On September 10, the UCA College of Business welcomed聽Yanis Fernandes, Director of Risk Management for Mohawk Industries, to serve as our 2026 Risk Manager on Campus. He shared his 25 years of experience with multiple classes and student organizations, and began his visit by serving as the keynote speaker at a luncheon for students, UCA faculty, and IRM professionals in the community.聽
The 51青楼 (UCA) Insurance and Risk Management (IRM) program was awarded a grant from the Spencer Educational Foundation, supporting this key Experiential Learning opportunity that allows UCA students the privilege to learn and network with a Spencer Risk Management professional.聽The Spencer Foundation聽has long supported UCA’s annual RMOC event, bringing the last 5 to the campus through their grant program.
Over 55 students, industry professionals, and UCA faculty and staff attended the luncheon, including Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Jimmy Harris, who challenged students to seize opportunities to gain experience, such as learning from a guest of Yanis Fernandes’ caliber and networking with the insurance professionals in attendance. Harris also recognized the value of UCA’s Insurance Program, which recently surpassed its 25th year educating students in Arkansas as one of the only Insurance and Risk Management programs in the region.
During the luncheon, Yanis spoke about the complex areas and opportunities in the IRM field, the many areas of risk he has experienced, tasks he does day-to-day, and best practices to mitigate risk while advising clients. Describing the industry as “the science of accountability,” Yanis shared about past economic impacts on the insurance field, speaking of significant events he endured as an IRM professional, like the Y2K “Dot Com” Recession, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the “Great Recession” (2007-2009), COVID-19, and the more recent recession and inflation. Yanis transitioned from significant past impacts into emerging topics like cyber-extortion, coin mining, remote work exposure, and nuclear verdicts. Finally, he addressed the students in attendance directly with advice and benefits of becoming part of the IRM industry.
“My advice to you, as you’re taking these courses in risk management, is make it a point in how you get to ‘the letters’ behind the name [referencing certifications and designations professionals seek like CRM, ARM, CIC, or CLU],” Yanis shared with students before closing.
“This is a great program that prepares you for the field, and those ‘letters’ indicate your credibility. Employers may hire you because of those ‘letters.’ I advise you to to earn your education and those further credentials now, even if its only one, because they can increase your career potential earlier in your career. Prepare early for the endless opportunities available to you in this industry.”
GIS Chapter President Madelyn Neel leads an informal Q&A session with Risk Manager on Campus, Yanis Fernandes, during the Gamma Iota Sigma meeting on September 10, following his presentation at the luncheon.
After lunch, when the professionals returned to their jobs, Yanis ate a few bites from the lunch buffet, with minutes to his next presentation.聽A couple dozen more students gathered for the university’s chapter Gamma Iota Sigma meeting, and for this special guest, the chapter president led a “Fireside Chat” with Yanis, a much more informal opportunity for students to get to know Yanis and ask questions. This time, Yanis mentioned his qualifications, but focused on his difficult journey to success and why education is important. He explained the hardships of leaving his native country to seek higher education in the U.S., and his steady focus as he tried multiple areas of study, finally settling on the risk industry. Interested students voiced questions from around the room during the brief chat. His answers frequently聽emphasized practical ways for the students to increase their credibility and advised them to seek opportunities and experience.
Yanis finished his visit to UCA by speaking in the College of Business auditorium to students gathered from combined classes taught by UCA Insurance Center Director Ivan Hudson, who organized Yanis’ visit to UCA, and Dr. Tim Bisping, Economics Professor and Dean of the UCA College of Business. As Yanis offered one real-world example after another, the class turned from a presentation to a question-and-answer session.
One student raised a question about how he successfully left one job for another and moved between the many areas of insurance and risk management. “People are forming an impression of you: how you speak, how you treat people. They’re observing you and your skills, your character. Employers look for personalities that work well in positions, and you don’t want to burn bridges in this industry because of the many connections people have. Even oceans away, people talk.”
