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- Category: Student Voices
Choosing which university to attend can be a daunting experience. For some, it may be as simple as looking at university rankings and choosing what is best academically. For others, proximity to home and cost may be a deciding factor. After choosing to attend the Telfer School of Management, I found that there was so much more about Telfer that could have gone into my decision making, beyond Telfer being recognized as a top business school worldwide.
During my four-year degree at the Telfer School of Management, there were 7 reasons that stood out for me as to what made the Telfer experience so unique and rewarding.
Here’s what I’ve come to value as the top 7 reasons to go to Telfer:
1. High Value of the Degree
As a high school student at the time, while researching the various possible universities to attend, one of the first things I personally looked at is what will it cost me financially, and what is the value of a degree from each university in question.
The Telfer School of Management is in the top 1% of business schools worldwide based on completing three levels of accreditation. This worldwide reputation of excellence was a very important factor in consideration if I would go to Telfer. In addition to this, Telfer also offers reasonable tuition for the value you receive from a degree at a top university. This combination for me meant that Telfer had the best value for the monetary cost, the “best bang for your buck” if you will.
2. Location, Location, Location
Telfer is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Ottawa. You get the feel of being in a big city, but without all of the commotion and noise (and price) that you find at other big city universities. What’s nice about being located downtown is that everything is in close proximity to you. Whether it’s museums, historical sites like Parliament Hill and the Rideau Canal, grocery stores, restaurants, shopping, nightlife and just about everything you can think of, it’s all within a 10 to 15 minute walk if you go to Telfer.
3. Co-op Program
Ottawa has a reputation for being a government city, and I will not dispute that reputation. However, Ottawa also has an ever-growing private sector that provides a lot of different job opportunities. What is nice about doing the co-op program at Telfer is that it’s really easy to apply to different jobs and you can pick and choose from the public sector or the private sector to get a feel for what you would like in a future career. The job I had throughout university was through the co-op program, which is a job I never would have gotten without co-op and making the decision to go to Telfer.
4. French Immersion
Although I personally did not choose to be part of the French Immersion program, I do, however, know a lot of people who did, and I was able to speak with them about their experiences. French immersion at Telfer provides students with the opportunity to complete a portion of their courses in French. If you are an anglophone and you would like to strengthen your French, or if you are a francophone and you would like to strengthen your English, then you have the unique opportunity of attending one of few universities to have a French immersion program at Telfer. You also receive a $1,000 scholarship just for being in the French immersion program!
5. Collaboration
At Telfer you get the opportunity to work with a lot of different people from all sorts of backgrounds and learn from them. If you go to Telfer, approximately 20% of the students are international, and in my own experience, I had the opportunity to work with students from Germany, India, China, South Korea, Kenya, and more. Having such a diverse community allows you to make new friends and connections in so many different places. I can honestly say that all of my group projects at Telfer have been a positive experience.
6. Unique Projects
During my experience at Telfer I had the opportunity to participate in many unique class projects that I never expected. The fourth-year Strategic Management course at Telfer runs something called the Intopia Business Simulation, where students immerse themselves in an action-filled weekend running their own company by negotiating, making decisions, and trying to maximize their bottom line and, ultimately, win the competition. Intopia is recognized as a top business strategy simulation, and Telfer is one of the only schools that offers it.
As well, students are able to gain real world experience by working with companies as part of class projects. For myself, I had the opportunity to work with Badminton Canada and the Canadian Museum of Nature to help develop marketing campaigns and promotional strategies. This experience was not only self-rewarding, but it was also excellent to include on a resume and it’s all part of your program at Telfer.
7. Career Centre
The Telfer Career Centre offers various workshops for students such as how to build a resume, do well in an interview, and many more types of workshops. As well, you can speak with career advisors who can help set you on the path to your goal. Having a resource that is committed to both your personal and career development is very helpful as you enter the workplace.
The Career Centre also holds a variety of networking events at Telfer. The networking events attract an array of companies that you can speak with and in turn make connections that can turn into potential job opportunities. Also, the networking events and the aforementioned workshops go hand-in-hand if you go to Telfer by allowing you to apply the knowledge you learned in these workshops at these networking events.
- Category: Student Voices
Paying for university… what comes to mind? Maybe it’s your parents who generously support you, or maybe it’s OSAP payments, or even a bank loan. Generally, the associations are not particularly positive. For me, they happen to be.
When it comes to university education, parents and students are often concerned about the cost. University is more expensive than college and students graduating high school often wonder if the benefits are worth it. As a fourth-year graduating student from the Telfer School of Management, today I am here to tell you that you can afford it all on your own, even without OSAP, and what benefits come of it.
Working Part-Time
So, here is what I did. When I had just turned seventeen and was in Grade 11, I started working at McDonald’s in my hometown. I would work afternoons after school, Saturday mornings and sometimes overnight, working about 15 hours a week. Honestly, it was really fun to be around many of my high school friends who also worked there, and I got free food. It also taught me how to deal with any kind of customer; those that yelled at me for not having drink trays and ketchup packets, and also those that were really sweet and patiently waited for their fresh pot of coffee. I actually wrote an entire blog post about working at McDonald’s and how it prepared me for the real world here. I definitely would recommend it to any student in high school. I even worked there when I moved to Ottawa for school and also in the summer after my first year, working full-time when I lived at home. Working at McDonald’s both part-time through high school and university, then full-time during the summer allowed me to save up enough money to pay for the first two years of my university education.
Getting Scholarships
To this day, I haven’t applied for OSAP. Starting from first-year, I started applying for scholarships as well as working. I got good grades because I wanted more scholarships and because I care about school (and have a crippling fear of failure), and I got involved since I heard it’s a good thing to do. I was one of the founding members of the Women in Management Network, a Career Centre ambassador, and then the Business Dinner Project Manager on TECDE (The Entrepreneurs’ Club). Both good grades and involvement in the school are great for receiving scholarships. I would get a couple per school year, which would cover most of the semester, and were immensely helpful. It’s easy to apply on uOzone and although they take a while to be reviewed, it’s very worth it. There are also many scholarships in the community that take a bit more research to find and complete since some require essays, but committing a week of time for scholarships and for them to pay off with thousands of dollars is a very good investment. I am a business student, so you can trust me!
Investing
Okay, so you know how I said I didn’t get OSAP and all of that. In my fourth year, I *accidentally* got them to pay my tuition because I forgot to check the “don’t need a loan” box on my grant application and they automatically paid for it. Since I had the money in my bank account for that semester already, I invested it into a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) with my bank and once I receive that money at the end of the year and pay off OSAP, at least I will have made interest too. I am not saying you should do this, but that’s what I did to remedy my situation since there was no way to cancel the OSAP payment of my tuition immediately. Remember to check that box if you don’t want the loan! Do apply for the grant though.
Why I Pay for University Myself
If your parents are willing to pay for your tuition, that’s great. But I actually found it extremely rewarding to pay for my own education because it made me appreciate it more. When I considered skipping class (and obviously never have…), I always thought about how much that class was costing me. It motivated me to keep going even when school got really tough because I know I am investing in my future (hopefully). It’s also nice to be independent and know I don’t have any real debt. So my only real advice to you is to work. I know it’s basic and obvious, but honestly, it’s really the only thing you can do, especially if you are on your own. And if you are worried about working part-time while studying, let me tell you, it’s totally possible. I wouldn’t even know what to do with my time if I was studying full-time and not working. Obviously, everyone has different learning styles and you might need the extra time, that’s understandable. I found it better for my time management to be busy, work, and study so I had clear windows when I would have to get things done, and less opportunity for procrastination (still do it though). Plus living on your own and being independent is kind of cool. You can eat cake for dinner and no one can tell you otherwise!
How Do I Pay for University?
In conclusion, I paid for my entire university education through working part- and full-time, receiving scholarships, and investing. It made me a better person and continues to do so. I learned how to balance a lot of things on my plate, get good grades, and still find time for relaxing, having fun, and having a social life. If I can do it, you can absolutely do it too.
Instagram: @sonyagankina
- Category: Student Voices
Occurring each semester, the Intopia Business Simulation allows for Strategic Management (ADM4311) students to compete in a simulated marketplace with two specified products. Teams must make hundreds of decisions which require expertise in accounting, finance, marketing, and management. The goal of this blog is to provide you with some helpful tips and tricks to help you in both your preparation for the simulation and your strategy during the game.
PREPARATION
1. Read the Manual & Watch ALL of the Preparation Videos
This may seem self-explanatory, but the best teams have a very deep understanding of how the simulation works, as well as how their decisions will impact their outputs each period. The manual details how different numbers on your balance sheet and income statement are calculated, which becomes extremely important when you begin calculating your cash flows each period.
2. Treat the Practice Round Like the Real Game
There are two different ways to approach what the simulation calls the “Market Trials” (A fancy way to say practice round). The first is to try as many different strategies as possible to see what your team may excel at, and to learn about all parts of the game. The second is to decide what your team’s real strategy is, and to use the Market Trials as practice for the actual simulation. Both approaches are valid, but no matter which one you choose, it is important to take the trials seriously. You should meet with your team before every decision, as you would during the simulation, and try to finish near the top of the leaderboard. Having a good reputation heading into the game can help your team secure loans and long-term contracts as teams are more confident in your ability to be profitable.
THE REAL GAME
3. Make Relationships Early
One of the most important tips to winning the Intopia Business Simulation has to do with how you interact with other teams. Whichever strategy you decide on, you are going to need to work with all different types of companies (teams). Having contracts signed for multiple periods not only eases your team’s stress, but also puts you in a much better position for the later periods as you start needing to either buy or sell more inventory due to increases in production capacity and demand.
4. Think About Leveraging Your Position to Start the Game
This strategy doesn’t necessarily apply to all company types, but if you are a producer looking to expand your operations as fast as possible, taking out a loan from another team to start the game can be a great idea. My team was an X producer that had the capital to build 4 plants in period 1. We decided to leverage ourselves, allowing us to build a fifth plant which gave us more inventory than all other X producers for a large portion of the game. In the Intopia Business Simulation, aggressive teams are rewarded as all teams are profitable, for the most part. Therefore, the teams that expand the quickest get a leg up on the competition strictly due to their higher inventory volume.
5. Start Paying Dividends as Early as Possible
The majority of your grade for the Intopia component of ADM4311 comes from your “Value Added” compared to other teams within your chosen strategy. Paying dividends directly increases your “Value Added”, and it can lead to money being reinvested into your company. You should become profitable by period 4, which is when you should begin repatriating your earnings from your areas of operation in order to pay dividends. This is another key tip to winning Intopia, and you should be paying higher dividends each period until you reach the maximum amount ($99,999,999). However, be sure you never decrease your dividends paid from period to period as it can lead to a lack of confidence from your shareholders.
6. Know your Numbers
This goes back to your preparation, but it is super important that you understand exactly how your cash flows work. Once you have a solid grasp on how much cash you have each period, you can start planning ahead to build plants or sales offices. Your team should have detailed spreadsheets that calculate your break-even point, projected cash flows and projected earnings, among other things. Receiving outputs each period that match your projections not only eases your stress, but also puts you in a great position for the upcoming rounds.
7. Be Aware of Tax Implications
Different Areas have different tax rates, and moving money around can help limit the amount of earnings you lose to taxes. Also, it can be beneficial to determine how you sell inventory based on tax rates (higher priced products get sold in areas with lower tax rates), in order to send more income to retained earnings each period.
I hope this blog helps you in completing, and hopefully winning, the Intopia Business Simulation. If you have any other questions feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.
- Category: Student Voices
Deciding whether or not to attend a business school can be a challenging decision for high school graduates or business enthusiasts who aspire to start a business of their own. Given the many popular stories of college dropouts who later emerged to become business tycoons, decision-making becomes even more difficult.
So, you may be asking yourself, should I attend business school before starting my own business?
I can confidently say that business school did indeed help me start my own business.
In 2019, after years of freelancing and consultation, I founded a digital marketing agency named myMarketing.io. It is an Ottawa-based company focused on providing startups, small and medium-sized businesses with high-quality digital marketing at an affordable price.
The business was started during my studies. Today, six months later, myMarketing is a team of three individuals providing services to multiple clients. Although other factors played a role in the success of the company, such as professional experience, a strong network, and sufficient resources, attending business school was undoubtedly very useful.
Here are the top 10 ways business school helped me start my business:
1. Vast Connection and Networking
The greatest benefit of attending a business school is its vast and connected networks. In the context of running a business, networking is one of the most powerful tools when it comes to determining your business’ success. In some cases, the difference between a successful and failed business can be determined by a single valuable connection.
Attending business school allows you to build a network and make connections with like-minded people who have similar business interests. These connections can be a gateway to lucrative business opportunities for your future business. Having these connections is a valuable asset that belongs to you for the rest of your career. It might be difficult to imagine, but the connections you make in university may turn into your future client, partner, co-worker, mentor or investor.
Here’s a simple example from when I started my own business. When I began looking for employees for my newly launched company, the first people that came to mind were my university connections. Since I already knew them and had worked with them in the past, I was able to hire people that were the best fit for my business.
No matter which industry you are in, having quality employees is essential for your business growth. Investing your time in network building helps you identify qualified candidates. It is a very effective method to learn about their skills required to do the job as well.
2. Valuable Co-op Experience
Another benefit of enrollment in a business school is the opportunity to experience a co-op program. In this co-op program, a company hires students temporarily through schools. It is a mutually beneficial agreement between the student, employer and educational institute.
Students participating in co-op placements from business schools gain valuable, hands-on experience. While it is important to study and attend classes, the co-op program immensely helps you to expand your professional skills. It allows you to ‘put your foot in the door’ and begin your career in your field of study.
My co-op experience helped me learn about my interests, develop skills in my field and, most importantly, make valuable business connections.
Discovering my interest: My experience in co-op allowed me to expand my passion in my field and discover which areas were of interest to me and which weren’t. It also gave me the opportunity to test my own strengths and weaknesses and excel in certain areas of my field.
Developing my skills: Business school courses concentrate on the theoretical aspect of business, but lack practical business teaching. Fortunately, co-op provided practical experience that allowed me to develop my skills and start my business.
Expanding my network: My co-op experience played a crucial role in guiding my professional career. The connections I made during my co-op placements are still very relevant to my career today. Some connections have become my co-workers, others are my clients, and others are business promoters.
Whether you realize it or not, a co-op program that provides you with professional experience in your field is very important for your career.
3. General Business Know-How
Many startups fail due to the founder’s lack of basic professional knowledge. This is where a business school can make a big difference. They give students the opportunity to understand the basic functioning of a startup and give an overview of each major business field.
As an entrepreneur, you may be in charge of many aspects of your company. Due to this, it is essential to understand the basics of each business field such as managing finances, monitoring operations, marketing your products and many other general administrative tasks. Business graduates are much more likely to successfully manage these operations than those who have no theoretical background.
It is unquestionable that the general business knowledge I gained during my studies has been of extreme value when starting my company. Though I was always most interested in marketing, studying business allowed me to become knowledgeable in essential day-to-day activities for my business.
4. Communication and Presentation Skills
For business owners, communication can be a major key to success. From conducting meetings to public speaking, strong communication and presentation skills are very important. The better you become at communicating, the greater the chances that your message will influence the target audience.
During your studies in business, you will be exposed to several communication practices such as public speaking, formal presentations, networking, and so on. For people that are not experienced or comfortable communicating or presenting, attending business school gives them the much-needed practice to improve these skills.
During my studies, I presented dozens of times and communicated professionally with hundreds of people. This has helped me improve my communication skills and my body language, but most importantly, it has helped me boost my confidence. As a business owner, I am required to present to small groups and speak to other business professionals on a daily basis. I can confidently say that I would not be nearly as comfortable and knowledgeable in public speaking as I am now if it weren’t for my business classes.
5. Inspiration and Guidance
Attending a business school played a major role in inspiring and guiding me to launch my business. During your time in business school, you get to know many professors and classmates who can become a big source of inspiration for your professional development.
Guidance from mentors and encouragement from peers can act as a strong catalyst in an entrepreneur’s life. They are people that can teach you valuable lessons and provide you with insight on the rights and wrongs of running your own business.
During my studies, many students and professors have inspired me to bring me where I am today. From professors who had become successful business owners to students with side businesses, I can confidently say that these people have had an impact on my business.
6. Extracurricular Activities
A business school lets you explore more than just educational knowledge. It allows you to discover other areas of interest by participating in extracurricular activities beyond the classroom. These activities help you create more connections, develop new skills and give you more professional experience.
By joining university clubs, you work alongside other students to fulfill a common goal. You learn to manage responsibility, work in groups and develop many other important skills that prove to be useful when running your own business.
At my university, I was a part of the Telfer Marketing Association. In this club, I worked on different projects and made truly great connections. Apart from participating in activities at Telfer, I took part in different competitions that allowed me to gain business experience and improve my overall professional performance.
7. Access to Resources
Most business schools offer additional support both during and after your graduation. The foundation of a successful business is its valuable resources, and a business school gives access to many of these to its students. From finding suitable mentors to opportunities for funding, a university gives you access to resources that might otherwise be difficult to attain.
In order to launch and grow a business, funding is important. Fortunately, business schools give you access to various grants and funding opportunities. Many business schools have a special fund for aspiring entrepreneurs as well as strong networks which provide opportunities for you to pitch your business ideas to investors. For example, to foster and support entrepreneurship, the University of Ottawa’s Entrepreneurship Hub has a four-month pre-accelerator program named Startup Garage. The mission of this program is to provide young entrepreneurs with the right mentorship, environment and funding to launch a new venture.
