When Truman Hunt arrived on the campus of the University of Utah Law School in 1983, he felt out of his league.
“I’m pretty sure I was the last person admitted to my law school class,” said Hunt, who after graduating from the U. in 1986 went on to climb the corporate ranks at Nu Skin Enterprise, becoming chief executive officer in 2003.
Truman Hunt
“I remember the first day of orientation eating lunch on the front lawn of the law school with a couple of classmates. A pair of joggers passed by. One of them yelled at the top of his lungs: ‘I did that. Get out now before it’s too late.’”
Despite insecurity at first, Hunt persevered through three years of legal education, finding a skillset that would help advance him in the business world.
He joined NuSkin Enterprises in a legal capacity in 1996 to take the company public. He intended to complete the project and move on to other opportunities, but he fell in love with the business and the people —instead choosing to stay, working in a variety of capacities before eventually taking the helm as CEO at the Provo-based company, which specializes in personal care products and nutritional supplements.
Prior to joining NuSkin, Hunt was president and CEO of Better Living Products Inc., a company that manufactured housewares products. He also spent time as a securities and business attorney in private practice.
Like many attorneys, Hunt admits that work can be all-consuming at times. He seeks out service opportunities through his church, community and elsewhere to keep him grounded. Among his pet projects is an initiative called “Nourish the Children,” a program NuSkin started in 2003, which connects meals to millions of malnourished children in places in southeast Africa, Central America and the Philippines. The program is credited with eradicating starvation as a cause of death in the country of Malawai.
In December, NuSkin announced Hunt will step down from his role as CEO, after accepting a three-year leadership assignment for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints beginning in mid-2017. The opportunity will allow Hunt a new way to give back to others.
“When we have to think about someone other than ourselves, we end up being the one who benefits most,” said Hunt of his service work.
He credits the law school with helping him start his career with a solid foundation.
“Law school provides a great education in critical reasoning and writing. These are valuable skills in any profession,” he said.
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