December 2023

Brian Mike 2014

DEGREES:
B.S. Management

CURRENT EMPLOYER
Actalent, Inc.

CURRENT OCCUPATION
Controller

DESCRIBE YOUR CAREER PATH
I am still with my first employer since graduating from SU, Actalent (formerly Aerotek). I started in an entry-level role and have held three positions since, via promotions. Within that, I also moved from Baltimore, MD, to Jacksonville, FL, to help our organization open up our fourth corporate office. We started with five employees on the first day, and now we have over 300. I am close to nine years with Actalent and I want to finish my career here. Interestingly enough, our original founder, Steve Bisciotti, graduated from SU.

MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU LEARNED WHILE ATTENDING SALISBURY UNIVERSITY
The most important thing I learned was the importance of networking and building strong relationships. You can only get so far by moving forward alone. Many of my professors hit on this in their classes and also encouraged us to buy into networking through team projects, etc.

WHAT CAMPUS ACTIVITIES/ORGANIZATIONS WERE YOU INVOLVED WITH?
From my second semester of freshman year and on, I worked on East Campus with the Horticulture Team. This was a great experience for me to get paid for something I enjoyed doing, being around helpful co-workers and learning how to balance both school and work at the same time.

BEST COLLEGE MEMORY
The move-in process was my best memory at SU, for which there are many reasons. It was the culmination of the work I had put in during my high school years. It was the hard work of my parents to put me in a position to attend a four-year university. It was a sense of independence and stepping into the real world. It was the excitement of meeting new friends and being able to build my future. Although I'm pretty sure the AC didn't work great in Choptank Hall at the time, this was still my greatest memory.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE SALISBURY UNIVERSITY?
I chose SU for a few reasons. First and foremost, I knew it had a very strong business school and could help set me up for success. Another reason was proximity to home (Baltimore). It wasn't too far, but it also wasn't too close. I also wanted to go to a "smaller" school. I am naturally introverted, and I felt this would be a good fit for my personality. SU was also a very reasonable investment for my family and me. Being close to the beach wasn't a bad thing either.

IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE SALISBURY UNIVERSITY IN THREE WORDS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE AND WHY?
Evolving - SU is always on the move and looking to improve its student's experience.
Involved - SU offered many ways for students to get involved in the community and also provided many platforms for students to get together.
Achievement - SU sets it students up to achieve. SU demands a lot from its students, but it is all to set them up for success in the long run

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT AND WHY?
Ocean City, MD. In my opinion, it has just about everything that anyone could ask for. Nice beaches, great food options, good surrounding areas and plenty of golf. I didn't vacation in Ocean City growing up, but I have made many trips there with my family since graduating and we always have a great time.

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT
My greatest accomplishment so far was moving from Baltimore to Jacksonville. This was a huge decision for me, both professionally and personally. I am not a major risk taker, but I wanted to take the leap because it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. This helped me grow in so many different ways, and faced with the same opportunity again, I would make the same decision 10 times out of 10. It also led to me meeting my fiancé, Ashley.

WHAT IS SOMETHING PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU?
My last name is Mike, but I have been told that it was something different over a 100 years ago. It used to be Luciano, but when my great grandfather entered the U.S., he changed his last name to Mike because Luciano was associated with the mob and he took the opportunity for a fresh start. His friend on the boat next to him was named Mike and that is where the name came from.

HOBBIES/OTHER INTERESTS
I like to think I am pretty simple. I enjoy sitting on the beach, watching any Baltimore sports team, playing golf, exploring breweries, trying new foods and taking trips to new places.