined Nestle Waters North America in Southern California. During his tenure, he accepted roles of increasing responsibility and eventually was named executive vice president and general manager of the Nestle Waters Home and Office Division and the Retail Division. Later, he served as president of Nestle Dreyer’s Ice Cream Co.

A generous supporter of UW, Smyrnios previously established the Smyrnios Family Dean’s Excellence Fund, the Smyrnios Family Sales Faculty Excellence Fund and the Smyrnios Family Student Excellence Fund in Sales and Leadership to benefit students and faculty members in the College of Business. His philanthropy has extended beyond the classroom as well. He has supported the UW Athletics Difference Makers Campaign, which supports renovations to the west side of War Memorial Stadium and the construction of a new competition pool facility. Additionally, he has supported the UW men’s basketball program.

“We are incredibly grateful to Dimitrios for his gift to the UW sales center,” says John Stark, president and CEO of the UW Foundation. “Since leaving UW, Dimitrios has enjoyed an amazing career, but he’s always remained true to his Wyoming roots and the wonderful experiences he had at UW. His dedication to supporting faculty excellence is truly appreciated, and we’re delighted that the Wyoming Legislature provided matching funds in 2024 to double the impact of his gift.”