Brooke Roach: Professional Achievement Award

Brooke Roach '14 has never been afraid to set the bar high. As a student at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, that drive helped raise expectations for what Aggies could achieve in finance. Now a managing director in equity research at Goldman Sachs, Roach continues to show Huntsman students what is possible when talent, preparation, and ambition meet opportunity.

Roach was awarded the 2026 Professional Achievement Award by the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business in recognition of her remarkable career on Wall Street, her research-driven approach to financial analysis, and the example she continues to set for students preparing to enter competitive finance careers.

Since joining Goldman Sachs in 2014, Roach has built a career in equity research, rising from analyst to associate, vice president, and most recently managing director. Known for her disciplined, research-driven approach to financial analysis, she initially covered agribusiness companies before moving in 2018 to the apparel and accessories retail sector. In recent years, she has led coverage of major brands including Levi’s, Lululemon, Warby Parker, and Gap.

Her work has been featured by Bloomberg and Yahoo Finance, and in 2023, Business Insider recognized her as one of Wall Street’s Rising Stars of Equity Research. Reflecting on her career to Business Insider, Roach said, “It’s rare to find a job that is as dynamic, that rewards intellectual curiosity and also allows you to build relationships across the industry.”

That combination of curiosity, research, and discipline began long before Wall Street. A graduate of Sky View High School, Roach came to Utah State University (USU) as a Presidential Scholar, Sterling Scholar, and Huntsman Scholar. As a student, she was named a 2011 Goldwater Scholar and conducted research on chemical and molecular signaling processes, presenting her work at the Utah Capitol. In 2013, she earned bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and economics and graduated as the Huntsman School of Business valedictorian. She later completed a master’s degree in financial economics.

Paul Fjeldsted, a Huntsman School lecturer and mentor, first met Roach when she joined the Master of Financial Economics program. He remembers her as a student whose science background and interest in finance came together naturally in equity research.

“She was very driven and very, very smart,” Fjeldsted said. “Her interest in finance coincided with her interest in research and the opportunity at Goldman and equity research has really meshed her skill set.”

Fjeldsted also remembers Roach for something else: her refusal to accept low expectations. As a student, Roach joined the CFA Research Challenge team at a time when Utah State did not yet have a strong record in the competition. When faculty explained the rules, deliverables, and schedule, Fjeldsted recalls Roach making the team’s goal clear.

“She said, let's just be clear on our goals here, we're going to win this,” Fjeldsted said. “This made me think as a school we really do need to have high aspirations. We really shouldn't limit our students' aspirations.” 

Though the team finished second that year (a great improvement), Roach’s mindset stayed with Fjeldsted. Her confidence pushed him to think differently about what Huntsman finance students could achieve and what the school should be doing to prepare them.

That influence continued after Roach graduated. After beginning her career at Goldman Sachs in New York, she returned to campus and met with Huntsman students during a New York finance trip. Fjeldsted says during that time she encouraged the Huntsman School to prepare students earlier and more intentionally for top finance roles. He said those conversations “prompted a number of changes” in curriculum, course timing, and support for stronger finance preparation.

Roach has also helped students more directly, mentoring young professionals and helping some launch their careers. Fjeldsted describes her as part of a group of highly accomplished finance alumni who continue to push the Huntsman School to compete with the best.

When asked what set Roach apart, Fjeldsted points to her intelligence and ambition, but says she is “just fearless.” For Fjeldsted, whose own 22-year career in finance culminated as managing director of Citigroup Global Markets, Roach’s success has been one of his great joys of teaching and mentoring. 

“It's just so fun to see students that you knew doing so well in their professional lives,” he said. “I’m super proud of her. As a faculty member and mentor, it's an honor to have a good seat at the parade.”

Roach’s career reflects the best of the Huntsman School experience: rigorous preparation, experiential learning, and alumni who open doors for those who follow. Her success on Wall Street is impressive, but her influence reaches beyond her own career. She has helped raise the sights of students, faculty, and a finance program determined to compete.

Jill Borst, Head of the Salt Lake City Office for Goldman Sachs; Douglas Anderson, Dean of the Huntsman School of Business; Brooke Roach '14, Managing Director, Equity Research at Goldman Sachs; and Paul Fjeldsted, Senior Lecturer at the Huntsman School of Business.