Business school also gives you access to experienced entrepreneurs and mentors. In entrepreneurship, experience is considered to be one of the most important assets. Finding the right mentor to help you guide your business is one of the best ways of gaining experience. They can provide you with the knowledge you need to improve business decisions and increase your chances of business success.
During my studies, the University of Ottawa gave me access to valuable resources like a strong network, mentors, databases and so on. These resources will be an asset to my business for years to come. I have already been able to profit from the resources offered at university, and I plan to continue capitalizing on them to grow my business.
8. Teamwork and Leadership Skills
Becoming an adept leader is not easy; it takes experience, knowledge and a series of important traits. However, the one thing that will help anyone improve their leadership skills is practice. In business school, students have the opportunity to practice these skills when participating in team projects and presentations. Having the opportunity to work in many different groups during your studies allows you to develop and sharpen your overall leadership skills.
Apart from academics, involvement in extracurricular activities can help you to develop leadership skills and improve teamwork abilities. Managing the day-to-day activities of your university clubs and working with teammates to achieve a common goal is an excellent way of developing your leadership capabilities.
During my time in business school, I participated in many activities that required teamwork. The valuable teamwork and leadership lessons I learned through academics, the co-op program, and extracurricular activities have become valuable skills for my career. These are skills that I use daily when managing my business and that are invaluable to my business’ success.
9. Work on your Business
For students who have recently started or would like to start a business during their studies, business school may offer them the opportunity to work on their business as assignments. Many classes may have project mandates that are relevant to your business and for which you will be able to implement in your business. This can be a great opportunity as it allows the student to receive relevant feedback from their professors and apply theoretical learnings to their business.
During my studies, some of my classes were able to contribute to what I was trying to build. For example, some of the services my company offers were thought of during my "New Venture Creation" class. I also had school projects that allowed me to work on launching my business. For example, the myMarketing.io website was designed during a project in my "Digital Marketing Technolgies" class.
10. Enhanced Credibility
It is undeniable that a business school degree helps strengthen the credibility of your business. As you already know, a degree helps candidates find a job, but what you may not realize is that a degree will also help a business owner attract prospects, clients, investors and partners to their business.
For business success, credibility is paramount; it is linked to client acquisition, investor trust, supplier confidence, business reputation and much more. A student that succeeds to build a strong reputation during their time in business school is likely to have much more success in their business ventures.
Throughout my time at university, I worked hard to try to stand out in each of my classes. My hard work allowed me to complete my program with one of the highest grades at Telfer. By doing this, I was able to prove myself as a credible connection to those in my network. The credibility I earned during my time in business school will be an asset to me for the rest of my career. Above all, the degree that I will receive at graduation will certify my credibility as a professional and the credibility of my business.
My Final Thoughts
After all, business school played a great role in starting my own digital marketing company. Today, with so many competitors in the industry, I consider my experience in business school a very valuable asset to my business.
I am thankful for having invested valuable time and effort in my university studies. They have truly paid off and will undoubtedly benefit my career and myMarketing.io for years to come.
- Category: Student Voices
Choosing a university may seem like an easy task – those who have gone through the process know that it can be extremely difficult. Choosing a school based on academics is important, but you should consider non-academic factors in your decision as well. This ensures you choose a school that best suits your personality and lifestyle.
Since choosing a university is such an important decision, you must take time to do your research and compare the options. Luckily, I have made a checklist to give you advice on how to choose a university. While researching, remember to consider not just your short-term (first-year) needs, but also consider the long-term (second, third and fourth-year) goals.
1. Research the Program
The most important thing when choosing a university is the program. After narrowing down your program, it is important to compare between different universities. For example, the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa offers a different course sequence in their Bachelor of Commerce program than the University of Guelph. Along with this, you must consider the internship opportunities that schools may offer you, and whether a co-op option is available, if that is something you are interested in. Ensuring that you are educated on the differences between your program of choice across all of the universities you are considering is crucial in your decision-making process.
2. Use the University Rankings to Guide You
After you research the program, it is important to educate yourself on the reputation of the universities you have shortlisted. To do this, you first need to choose the factors that are the most important to you. Whether it is based on its national reputation, student life or extracurriculars, the Build Your Own Ranking tool by Maclean’s is the best way to compare university rankings.
3. Research About the Lifestyle
Another important factor to consider when choosing a university is the lifestyle. This includes extracurriculars such as sports, clubs and activities offered on campus. For some students, these extracurriculars shape their university experience. If this is you, it is extremely important to research this topic before deciding. Most universities have a page dedicated to the extracurriculars offered on their campus. The lifestyle also includes the “vibe” of the off-campus life. Accessing information regarding the off-campus life can be difficult. The best way to get accurate information on this topic is to consult a friend or someone who you may be connected with who attends or has attended the university.
4. Research the Campus and the Facilities/Resources Offered
The campus “feel” is something that is extremely important as you are going to be spending the next, at least, four years there. The first thing you should do is decide if you want to attend a university with a small campus feel, or a larger university. Once you have decided, you should conduct research on each campus. Your research should include the buildings (especially the one specific to your faculty) along with facilities such as gyms, libraries, residences, food services, and more. Along with this, it is important to familiarize yourself with the resources offered on campus. This includes counselling services, academic help services, health services, and many others.
All of this may seem overwhelming, but familiarizing yourself with the campus will aid you in making the right decision for you. The best way to gain research first-hand is to experience the campus and go on a tour held by the university. If you are unable to do this, then make sure you research thoroughly. Many universities even offer virtual campus tours as well!
5. Research the City Where the University is Located
Once you choose a university, you will be living in that city for at least four years, so it’s important to inform yourself about what the city offers! Yes, this includes things to do with friends, such as places to eat. Although, it also includes necessities such as grocery stores, public transit, and other important services. Consider what your needs are, and evaluate if the city meets your needs. Two websites that may help with your research are TripAdvisor and Yelp.
6. Research Scholarships and Bursaries Offered by Your Top Choices
Securing financial assistance for post secondary can be time consuming, so start your research early. Read six tips to winning scholarships – it's worth your time. There are several available paths where funding may be available, those include grants, bursaries and student loans to name a few. Generally speaking, grants and bursaries do not need to be paid back as long as you satisfy the requirements for those awards. Student loans do need to be paid back. Financial aid tools for Canadian students can be found at the Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid; this source includes provincially-funded aid programs. Scholarships Canada is a searchable database of thousands of scholarships, prizes and bursaries for students entering their first year of post-secondary studies in Canada.
Choosing a university is extremely overwhelming and can be difficult. By researching everything on my checklist above, you will be informed enough when it comes time to decide. Taking all of these factors into account, I have no doubt that you will find the university that best suits you.
Now that you have read this post, I expect you will begin your research with a little more guidance than before. If you don’t know where to start, I suggest you begin by consulting the Maclean’s Education Hub where you can find an array of information regarding academics, money, student living, and rankings.
- Category: Student Voices
As a fourth-year BCom Marketing student, I never could have imagined that the end of my semester would be suddenly shifted from in-person lectures to online learning. While the adjustment was at first stressful, it is certainly necessary so that we can all practice social distancing.
After two full weeks of this “distance learning” thing, I think I’ve finally got a handle on balancing productivity and self-care by trying to stick to a productive schedule. Here’s how my days of studying at home are going:
9:00 a.m.
I try not to sleep past 9:00 a.m. in the mornings in order to avoid that groggy feeling. I start off with a few stretches to some of my favourite tunes. Then, I usually make tea and oatmeal for breakfast.9:45 a.m.
This is my 15-minute window to scroll through social media, text friends and family, and just relax before starting a day of studying. I’ll also go through my playlists to decide the type of music I want to listen to throughout the day. The right type of music will help you focus and stay motivated. I highly recommend Spotify’s Brain Food playlist that’s specifically designed for studies.10:00 a.m.
Once I open up my laptop, the first thing I do is check-in with my teammates on various group projects. It’s important to stay updated on everyone’s progress to help the team feel supported, and stay on track to meet deadlines. One of my groups recently started using Google Hangouts, which is a great tool for group video calls and screen sharing.11:00 a.m.
Depending on my priorities, I’ll usually take the late-morning to work on assignments like my Business Ethics essay or watch online lectures. Yesterday, I learned about paid advertising in the online lecture for my Digital Marketing class!
1:00 p.m.:
After a couple hours of studying, it’s lunch time - be sure to eat something nutritious and rich with vitamins to strengthen your health. Sometimes I check out EatingWell’s website for hundreds of quick and easy healthy recipes. I try to make lunch even more fun by scheduling video lunch dates with friends and co-workers so that you can eat and chat together, virtually, to avoid feeling lonely or isolated.
2:00 p.m.:
I’ll take the next 3 hours to be as productive as possible, knowing that after 5:00 p.m., I start to get distracted easily. Being productive doesn’t mean non-stop work though. I try to take 10-minute breaks after every hour of work to breathe, move around, or step outside. I love using the short guided meditations from the non-profit, Smiling Mind app, which has hundreds of meditation programs for free.5:30 p.m.:
Depending on upcoming deadlines, I might need to do more work into the evening, but I am always sure to go on a walk in my neighbourhood before sunset. Whether you go on your own with music, while chatting on the phone with friends, or with family, the fresh air is sure to brighten your spirit and clear your mind.For the rest of the evening, I try to connect with my friends and family over video calls, plan my schedule for the next day, and watch some TV, of course. Netflix Party is an awesome extension so that you can watch Netflix “with” your friends, from anywhere in the world.
Regardless of what your distance learning routine is, the important thing is that you have a routine that will help you feel normal and stay organized during the remaining of this unprecedented semester. Your schedule should include time to connect with your loved ones and with yourself so that you can maximize your study sessions and ace the rest of the semester. Even if you stray from your schedule, it’s alright - simply try to refocus when you catch yourself getting distracted, and don’t add too much pressure on yourself. The University of Ottawa and the Telfer School are here to support you through this crazy time.
You can schedule phone appointments with our Career Centre on Career Launch, contact the Co-op office at
- Category: Student Announcements
Telfer School of Management Bachelor of Commerce students Joy Xu, Leah Salzman, Lina Salama and Madison Woo, better known by their collective pseudonym “Employees of the Month” at the competition, brought recognition to the program by winning 1st place at the 5th annual Diversity and Inclusion Case Competition. In all five years since the competition’s founding, a Telfer team has won first place each time, with “Employees of the Month” representing Telfer at the fifth edition. The competition took place last Saturday, February 29th, at Export Development Canada (EDC), one of the founding partners of the event.
The group’s ideas, which the judges found to be refreshing and grounded in the reality of today’s world, earned them a shared $5,000 prize that was presented at the evening awards gala. This was the first year that the competition was open to not only MBA students, but also to third and fourth-year undergraduate students. The latter showed they were up for the task, as two of the four finalist teams came from undergraduate programs.
A new edition this year in the spirit of renewal and innovation, this fifth edition of the competition started on Friday evening, February 28th, at a networking launch event at Bayview Yards. An interactive activity hosted by second founding partner, Deloitte, was definitely the highlight of the evening, according to many participants. The Deloitte Greenhouse team offered the students who were present an opportunity to attend four workshops that were each as useful as the next. Participants were invited to discuss real diversity and inclusion issues both in the workplace and in everyday life.
For this year's competition, which could count on the support of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) for the first time, the participants received the case analysis two weeks in advance, which marked a new direction for the case competition. Twelve teams from 10 different universities across Canada had to develop a strategy to recruit, retain, and develop employees of visible minority groups working for the Bank of Canada (the official author of the case study) by highlighting barriers to equal access.
According to Professor Catherine Elliott, Director of the Telfer MBA program, this new format enabled the teams to bring more depth in their analyses and increase the quality of the cases in the first round of presentations. “The bar keeps getting higher!” said Catherine; “Diversity and inclusion is now part of CEOs’ vocabulary, and is receiving more and more visibility as a topic in businesses. We can expect to host more teams and businesses involved in this subject, as a result, for the years to come.
The Competition
The purpose of the first part of this case analysis, which was presented before an audience for the first time this year, was to select four teams for the final round. This is where Joy Xu’s team stood out from the crowd, and this time the finalists had only 75 minutes to prepare before tackling a new problem posed by the Bank of Canada regarding employment equity data.
“Everything we learned in case resolution was really helpful to us, and each of us was able to put our own resources to work for the team, to determine exactly what employees needed”, Joy told us in the moments following the “Employees of the Month” victory. There was also the fact that two team members had to join the team just a few weeks before the start of the competition, and so the four of them were particularly pleased with this excellent outcome.
Another Telfer team, composed of Aditya Bhatkal, Allison Caverly, Camille Sigouin and Lisa Filter, all four MBA students, also performed well on the first round, but were unable to qualify for the final. The classmates were still happy to have had the experience and pleased with their presentation to the judges.
Competition Winners:
1st Place: Telfer School of Management, uOttawa, BCom
2nd Place: Schulich School of Business, York University, MBA
Tied for 3rd Place:
Memorial University of Newfoundland, Undergraduate; and
DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, MBA
The steering committee is already planning the 6th edition of the event, which will take place in early 2021. Any organization with an interest in diversity and inclusion issues and topics is invited to contact the Telfer Graduate Programs Office to discuss possible participation in next year’s competition at:
- Category: Student Announcements
The 2020 CEOx1Day program, organized by Odgers Berndtson, has finalized its placements with four of Telfer’s Bachelor of Commerce students in the semi-finals. This challenge includes a selection process, and the top winners will win a day to spend with any CEO participating in the program. After several rounds of a competition selection process, one Telfer student made it to the top two Ottawa finalist spots.
We would like to congratulate the following BCom students for their progression to the semi-finals round:
- Ciara Carey: 4th-year, International Management
- Farah Osman: 3rd-year, Marketing
- Joy Xu: 4th-year, Accounting
- Rylan Williams: 4th-year, International Management
Fourth-year BCom student, Ciara Carey, made it to the finals, and will be spending a day with Sasha Suda, Director & CEO of the National Gallery of Canada, on February 26th.
The CEOx1Day Challenge
Odgers Berndtson, a global executive search firm, started this program as a world-wide initiative that connects third and fourth-year students with top CEOs. To find the next generation of Canadian business leaders, Odgers Berndtson has selected 20 students to shadow some of Canada’s top CEOs.
Students discover the inner workings that build company success, such as fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation.
CEOx1Day has brought in new companies to match with students for the program’s 7th edition, including:
- Capital One Canada
- Facebook and Instagram Canada
- Sephora Canada
- Absolute Software
- Total E&P Canada
- National Gallery of Canada
- Toronto Zoo
Odgers Berndtson works with a broad range of clients and integrated talent solutions. The CEOx1Day program was the organization’s way of investing in the development of Canada’s future leaders.
This Year’s University of Ottawa Finalist
Ciara Carey, this year ‘s finalist, shared the details on her journey from application to final placement. She listed some of the opportunities that led her to feel more prepared going into the various competing rounds:
“I feel extremely fortunate for the different opportunities and teams I’ve gotten to be a part of throughout my Telfer undergraduate experience (BSA, JDCC, etc). I’ve learned many hard skills as a result of my involvement; however, what I’m most thankful for are the soft skills I have developed.
Coming into university after having played competitive basketball rigorously, I thought I understood work ethic and teamwork, but these extracurriculars ended up being a whole other test of what it means to be part of something bigger than yourself. They taught me to self-reflect, work on seeing the bigger picture, and how to act with humility. Most importantly, I’ve learned how to be a better teammate.
Due to my extra-curricular involvement, I had many experiences that I could pull from to demonstrate my leadership abilities, that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.“
Application Process
The application process for this year started in early October 2019, which the Canadian Association of Business Schools (CABS) added as a requirement for all Jeux Du Commerce Central (JDCC) delegates. After the application, an online leadership assessment was conducted by Hogen Assessments. Next, the applicant is drawn for a telephone interview with an Odgers Berndtson executive search professional. The last step was a half-day semi-finalist evaluation at the Odgers Berndtson’s office. Challenges, workshops, and exercises were used to assess the interpersonal and communication skills of the candidates, as well as their teamwork skills, problem solving abilities, and leadership potential.
The Motivation to Apply
As a JDCC delegate and this year’s JDCC Coordinator, Ciara submitted an application to the program, as she “thought shadowing a CEO for a day would be an amazing experience. After reading the descriptions of the CEOs offered in the region, I was excited by the idea of spending a day with Sasha Suda and learning about her journey.” Ciara shared, “I am especially interested in learning more about how the National Art Gallery operates in general, and the leadership abilities that are needed as a CEO. Furthermore, I’m curious about the organization’s strategic goals and the role Mrs. Suda plays in achieving them. I would also love to hear about her personal journey, and her opinion about the impact that art has on the community.“
Tips for Future Applicants
Applying to a program of this magnitude can be intimidating at first, but certainly worth while. With the right tips, you can work towards hopefully obtaining a finalist position. Ciara shared her advice for students applying for next year’s CEOX1Day program:
“An obstacle you might face is an internal struggle deciding to actually apply. Similarly to when underclassmen ask me for advice about getting involved in Telfer, my biggest advice for folks interested in CEOx1Day is to ‘just go for it!’ Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and don’t be afraid to ‘fail’ (everything is a learning opportunity). For CEOx1Day, I think it definitely helps to be honest and authentic, especially when it comes to the Hogan Assessment portion of the selection process.”
Ciara also shared that she is happy to get in contact with any students that may be looking for advice for their future application!
