Twenty-seven years after graduating from the Colorado State University College of Business, Shelly Swanback returned to the commencement platform – this time to deliver the keynote address and wisdom of an executive helping lead a technology company with more than $16 billion in annual revenues.

Swanback, now serving as the Global Operating Officer at Accenture Digital, an organization she was instrumental in helping organize in 2014, reminded graduates of the importance of keeping sight of fundamental priorities as they face the challenges ahead of them. Foundations such as a grounding in ethics and a passion for making the most out of every opportunity help support essentials like maintaining a healthy lifestyle and fine-tuning the work/life balance.