Students asked Yanis how to handle new “threats” or significant career-impacting changes, such as AI, an ailing job market, a weather disaster, another worldwide pandemic, or other events beyond preparation or control. On this topic, Yanis is both personally and professionally qualified to offer advice. As a resident of New Orleans, he worked for Entergy electric utility company from 2004 to 2013 and personally experienced the devastation when two catastrophic hurricanes struck his home city in 2005. In New Orleans alone, killed approximately 800 people, damaged or destroyed more than 134,000 structures, and caused an estimated $16.9 billion in damage. The storm ultimately resulted in more than 1,800 deaths and $81 billion in damages throughout the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. 聽then swept across the region less than 30 days later, breaching New Orleans’ since-repaired levees and resulting in more deaths and destruction in the region.
Yanis did not focus on his personal experience of Katrina and Rita in earlier presentations and only briefly, once in the class, connected his residence in New Orleans from ’04 to ’13 to the 2005 Hurricanes. However, his swift answer to the student’s question was particularly meaningful for those who recall the weather disasters of 2005: “You must be willing to adapt and evolve, learn your way through, as the world changes.”
On a lighter note, when asked about his favorite part of the industry, Yanis said with a slight chuckle, “It keeps you on your feet. Many of these things that result in claims will never happen the same way again.”
During the three total sessions during his time as UCA’s 2026 Risk Manager on Campus, Yanis provided students, faculty, and IRM professionals with countless practical ways to adapt in life and career, sharing dozens of examples and takeaways applicable for emerging and seasoned professionals in any industry. One of his final slides said, “act in good faith and conscience; sustain relationships, personal and professional; seek value-added projects, continuous learning, professional training, and networking opportunities; optimize technology; and avoid complacency.”
MORE ABOUT YANIS FERNANDES
Yanis has over 25 years of direct experience in the field of risk management. He is currently serving as Director of Risk for Mohawk Industries at their world headquarters in Calhoun, Georgia.
Yanis’ first full-time position after college began with an insurance adjuster/private investigator for a small outfit in Atlanta. Yanis later joined a reinsurance brokerage firm, Minet Re, known today as Aon. In the last 20 years, Yanis has had the privilege of working in Corporate Risk in a variety of industries – Retail (Home Depot), Electric Utility (Entergy), Aerospace (Sierra Nevada/Sierra Space), and presently, Flooring (Mohawk Industries). In his career, Yanis has led the resolution of multiple complex claims, including his role in managing a significant component of Hurricane Katrina and Rita in 2005, as well as other complex Workers鈥� Comp, Auto, and General Liability claims. He managed the Owner Controlled Insurance Programs and related claims. Yanis also led major marketing campaigns including technical briefings to global markets for placement of a multi-mission space program.
Yanis earned his Associate in Risk Management (ARM), Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and the RIMS Certified Risk Management Professional (CRMP) designations. He continues to teach and learn while staying abreast of innovations and developing trends impacting the industry.
Born in the coastal city of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, Yanis鈥� family moved to Zambia when he was of elementary school age, where he completed his high school. Yanis then seized an opportunity for higher education to study in the US after being accepted at Georgia State, where he obtained his BBA in Risk Management and MBA in International Business.
Residing in Cartersville, Georgia, with his family, Yanis enjoys travel, the outdoors, hikes, and participates in 5Ks, 10ks, and the occasional Half. His number one passion is the sport of Badminton, which he plays competitively, and as often as his schedule allows.
Yanis directly supports a dump site Ministry in Nakuru, Kenya, which tends to the food and housing needs of the residents who live in the landfill vicinity, with a focus on educational pathways for children, to move them out of the poverty cycle. Yanis works on Habitat build projects in the Atlanta metro area as a volunteer.
The 51青楼 (UCA) College of Business has named Dr. Gordon Schmidt as the new chair for the Department of Marketing and Management. Schmidt began his role on July 1.
