Entrepreneur and philanthropist Gregory J. Goff has been inducted into the David Eccles School of Business Hall of Fame in honor of his impact on the Eccles School, the University of Utah and the business community.
The David Eccles School of Business Hall of Fame was established in 1989 with the purpose of recognizing individuals who have distinguished themselves in their careers and who provide an example and model for current and future students.
Goff, who earned a Bachelor of Science and an MBA from the Eccles School, is founder and president of both GJG Energy (focused on developing businesses in the energy sector) and GJG Development (real estate development); founder and CEO of Manifest Energy Transition Company (invests in businesses in the energy sector); CEO of Claire Technologies (technology company providing low carbon solutions to the energy and transportation sectors); and executive director of the Goff Foundation. He also retired as executive vice chairman of Marathon Petroleum Corporation and executive vice president of Marathon Logistics LP in December 2019.
He has also had a profound impact on the David Eccles School of Business and the University of Utah.
“Greg has helped us reimagine how we develop our students—not just as professionals, but as people and leaders,” said Kurt Dirks, dean of the David Eccles School of Business. “His vision was simple but powerful: help students succeed faster.”
That vision came to life in 2017 with the creation of the Goff Strategic Leadership Center. In the past five years alone, nearly 5,000 students have been meaningfully impacted through immersive leadership development, real-world consulting projects and custom strategy education.
Earlier this year, Goff made a $10 million commitment to expand the reach and deepen the impact of this work—transforming the center into the Goff Strategic Leadership Institute.
He touched upon his motivations in the Spring 2025 issue of the Eccles Experience magazine: “I have a fundamental belief that we can all make a difference, but many people simply don’t know how.”
The Goff Institute is intended to equip students to embrace ambiguity, take initiative and lead with purpose. Thanks to those experiences, Goff students achieve significantly higher career outcomes than their fellow students.
“I always felt like there was something I could do to give back,” Goff told attendees at the Hall of Fame luncheon. “The University of Utah helped me create my future. There was an opportunity for me to come back and help other people create their futures. That has to be one of the most rewarding things people can do with their life.”
Also honored at the event were Kim Mains, leader of content strategy for Meta’s Reality Labs Metaverse and augmented reality/mixed reality division and chief of staff to the CTO, with the Rising Star award; Bill Madsen, retired president of Madsen Furniture Company, and a 23-year member of the alumni board, with the Alumni Service award; and Rhett Roberts, co-founder and CEO of LoanPro, with the Distinguished Entrepreneur award.
The inaugural David Eccles School of Business Hall of Fame inductee in 1989 was Spencer Fox Eccles. Other notable inductees in attendance at this year’s event included Bill Child (1996) and Ellis Ivory (2013).
About the David Eccles School of Business
At the Eccles School, students do more than earn a degree or learn business—they live the experience with hands-on immersive learning. This empowers students to graduate not only with a degree, but the real-world experience, the mindset, skills and confidence to succeed. Founded in 1917 and educating more than 6,000 students annually, the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah offers nine undergraduate majors, four MBA programs, eight specialized master’s programs, five doctoral academic tracks and an executive education program. The Eccles School is also home to more than 16 institutes, centers and initiatives, which create societal impact through academic research, applied knowledge, leadership and innovation.