We hope Ciara has an insightful day at the National Art Gallery, and look forward to learning more about her experience.
- Category: Student Voices
Written by Alex Dalcourt, fourth-year Telfer Bachelor of Commerce student
I almost missed my first class of the semester...I caught a cold and have dark circles under my eyes. So why do I still have an unwavering smile? All of this is a welcomed sacrifice, since I had the privilege of spending the first weekend of the new year in Montréal at the Jeux Du Commerce competition alongside 82 fellow Telfer students. The slogan for this edition of the games was: #expérienceJDC—and wow, it was quite an experience!
I was part of the Debate team, and though we did not win (we lost in the quarter-finals), I am nonetheless proud of our performance. We held weekly practices since the start of the academic year, and we all improved tremendously under the supervision of our extraordinary coach.
As well, the other Telfer teams that I saw present (Marketing, Entrepreneurship and the Surprise case) were all terrific. It is clear that the entire Telfer JDC team learned many practical concepts that will be useful throughout our professional careers.
Memories Worth Much More than a Trophy
“So Alex,” friends ask me, “why was this weekend such a success, if you didn’t win?” It’s simple: because I have memories that are worth much more than a trophy. (Yes, the trophy would have been a nice bonus, but regardless...).
This academic competition is a powerful catalyst for building friendships with other Telfer students during bus trips, meals, galas, while waiting in hotel rooms, through the lack of sleep, and the jokes that are only funny because of sleep deprivation, and so on. I came out of this weekend with 81 new friends whom I will have the pleasure of seeing during and between classes in the Desmarais Building. I also came back with songs like Sam Hunt’s “House Party” stuck in my head because it was played non-stop on the bus, as well as with increased knowledge of horoscopes thanks to my new friend, and with a better idea of where various Québec universities are located in the famous Belle Province.
The atmosphere surrounding this competition promotes mutual support and collegiality among participating universities; it gave me a unique opportunity to connect with people from across Eastern Canada—whether they were from the University of Moncton, the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University, and Université Laval. I had the privilege of spending time with them during the many hours we spent in isolation, playing Werewolf Hangman, and card games.
A Competition, After All
I will always remember the debates my team and I had—after all, this competition had an academic goal!
The topics were sometimes a little obscure—for example, the debate on the Canada–United States Safe Third Country Agreement, where we did not have Internet access to find out its specific content. However, all in all, we did rather well, and I’m very proud of that. As a result of the critical analysis skills and general knowledge we gained during our practices, we were ready to tackle almost any case that could have been thrown at us with a fresh mind and strong team spirit.
In short, this impressive competition (with 1,300 participants and organized by students) was a genuine success, in my opinion, both for my team and for the entire delegation. So, am I tired? Definitely! But am I happy to have participated in the 2020 Jeux du Commerce? That's for sure. Fatigue will dissipate, but the memories of this #experience will last forever.
About the Author:
Name: Alex Dalcourt
Email address:
LinkedIn
Instagram: @alex.dalcourt
Born in Hearst, Ontario, Alex Dalcourt is a 4th year student at the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa in the Bachelor of Commerce and Juris Doctor program. He currently works as a mentor at the Telfer School and as a tutor at the University's Faculty of Law. In addition, he was co-president of the 16th edition of Place à la Jeunesse, an academic competition managed at the Telfer School.
- Category: Student Announcements
Our Telfer Bachelor of Commerce students began 2020 by competing at Jeux Du Commerce (JDC) and Jeux Du Commerce Central (JDCC) competitions, receiving 9 team and individual awards.
Through months and months of training, coaching, practice, and simulation, our JDCC team brought home 3 wins!
From January 3 to 7th, 2020, nearly 130 students represented the Telfer School of Management at the two largest undergraduate case competitions in Canada. These competitions are comprised of over 10 universities, and students can compete in either academics, sports, or social categories.
Management and business students across Canada spend months searching for the best candidates, placing them into categorical teams (such as marketing or finance), and help them practice their competition skills to compete against top students across the nation. In terms of the academics component, teams of three are given three hours to develop a case resolution that they then share with a panel of judges during a 20-minute presentation. Only the top three teams receive recognition and awards at the closing ceremony.
Jeux Du Commerce
This year, JDC was hosted at HEC Montréal in Quebec, where Telfer students were competing against 13 other schools in Québec. With a team of 82 students, Telfer brought home:
2 VIP Awards
- Andre Caissie - Accounting Case
- Charles Doray - Surprise Case
1 Team MVP (4 people)
- Quinn St. Pierre
- Sammy Najm
- Olivia Yap
- Angela Monfleury
Students are selected for VIP awards by academic judges for standing out in their category and presentation.
MVPs are awarded only to 1 person per category but in this case, was given to one team: the social team.
Jeux Du Commerce Central
At JDCC, Telfer students travelled to St.Catherines, Ontario to compete at Brock University, where Telfer students were competing against 11 other schools from Ontario. With a team of 46 students, Telfer brought home:
3 Podium Awards
- 1st place - HR case (Joy Xu, Aman Sidhu, Soumaya Esanhaji)
- 3rd place - Debate case (Samuel Benhamou, Aadi Koundal, Joseph Salem, Omar Al Salaq)
- 3rd place - Wildcard case (Bobby Wong, Dylan Budimir-Hussey, Soumaya Esanhaji)
2 VIP Awards
- Bobby Wong - Entrepreneurship case
- Dylan Budimir Hussey - Finance case
1 MVP
- Amede Fontaine - Sports team
The Telfer Competitions Committee (TCCT) is the student association that selects and prepares undergraduate delegations for both JDC and JDCC. They are the students that reach out to all the coaches, which significantly impacts the team’s success. They also provide all the practice cases and run the case simulations.
Leah Salzman, President of TCCT said:
“I would like to commend the hard work of every delegate that participated this year. I would also like to recognize the outstanding work of both the JDC Coordinators and JDCC Captains. Without them and the delegates, none of this would be possible. Lastly I would like to thank the Telfer faculty for their ongoing support.”
We look forward to cheering on our Telfer students again at next year’s JDC and JDCC competitions! Now, TCCT is getting ready for the next case competition, Happening Marketing, taking place in Spring 2020.
- Category: Telfer Announcements
The pressure of going back to school and managing your time for a new year and semester after the holidays can feel overwhelming. It is important to take the time to ensure that you’re staying healthy and organized to avoid major stress and exhaustion.
Here are some management tips for success this semester:
1. Take care of yourself: Self-care is more than a weekly face mask! Taking care of your mental and physical health is key to success in every facet of your life:
- Sleep: You’ve probably heard it a hundred times, but the importance of sleep cannot be stressed enough. Get at least 7 hours per night to have a well-functioning brain by the morning. Read the benefits of a good night’s rest in this Medical News Today article.
- Hydrate: When you’re thirsty, drink water. When you’re bored, drink water. When you’re tired, drink water. There is never a bad time to drink water! Try to always have a reusable water bottle with you, which you can refill at our many water stations across campus.
- Mental health: Be sure to prioritize your mental health, because a healthy mind makes a healthy you. The University of Ottawa offers a variety of mental health counselling services including therapy, workshops, and group sessions. Check the uOttawa Mental Health and Wellness website to keep up with their schedule of free events such as yoga, reiki, and pet therapy.
- Exercise: You already know this, but exercise is essential for a healthy body and mind. Here’s a list of super easy ways to stay active throughout the busy semester, like taking the stairs over elevators.
- Eat well: The key to a nutritious diet is variety. Be sure to have a ton of colours on your plate from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and proteins. Get more information on eating well and tips for a balanced diet from the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
2. Get organized: Organization is more than colour-coding your accounting notes. There are simple tasks and tools to keep you on track for success.
- Set goals: Set short and long-term goals for your personal and professional development. Take it a step further by writing down and tracking the little steps that will lead you to achieve your bigger goals.
- Use a planner: Whether it’s a hand-held agenda or a digital calendar, it can be super helpful to have a visual representation of your upcoming deadlines, meetings, and events. Check out this list of some of the top calendar apps for 2020.
- Prioritize and reprioritize: Now that you have your scheduled planned, you can figure out what are the most important things to work on every day. Even after you’ve decided these priorities, situations might change and you might need to reprioritize - that’s okay! The ability to be flexible enough to adapt your to-do list when needed is a great skill that you will use throughout your career.
3. Meet with an Academic Specialist: As a Telfer student, you have access to professionals who specialize in helping you plan your BCom degree and career path afterwards.
- Changing your course sequence: Don’t worry if you need to make changes to your course sequence. Whether you want to ensure you have all the credits to graduate on time or faster, change your specialization, or go on international exchange, our Academic Specialists can help you to plan all your semesters so that you take the right courses at the right time.
- Sign up for a meeting: Set up a chat with a Telfer Academic Specialist at the Student Services Centre to discuss your academic progress. Visit the offices at DMS1100, give them a call at (613) 562-5805, or send them an email at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Whether you want to adopt a new lifestyle or simply implement baby steps towards change, we wish you all the best with your growth and learning in 2020!
- Category: Telfer Announcements
Over the last few weeks, the Bachelor of Commerce 4th-year students completed their respective capstone courses. As a team, students must conduct a live case study on a specific issue related to a real company. The finalists of each discipline must then present their work in front of a panel of professionals and classmates.
Intopia
From November 8 to 10, 4th-year students participated in the Intopia Strategy Simulation, as part of their Strategic Management class. The aim of the simulation is for students to apply strategic management concepts in an online-simulated world, where they are required to make quick decisions in a determined period and negotiate with their peers in order to grow their business over the weekend.
Congratulations to the members of the winning team: Katya Berezovskaia, Robert Mackenzie Duncan, Patrick Kaminski, Tsoi Yuen Lau and Evan Naylor
Michel Cloutier Marketing Competition
On December 3, the Telfer School of Management hosted the Michel Cloutier Marketing Competition, a live case competition, where fourth-year marketing students are required to present a marketing plan which aims to solve a real-life issue. This year's cohort created marketing strategies for the University of Ottawa's Alumni Engagement team.
Congratulations to the winning team: Jia Zi Chen, Jiana Bandojo, Kyenshak Zakka, Will Vincent, Michael Vice and Fiona Ing.
Finance Capstone
All finance students must take the Equity Valuation course in which they undertake a case analysis to estimate the value of a real company and elaborate an action plan to enhance the company’s economic performance. On December 4, finalists presented their results in front of a panel while other students created posters explaining the company’s financial value. This semester's teams analyzed a case on Canopy Growth.
Congratulations to the winning team of the case competition: Tsoi (Jack) Lau and Mackenzie Duncan.
Congratulations to the winning team of the poster competition: Rushika Khatkar, Nourhan Mohamed and Pierre-Andre Smith.
Accounting Capstones
On December 4 and November 25, the finalists of the accounting competition presented their analysis of a company and report on related accounting issues.
Congratulations to the winning team of the English accounting section: Robin Cheung, Adib Hossain, Kushalsingh Romooah, Ziyad Zeidan, Yasr Said and Leah Salzman.
Congratulations to the winning team of the French accounting section: Laurence Vaillancourt, Alexandre Plouffe, Tina Samaha and Myriam Joanisse.
- Category: Telfer Announcements
Job shadowing is cool, but in honour of Telfer’s 50th birthday, we thought it would be more fun to try a “reverse job shadow”.
Earlier in 2019, Telfer accounting alumna of 1980, Marlene Patrick spent a day with current finance student, Nourhan Mohamed. Throughout the day, they learned just how dramatically the school has changed in the 43 years since Marlene attended the university!
When Marlene walked through the doors of the Desmarais building, she immediately loved the bright sunlight shining through the large lobby windows. This was a pleasant surprise given the historical building on Wilbrod Street that used to be home to the Faculty of Commerce.
The ladies started their day by attending Nourhan’s Operations Management lecture. While many of the course names have changed - Operations Management was called Production back in the 1970s - they discovered that the first and second-year courses back then still exist in today’s Telfer curriculum. Marlene also noticed that female students made up over 50% of the class. Her graduating class only had 17 women out of 57 graduates.
Walking through campus after class, Marlene felt nostalgic seeing her old University of Ottawa buildings like Morisset and Montpetit, where Telfer students still have classes today. However, there was nothing nostalgic about exploring the new STEM and CRX buildings that opened in 2018. The bright colours and innovative design gave Marlene a warm welcome, but she was especially in awe of the Richard L’Abbé Makerspace in the STEM building, where students can design, build, or 3D print their creations.
At the end of their day, Marlene shared some of her photos from her time living in uOttawa’s Thompson residence, on campus, and at graduation with Nourhan. What they realized is that despite the immense changes in technology, appearance, and even school name that have happened at Telfer over the last 43 years, one thing certainly has not changed - the kind and innovative community that students contribute to #TelferNation every single day.
- Category: Telfer Announcements
The Gee-Gees celebrated the 2018-19 class of Academic All-Canadians on Wednesday, November 20. The annual reception celebrates the student-athletes on varsity, varsity club, and competitive club teams who competed for uOttawa while also achieving an annual GPA of 8.00 or higher, or studying at the graduate level.
In 2018-19, over 220 student-athletes achieved this prestigious recognition. Each one represents a story of commitment, dedication, and passion for athletic and academic success. For Brendan Jacome, a Finance major on the men’s hockey team, it’s a story of hard work and recognizing one’s strengths.
Brendan Jacome is a 24-year old from Caledon, Ont. Now in his fourth year at uOttawa, Brendan is a key player for the Garnet and Grey on the ice and brings his competitive spirit to his course-work as well.
“Roughly half of my classes are math-based and that is one of my strengths. If I don’t get a question I have a desire and a drive to find the right answer, so I’ll sit and I’ll work on it until I get it,” explains Jacome. “I have to make sure I fully understand that before I move on. You don’t treat it as a chore, you treat it as something that’s going to make you better.”
Getting better is a process that happens academically and on the ice. “If you work really hard at something, and you have a goal set out, there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to achieve it. I think that’s a very valuable outlook that can carry over to many situations.”
At Telfer, Brendan enjoys interacting with his classmates while also having his hockey teammates to support him. “I have people in my group from all over the world. It’s cool to see how we do things differently sometimes but at the end of the day, everyone is focused and wanting to do well. I also have some great professors with good real-world experience and they are very engaging.”
“Lots of guys on our teamwork really hard on their school and a lot of my roommates are in finance too. Our coaches also want to make sure that we succeed. If we have to miss something because of a conflict with the school they are understanding.” There are eight members of the men’s hockey team who earned Academic All-Canadian status in 2018-19.
On the ice, Brendan achieved an interesting statistic last season: he did not take a single penalty. Partly in recognition of that, but also as a nod to his overall quality of play (Brendan was fourth on the Gee-Gees in points and third in goals scored and is an excellent penalty kill player), he won the national award for Most Sportsmanlike men’s hockey player.
“My role is to go out and score points, not to agitate guys. I’m more useful for my team on the ice than in the penalty box! But I like to work hard and make sure I play a good game in all facets.”
That ability to be multifaceted has also been recognized on campus. Brendan won the Gee-Gees President’s award for outstanding commitment to academics and community involvement in addition to athletic performance. With an AGPA of 8.38, he is also active in team efforts to help the local hockey community with clinics and is a visible advocate for the Movember, Hockey Gives Blood, Do it for Daron, and Pride activities that the Gee-Gees take part in.
Brendan anticipates completing his studies at uOttawa this spring. Both the hockey world and the world of finance have opportunities awaiting.
“I’d like to go on and play pro hockey next year. More than anything though I just want to help the team win this year. Right now I am taking it one year at a time and I’ll see what happens. I have had some good internships in the last couple of summers with good firms in the commercial real estate field. I left on good terms and have good relationships, so those doors are open for the future for sure.”
- Category: Student Announcements
The Entrepreneurs’ Club (TECDE) has been hosting the Elevator Pitch Competition as a part of Global Entrepreneurship Week for over a decade, showcasing top talent and innovation among uOttawa student-entrepreneurs. This year’s competition offers ten companies, competing in two divisions, an opportunity to pitch their business ideas for a chance at a prize pack valued at over $35,000; with $20,000 in cash prizes and over $15,000 in additional services including law (offered by LaBarge Weinstein LLP), accounting (offered by Logan Katz) and incubation space (offered by Invest Ottawa).
Throughout the years, the competition has grown both in popularity and in awareness amongst the Ottawa business community. Back in the first few years of the competition, there was one category which was only for companies that were already established. When Professor Stephen Daze, Entrepreneur in Residence at the Telfer School of Management got involved in the event, he pushed for the formation of a second “Validation” category. Professor Daze recently explained the evolution of the competition, and shared that the new category “allows the opportunity to promote that it's important to validate your ideas before you just create a business. By showcasing the top five companies at this stage, [we] demonstrate to everyone else in the room what they need to be doing as next steps for their business ideas.”
Over the decades, TECDE, the Telfer School of Management, and the competition’s sponsors have been able to help countless companies launched by uOttawa students. Two of these companies include Hoppier, co-founded by Telfer alumnus, Cassy Aite, and Welbi, founded by Telfer alumna, Elizabeth Audette-Bourdeau. These two bright co-founders will both be joining the 2019 competition as judges.
Aite, co-founder and CEO of Hoppier shared that: "the Elevator Pitch Competition gave Hoppier the opportunity to connect with a network of people and receive funding to help the company grow in a time when we needed it most. Hoppier was able to grow into a self-sustaining company, achieving over 6 figures in sales in its first year. Today, 2 years later, Hoppier employs over 20 people and is used by companies across Canada and the United States." The ability to create an impact in the lives of students and their companies over the years is the reason why TECDE continues to host this flagship event and strives to make improvements year over year.