聽鈥�09 is the chief financial officer for the Northwest Arkansas National Airport in Bentonville. She earned an accounting degree from UCA in 2009 and is an active CPA with 15 years of experience in public, corporate and nonprofit/governmental accounting.
, who served as an Executive in Residence for the UCA College of Business last spring, was also a member of the 2026 class. Deylami is chief operating officer and associate center director for the NASA Ames Research Center. He leads teams to enable $2.5 billion-plus in private investment, accelerating public-private partnerships and innovation. He is the former NASA聽CFO/deputy CFO, overseeing financial portfolios up to $4 billion.
UCA Director of Athletics聽聽is among the 2026 Class. He was named director of athletics at UCA in 2024 at age 36. Whiting oversees a department that includes 18 Division I sports, 13 head coaches and 450-plus student athletes. He has also led record fundraising efforts for UCA athletics, totaling more than $15 million in gifts since 2016.
For the second time in three years, UCA had a winning team in the Governor’s Cup Business Plan competition. The UCA Governor’s Cup team, Clara Vision Clinic, placed 3rd place in the Small Business Category for their Plan/Pitch with an additional win in the Small Business 90-Second Pitch. The聽winning team members are Aydia Haymond and Eden Adams with Dr. Duggins serving as their advisor.
Lakoda Caldwell and Caitlin LaCerra (both accounting majors) received the Exceptional Achievement in Service Learning Award from CETAL for their participation in VITA this Spring.
The UCA Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi and Landmark joined together for a service activity.聽 They created snack bags for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Little Rock.
The genAI paper published in April 2024 by Drs. Mike Ellis, Mike Casey, and Jeff Hill, “,” (Volume 22, Issue 2, 2024, in the Decision聽Sciences Journal of Innovative Education) was recognized as one of DSJIE’s Top 10 Most Cited Papers. This was a significant beginning effort to聽lead UCA and the College of Business into this new world of generative artificial intelligence (genAI) in higher education, which the CISA department has since continued to build upon.
The new Finance Club was awarded as , pioneered in Fall 2026 by spring 2026 graduate Mason Smith.
The Conductor continued its workshop series and pitch competitions. Chris Brown took home a cash prize as the “Judges Choice” while Alejandra Alvarez won the “Audience Choice” prize.
Doug Voss invited Brian Evans, Arkansas Speaker of the House to talk to his Safety & Motor Carrier Policy class. He represents District 68 which includes the city of Cabot, as well as portions of Lonoke County.
Students from UCA competed in business-related events at the State FBLA Collegiate Leadership Conference in El Dorado, and we had 2 winners! Kaddie Bailey won 1st place in Computer Applications, 1st place in Customer Service, AND was elected State President of FBLA Collegiate for the upcoming 2026-2027 year.聽 Marcella Leon-Colon won 3rd place in Public Speaking.聽 They will both be eligible to compete at the National FBLA Conference this summer.聽 Thanks and congrats to Marsha Carson for successfully advising this student organization.
Four UCA faculty members and ten MBA students had their research presented last month (March 18-21, 2026) in Dallas, Texas, at the 55th Annual Meeting of the Southwest Decision Sciences Institute (SWDS) and Federation of Business Disciplines (FBD) Conference.聽 Drs. Saif Bhuiyan, Alex Chen, Connie McKnight, and Mark McMurtrey participated as well as MBA students Lauren Brogden,聽 Mavis Deku,聽 Samuel Emery, Grant McKnight, Joseph Somervell (also a UCA employee), Erinn Stone, Amy Streett,聽 Julia Vanderwarf, Robert Walker and Nick Watson, as well as recent MSADA graduate Dr. Parvinder Singh,聽 Many of them were聽able to attend and their research will be published in the forthcoming Proceedings of the Conference.聽 The students represented both UCA and the COB well and did a fantastic job.
