Like several Biola University Crowell School of Business faculty, Jake Aguas came to academia after a productive career in the business world. Aguas spent 25 years in the banking and market research industries, including serving at two Fortune 100 companies. He has a passion for understanding the impact of sweeping cultural changes and preparing students for a dynamic and turbulent future.

Aguas has a bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA and studied under Nobel Prize laureate Lloyd Shapley and economists William R. Allen, Armen Alchian, and George W. Hilton. Aguas shared they helped shape his economic and entrepreneurial approaches to management. He holds a master’s of organizational leadership from Biola and a certificate in marketing research from the University of Notre Dame. He’s currently working on his doctorate in organizational leadership with a concentration in human resources at Regent University in Virginia.

Here, Aguas shares about his background and his personal leader, “CEO Jesus.”

How did you decide to major in economics as an undergraduate?

I started off my college career as an electrical engineering major. However, I was quickly drawn to the social sciences. Economics offered the perfect balance between business, math, psychology, and applicability to real world events.

Have you always worked in business or did you start in another field? How do you bring that experience into the classroom?

I have worked in numerous fields, including marketing research, entertainment, and financial services. I currently do organizational consulting for both domestic and international companies. All my experiences have had two common elements: leadership and business.

Before joining the Crowell School of Business faculty, I spent 15 years with the retail banking division of JPMorgan Chase. Most notably, I served as its Manager of HR Talent Acquisition f