In addition to the two category prizes, TECDE will be featuring a People’s Choice Award where the audience will vote on their favourite startup to be awarded a $2000 cash prize!
Join TECDE on Tuesday, November 19th in DMS 4101 to hear the 2019 finalists pitch their ideas and support our uOttawa student-entrepreneurs.
- Category: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The CEOx1Day program from Odgers Berndtson offers student-leaders the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to spend a day with a top Canadian CEO.
For many management students, the ultimate career achievement is to earn the title of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of an organization. While being a CEO is a much sought-after position, the job is complex and constantly changing. This one-day event offers third and fourth-year students a unique opportunity to explore a CEO’s role at their respective company.
Last year, there were two Telfer students who advanced far into the program:
Audrey-Anne Délage, semi-finalist
Nayaelah Siddiqui, finalist
International Management and Entrepreneurship student and CEOx1Day finalist, Nayaelah earned one of 18 competitive finalist spots, getting to spend an inspiring day of learning and mentorship with Teresa Marques, CEO of the Rideau Hall Foundation. Nayaelah shared that she “had the opportunity to learn lots of different things” from meeting Former Governor General David Johnston, spending time at the Senate of Canada, and spending one-on-one time with Marques.
Nayaelah faced an intense and eye-opening selection process. To get her day with Teresa Marques, she went through four selection phases: Application, Online Leadership Assessment, Phone Interview, and In-person Evaluation. Nayaelah recalls that she “didn't know if [she] would be the finalist, but just getting through so many rounds gave [her] the confidence boost to never give up and be [herself]. There is a lot to learn even if you don't make it all the way!”
This year, the CEOs participating are from Facebook Canada, Sephora Canada, Capital One, CHEO, and many other companies. Check out the full list of CEOs you might meet here.
Apply for the 2019 CEOx1Day program by Friday, October 25th for your chance to connect with incredible students, business leaders and Canadian CEOs.
- Category: Telfer Announcements
The Telfer Financial Research and Learning Lab located in the Desmarais building at the University of Ottawa is used as a key tool to educate students about capital markets.
This lab is recognizable with its real-time stock exchange ticker tape, multiple televisions displaying world news, and 11 Bloomberg terminals available for students. The lab is open to all University of Ottawa students daily from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Each Bachelor of Commerce student in the Finance specialization requires the use of Bloomberg technology in capstone and mandatory finance classes as well as in extra-curricular programs, workshops and competitions.
The Bloomberg terminals provide students with the ability to retrieve past historical pricing data, review past financial statements of publicly listed companies, acquire in-depth industry analysis, and track macro-economic trends.
Students are able to enhance their resumes by taking the Bloomberg Market Concepts Certification, an 8-hour self-paced e-learning course that provides a visual introduction to the financial markets. This course covers economics, currencies, fixed income and equities, and retails for $249 USD, but is FREE to all students with a valid University of Ottawa ID.
Also, the Financial Research and Learning Lab is the first of its kind in Canada to be recognized as a Bloomberg Experiential Learning Partner (ELP). This means the lab hosts a number of workshops such as “Financial Literacy”, “Key Functions in Bloomberg”, “FactSet Overview” and an “Introduction to Capital Markets”. This is a four-part series that helps students learn and practice technical skills in finance.
Recently, this lab has become part of the University Affiliation Program (UAP) from the Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA) Institute. They are a global association of investment professionals that offer the CFA designation, the Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement designation, and the Investment Foundation Certificate.
As a result of joining the UAP, 10 new scholarships will be awarded this year to select Telfer students. The Manager of the Financial Research and Learning Lab shared that “the scholarship for the CFA designation will be awarded to students who demonstrate excellent academic standing, who have a passion for finance, and have strong career aspirations for capital markets.” Students who are interested in getting their CFA designation and who would like to receive a scholarship are encouraged to talk with the lab manager if they have any questions or if they demonstrate a strong interest in the tools that the Financial Research and Learning Lab has to offer.
In addition, to the variety of opportunities and scholarships offered with access to the lab, there is also a variety of ongoing workshops available throughout the year, led by industry professionals such as Vice Presidents, Portfolio Managers, and Asset Management professionals from leading institutions.
This lab also enables students to compete in an annual Telfer Simulation Trading Competition. Top competitors of the simulation are invited to compete at the Roman International Trading Competition (RITC) in Toronto, where students compete against schools from around the world. The simulation is effective in providing students with real-life experience in a financial trading environment. Last year, Telfer’s team placed third at the RITC.
Visit Telfer’s Financial Research and Learning Lab today to improve your financial analysis skills and learn more about the various opportunities mentioned. Follow the lab on Facebook to stay up-to-date with ongoing events.
- Category: Student Announcements
It is almost that time of year again - when the uOttawa Gee-Gees and Carleton Ravens storm the football field. Our Gee-Gees football team is ready to claim Pedro the Panda - the coveted trophy. For the upcoming 51st Panda Game, the university rivalry is as strong as ever with over 20,000 fans expected to attend and show their support.
This year’s team roster includes 12 Telfer School of Management students:
- Christopher Cyril, Management as Defensive Back
- Daniel Oladejo, Management as Wide Receiver
- Peace Tshilombo, Accounting as Wide Receiver
- Chris Ciguineau, Accounting as Defensive Back
- Cody Cranston, Management as Defensive Back
- Cédric Amessan, Finance as Defensive Back
- Jackson Hyland, Accounting on the Offensive Line
- Frednick Eveillard, Accounting as Wide Receiver
- Michael Pezzuto, Accounting on the Defensive line
- Raphael Gagné, Marketing as Linebacker
- Ryan Malvaso, Finance as Wide Receiver
- Jeremy Pryde, Marketing as Running back
Many of these athletes found their Telfer education to be useful when applied to the football field. Wide receiver, Daniel Oladejo says “the lessons I’ve learned pertaining to teamwork and communication have had nothing but positive impacts on my Gee-Gees experience. It’s always nice when classroom learning points actually have real-life applications and, in team settings, the things I’ve learned have been proven to be very useful.”
Being a student-athlete is a large responsibility. Gee-Gees defensive back, Cédric Amessan notes that “to be able to perform in both the sport and the academic side of life, we have to be more organized and work more than the majority of our classmates.” However, the experience is well worth the effort. Defensive back, Cody Cranston’s favourite part about being a student-athlete is “meeting so many amazing people. Sports brings together different people of different walks of life, many times people you'd never cross paths with.”
The Telfer student-athletes are feeling ready and excited for the big game. Defensive back, Christopher Ciguineau shared that “it’s going to be a tough game, but [he is] confident that [their] hard work will allow [them] to win the game”.
We are looking forward to watching the 2019 Panda Game on October 5th at 1:00 p.m. The Telfer School wishes the Gee-Gees good luck on the field!
- Category: Student Announcements
The Telfer School of Management, in partnership with Export Development Canada (EDC) and Deloitte, presents the fifth annual Diversity & Inclusion Case Competition. The competition will be hosted in our Desmarais Building and at the Export Development Canada office in Ottawa from February 28-29, 2020.
During this case competition, teams examine emerging challenges and propose solutions pertaining to issues of diversity and inclusion in organizations. This innovative competition exposes future leaders to business change and growth opportunities, due to the diverse nature of the Canadian workforce. Sixteen teams from universities across Canada will be competing to solve a unique case for the chance to win $8,750 in prize money.
While most teams participating will be enrolled in an MBA program, we also encourage 3rd and 4th-year undergraduate students in business/management to register. One team of 4 members is permitted per university. Teams will be registered on a first come first serve basis.
Register here to save $200 when you sign up before November 15th, 2019.
- Category: Alumni in the Lead
Continuing a tradition of giving
I am a native of a small village in Abitibi Témiscamingue, where the words "community" and "solidarity" were important and "giving back" was part of everyday life. These family values have greatly influenced the person I am today, and still colour all my decision-making. After a few years in a chartered accountant's office, my training at the Faculty of Administration at the University of Ottawa allowed me to join Multivesco's team, a tightly knit, socially engaged team that I identified a lot with.
I have been involved with several community organizations in the Outaouais region since the beginning of my career. Since education has always been one of my priorities, I have been a member of the Board of Trustees of Aylmer Montessori School and Joan of Arc Academy in Ottawa as well as president of major donations for the Université du Québec en Outaouais. I also made a donation to go towards admission scholarships to the Telfer School of Management in addition to having participated in their mentoring program.Inspired by my mentor at Multivesco, Mr. Camille Villeneuve, and my son, Alexandre, who lives with an intellectual disability and is on the autism spectrum, I am proud to have created my own foundation, the Alexandre Charron Raymond Foundation, to help people living with intellectual disabilities and their families.
Through this foundation, administered by my other three children, my wish is to ensure the perpetuity of a tradition of giving and sharing.
- Category: Student Announcements
Starting a brand new life in an unfamiliar country, with new people, sites, and cultural norms is a courageous life decision. We are pleased to welcome new international students every year to the university and excited to see when these new students choose an education at Telfer.
As your new home, we want to make sure that as an international student at our school, you feel welcome and prepared for daily life in Ottawa.
That is why the University of Ottawa has an International Office that is designed to provide support, tips, and resources to international students while they prepare to come to Ottawa and for the duration of their studies. Additionally, at Telfer, we offer resources and services to help enhance theTelfer experience.
Here is a list of helpful tools and services from uOttawa’s International Office and from us at the Telfer School:
- Details for prospective students: Information about life in Ottawa, studying at our university, and admission essentials are provided for students considering uOttawa in this quick link. You can also use this Government of Canada tool to check your eligibility to come to Canada.
- Information for newly admitted students: For our newly admitted students, the International Office provides information relating to academic accommodations, immigration documents, admission offers, housing, orientation, health insurance, arrival on campus, and more.
- Tips and resources for current students: Students already attending uOttawa can use this quick link to find immigration, health insurance, and international mentoring centre information.
- Information sessions: If you are a first-year international student this year at Telfer, you can attend one of the mandatory information sessions on September 3.
- Telfer Career Centre tools: The Career Centre at Telfer has developed the International Career Mentorship program and launched a global career portal called Highered to help with your Canadian job search. The Career Centre also hosts many job search workshops, and provides a number of immigration resources.
- Telfer Student Information: The Telfer Graduate Office has listed helpful resources for International Candidates in regards to studying, living, and working in Canada.
- International Student Coaches Program: We have created the International student coaches program to assist with your transition into a Canada university. International Student Coaches program. You will be matched with a senior student who will work with you to help you succeed and answer any questions you may have.
- Events for International Students: Check for upcoming events in the uOCal, on the International Office Facebook page, or from the uOGlobal events page.
We hope you are ready for a new school year! Feel free to get in touch with the Telfer Undergraduate Office, Graduate Office, or Student Services if you have any questions.
- Category: Student Announcements
It's time for a new school year, so we have created a checklist for our new and returning Telfer students to get you started.
- Set up your uOttawa Student Card: If you are a new student, be sure to collect your new student card in the University Centre building or online. If you are a returning student who has lost a student card, deactivate it and get a new card or check the University of Ottawa lost and found.
- Collect or renew your U-Pass: The U-Pass is a mandatory bus card for all full-time undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Ottawa. You can get or renew your U-Pass in the University Centre building (UCU) student lounge (located on level 0). To renew your pass, you must tap it at a recharging station in the UCU.
- Get your Gee-Gees Pass: The Gee-Gees Pass gives you access to 100+ varsity events and exclusive access at uOttawa sporting events. If you live in residence, it is already included in your residence fees.
- Attend a Mandatory Information Session on September 3: All first-year students need to go to a mandatory information session to learn important information about being a new student. You can also ask questions of our staff members at the session.
- Join a club(s) or activity at uOttawa: The University of Ottawa has a huge variety of clubs and extra-curricular activities for you to choose from. Watch out for Clubs Day during Welcome Week along University Private.
- Sign up for a Telfer student club(s): Telfer has 17 different student-run clubs and associations that you can join each year. During uOttawa Welcome Week, you can get to know these clubs on University Private, or in Morisset Library on the first floor at Clubs Day.
- Take part in intramural sports: A great way to keep up with a sport you enjoy while making new friends is to join or start your own intramural team at uOttawa.
- Try out for a Gee-Gees sports team: If you are more serious about a certain sport, you could try out for a Gee-Gees varsity sports teams.
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Stay safe with the SecurUO safety app: The university has worked to develop a new app for students to keep you safe and informed of key security information. You can download the app to your mobile device to use while on campus.
The University of Ottawa and the Telfer School offer a variety of student services, career help, activities, sports, and volunteer opportunities. The Telfer Student Services staff are happy to help you learn about these opportunities.
- Category: Rising Stars
Alida Burke was born and raised in Ottawa, and made the decision to study at the Telfer School of Management to have a positive impact in her community. She recently completed her fourth year of studies, specializing in Accounting. Alida has always been interested in making a positive impact in communities across Canada, which is why she joined Enactus in her first year of studies. Enactus is a student club at Telfer aimed at building social enterprises to tackle social and environmental issues in our community. During her fourth year, she held the Vice-President of Finance position. Through Enactus, Alida met another student who shared the same passion as her for the wellbeing of Canadian communities. Together, they created their own startup called The Growcer.
Click here to visit their website.
It all started when Alida decided to do something about the issues regarding food security in the Northern communities of Canada. Her company provides state-of-the-art farming systems that allow people to grow fresh produce with ease all year long. These systems are suitable for virtually any temperature, and do not require any farming experience to operate. What is interesting is the fact that this business lets people grow produce in a sustainable way, while still making profits year-round. You can find one of her farming systems at the University of Ottawa, near the Morisset library. Alida even appeared on the show “The Dragon’s Den” with her business partner to pitch her business, where she astounded everyone with her ability to manage such a revolutionary business while still studying at Telfer.
Click here to watch her appearance on The Dragon’s Den.
Not only has Alida been involved in Enactus, she has also been a Telfer Peer Mentor, a Career Centre ambassador and a Teaching Assistant for Financial Accounting! When she is not getting involved in her community, you can find Alida hiking in Gatineau Park and finding great local bookshops. Her involvement in the Telfer community has granted her many opportunities, and allowed her to meet likeminded people who have strongly enriched her student experience. Alida encourages everyone to do the same!
Her current work aspirations are to obtain her CPA and to work in a field she is passionate about, which is currently at The Growcer. Her impressive accomplishments lead us to believe she will undoubtedly find success in any field she chooses to pursue.
We wish Alida luck with her future endeavors!
Connect with Alida Burke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alidaburke/
- Category: Latest News
This year marks the 15th edition of Place à la jeunesse, which takes place on Saturday, November 10, 2018, at the Desmarais Building of the University of Ottawa. Place à la jeunesse is an annual business case competition that brings together over 90 students from French high schools across the province of Ontario. For the members of the organizing committee, the ultimate goal of this competition is to foster Francophone pride in the next generation and to help them develop their business acumen.
The day of the competition unfolds as follows: participants are given 3 hours to read, analyze and solve complex business cases in the following four areas: marketing, entrepreneurship, accounting and debate. They then present their innovative solutions to a panel of judges made up of business professionals in Ottawa, as well as alumni, students and professors from the Telfer School of Management.
This year, we have the honour to welcome MP Mona Fortier and Senator Lucie Moncion. In addition, professionals from accounting firms such as Deloitte and Marcil Lavallée will judge the entrepreneurship and accounting disciplines. The marketing component will welcome alumni of the Telfer School of Management. In addition to the opportunity to interact with these expert judges from the Francophone business community, Place à la jeunesse offers several scholarships to the winners. To date, more than $1 million has been awarded in scholarships!
In conclusion, Place à la jeunesse offers students much more than a case competition and scholarships. It is really a chance to acquire and develop skills in an entirely French environment while fostering a passion for commerce!
Check out this quick overview of the Place à la jeunesse competition, which we hope will spark your interest.
This competition and opportunity for academic development offered to young Francophones across Ontario would not be possible without our dedicated sponsors and partners. We are very grateful to:
- Category: Appointments and Honours
Philanthropy matters most to me. The importance of giving time, money and knowledge to others is one of the most valuable lessons I learned as a student of the Telfer School. My experiences as a member of our School’s Jeux du Commerce team, the Finance Society and the Entrepreneurs’ Club supplied and reinforced this truth.
My involvement in the Entrepreneurs’ Club was especially instructive. Not only did I come to understand the role philanthropy plays in a rewarding career, but I also discovered the value of a mentor to help steer my career in the right direction. Luckily for me, I’ve since found two advisors who, among other things, have stressed just how essential reconnecting with my alma mater is to being a professional. Simply put, everyone who thrives in business has a duty to share his or her success in meaningful ways.
As someone who has succeeded as a partner and portfolio manager in an investment firm, I give to the Telfer School in several ways—speaking at events, acting as a mentor and funding scholarships that stress academic achievement and community involvement. A few years back, I based my philanthropy on a simple principle: support two students per year and then build from there. I urge young Telfer School alumni and soon-to-be graduates to profit from my example. Find a mentor who is passionate about his or her business. Adopt a giving principle that works best for you. Start sharing your success.
- Category: Alumni in the Lead
People, planet, and profit. Otherwise better known as the "triple bottom line," this concept distinguishes itself by including certain spheres, namely social and environmental, in assessing the profitability of a business. It's from this same vision that The Unscented Company, a line of unscented home and body care products, was born. The brand was launched in 2016 on two founding principles that greatly inspired founder and CEO Anie Rouleau in her company's creative process. "Firstly, we had to redefine the notion of clean by offering exclusively unscented, all-natural products. Secondly, we had to design our packaging for conscious living, with the goal of significantly reducing our collective plastic footprint."