Future plans: “I have accepted a position as one of two banker foundation trainees at Simmons Bank. I will work at their headquarters in an 18-month training program rotating through departments such as corporate finance, retail banking, HR, and credit. I am excited to work with one of the best banks in Arkansas to learn how banks operate and contribute to helping communities.”
Future plans: “I will assume an audit position at Ernst & Young in Rogers, Arkansas, starting in September.”
Future plans: “Continue working at Landmark CPAs in the Tax Department.”
Future plans: “After graduation, I intend to start my career as a data analyst and continue developing my technical and analytical skills. I plan on building experience with tools such as SQL, Python, and data visualization, with the long term goal being a senior data analyst.”
Future plans: “Work full time earning certifications, after experiencing work for a while I will consider grad school.”
Future Plans: “Hopefully I’ll reach the job market with enough heat that they find me the best available candidate, but that’s not where I plan on stopping. I would love to go after my masters (or even my doctorate) in the future. Hopefully I can do both as me and my family move forward on our separate and joined journeys.”
Future plans: “After graduation, I plan to continue working in data analytics and use my skills to support data-driven decision-making and improve outcomes within my organization.”
Future plans: “I intend to pursue my doctorate in economics at Florida State University.”
Future plans: “After graduation, I plan to pursue a career in the insurance industry in the Central Arkansas area. I hope to work at an agency that offers a clear path toward becoming a producer. My goal is to continue building my knowledge of insurance and risk management while gaining hands-on experience in the field. I look forward to developing strong professional relationships, growing my skills, and establishing a long-term career helping clients protect what matters most to them.”
Future plans: “I am going to get my master’s in Information Management here at UCA and continue playing on the Women’s Soccer team.”
Future plans: “For the first 6 months after graduation, I plan to go through a 6-month online portfolio school program. So I will not immediately be applying for jobs after graduation. I will be going through an Art Direction program where I will learn everything about Art Direction in Advertising, including designing, creating campaigns, and working with Adobe. Once I complete that program, my goal is to pursue a full-time position in an Advertising Agency!”
Future plans: “To find a job after graduation, connect with other entrepreneurs, and get started on opening my own business.”
Future plans: “I’ve interviewed for a job, and I’m in the onboarding process right now!”
Future plans: “I aimed to begin teaching adjunct classes and take the next steps in my career. I started teaching the semester after I graduated. I use the skills I have gained in my current role and am exploring options for the right next full-time role.”
Future plans: ” I intend to become an auditor for a firm with the future hope of becoming a forensic accountant.”
Future plans: “By utilizing my financial and healthcare administration skills, which I have developed over my academic career and will further develop through my internship, I want to pursue a career with a hospital or healthcare organization to make an impact on their long-term sustainability and achieve more favorable patient outcomes.”
Future plans: “After graduation, I intend to pursue CPA licensure as I work full time as an audit staff.”
Future plans: “After graduating in December, I plan to start working full time in the insurance industry and continue my education through attaining insurance designations.”
Future plans: “After graduation I hope to land an inventory management role here in Central Arkansas. I look forward to applying what I’ve learned here at UCA and my internships at the Allen Lund Company and Tractor Supply Company.”
Future plans: “Upon graduation, I will start my MAcc degree in the fall of 2026. I then plan to prepare and sit for my CPA licensure exam. One day in the future, I plan to open my own consulting firm, focusing my services on small and family-owned businesses. I also aspire to open my own foundation that focuses on youth financial literacy. I also plan to eventually go to seminary and do a two-year Journeyman program with the North American Mission Board.”
Future plans: “Work as a software engineer for a couple of years before eventually transitioning into DevOps or cybersecurity.”
Future Plans: “After graduation, I plan to pursue a career in finance while continuing to grow my business experience. As a licensed pilot, I also hope to explore opportunities in corporate aviation, combining my passion for flying with my professional goals. Long term, I hope to build a career that blends finance and aviation.”