Burt Hicks and Amy Tu have been announced as the newest members of the Clinton School of Public Service Dean’s Advisory Board.
Hicks, a 2013 graduate of the Clinton School of Public Service, is the Co-Founder, President and Chief Strategy and Growth Officer of Encore Bank. Tu is President, International and Chief Administrative Officer of Tyson Foods.
“I am excited to welcome Burt and Amy to the Dean’s Advisory Board,” said Dean Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto. “In addition to their incredible professional experience, they are both Arkansas natives and their joining will be key in the Clinton School better serving the public service needs of the state, as well as the nation.”
At Encore, Hicks oversees the bank’s strategy as well as various departments within the bank, including finance, accounting, legal, human resources, marketing and communications, operations, risk, compliance, audit, technology and innovation, project management, investor relations, digital banking, mortgage, SBA, association banking, and treasury management.
Before making the leap to co-found Encore Bank in 2019, Hicks held various roles with Simmons Bank and its holding company, Simmons First National Corporation, including Chief of Staff, Director of Mergers and Acquisitions, Investor Relations Officer, Corporate Secretary, CFO & COO of Specialty Lending and Wealth Management, President & CEO of Simmons First Investment Group and Insurance Services and Director of Mortgage Banking. He started his career on Wall Street as an investment banker for Merrill Lynch and Bank of America.
Hicks earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville before earning his Master of Public Service from the Clinton School and concurrent J.D. from the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law.
Tu leads Tyson’s international business with over 18,000 team members globally. She is responsible for Tyson’s international growth, its strategy, and global operations, leading a diverse team across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Central and South America, Australia, and the United States. Tu also leads the safety, health and environment; food safety and quality assurance; corporate services and aviation functions.
Tu joined Tyson from The Boeing Company where she held progressive leadership positions in law and corporate development and strategy departments. Prior to joining Boeing in 2001, Tu led global transactions and international legal matters as an international corporate counsel at The Gap and Walmart.
Over the course of her career, Tu has developed deep expertise establishing and supporting global operations, executing complex cross-border, international and domestic transactions, and developing and integrating teams and new ventures into existing businesses.
Tu earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from Wellesley College and J.D. from the University of Arkansas School of Law. She was named the 2022 Champion of Diversity, Best Legal Departments by The American Lawyer, and to the Financial Times Top 20 Innovative Lawyers 2022.
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