Anie's philosophy is based on a model combining transparency, inclusiveness and accountability. More specifically, "what inspires me are the men and women who hold on to their vision, while staying true to their own beliefs, even when it's hard."
It's thanks to this same innovative vision that Anie's company was awarded B Corp certification, making The Unscented Company the first Canadian home and body care product company to be certified.
"I find real joy in giving back. I want to contribute to a better world and I enjoy building the business of tomorrow." This same desire to give back is reflected in the Anie Rouleau International Exchange Scholarship. Established in 1999, this scholarship not only gives young people the opportunity to pursue their studies abroad, but also encourages young women to carve their own path to entrepreneurship. "Every thank-you letter I get from recipients reminds me how important it is to give back and be involved in the academic lives of young people."
- Category: Telfer Announcements
We are pleased to announce the winners of the very first Telfer International Exchange Video Contest!
The Telfer International Exchange Video Contest was for Telfer students who had participated in an international exchange during the 2017-2018 academic year or before that. The competition’s objective was to promote our exchange destinations and to reward our students’ creative talent.
And the winners are:
First Prize
Amani Couture, City University of Hong Kong
Amani Couture - Concours / Contest - TELFER from Amani Couture on Vimeo.
Second Prize
Erhardt Jansen Jansen Van Rensburg, Auckland University of Technology
We would like to thank all participants for making the contest a great success!
Click here to learn more on the international exchange programs »
- Category: Appointments and Honours
Once a year, the Ottawa Business Journal (OBJ) honours professionals for their business achievements by naming them to their Forty Under 40 list. These award recipients represent the economic diversity, entrepreneurial spirit, and dynamism of Ottawa's business community. This year, more than 300 applications were submitted for the 21st edition of the awards and, for the first time ever, the majority of those who made the coveted final cut – 22 out of 40 – are women.
Among this year's recipients, ten are alumni of the University of Ottawa, of which six studied at the Telfer School of Management. The Telfer School would like to congratulate:
Priya Bhaloo, BCom 2003
TAG HR
After graduating from the Telfer School in 2003 with a Bachelor of Commerce with options in Finance and Management Information Systems, Priya joined The Associates Group as an HR assistant. Priya learned about every facet of the business over the next few years and eventually was named Vice-President of the consulting firm in 2013.
Click here to read more on Priya Bhaloo »
Annik Blanchard, BCom 2003
BDO LLP
Annik is a Partner in the Ottawa office at BDO with more than 16 years of experience in the accounting profession. In 2004, she obtained her accounting designation and is a member of CPA Ontario. She is also a member of the assurance and accounting resource team of BDO’s Ottawa group of offices, a member of the task force on not-for-profit organizations in the Ontario Lakeland Region and a quality control reviewer.
Click here to read more on Annik Blanchard »
Nadine Leblanc, BCom 2003
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.
Nadine has been a Deputy Chief Risk Officer at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and served as its Vice-President of Audit since 2016.
Scott McLaren, BCom 2006
Festival Promotions
Scott purchased Festival Promotions in 2009 and became Partner and President of the company. He and a fellow Telfer alumnus founded Baron Hockey in 2016, which provides high-end hockey sticks to consumers without the retail mark up.
Click here to read more on Scott McLaren »
Amy Porteous, BCom 2003, MHA 2006
Bruyere Continuing Care
Amy is Vice-President of Public Affairs, Planning and Family Medicine. In this capacity, she provides leadership and oversight for Bruyère’s planning process, partnerships development, cultivation of external relations and communications. She has over 12 years of experience working with senior leadership teams in the Ottawa area, at both Bruyère and the Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre.
Click here to read more on Amy Porteous »
Taylor Fantin, BCom 2007
Fullscript
Taylor is the Chief Administrative Officer and Vice-President of finance at downtown tech firm Fullscript. Since he joined the online system for prescribing and delivering natural health products in 2012, the company’s headcount has grown from five to 85, and the firm topped OBJ’s list of fastest-growing companies in both 2016 and 2017.
The Telfer School would also like to congratulate Jean-Michel Carrière, Samantha Iturregui, Anna Lambert, Sandra Sbrocchi who all graduated from the University of Ottawa and made it on the list.
This year's Forty Under 40 awards gala will take place at the Hilton Lac-Leamy Hotel on June 15, 2018. The event will feature cocktails, fine food, music and dancing and is sponsored by the Telfer Executive MBA. Click here to register for the 2018 Forty Under 40 Gala »
Click here to view the full Forty Under 40 list on the OBJ website »
- Category: Telfer Announcements
With an ever increasing population and an aging workforce, the complexity of our healthcare system becomes all the more apparent. Margins for hospitals are under increasing scrutiny, whereby the incentive to perform at a higher level, to improve efficiencies, and to provide better quality care for patients is of the utmost importance.
Fortunately, the creation of our option in Healthcare Analytics seeks to fill that need, understanding that healthcare systems are undergoing unprecedented transformation fuelled by the digitization of services and investments in health information technologies.
Launching in September 2018, our BCom option in Healthcare Analytics is a field built on the crucial role that data, systems engineering, management, and organizational innovation play in improving the quality and timeliness of service delivery in a high performing healthcare system. This field answers a need to develop expertise to create the research and training capabilities required for transforming healthcare into a system that adheres to the principles of patient-centered care and participatory medicine.
According to Jonathan Patrick, Associate Professor and Program Director of the School’s MSc in Health Systems, this program is the perfect opportunity for high school students to pursue their undergraduate program in business and to forge a path toward making a social impact. While the program focuses on subjects such as quantitative analysis and data management, it introduces the challenges of applying these to the human factor of the healthcare field: patients with will and mind.
With the integration of a 4th year honours project, where students must solve a healthcare systems issue using business analytics tools, graduates of this option are left with a competitive advantage. Career opportunities are boundless, whether with local healthcare integration networks (LHIN), accrediting bodies, hospital administration, or analytics consulting firms. Alternatively, students interested in research can pursue their MSc in Health Systems.
As one of the only institutions in Canada to offer this type of program at the undergraduate level, our option in Healthcare Analytics is a differentiator at the School and one we see growing exponentially over the next few years.
- Category: Rising Stars
The RBC Training Ground competition recently took place across multiple cities in Ontario in the search for the next Olympic hopefuls. One of the participants, David Ephraim Butumbi, a second year accounting student from Telfer impressed the top coaches and sports officials in the nation with his speed, power, strength and endurance during the competition. He was selected to participate in the RBC Training Ground Ontario finals taking place Saturday, June 2, 2018 at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Complex. Set to compete against the top 100 athletes in Ontario, David has been training full-time for the past five weeks and is aiming for nothing other than to win.
“I didn’t aspire to anything at the beginning but found a competitive drive early on during my training. I’m more than ambitious, being selected in the final wasn’t a coincidence. There’s talent to showcase and it’s not too late for me” explains the 21 year-old athlete.
The amateur athlete manages his Instagram page (@Dev_ephr) and offers tips for developing flexibility and mobility, strength and endurance. This passion was the beginning of David’s journey towards the RBC Training Ground final.
“The ad gave me a challenge and pushed me to see if I can measure up”.
Building on past experiences, such as competing in soccer championships and with support from friends and trainers, David is training with much gusto in the Gee-Gees High Performance Centre and is looking forward to the next step. With recruitment offers from varsity Gee-Gees teams, currently, he is focusing all his efforts on the RBC Training Ground competition. “I haven’t decided anything yet but I think everything will take shape after this weekend. All I can think about now is the final.”
Visit the RBC Training Ground website for more details about the competition.
Photo credit: Gabrielle Read
- Category: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
"Enactus uOttawa has been named both the 2018 TD Entrepreneurship Challenge National Champion as well as the Scotiabank EcoLiving Green Challenge National Champion for their business, The Growcer.
The Growcer’s core product is a state-of-the-art farming system that utilizes hydroponic technology to enable entrepreneurs to create their own businesses growing produce locally in northern food-insecure communities. Enactus uOttawa’s Growcer system has yielded 10,000 servings of vegetables in just 5 months.
Enactus uOttawa was also named a finalist in the Scotiabank Youth Empowerment Challenge, and the Hellman’s Food Security Challenge. These competitions were created to empower post-secondary students to develop and deliver projects that teach relevant entrepreneurship skills to aspiring and existing entrepreneurs.
Drew Stirling, VP External, mentions that “Enactus has been an incredible platform to develop personally and professionally, meet other driven students, and travel the world - all while learning to use business to change the world for the better”.
The Growcer was also named finalist in the Scotiabank Youth Empowerment Challenge, and the Hellman’s Food Security Challenge.
Not to be outdone, Alida Burke was named Project leader of the Year, while Holly Todd was also named the HSBC Woman Leader of Tomorrow runner up. uOttawa had a strong showing at nationals finishing 2nd overall amongst 70 other schools.
"It's always great to challenge ourselves at competition and see the growth of the team year after year - I could not be more proud to lead this team", says Holly Todd, President of Enactus uOttawa.
Congratulations to Enactus uOttawa on a successful National Championship!
- Category: Telfer Announcements
TORONTO, May 7, 2018 - With its continued focus on maintaining the highest ethical standards, CFA Societies Canada has named a group of four students from Telfer School of Management as winners of the 2018 CFA Societies Canada Ethics Challenge at a reception at Terminal City Club in Vancouver, BC. The Ethics Challenge asked participants to analyze and evaluate a case study identifying ethical dilemmas based on the CFA Institute Code of Ethics & Standards of Professional Conduct with the goal of increasing knowledge and professionalism among future finance professionals.
Finalist teams were announced in March, and on May 3, 2018, they gathered in Vancouver for the final round of the competition. The winning team earned its title by providing the best analysis of a new case study to a judging panel of CFA charterholders and participating in a question and answer period. They, along with their competitors from four other schools, had three hours to complete the analysis.
"The CFA Societies Canada Ethics Challenge was a great opportunity to put what we've learned in school into practice," said Aamena Chatoo, part of the winning Telfer School of Management team along with James Beaudoin, Christian Cotroneo and Natalie Dokmajian. "Learning more about the CFA Institute mandate to uphold the highest ethical standards and accessing mentors helped our team accelerate our learning and make connections as we start our own careers in the finance industry. Winning was truly just the icing on the cake."
The winning team members each won $500 in addition to a commemorative award from CFA Societies Canada. All participants received a certificate of participation in the National Round. For more information about the CFA Societies Canada Ethics Challenge, please visit CFA Societies Canada online.
About CFA Societies Canada
CFA Societies Canada is a collaboration of CFA Institute and the 12 Canadian member societies, whose mission is to build brand awareness of the CFA designation and to advocate for the highest standards of integrity and ethics for the ultimate benefit of Canadian investors. For more information, please refer to www.cfasociety.org/canada.
- Category: Alumni in the Lead
Upon graduating from a private school in Bahrain, George Khalife set out to find a university that he could grow with, and help grow. After deciding on the Telfer School of Management, George graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2015. George came to the Telfer School because of the genuine professors, untapped opportunities, a strong and improving curriculum and a student and alumni base that was, and still is, very closely connected.
During his time at Telfer, George remembers certain classes and professors that stood out as making an impact on him, including MIS with Nour El-Kadri, the Financial Research and Learning Lab with Pouya Safi, and Equity Valuation with Miwako Nitani. George also mentions three classmates, with whom he helped found a student-run investment fund called T&V Capital Management, which is now known as Telfer Capital Fund. It was this initiative that introduced him to the fund’s first capital sponsor, and lead him to joining the TMX group.
George lists many things from his time at Telfer that helped get him to where he is today, including the connections he built with professors, the friends he made while studying, the clubs and extracurricular he took part in, the alumni network, networking events and academic workshops held by Telfer. George says: “these are the things that positively contributed to my success during university and post-graduation”.
As for his inspiration, George draws that from his parents. George’s parents moved from the Middle East in order to give him and his sister a chance at a better future. As George puts: “every time I feel challenged, I feel tired, or I feel like giving up, I go back to them and remember how much they struggled to help me get here – that’s all I need to keep going”.
Post-graduation, George immediately started working for the Toronto Stock Exchange (TMX Group), in their two-year rotational Associate Program. At the conclusion of this program, he signed to stay on full time and lead TMX’s sales efforts in Toronto and New York. While working at TMX, George had many projects being developed on the side, including BookBack, and app for university students to buy and sell books, hosting his podcast – “Let’s Grab Coffee”, and blogging on LinkedIn as well as his personal site.
- Category: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
As part of the Leadership, Strategy and Sustainability course, nearly 150 Telfer School of Management students in courses ADM 4717, ADM 4317 and MBA 5211 participated in an interactive online simulation called Fishbanks.
It is a multiplayer web-based simulation during which each team of students plays the role of a company that owns and manages a fishing fleet. The teams compete to maximize their net worth during the simulation. They begin by defining their strategy for the next 10 years. They must plan their annual operations, mostly their fishing activities, by allocating their resources each year according to their initial strategy. They decide whether to buy, sell or build their ships, where to fish, and they negotiate with one another. Students focus on strategic thinking and decision making. The program automatically calculates all the annual financial results and indicators for each team. It simulates a real business system where marine natural resources are the main source of income for the companies. However, the goal of the simulation is not limited to merely raising students' awareness of the importance of strategic planning and the short- and long-term consequences of decisions. It is especially meant to expose them to the issues surrounding the dynamics of ecosystems and irrational exploitation of resources.
"We are preparing the decision-makers of tomorrow who will be managing businesses directly or indirectly involved in exploiting living ecosystems," said Dorra Jlouli, professor of course ADM 4717. "The interdependence of the system's different parameters is the main challenge of system dynamics, such as those in the management of natural resources. This simulation is an excellent tool that simplifies for students this complex aspect of the tragedy of the commons," she added.
The debriefing following the simulation is as important, if not even more important than the simulation itself, as students realize and understand the consequences of their decisions. "The players all tend to exceed the maximum size of the fleet for rational and sustainable exploitation of resources, despite having learned about renewal dynamics of fish stocks before the simulation. This is typical behaviour in different contexts in which this simulation is used, regardless of the level of knowledge of the subject matter," said Dorra Jlouli.
"When designing the course, we deliberately sought a teaching method that allows students to experience a certain cognitive dissonance between the type of leader they think they are and the real impact of their business decisions on the planet's future," said Daina Mazutis, professor of courses ADM 4317 and MBA 5211. "The Fishbanks simulation provides a learning experience that allows for profound personal reflection on the connections among leadership, strategy and sustainability," she added.
Fishbanks is a simulation created by the MIT Sloan School of Management. Renowned international universities use it mainly for management and sustainable development programs. It is also used by international institutions, chiefly GIZ, for strategic planning workshops pertaining to sustainable development and to explain the Tragedy of the Commons phenomenon.
- Category: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
During the Winter Study Week (February 20th - 23rd, 2018), the Telfer School offered a four-day intensive course entitled Global Marketing & Innovation Strategy: Learning about and from China, taught by Amy Karam, a Telfer alumnus, who is the author of the book, The China Factor. The course addressed the topic of whether: “There is a global economic power shift and whether Western-based businesses are being challenged in different ways by the rapid growth of China and other emerging entrants and what can they do about it?”
The course offering served as a guide for Western companies to understand how their Chinese competitors do business and how they can change their strategy to be more successful in international markets. A third of the class were BCom students from China who shared their expertise regarding the Chinese emerging market with other Canadian BCom students.
With the emergence of China, the rules of the global business and trade game have changed. Innovation and product superiority are no longer enough to win business in international markets – especially in emerging markets. Western companies need to re-evaluate their sales and marketing strategies and reposition themselves in the context of a new genre of competition and different customer demands. This course explored how China and other emerging entrants do business using the 5Ps of Global Marketing Framework while studying how a Western-based company can learn from them and adapt their strategy, all while incorporating competitive dynamics into their plan. Maintaining an innovation advantage is also a key success factor in the new global economy and students learned ways to become innovative at innovation by learning about new models.
Amy Karam, who is a speaker, consultant, author and corporate instructor of Stanford University professional development courses, taught this intensive seminar. She has advised and trained sales teams, executives and managers across North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa and at companies such as Cisco, Apple, Visa, Nationwide, Capital One, SAP, Bell Canada and AT&T. Notably, she led a CEO-sponsored global competitive sales support program at Cisco Systems, the catalyst for her current practice. She has also led business development initiatives with the World Bank, ITU-D, government Ministers of emerging countries and high-technology companies, to foster public and private sector collaboration.
- Category: Rising Stars
From the moment Gabriel Chapman toured the Telfer School he knew it would be a unique place to study. Gabriel mentioned, “Telfer’s diverse opportunities for student involvement, its CO-OP program, and many scholarships were what drew me in. The student guides were genuine and passionate about their experience and I felt a sense of connection and belonging since Day 1.”
The Telfer School is proud to have so many exemplary students like Gabriel who take advantage of the many offered opportunities and make the most of their undergrad. As a fourth year BCom student with a specialization in Management Information Systems & Analytics (MISA) with the CO-OP option, Gabriel has been the recipient of the Chancellor’s Scholarship, the Peter and Ann Koppel Scholarship for Excellence, the StoneShare Scholarship, and the Kevin Vollett Entrepreneurial Award. Gabriel gratefully acknowledged how without these scholarships he would not be able to dedicate the same time and energy to his extracurricular and academics.
