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California Business Journal
LMU College of Business Administration

LMU College of Business Administration Launches Centennial Year with Office Beacon Partnership at SoFi Stadium

In 2026, Los Angeles’ very own Loyola Marymount University’s College of Business Administration marked 100 years of empowering bold, compassionate leaders. To launch the year, the University’s academic leaders partnered with Office Beacon to kick off the…

By Will Jones, Special to California Business Journal

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In 2026, Los Angeles’ very own Loyola Marymount University’s College of Business Administration marked 100 years of empowering bold, compassionate leaders. To launch the year, the University’s academic leaders partnered with Office Beacon to kick off the celebration.

Centennial milestone for LMU’s College of Business Administration

For 100 years, LMU’s College of Business Administration (CBA) has stood as a leader in academia. Covering far more than theory, the college teaches students how to stay flexible without changing their core values. In a press release, Dean Dayle Smith said, “We’re proud to commemorate CBA’s centennial and reflect on what our history, legacy, and future mean for LMU and the broader Los Angeles business community.”

CBA is reimagining how business education can better adapt to face the biggest challenges of our day, including the climate crisis and existential threats of technological disruptions. Future-ready business leaders are the key to withstanding the economic impact of threats like artificial intelligence and income inequality.

Having survived the past century, LMU is focusing on integrating academics with ethical, sustainable, and inclusive lessons. The centennial is more than just a sign of the department’s longevity in the broader landscape; it’s a celebration of the values that made the longevity possible in the first place.

This collaborative SoFi Stadium event marks a symbolic start

On January 4, CBA hosted a gathering at SoFi Stadium alongside Office Beacon; the perfect chance to discuss how the staffing agency was working to scale solutions to the newest needs of employers.

The event was a symbolic way to start the year and highlight the partnerships that have sustained the college. The 3.1-million sq. ft. venue welcomed Office Beacon executives and LMU leadership, including President Thomas Poon.

Office Beacon CEO Pranav Dalal serves on the Dean's Executive Council. His role is to guide everything from the curriculum to the college's larger ethos. Dalal has always encouraged progress and innovation on his team and beyond, and events like this are often an effective way to introduce new concepts that drive future changes.

The value of leadership, ethics, and global perspective

LMU's partnership with Office Beacon seems to be more than a contract. LMU’s focus on ethical leadership fully aligns with Office Beacon’s people-first growth philosophy. The two organizations have set up a mutually beneficial arrangement that’s powered by transparency rather than transactions.

Dalal has risen to the top based on his innate abilities to understand his partners’ pain points and aspirations. Once you know what motivates decisions, you can start to tailor your recommendations. CBA looks to Office Beacon to better understand the upcoming trends, so they can keep their curriculum on the cutting edge.

100 years of CBA, 25 years of Office Beacon

There are two important landmark dates for the College of Business Administration in 2026. Since 2001, LMU has trusted Office Beacon to help sustain its bedrock legacy without getting left behind.

As CEO Dalal put it, "I am honored to kick off the centennial celebrations while also jointly marking Office Beacon’s own 25-year journey, built on developing people, creating opportunity, and scaling globally with purpose—making it especially meaningful to stand alongside LMU at this milestone moment.” Dalal says he has never prioritized perfection, instead embracing the learning process, rejecting micromanagement, and respecting the genuine curiosity that fuels his work.

Looking forward to a year of centennial programming in 2026

2026 will call attention to the school's work over the past century, as well as how the latest initiatives give young leaders the skills to influence their world. In a time of economic instability, CBA gives hope to graduates and the larger public alike that the future is in good hands.

The centennial kickoff takes place during one of the most rapidly evolving periods in human history. While evolution is nothing new in the business world, the scale and speed have never been more extreme. Office Beacon is proud to help emerging business leaders stay on their toes and institutions remain connected and globally relevant to the larger workforce.

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