Forty Under 40: Marty Bryan

Marty Bryan spent four years as a certified public accountant after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Arkansas in 1986. But he felt like he found a second family when he joined Tyson Foods in 1990.

Bryan, 37, is the assistant controller of operations inside the accounting department at Tyson Foods. The Pine Bluff native oversees all sales and plant operations from the accounting perspective in the company’s poultry and prepared foods divisions.

Although Tyson is a Fortune 100 company, it maintains a family atmosphere, Bryan said.

“I really enjoy working for a company like Tyson,” he said. “Obviously, it’s very successful. But it’s also a very big part of Northwest Arkansas, a big part of our community.

“The culture here is fantastic. Most of the people you ask here will tell you it’s a great place to work. Tyson’s motto is to treat people like family. And that’s exactly what we try to do.”

Bryan said Tyson’s management style allowed him to become successful at an early age.

“[Tyson] gives you a lot of responsibility,” Bryan said. “It puts responsibility right there in people’s hands at a young age and lets them grow.”

Bryan and his wife, Holly, have two daughters — Victoria, 12 and Jenny, 6.