Taking the ADM 2302 Business Decision Models course was a turning point in Gabriel’s undergrad as it inspired him to add the specialization in MISA. In this course, Gabriel was introduced to problem solving through algorithms and saw the potential that this could have in real life business scenarios, thus, influencing him to narrow his scope of study.
Continuing to make the most of his undergrad, Gabriel has been incredibly involved in a number or organizations and initiatives. To name a few, Gabriel has been involved with the Telfer Management Competitions de gestion Telfer (TMCGT), the Entrepreneurs’ Clubs (TECDE), and Telfer Student Council (CéTSC). On top of his club involvement, Gabriel has incredible philanthropic drive that has allowed him to fundraise over $25,000 for Cystic Fibrosis Canada, Special Olympics Canada and the Government of Canada’s Workplace Charitable Campaign.
When asked about a fond memory of Telfer, Gabriel reflected on his CO-OP term at BDO Canada LLP where he had the opportunity to fly to PEI in the middle of a snowstorm to work on Renewable Innovation Strategies. During this trip, he mentions, “I got to conduct stakeholder interviews for our economic development projects. It was an amazing experience meeting people from diverse business sectors who were really engaged in the process and would benefit directly from our team’s recommendations.” He emphasized the trips were also a great way to develop foundations for professional networking with colleagues.
Gabriel advises future students to take advantage of all that Telfer has to offer, including financial assistance, clubs that provide relevant experience and skills, the CO-OP program, the French immersion opportunities because they will take your undergrad, to a life changing and fulfilling four years.
Link to LinkedIn profile: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/gchapman14
Also – you can follow Telfer’s LinkedIn activities here!
- Category: Telfer Announcements
From January 5th to 7th, 2018, nearly 130 students represented the Telfer School of Management at two of Canada's largest inter-university competitions. The teams participated in academic, sporting and social events.
The first competition, Jeux du commerce (JDC), brought together 13 universities at Concordia University in Montreal, home of the John Molson School of Business, as the bilingual competition celebrated its 30th year.
Unfortunately, the second competition, Jeux du Commerce Central (JDCC) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, was cancelled due to extreme weather conditions.
- 1st place – Finance Case: Dmitry Shorikov, Katya Berez and Xing Zang.
- Coaches: Michael Reynolds and Professor Allan Riding.
- 1st place – Tax Case: Dominic Piscopo, Julie-Anne Given and Nikita Gupta
- Coach: Dominic Franchi
- 2nd place – Netball: Sean Lumney, Curtis Lu, Santiago Pinzo, Tamara Roy-Stang, Emily Potvin, Jordan Earls, Marisha Sesto, Michael Shaheen and Maxime Frost
- Coaches: Fadi Azzi and Emily Ryan
- 3rd place - Human Ressources Case: Marie-Claude Monette, Isabelle D'Aoust and Deanna Carter.
- Coaches: Maral Elliot and Matt Archibald.
- 3rd place – Project Operation Management Case: Austin St. Pierre, Dylan Budimir-Hussey and Cherise Naidu.
- Coaches: Professor Jasmin Manseau and Aghilas Chebini.
- Category: Rising Stars
“Coming to the Telfer School of Management gave me the opportunity to have a fresh start; I knew very few people, and really wanted to maximize my university experience. Becoming involved in the school community through a number of clubs and associations proved to be the perfect way to achieve this,” said Spencer Lee, a fourth year student pursuing his BCom with option in Finance. Spencer explains, “The Telfer School of Management has been incredibly instrumental in connecting me with unique learning experiences, professional contacts and lifelong friends. Through my coursework, club participation, and extracurricular activities, I have truly been connected to what matters to me time and time again, as I develop and grow as a student and a person.”
The Telfer School’s dynamic tagline “Connects you to what matters” has been especially true for Spencer, who has taken full advantage of the multitude of opportunities available to him by getting involved on campus with initiatives like the Capital Markets Mentorship Program (CMMP), the Telfer Capital Fund, being a Teaching Assistant, and being a uOttawa ambassador for the Montreal Exchange program. During the summer, Spencer worked as a Summer Associate at the TMX Group and he will be Telfer Peer Mentor for the 2017-2018 school year. He was also recently accepted into the Telfer Executive Mentorship Program, which will allow him to be mentored by an industry executive, receiving career guidance, one-on-one learning, and networking opportunities.
Always eager to learn new things, Spencer says that being involved in clubs and initiatives that interest him has allowed him to share his passions, while also learning from his peers and industry professionals. “I am constantly motivated by upper year Telfer students who have taught me a great deal and have shown me the countless opportunities available through participating in these clubs and associations, which has been a truly invaluable experience.”
Through his studies at Telfer, Spencer has been able to network, gain practical experience, and travel. He credits much of his success to the initiative he took to get involved. Outside of Telfer, Spencer plays intramural hockey, which he says “provides a great opportunity to stay in shape and socialize with other classmates.”
Spencer concludes that, “One should never stop learning and growing, and it is this concept that really inspires me to get involved and try to gain new knowledge and understanding from any opportunity available to me.”
Connect with Spencer Lee here https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-james-lee/
Also – you can follow Telfer’s LinkedIn activities here!
- Category: Rising Stars
Maybe you’ve seen her around campus, or was it her identical twin sister?
Fourth year BCom student Holly Todd has been extremely active in the Telfer School community, serving as President of Enactus and participating in Jeux du commerce central and Happening Marketing case competitions, as well as an international exchange to England.
Getting involved with Enactus has shaped Holly’s experience at Telfer. Enactus’ mission is to use the power of entrepreneurial action to better their community. One great example of this is Sprout, an Enactus uOttawa social enterprise that aims to address urban food security by stocking fresh produce and instructional meal kits in corner stores. Holly explains, “Enactus gives me the opportunity to gain real-world business skills and impact people in communities across Canada by running social enterprises, which I find very rewarding. I love the challenges that Enactus presents, as well as the ability to experiment and go outside my comfort zone”.
In fact, Holly enjoys working for Enactus so much that she applied, and was selected for, the RBC CO-OP Entrepreneurship Program, which allows her to work full-time on Enactus’ social enterprise, Sprout. The RBC CO-OP Entrepreneurship Program allows students to learn how to become successful entrepreneurs by doing a CO-OP placement either in an existing startup or working on their own startup to get it off the ground. Being selected for the program allowed Holly to work on Sprout full-time, focusing her time and energy on bringing Sprout to the next stage in its evolution and giving her valuable transferable skills that she can use in her career moving forward.
Holly was drawn to Enactus because of the drive she saw in other students. She states, “My fellow Enactus students continue to inspire me – they dedicate thousands of hours per year to causes that they’re passionate about, all while juggling classes, social obligations, part time jobs and other involvement. It always amazes me what a group of students can do when we put our heads together and work towards a common vision.”
Holly says that she initially chose Telfer because it had a good reputation as a top business school and says that she chose marketing because of her goal of working in advertising. Now, a few years since she first chose Telfer, Holly has travelled to eleven countries, grew as a person, explored her passions and got great work experience, all while helping communities in need.
Connect with Holly Todd here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-todd-520a21b1/
Also – you can follow Telfer’s LinkedIn activities here!
Interested in learning more about the RBC CO-OP Entrepreneurship Program? Click here: https://coop.uottawa.ca/en/rbc-uottawa-co-op-entrepreneurship-program
- Category: Community Engagement
The Telfer School of Management’s undergraduate office is thrilled to announce the official launch of the Telfer Workshop Initiative! This initiative offers an overview of post-secondary education in management, as well as professional development training to students in grades 10 to 12, in secondary 4 and 5, and in cégep.
Offered free of charge during the school year (October – June), this initiative is organized in collaboration with our School’s dynamic professors, our current Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) students and alumni, our industry partners, and our Student Services Centre. The workshops have been designed to complement students’ curriculum, while allowing them to experience a taste of university studies.
We are convinced that these workshops offer an unparalleled opportunity for students to discover commerce, and for teachers to enrich their course content. If you are a teacher or guidance counselor and would like your class or school to participate in this innovative program, please contact
- Category: Rising Stars
For Shokoofeh Manesh, her BCom studies with option in Accounting at the Telfer School of Management have presented opportunities to get involved on campus, allowing her to grow her network and gain invaluable skills. “They say that your university experience will only be as good as what you make of it, and getting involved with clubs at Telfer has allowed me to make my experience truly great,” stated Shokoofeh. “My involvement with clubs and associations has allowed me to make the most of my time at Telfer: not only have I made amazing friendships by getting involved, but I have also grown as a leader in my community.”
Getting involved in the Telfer Accounting Club (TAC) is where Shokoofeh found her place to thrive. She’s been part of TAC since her first year of studies, slowly climbing up the executive ladder to now serve as Co-President for the 2017-2018 academic year. In addition to TAC, Shokoofeh has been involved with Enactus, the Telfer Internal Case Competition (TICC), Jeux du commerce (JDC), and 101 Week. As a recipient of the Peter and Ann Koppel Scholarship for Excellence, Shokoofeh was able to prioritize her involvement and academic success. The scholarship rewards students who exemplify academic achievement, social responsibility, and involvement in the Telfer community. In fact, Shokoofeh noted that the skills she gained by studying at Telfer and participating in these clubs have been integral in securing and excelling in her CO-OP work terms, and most notably, her placement as Analyst for Deloitte’s Risk Advisory department.
In addition to having the opportunity to get involved, Shokoofeh said one of her main reasons for choosing the Telfer School was its French Immersion stream, which allowed her to study what she loves, business and math, while also continuing to improve her French. For high school students who are going through the process of choosing a university themselves and are considering the Telfer School of Management, Shokoofeh says, “If you want to surround yourself with students who are resourceful, innovative, and passionate, the Telfer School of Management is the place for you.”
Connect with Shokoofeh Manesh here https://www.linkedin.com/in/shokoofehm/
Also – you can follow Telfer’s LinkedIn activities here!
- Category: Donations / Fundraising
Fulfilment Enough
I’m an accountant, and my practice includes a specialization in fundraising. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that when you ask people to give money to a cause, you better be ready to give when they ask you for something in return. I approached fundraising for the Kevin Vollett Entrepreneurial Award with this insight in mind. The scholarship award is given each year to recognize a member of The Entrepreneurs’ Club for his or her participation and dedication to the club. The award is named for a friend, former fellow club executive and budding entrepreneur who died in an accident back in 1993, when we were both Telfer BCom students.
I was asked by the school to revive the award financially so it remains viable for years to come. Rather than simply putting the touch on a few club alumni with fat wallets, I asked the school and its students for something instead. I decided the school’s request would be a great opportunity for me to work with today’s executives of The Entrepreneurs’ Club and share my knowledge and experience with fundraising. What better way, I thought, to honour Kevin’s memory and further his legacy than not only to raise the necessary funds, but also mentor his successors at the club about this vital part of business life.
The fact that the Telfer School is honouring me is proof that my approach is a winning one. The Kevin Vollett Entrepreneurial Award is well on its way to becoming fully funded and sustainable for many years, and several students have gained important knowledge and valuable real-world experience in the process. Best of all, Kevin’s legacy at the school and the club is secure. That’s more than fulfilment enough for me.
- Category: Donations / Fundraising
Who I Am Now
If you don’t respect where you’ve come from, how are you going to respect where you are now? This rhetorical question has influenced me throughout my adult life and certainly does so as a loyal Telfer School donor. My time at the Telfer School, which started back in the 1970s, was made possible by money from scholarships and other generous support. As a woman from a hard-working farm family in southern Ontario, I care that young people from unremarkable backgrounds can get the financial support they need to reap the rewards that education and hard work bring. Opportunity is important to me.
So is inclusiveness. It matters that the Telfer School is bilingual and that it also welcomes students from across the country and around the world. When I was a Telfer BCom student, this spirit of inclusiveness enabled me to study with people who had much different backgrounds than mine. And this exposure helped make me a better student, person and, eventually, accountant and public servant. That inclusive institutions such as the Telfer School and the University of Ottawa exist in Canada’s capital city is of great significance—both as a symbol to everyone throughout the country and as a source of broad-minded professionals, especially for our public service.
These connected values—opportunity and inclusiveness—are why I’ve been a loyal Telfer School donor. I’ve given regularly to scholarship funds and to support the Dean’s strategic priorities. Opportunity and inclusiveness are also why I’ll continue to give. This place and its characteristics helped shape who I am. And if you don’t respect where you’ve come from, how are you going to respect where you are now?
- Category: Donations / Fundraising
Turn A Little Into A Lot
Lack of money is a talent waster. I believe students should focus their time and energy on improving their skills, deepening their knowledge and expanding their experiences, not on trying to earn the money they need to pay their tuition and academic expenses. It’s the reason I give financially to the Telfer School every year. It matters to me that students—Telfer BCom students especially—get the financial support they need to take full advantage of the special student experience at the Telfer School.
As an accountant, I give mainly to Professor Sylvain Durocher’s accounting students. I act as a judge in their annual case competition and supply a portion of the prize money that goes to the winning team and finalist. That money is important to these students. It’s a tangible reward for their sharp thinking and hard work, and it helps ease their financial burden in a small way, enabling them to focus more fully on their student experience. Even a modest amount of money means a lot to these students. My financial contribution also gives something to me—mostly satisfaction in seeing the joy on the faces of the winners and in knowing that I’m helping them hone their professional talents.
I urge all recent Telfer BCom grads to think of their own creative ways to give financially to the program and the school. Opportunities to advance your profession or fulfill your academic passion while helping students are there to be found. And if you can’t give at the level of Ian Telfer, don’t let that stop you. Even a small financial contribution has a way of building momentum and attracting even more dollars. Trust me: you can turn a little into a lot—for Telfer School students and for you.
- Category: Rising Stars
“From the staff to the exchange opportunities, the experience has been great. Take it from a student who has graduated twice from the School and just keeps coming back! I’ve really enjoyed my time here,” said Nicolas Legendre, a PhD candidate in Management with a field of study in Finance. Nicolas has shown true commitment to the Telfer family over the past 7 years, completing a Bachelor of Commerce with an option in Finance, a Master of Science in Management with an option in Finance and now a year into his PhD. He continued, “I wanted to continue my studies here because of all the great people I’ve met at Telfer and in other faculties at the University of Ottawa.”
Looking back on his experience as a Teaching Assistant for different statistics courses, completing his MSc, and now working on his PhD, Nicolas noted, “As PhD students, the relationship with faculty changes, becoming more collegial. With professors for example, the relationship is less student-teacher and more of a co-worker kind of relationship, where both parties bounce ideas off each other and learn from one another.”
Through hard work and dedication, Nicolas was the winner of the prestigious Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Doctoral Scholarship. He said, “As a recipient of the Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Doctoral Scholarship, I was able to apply for the Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement, which I was pleased to be granted. Through this scholarship, I am currently in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, investigating their loan guarantee program with Professor Jonathan Scott at Northumbria University. This gave me the opportunity to not only study abroad, but to research a topic that matters to me: as my PhD thesis investigates the Canadian loan guarantee program, this research period abroad is directly related to my PhD thesis. I’ve also had the opportunity to spend weekends traveling around Newcastle, visiting monuments such as Alnwick Castle from the Harry Potter films, and slowly learning the culture here in the Northeast of England. It has been quite the experience so far!”
Nicolas is also the recipient of the Lilian and Swee Chua Goh Doctoral Scholarship. Lilian and Swee Chua Goh will be recognized as Donors of the Year at the Telfer Gala of Excellence on October 21 2017.
Connect with Nicolas Legendre here: www.linkedin.com/in/legendrenicolas
Also – you can follow Telfer’s LinkedIn activities here!
- Category: Appointments and Honours
Professor Daina Mazutis has received an Honorable Mention for the 2016 Page Prize for Excellence in Sustainable Business Education awarded by the Darla Moore School of Business. Professor Mazutis was recognized for her undergraduate course “Leadership, Strategy and Sustainability” (ADM 4317).
This fourth year Bachelor of Commerce course focuses on corporate social responsibility and sustainability at multiple levels – self, others, the organization and society. It covers topics such as social entrepreneurship, carbon-negative enterprises, regenerative business models and the circular economy, instilling within undergraduate students and business leaders a keen understanding of the importance of sustainability in business.
This recognition underlines Professor Mazutis’ expertise in the field of sustainability and CSR. She holds an endowed Professorship of Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability at the Telfer School, through which she focuses her research on the path to more socially and environmentally conscious organizations. Her research lies at the intersection of strategy, leadership and corporate responsibility, approaching environmental and social issues facing organizations today as critical strategic issues that require a broader understanding of business' role in society.
We would like to congratulate Professor Mazutis on this remarkable honour.
About the Page Prize
Now in its 10th year, the Dr. Alfred N. and Lynn Manos Page Prize for Sustainability Issues in Business Curricula is designed to encourage and support efforts to introduce or substantially upgrade sustainability courses or associated course work into the curriculum of business schools, both nationally and internationally.
The Page Prize is awarded annually for the best submission based on the integration of sustainability into business curricula. Submissions are welcomed from faculty, doctoral students and others related to innovative approaches to teaching sustainability to business students. Previous applications have covered a wide range of disciplines including accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, management, marketing, operations and supply chain management, and organizational behavior.
For more information on the Page Prize or on the recipients, please click here.
