Scott Peterson

Scott Peterson earned his bachelor's in business management from MSU and his Executive MBA from the University of Arizona. He is the Vice President of Hospitality and Office Development for United Properties and he joined our National Advisory Board in 2021.

Even though Scott grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, his family spent most of their vacation time in and around Montana. He had decided MSU was where he wanted to go to college even before he was in high school.

His father, several uncles, and people he admired through his youth were all entrepreneurs or self-starters; they were the exemplars that led Scott to pursue a Business degree with a minor in Small Business Entrepreneurship.

Please describe your career path after graduation.

Fall of my senior year at MSU, after the career fair, I received an offer as a real estate development analyst with Pulte Homes- a Fortune 500 company out of the Las Vegas, Nevada market. I joined the real estate industry right before the great recession and rode the rollercoaster down to the bottom of the dip. I learned significantly more in the downturn than I would have in the upturn. Discipline and fundamental, sound reasoning need to be the backbone at every investment thesis. 

Over the years, I have had the pleasure to work for four other development organizations; small, medium, large, and public companies. In all, I have developed roughly $750M in new projects across 10 states including the Hawaiian Islands. 

What is the best part of your current job? The most challenging?

I get to pursue development opportunities across multiple markets and industry types. United Properties is a full service commercial real estate firm resulting in my direct involvement in all facets of the development process from sourcing land sites, underwriting, design, construction, and sales.  I enjoy witnessing a project transpose from a design on paper to a vertical completed project serving its purpose. 

The most challenging part is building a team.  When you are first start your career, your success is based on your ability to execute; you can work independently as many hours as needed to be successful.  But as you grow in your career, your ability to execute and be successful is based on the performance of your team. You can’t demand others to work long hours, you must inspire your team and they must understand and believe in what they are delivering, the big picture of the company’s goal, and how their role directly impacts it.  And then- if successful- pay them well and keep engaging their desired skill set to further advance the company.  Hire slow as it  is essential to understanding an applicant and their potential value add and on the contrary,  fire fast once it is determined a good fit cannot be achieved as it is only fair to both the employee and employer.

How has your education at MSU's College of Business helped you in your career?

Working with fellow students, the professors, and the greater Bozeman community, I was able to build upon classroom knowledge and gain confidence through real-life interactions within the entrepreneurship program, which provided an advantage both on paper and in person when pursuing business internships and my first job post college.

What is your fondest Jabs/CoB memory?

It has been almost two decades since I was part of the College of Business cohort and the campus and Jabs have advanced tremendously over that time frame. The college I walk into now is significantly more advanced and sophisticated than the one I remember. But my time as part of the MSU marketing club was a great experience, interacting with local businesses as a way to network, consult, and raise funds for the club.

What were your motivations for joining our College's Board of Advisors?

I feel strongly that education is the foundation to a person’s individual growth and is paramount for determining a tenacious path into life. Given this importance, I believe the transition between college and the work force is not always accurately portrayed or successful crossed over. Advancements like the Jabs Blackstone 50K, LaunchPad, and internships are all avenues that enhance a student’s experience outside of the classroom setting. Given the cost of a college degree, I feel strongly that MSU and Jabs has a fiduciary responsibility to educate and graduate students as efficiently as possible. If a student is incurring debt for a future career, that career path needs to be well defined, understood, and executable.


Any wisdom you wish to impart with our current business students?

Work hard, build trust quickly, be diligent, and always understand the end goal or objective.

Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you, motivated, and confident. These personality traits are contagious, and you will find new perspective on looking at both problems and opportunities. Also, find yourself your own personal board of directors for your career/life and continue to meet and discuss topics with these individuals; guidance is essential at every stage of your career.