The Sam M. Walton College of Business at the U of A will have not one, but two speakers for its Spring 2025 Commencement ceremonies: Shelley Simpson, president and chief executive officer of J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc., and Brad Eichler, chief operating officer of Stephens Inc.

 The Walton College is excited to celebrate the achievements of over 1,800 undergraduate, masters and doctoral students graduating this spring and summer at the ceremony on Saturday, May 10, at Bud Walton Arena.

SHELLEY SIMPSON

Simpson, a 1994 Walton College alum, has built a remarkable career spanning 30 years at J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. She began as an hourly customer service representative and steadily rose through the ranks, holding multiple leadership roles across the company's business units before becoming president in 2022 and CEO in July 2024.

Throughout her career, she has helped drive J.B. Hunt’s growth, spearheading strategic initiatives in marketing, sales, customer experience and technology. She has also been instrumental in developing innovative services like J.B. Hunt 360°. Her leadership has earned her numerous accolades, including the 2024 AWESOME Legendary Leadership Award. Simpson serves as a board member for the Dean’s Executive Advisory Board at the Walton College and the U of A’s Razorback Foundation.

BRAD EICHLER

Eichler serves as chief operating officer of Stephens Inc., overseeing the firm's business divisions, which include Stephens Capital Management, Fixed Income Sales & Trading, Institutional Equities and Research, Investment Banking, Private Wealth Management and Public Finance. He also serves on the firm's Executive Committee.

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate with a B.B.A. in finance, Eichler earned his Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 1995 and started his career at Merrill Lynch Capital Markets before joining Stephens in 1991. He progressed from an analyst specializing in property & casualty insurance to spearheading the firm's information technology and services’ research initiatives, ultimately being named director of research in 2006.

Eichler played an influential role in transforming the Investment Banking Division, which he co-headed or headed from 2007 to 2023. Under his leadership, the division grew to over 260 professionals across nine U.S. markets and expanded internationally with the launch of Stephens Europe Limited in London and Frankfurt.

This year, the Walton College will host two distinct ceremonies to accommodate all graduates:

Eichler will speak at the 3:30 p.m. ceremony honoring graduates from:

• Accounting
• Economics
• Bachelor of Science in International Business
• Finance
• Information Systems
• Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Venture Innovation

Simpson will speak at the 6:30 p.m. ceremony honoring graduates from:

• General Business
• Management
• Master of Business Administration
• Marketing
• Supply Chain Management

Both ceremonies will be live streamed on the U of A’s YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person.

About the Sam M. Walton College of Business: Founded in 1926, the Sam M. Walton College of Business stands as one of the largest colleges at the University of Arkansas, serving over 9,800 students across undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs. The college holds AACSB accreditation and consistently ranks among the top business schools in the United States. Walton College ranks 25th for its undergraduate business program among public colleges in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 national rankings. In addition, its undergraduate supply chain management program is recognized as the No. 1 program in North America by Gartner. In 2024, The Princeton Review included Walton’s M.B.A. program in its Best Business Schools list for On-Campus M.B.A. Programs.  

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.