- Category: Rising Stars
Jordan Samaroo is a BCom-JD student who benefitted from the Telfer School of Management’s First-Year Advising initiative and is now beginning his second year of study. According to Jordan, what’s unique about Telfer is that it "acknowledges the entrepreneurial spirit innate in all business students. Whether it is through the extensive list of clubs offered in every commerce discipline, the Telfer Capital Fund, challenging case competitions, or academic excellence, Telfer ignites ambition in all its students. In my opinion, such ambition breeds the type of healthy competition that drives the business world and pushes students to do their best.”
Involved in the Telfer Business Law Association (TBLA), Jordan says that as a student studying both commerce and common law, he has enjoyed being able to be a part of a club whose goal is to connect with undergraduate business students who are curious about the field of law and the prospect of going to law school. Through TBLA, Jordan has been able to participate in events like the TBLA Mock Trial, help coordinate the planning of the TBLA executive leadership retreat, and speak on behalf of TBLA at the Place à la jeunesse academic competition. Jordan says that he is motivated to participate in all of the opportunities that Telfer and uOttawa have to offer because he believes student engagement is an integral part of being involved in the university community.
Reflecting on the difficult decision of choosing the right university for him, Jordan explained, “My decision of choosing where to study was not easy, but Telfer has definitely proven to be the right choice. Being a bilingual student, Telfer offered an unparalleled bilingual experience. Having the opportunity to study in both French and English, coupled with the opportunity to study two fields that I’m passionate about - Commerce and Law - allowed me to enhance my language skills while being passionate about what I am learning. A bilingual university as a whole offers an enriched learning experience for all students.”
For high school students going through the process of choosing a university, Jordan advises, “Committing to a university is so much more than simply evaluating averages; it is about choosing the institution that can provide you with the best student experience. For me, Telfer offered it all: from intensive case studies and competitions, to high quality professors, to a great CO-OP program and career prospects. The School is actively working to connect each and every student to what matters to each of them. For these reasons and so many more, I recommend you choose Telfer; you won’t regret your choice!”
- Category: Rising Stars
“At Telfer, you won’t only gain knowledge; you’ll also acquire valuable skills and experience – that’s something I always say at Telfer open houses and I think it really sums up why I feel Telfer stands out. At any business school in Ontario, you will find great in-class learning opportunities. But Telfer excels at offering students a plethora of hands-on experiences like case competitions, CO-OP, and mentorship programs that will make them stand out against the 20,000 other business graduates each year,” stated Lawrence Quan, a student completing his Bachelor of Commerce with option in Marketing.
Throughout his undergraduate studies, Lawrence took advantage of the opportunities available to him and got involved with a variety of initiatives including CASCO, 101 Week, the CO-OP program, working as a Teaching Assistant, and participating in the Digital Marketing Development Program.
“Joining clubs is a great way to get to know people. I can look back and say that my involvement in the many clubs and activities available at Telfer made up about 80% of my university memories. If I just went to class, went to work, and went home, I would have missed out on the many other amazing opportunities and experiences that Telfer has to offer.”
Lawrence was able to combine his passion for hockey with his career goal of being a marketing strategist through a dream CO-OP placement at Telfer: “My final CO-OP term was at EA SPORTS NHL on the Global Brand Management team. Every Canadian hockey fan has grown up playing their video games. Getting this job was a dream come true and allowed me to get paid to think about hockey all day, every day.”
As Lawrence explained, it’s not just the hands-on experience that is valuable to students, but also the professional network they can build through their studies. “Telfer exists within the great business community in Ottawa. Professionals are happy to help students, share advice, and provide mentorship. Telfer helps students connect with these professionals, pick their brains, and take advantage of the knowledge in the community.”
Lawrence is now working at FarmLead, a Canadian AgTech Startup, as a Customer Acquisition Specialist. He is responsible for FarmLead’s digital advertising and search engine optimization strategy. He credits his success in the workplace to his involvement. “Your success in getting a job will rely on so much more than just grades. Your grades may get you the interview, but it is your other experience that will get you the job.”
Connect with Lawrence Quan here: www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencenathanquan
- Category: Latest News
CASCO, a student-run charity organization, hosted its 2nd Annual Golf Tournament on Sunday, May 28th 2017. With a strong team effort made by CASCO executives, they managed to raise $5,414 towards their cheque to present to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) at their Annual Gala on November 29, 2017 at the Infinity Convention Centre.
CASCO President Conor O’Doherty discussed his fellow classmates’ involvement in this initiative: “I am extremely proud of all the work the CASCO executive team has put into organizing our Golf Tournament. Their dedication to our cause and willingness to get more involved never ceases to amaze me. Our mission to raise funds for CHEO would never be accomplished without their commitment and I cannot wait to see how they will keep impressing me throughout the year."
About CASCO
CASCO is a student-run charity organization at the University of Ottawa. Comprised mostly of students from the Telfer School of Management, the club allows students to apply business knowledge to raise both awareness and funds for charity causes and promote corporate social responsibility. Now entering its 18th year, CASCO has raised over $500,000 for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), helping to purchase new equipment and to provide assistance to families in need.
- Category: Rising Stars
Each semester, students in the final-year Equity Valuation classes (ADM 4350 and ADM4750) take part in a real-world, real-time project, competing with each other to advise a business that is facing a difficult situation. Led by Professor Nitani, students during the winter 2017 semester tackled a challenge being faced by Dragonwave Inc., a company that offers high capacity broadband wireless networking systems for network operations and service providers.
Scott, a member of the winning team, described his experience: “The competition challenged my team’s ability to separate the information that truly mattered from all of the noise. We also had to actively fight our own biases as we created our valuation and storyline for the company.” According to Scott, his team brought many different strengths to the table, which ultimately sold the judges on their investment recommendations. Scott has one semester left of his undergraduate studies before he graduates in December. He’s currently one of the Capital Fund’s Portfolio Manager Leaders and will be working in investment banking at BMO Capital Markets this summer.
For Roma, another member of the winning team, the Equity Valuation case competition was the most all-encompassing and fun competition of his undergraduate studies. He really enjoyed the challenges associated with valuating a small public company, exploring the possibility of an acquisition, and presenting his team's hard work to fellow classmates, faculty, and industry professionals. After his graduation in June, Roma will be working as a Private Equity Associate at an Ottawa-based firm while pursuing his CFA designation.
Congratulations to the winning team:
- Roma Stepanchenko
- Scott Beiersdorfer
- William Tu
- Category: Rising Stars
In April 2017, students in the 4th year class Case Studies in Accounting (ADM4340) presented their final project in the context of the CPA Accounting Case Competition.
Congratulations to the winning team:
- Jordano Gonzalez
- Sarah Morin
- Zachary Princi
- Vaughn Asher Sapers
- Iskandar Nasrallah
We asked the winning team to share their experience with us as well as their plans after graduation since most are graduating this term.
Jordano began by sharing a few tips for students who taking the class next year. He said that being confident in a presentation is key to having the audience agree with what you’re saying. He also suggested being prepared for the question period since it can be quite stressful. After graduation, Jordano will be joining RCGT (Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton) as a Consultant.
Like Jordano, Sarah will be graduating this semester and will be working for the government as well pursuing her CPA designation. This competition was her last as an undergraduate student. She explained “this presentation is not something I’m going to forget any time soon and quite honestly, it's pretty cool that this was the last presentation of my undergraduate degree”.
Zach has a strong passion for entrepreneurship and has co-founded a startup called Eephorea. Eephorea is an entertainment production company that produces and promotes live entertainment experiences. After graduation, he hopes to expand his startup and help pioneer the live entertainment and music industries here in Ottawa. In addition to that, he is being bridged in full-time at the House of Commons as an Accounting Officer.
As for Vaughn, he currently works for the Canada Revenue Agency and will be bridged into a full time position there after graduation. He strongly feels that he wants to use his degree and the knowledge and experience acquired during his studies to help fight those that abuse our taxation and financial systems.
Finally, Iskandar started his own tax prep company specializing in student taxes. His aim is to give accounting students the opportunity to gain experience by doing other students’ taxes at a very low cost. He and his partner won a government grant and have been featured in Glue magazine's business journal.
We would like to congratulate the winning team, and wish them the best of luck on their future endeavours!
- Category: Rising Stars
As is done at the end of every term, the Telfer School of Management was pleased to organize the Intopia Simulation for 4th year students as part of their Strategic Management class. The competition starts on the Friday afternoon and ends late on Sunday. Students spend the three days at Desmarais Pavilion and often stay late into the night on Friday and Saturday night.
One of the winning teams shared their impressions with us. Team 38 includes Sogui Sylla, Mohamadou Barry, Philippe Langlois, Philippe Émond and Yazid Agougou, who are all 3rd and 4th year students. The majority of them are planning to finish their studies this term or in December 2017. Yazid explained that this weekend was extraordinary and memorable for all team members. They worked hard day and night, throughout the weekend. They were so committed that they even stayed overnight to negotiate sales contracts for their products with other teams. Surely, very few students slept during their Intopia weekend!
Intopia participants are required to make quick decisions before a predetermined time elapses. Students must negotiate with each other in order to grow their business over the weekend. Intopia participants get immediate feedback on their decisions and are given the opportunity to apply what they learned during their 4 years at the Telfer School.
For participating students, the simulation is very realistic. Some of the members of Team 38 even dressed up in suits to negotiate with the other teams found throughout Desmarais. In the early decisions, Team 38 did not rank among the top teams, but thanks to their hard work, perseverance and team spirit, they won first place in the category of Best Strategy – Finished Goods Producer.
Team 57, a small team comprised of three members, won first place in the category of Best Strategy – Component Producer, despite their small size. Members Alexandre Ranger, Benoit Guilbault and Francis Grenier, also said that they found the weekend beneficial. Alexandre, a student who hopes to get his CPA, shared that the Intopia simulation was not only a very rewarding and fun experience, but it helped him put into practice a lot of the knowledge he gained throughout his studies. In addition, participants apply skills learned outside of class, such as negotiation skills.
The three team members learned a lot from this simulation, but they said that the primary benefit of this experience was the networking aspect. For them, being able to network with students from the English classes was representative of the real job market and this experience will play a positive role in their professional lives.
Congratulations to Team 19 (Anita Mahava, Cody Miller, Mike Bowen, Miroslav Gacic and Mussie Hailu) on winning first place in the category of Best Strategy – Service Provider. Congratulations also to Team 53 (Matthew Monteith, Miranda Chan, Stefanie El-Beyourti and Isra Sabunju) on earning first place in the category of Best Strategy – Integrated Firm.
- Category: Rising Stars
“I believe you can accomplish much more when you focus on things you are naturally attracted towards,” stated Maxime, a 4th year at the Telfer School of Management.
His passions? Surfing, problem solving, and international management – his specialization. “I happen to be one of the few surfers at the University of Ottawa. I believe that having a hobby you are passionate about is essential, because it makes you go out of your way to do it and push your limits. It is only this way that you can accomplish great things.”
Going back in time to four years ago, Maxime was in high school, visiting the University of Ottawa during the Open House. “I was interested in management and was hoping to get specialized right away.”
Today, Maxime is the perfect example of an engaged, opportunistic student. Throughout the past four years, Maxime has attended many networking events, met with plenty of students and professionals in all fields and interests, and participated in a mentorship program as well as career counselling.
What’s more, Maxime went on two different exchanges in France and Australia. “I take pride in the two exchanges I had the opportunity to take part in during my third year of university. Adapting to a new environment personally, professionally and culturally should be mandatory. Adjusting to a small city in France, attending English immersion in Australia, leaving for a long period of time and going outside of my comfort zone was a challenge, but an amazing experience. I made friends from all around the world and developed my professional skills by taking part in seminars, very interesting projects and, of course, networking.”
When asked what advice he can provide to future students, he urges them to get involved in the mentorship program, to join student clubs, to go on exchange and to take each and every opportunity that Telfer has to offer.
“Today, I feel ready to take on the many challenges of the business world.”
Connect with Maxime Therrien-Arel here.
Also – you can follow Telfer’s LinkedIn activities here!
- Category: Rising Stars
Congratulations to Brenda Lam, winner of the CO-OP Student of the Year Award from the Telfer School of Management as well as the University of Ottawa!
Brenda is completing a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours), specializing in marketing in the French Immersion stream at the University of Ottawa. Brenda is passionate about learning and never shies away from a challenge. Over the past few years, she has participated in an international exchange to France and in the French Explore program in Moncton to hone her French-language skills. Her latest employer, Sun Life Financial, hired Brenda to be the company’s Campus Ambassador following her exceptional work as a marketing CO-OP student. Brenda is very involved in her community and has volunteered with a variety of organizations including CASCO, a university-based charity of which she is vice-president of sponsorship. She also volunteers at CHEO, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, where she has organized multiple fundraising events.
For more information on the awards, click here.
- Category: Rising Stars
When Rebecca isn’t busy reading from Modern Library’s 100 Best Novels list (at last count, she had read 94 out of the 100), she takes advantage of any and all opportunities offered by the Telfer School of Management, namely the Profession of Management Consulting Program (PMCP), a two-year development program for students interested in consulting.
Every Thursday evening, the small cohort meets with consultants for workshops, mock interviews and case presentations based on real consulting projects. “I feel a stronger connection to the Telfer School of Management than ever thanks to the PMCP. In fact, I became a Peer Mentor in my fourth year because I wanted first year students to experience that connection too. It has been rewarding to encourage new students to get involved in associations, ambassadorships, special seminars, career development programs, events and panels, and to access the many support services available on campus.”
Following her own advice, Rebecca made it her personal goal during her time at Telfer to attend a networking event every month. “Though I chose the school for its location, what I love most are the experiential learning and networking opportunities. Most of my courses have a group project component and many of my classes have had an experiential learning component, such as a simulation or a business process like customer discovery.”
When asked which classes she recommends to future students, Rebecca highlighted two of them. The first, Change Management with Professor Samia Chreim, “was built on experiential learning through case studies, personal reflection, and an online simulation. I finished the class with a better understanding of the theory and practice of change management and a desire to learn more throughout my career.” The second class, the seminar on Leadership and Personal Development, enables students to build their own personal mission statement, develop and accomplish personal development goals, and coach another student to do the same. “Many students have told me that this seminar is a life-changing experience, so I knew that I could not miss out!”
Rebecca, who is in her last year at Telfer, will be working at Accenture starting in May, an opportunity she secured in part through her connections at PMCP. “This validated the work that I put into the PMCP and gave me an opportunity to explore the profession before graduating.”
- Category: Latest News
The University of Toronto’s Rotman International Trading Competition (RITC), brings together some of the world's top business schools for a 3 day intensive simulation. Out of the 52 attending schools, The University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management performed exceptionally and emerged 13th. Telfer surpassed competition from schools such as McGill, Pennsylvania State University, Columbia, University of Chicago, Western, Queens, The Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance and University of Hong Kong.
This year’s team consisted of six of our highest-performing finance students: Evan Friend, Danika Fu, Jack Lau, Dmitry Shorikov, William Tu, and Patrick Winogron, and was coached by Pouya Safi, the Manager of the Financial Research and Learning Lab. The team was formed following their exceptional performance at the Telfer Trading Competition in October. Since then, the team had been meeting regularly to devise their strategies and practice on the RIT software. Anyone passing by the Financial Research and Learning Lab was likely to have seen these students preparing for the competition. The preparation only became more intense as the competition approached. By the time reading week had started, RITC team members could be found practicing round the clock, often spending more than 12 straight hours in the lab. Even on the train ride to Toronto, the team continued to fine-tune their strategies.
The events opened with a welcome ceremony and introduction to the event. There was also a social outcry round for competitors to practice outcry strategy, and Jack Lau placed 2nd in this event!
This year, the competition was broken down into six official events focusing on options, sales & trading, commodities, fixed income, algorithmic trading and quantitative outcry. The competition was largely made up of graduate students in programs such as finance, mathematics, financial engineering and quantitative financial modeling.
First among the events was the BP Commodities case. Here, team members were assigned roles as traders, producers or refiners. The team had to work together to interpret market signals and trade various petroleum commodities and futures contracts. This was an extremely strong case for the Telfer team, placing 6th in this event.
In the options case, teams had to analyze market data to trade different call options on a fictitious exchange-traded fund. Competitors devised a model that collected, interpreted and modeled this data and devised a strategy to successfully trade on this model’s data. The final strategy combined volatility measures, delta hedging and pricing arbitrage to result in a 6th place finish.
With two sixth place finishes on the first day, the Telfer team occupied 6th place going into day two. Day two included cases such as credit risk, algorithmic trading, sales & trading and quantitative outcry.
The S&P Global Credit Risk case involved pricing corporate fixed income products, and calculating their risks. Tools such as implied price difference, and Altman Z-scores were used to help predict the price path and if the company would default on their debt. After extremely high hopes for the case, Telfer was ranked in the top 20.
The sales and trading case, sponsored by Flow Traders, was another great event for the Telfer team, finising in 14th place. The case required participants to take on the role of a trader and make rapid evaluations of liquidity risk. Throughout the case, the traders had to assess the value and risk level of dozens of tender offers and execute trades on the positions gained through these tender offers. Success was determined by the team’s ability to manage its market exposure while exploiting market-making opportunities.
The Algorithmic Trading case, in which the Telfer team finished in the top 25, focused on the development of a trading algorithm that would analyze market data and trade on that data, all while avoiding market penalties. Requiring a tremendous amount of preparation, this case was carried out by a single team member, Dmitry Shorikov, sequestered in a closed room.
