Two-time business alum Tim Goff helped build a nearly $2 billion business with his Cal State Fullerton degrees. He reflects on the edge that Titans have in the workforce.
As an undergraduate student at Cal State Fullerton, Tim Goff didn’t have a grand plan. His biggest concern was living up to his parents’ expectations and getting a job.
Today, the two-time business alum is the senior vice president and head of Americas Residential for Assa Abloy, a Swedish company specializing in locks, doors, gates and entrance automation.
Most known for residential consumer durables with such recognizable brands as Kwikset and Pfister faucets, his business unit employs more than 7,000 people around the world. Goff, who has interviewed plenty of candidates over the years, is partial to hiring CSUF graduates. That’s because, he says, they are “the best.”
Staying connected to his alma mater, Goff mentors students through the Executive in Residence program and serves as chair of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Business and Economics. At a commencement ceremony for the Class of 2025, Goff shared the following insights with graduates.
How did Cal State Fullerton help you find your career path?
I didn’t know what I was going to do when I graduated. The good news was that Cal State Fullerton gave me the space to figure this out. It gave me the room to explore, to make mistakes, to grow, and it gave me a community — a place where I felt I belonged.
What is unique about CSUF’s College of Business and Economics?
Cal State Fullerton has the largest accredited undergraduate business school in California, and is the only Southern California university with both business and accounting accreditations. It’s an amazing institution and I’m a proud Titan. I’ve been in business for 35 years now and I’ve had the opportunity to interview students all over the United States. I’m going to tell you right now: You’re the best of the best.
What makes Titans stand out in today’s job market?
You’re stepping into a pretty crazy world. It’s moving fast and the pace of change is relentless. Innovation and the way that work gets done is changing, it seems, almost daily. But here’s the deal: You are Titans and that’s to your advantage. You’re in a fantastic position to deal with and conquer what is next. Change favors the bold. Chaos favors the resilient. Uncertainty favors those who are gritty. The next wave of innovation and leadership will come from people who are adaptable, curious and courageous. I hope that sounds familiar to you, because that is you. You are Titans. You’ve already proven that you can thrive in uncertainty. You know how to collaborate, think critically and solve real-world problems. That’s what business is all about. That’s what leadership is all about.
What is the most important lesson you learned at CSUF?
The most valuable resource in any organization is the people. Even in a fast-paced, quickly changing, AI-driven world, success is still about people. It’s about the teams you build, the communities you invest in and the values you stand for. Cal State Fullerton taught me that people matter most and that mindset will set you apart.
What advice do you have for new graduates?
Say yes. As you start to build your career, get in the habit of saying yes. Say yes to the job that stretches you. Say yes to the project that challenges you. Say yes to leading, even if you don’t feel ready. Say yes to starting over or taking your career on a different path if you need to do so. Saying yes doesn’t mean you have to have all the answers. It means trusting that you’ll figure it out. It means betting on yourself.
Say yes to people. Say yes to mentoring someone. Say yes to staying in touch with that professor who inspired you. Say yes to reconnecting with classmates who may one day be your colleagues, co-founders or your biggest champions. The relationships you’ve built here are not just for your past. Trust me, they will be a part of your future.