The most exciting competition was the Quantitative Outcry Case. This involved two team members acting as market analysts and incorporating market data into a model of numerous countries’ GDP in order to price a market index. This estimate was then transmitted via silent hand signals to two other team members working in an open-outcry trading pit. These players, dressed in bright costumes to make themselves more visible to the analysts, bought and sold based on the analysts’ instructions.
In the past four years of attending, it was clear that this was one of the most determined and prepared teams the Telfer School has ever sent. The team improved on the previous year's result, and considering all of the preparation and practice prior to the competition, it is easy to understand why. The RITC team had been meeting every Saturday since November practicing and creating strategies. The students returning to school next semester are already eager to improve on their excellent performance this year, and those graduating are wishing for one more chance. A special thanks goes to Mr. Pouya Safi, the Telfer Marketing Department, CETSC, and the Telfer Career Centre for their help in funding the expenses of attending the competition.
Every year, the team is looking to acquire new talent, and will be prospecting at the Telfer Trading Competition in October 2017. If you are interested in investing, trading, financial modeling or would just like to get more involved, do not hesitate to try out. The team encourages any interested students to try out or contact them for any information.
Highlighted Results:
- Overall Ranking: 13th
- Social Outcry: 2nd Place – Jack Lau
- Commodities: 6th Place
- Options Case: 6th Place
- Category: Rising Stars
- Eric Carmichael and Valerie Brault
- Evan Kerr and Nick Kazaka
- Tina Liusun and Andy Yu
- Adriano Pagliarello and Raymond Holtforster
- Category: Latest News
As part to the Telfer School of Management’s highly innovative new capstone course “ADM4317: Leadership, Strategy and Sustainability” for the Honours Bachelor of Commerce’s management option, students had the opportunity on November 10, 2016 to participate in an on-site visit of Windmill Developments’ Zibi project, Canada’s first and only One Planet Living planned community.
Professor Daina Mazutis, Endowed Professor of Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability, and her students were hosted by Jonathan Westeinde, CEO of Windmill Developments who graciously presented his vision for sustainable living. He provided students hands-on exposure to how businesses are tackling critical issues such as carbon neutrality, clean energy, waste reduction, the future of mobility and stakeholder engagement, amongst other inspirational examples.
In addition to this visit, students taking this course benefited from participating in a three-day immersion in running a Triple Bottom Line business through the Green Lab simulation and heard from two guest speakers from the community – John Purkis of The Natural Step and Mike Gerbis of Delphi Consulting, who both provided examples of leadership, strategy and sustainability in practice.
Within the course, students are also working on community service learning projects through the Michael Jean Centre for Global and Community Engagement with the both the Office of Campus Sustainability and CFUW (Canadian Federation of University Women).
About Zibi
Zibi is a world-class sustainable community and redevelopment project by Windmill Development Group and Dream Unlimited Corp. Through this multi-phase development, Windmill and Dream will transform derelict land into a blend of residential housing types of low and high rise condominium towers and townhomes, commercial and office space, unique waterfront plazas and outdoor squares, recreational facilities, and more. Truly one-of-a-kind, Zibi combines unparalleled views of the Ottawa River, Parliament Hill, Chaudière Falls, and downtown Ottawa and Gatineau skylines framed by a modern architectural design that still respects the heritage of the area. Zibi is where nature, culture, heritage and the joys of life culminate.
- Category: Alumni in the Lead
When alumna Diana Kolesarova graduated with a BCom a few short months ago, she made a promise to herself and to her alma mater to be an active alumna. Luckily for Diana, the perfect opportunity would present itself when she heard that the Telfer Alumni Association (TAA) was looking for a President. At their Annual General Meeting on November 8th, Diana was appointed the new President.
Three other new faces were added to the TAA’s Executive Board – Lucas Goshn as the Treasurer, Sushil Dahiya as the Director of Operations and Carl Lafleur as the Director of Marketing. Diana along with Lucas, Sushil and Carl join returning members Alexandra Batchelor, Vice-President, and Arianna Pontello, Director of Events.
Getting involved is something Diana has always done, whether it is in her community or her school. During her time at the Telfer School, she was a member of the Entrepreneurs’ Club for three years and participated in Happening Marketing and Jeux du Commerce.
“The TAA has the power to foster an amazing network and inspire future generations of Telfer students. I look forward to use this opportunity to give back to the institution that gave so much to me”, says Diana.
Join the new TAA Facebook page: facebook.com/telferalumni
- Category: Rising Stars
During the weekend of September 23 to 25, Telfer School of Management students in the ADM4317 Leadership, Strategy and Sustainability course engaged in an intensive simulation called The Green Business Lab.
“The Green Business Lab is unique in that it is the only interactive, live, comprehensive business simulation that can provide students with a hands-on experience in running a business while at the same time solving the most pressing problems arising from environmental and social issues facing organizations today” said Daina Mazutis, Endowed Professor of Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability at the Telfer School. “It connects students directly to important strategic decisions that they will need to make as future business leaders.”
Working in teams, the students were immersed in running a business where each team member played a key function in the company. They had to shape the company’s strategic direction, design and build a new product and improve performance. Yet, due to mounting pressure from various stakeholders — including customers, governments and NGOs — success depended on triple-bottom-line (economic, environmental, social) metrics.
Teams made final presentations to a panel of judges who evaluated their strategy. This board of directors was composed of Robert G. White, CA, CMA, CPA, Independent Investor and Adviser (Telfer BCom 1992), Kristina Haakman, VP Finance at Brookfield Renewable Energy (Telfer BCom 2003), Salim Charabati, B.Arch. MBA, Consultant BuildGreen Solutions (Telfer EMBA 2016) and John Purkis, Senior Associate, The Natural Step.
Spherical Solutions (George Amidjinov, Kacey Cryan, Francis Desjardins, Alexis Harrison, Adam Khawas, Philippe Lafontaine and Vanessa Mangano) finished first in the “Industrialized Nations” category and “Eco-Impact Spheres” (Patrik Hashem, Andrew James Low, Olivia Le, Cassandre Pomerleau, Isabelle Trudeau and Jacob Sousa) finished first in the “Developing Nations” category. These teams developed the best overall strategy from a triple bottom line perspective.
“Speaking on behalf of the majority of participating students, the Green Business Lab is a real life, fast paced scenario involving tough decisions” said student Francis Desjardins. “This weekend simulation gave us the possibility to apply our acquired knowledge in a sometimes stressful, but always fun environment. We not only learnt multiple typical business lessons, for example the importance of profits and cash flow, but also the impacts of other bottom lines: the importance of the environment and of social awareness. I would like to thank our Green Business Lab facilitator, our professor, my class colleagues and the Telfer School of Management for this great experience.”
This in-class simulation was made possible with the support of the Telfer School’s Yersh Family Pedagogical Innovation Fund.
About the Green Business Lab simulation
The simulation tests the students’ leadership skills, knowledge of core management disciplines, as well as broader understanding of business’s responsible role in society. The Green Business Lab simulation has previously been run in well-regarded universities such as Cornell University, Georgia State University, Central Michigan University, Denver University, University of Michigan, Georgetown University, University of Iowa, Wayne State University as well as major multinational organizations such as General Electric, Rio Tinto and Chrysler Financial.
- Category: Rising Stars
From July 8 to10, 4th-year students from the bachelor of commerce participated in the Intopia Strategy Simulation. This competition was created as a component of the 4th-year Strategic Management class.
The CPA Ontario Intopia Strategy Simulation aims to teach students the concepts of strategic management in a simulated online world, known as Intopia, where students get immediate feedback on their decisions. This simulation gives the students a chance to test the knowledge they have accumulated over their 4 years at university.
Congratulations to the members of the winning team:
- Jean-Francois Lupien
- David May
- Fanta Sow
- Nikola Vucic
- Category: Latest News
Interested in organizing the next edition of the largest academic competition among French high schools in Ontario? We are currently seeking candidates for the Executive Committee for the 13th edition of Place à la jeunesse in November 2016. The event will host more than 200 high-caliber students in the field of business among dozens of high schools across Ontario. It's your turn to offer a unique and unforgettable experience to the next Telfer cohort, all while developing your strategic planning, team management, and financial management skills, among others. If you wish to apply for the presidency or for the three other positions available on the Executive Committee, submit your online application by Friday, June 17, 2016.
- Category: Latest News
In the spring of 2016, the Telfer School launched a video competition. With the intention of building a promotional video that would feature key aspects of our undergraduate program, we thought who better to unveil what we have to offer than our very own students?
Created by Sharanya Tharmarajan and Conor O’Doherty, both of whom are in their third year of Accounting in the BCom program, the winning video showcases our connection to our brand, to our student experience, and to our target audience. It also demonstrates the hard work and dedication of our students and is a prime example of what defines our student body at the Telfer School.
How does Telfer connect you to what matters? Let us show you.
The Student Services Centre
The Student Services Centre
- Category: Rising Stars
Each year, students in the 4th-year class Case Studies in Accounting (ADM 4340) participate in a case competition in which they analyze a real company and report on accounting issues being faced by the company.
This year, a total of 72 students took part in the competition, and the best groups presented their cases in front of a panel of judges on April 13.
We would like to congratulate the winning team:
- Arya Farahani
- Dylan Humphries
- Vishwa Rachamalla
- Martina Reabel
Thank you to CPA Ontario for sponsoring the event and to Professor Sheldon Weatherstone, as well as Matt Prime, Lee Tessmer, and David Albers, who were all members of the judging panel.
- Category: Rising Stars
Each year, students in the 4th-year Equity Valuation class (ADM 4350) take part in a case competition in which they estimate the value of a real company and propose recommendations to improve performance.
This term, the ADM 4350 students did an excellent job analyzing Blackberry Limited.
We would like to congratulate this year’s winners:
First place:
- Alexandre Richard
- Sadaf Naziri
Second place:
- Wenjun Tian
- Zhuohang Yu
Third place:
- Xu Zheng
- Yaozong Zhou
“Best Poster” Award:
- Patrick Joseph Murphy
- Spencer Robert O'Brien
We would also like to thank the judges: James Yearsh, Cassy Aite, Jivan Maharaj, Bart M. Bagrowicz, Evan Johnson, Kailin Araujo Noivo, Pouya Safi, and Allan Riding.
- Category: Rising Stars
From March 18 to 20, 4th-year students from the bachelor of commerce participated in the Intopia Strategy Simulation. This competition was created as a component of the 4th-year Strategic Management class.
The CPA Ontario Intopia Strategy Simulation aims to teach students the concepts of strategic management in a simulated online world, known as Intopia, where students get immediate feedback on their decisions. This simulation gives the students a chance to test the knowledge they have accumulated over their 4 years at university.
Congratulations to the members of the winning team:
- Sijia Yang
- Yichen Zheng
- Yuying Cai
- Mingguang Zou
- Ramin Rafiaie
- Category: Rising Stars
The University of Ottawa Enactus team just competed in the regional competition rounds of the Enactus Canada championships, and received distinguished awards among a gathering of over 25 different universities and colleges for their excellence in entrepreneurial action and community leadership. Enactus, Canada’s largest entrepreneurship focused student organization, fosters today’s youth to advance the economic, environmental, and social growth of their communities.
Hosted at the Hilton Meadowvale in Mississauga, Ontario, the Enactus Canada regionals for the Central Canada category endorsed the entrepreneurial achievements of over 500 students across the region. With the additional help of professionals, academic advisors, and organizers, it was a two-day event filled with competitive spirit, collaboration, and celebration. Students competed in live presentations that demonstrated their positive outreach in both their local and international communities - all within the categories of entrepreneurship, environmental issues, youth empowerment, and financial education.
Enactus uOttawa, now a group of over 116 motivated young leaders from seven different faculties at the University of Ottawa, competed in all four categories. In recognition of the amazing impact they made through a variety of innovative and impactful projects, the team was awarded as the first place Runner Up in the Scotiabank EcoLiving Green Challenge, the Capital One Financial Education Challenge, and the Scotiabank Youth Empowerment Challenge, and was the winnner of an Impact Award in the TD Entrepreneurship challenge. In addition to these achievements, VP Project Management Shevaun Ensor-Harrison was awarded the 2016 HSBC Woman Leader of Tomorrow for Central Canada, in recognition of her contributions to Enactus and her commitment to improving the livelihood of people in her community through entrepreneurial action.
The Enactus University of Ottawa team will now move on to compete in the Enactus Canada National Exposition taking place from May 2nd to 4th in Toronto, Canada at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, striving to retain the title of Team Canada once again for 2016. Follow the team’s progress on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Enactus uOttawa would like to thank all of their supporters and advisors, and would like to congratulate all participating teams on their positive impact on their communities.
- Category: Latest News
The uOttawa Enactus team hosted their annual rendition of the exemplary Strat 24 Case Competition this past weekend, Ottawa’s premier opportunity for Engineering and Commerce students to work together and showcase their intellectual and creative talents.
Twelve teams, consisting of 2 students from the Telfer School of Management and 2 from the Faculty of Engineering each, were given a live case, created in collaboration with Strat 24 sponsor Hydro Ottawa. With only 24 hours allotted to crack the case, the teams worked tirelessly overnight to find innovative and unique solutions. They then presented their solutions to a panel of judges, and the winners of each pool advanced to a final round of presentations.
Thanks to the support of Hydro Ottawa and the competitive spirit of 48 hardworking uOttawa students, the fifth edition of this annual event was a great success.
The winning team, comprised of uOttawa students Roma Stepanchenko, Katya Berezovskaia, Amanda Godin and Barry Li, proposed that Hydro Ottawa connect Smart Grid technologies via an app, allowing Hydro Ottawa to support residents in reducing their energy consumption and carbon footprint without impacting the company’s bottom line. Their solution earned the top prize at the competition, a $4,000 cash award.
Congratulations go out to all participants for their work and their creative solutions! Stay tuned for next year’s event online at www.strat24.com [This link is no longer available] or on Enactus uOttawa’s social media.
Contact
Enactus uOttawa
(613) 562-5800 ext. 3700
- Category: Latest News
The JDC Central (JDCC) competition took place January 8-10, 2016, in Toronto, Ontario, hosted by the Canadian Association of Business Students. The JDCC competition is one of Canada’s largest business school competitions that brings together 700 delegates from 14 universities across Ontario, Québec and the Maritimes to compete in academic, sporting and social events.
Congratulations to students for winning the following:
Team Awards
- 3rd place overall, School of the Year
1st place trophy:
- Entrepreneurship (Alamin Mollick, Elliott Foley and Osman Wais)
Coach: Sara Valentino
3rd place trophies:
- Accounting Case (Jenna Curran, Regina Melnyk, Sui Qu)
Coaches: Sheldon Weatherstone, Sylvain Durocher, Nadia Daskalova - Sports – Futsal (Victor Delage, Philip Kijek, Sunny Khorugdharry, Jeff Davies, Maurizio Ferme, Selena Saikley, Madison Cunha and Samantha Mikhael)
Coach: Justin Sweeney
- Category: Latest News
The 28th edition of the Jeux du commerce took place January 8 to 10, 2016, at the University Laval in Québec City, Québec. The Jeux du commerce competition is an interuniversity event that brings together over 1,000 delegates from 13 Eastern Canadian universities to compete in academic, sporting and social events. This year, our students placed 3rd overall and took home the following trophies:
Team Awards
- 3rd place Overall Standing
- Recognition Award – Diane Mugeni
2nd place trophies:
- Strategy (Jaclyn Tokarewicz, Drew Morash, Jesse Dunn)
Coach: Alan O’Sullivan
- Sport – BroomBall (Andre Caissie, Adnan Shaikh, Austin St.Pierre, Cassandra Perrier, Claudine Soucie, Jean-Manuel Turcotte, Joel St-Denis, Mike Shaheen, Myreille Chouinard)
Coaches: Max Hébert and Cameron Harvey
- Sport - DBL Ball (Jordano Gonzalez, Alexander Hannoun, Fadi Azzi, Max Frost, Michèle Marchand, Mathieu Brunet, Sophie Nadeau, Qusai Saleh, Mira Azzi and Lucas Ghosn)
Coaches: Carl Lafleur and Michel Bédard
3rd place trophies:
- Debate (Sonia Alb, Roy Atallah, Joshua Ayer, Sarah Morin)
Coach: Matt Archibald and Jed Cross
- Recruit Case (Vicky Wang)
- Social Team (Dominic Piscopo, Natasha Heinz, Channing Junor, Marie Beaupré-Olsen)
- Category: Rising Stars
We held the fall 2015 Michel Cloutier Marketing Competition on December 8, 2015 at the Desmarais Building.
We would like to congratulate the winning team (Natasha Mieka Loepp, Liora Raitblat, Kelsy Sullivan, Jessica Verbruggen and Irene Zourdos), who provided the best pan-Canadian strategy for the Department of Canadian Heritage to engage Canadians in the Give Back Campaign for the 150th Anniversary of Confederation.
The winning team received a cash prize of $1,500 and Kelsie Zielinski, the student with the best presentation skills, received a $600 prize.
- Category: Rising Stars
All students in ADM4350 (Equity Valuation) and ADM4750 (Évaluation d’entreprises) took part in a case competition where they had to estimate the value of a real-life company and propose a course of action that the company should take to solve its problems. This term, the mandate was to analyse the valuation of Hydro One.
We would like to congratulate:
First place winners:
- Zachary Baldelli
- Wei Gao
Second place prize:
- Connor Flack
- Brandon Larochelle
Third place prize:
- Rose-Lornah D’Or
- Charmarke Omar Omar
- Sara Saddiki
Best poster Award:
- Xinglin Li
- Chuqiao Liu
We would like to thank all judges: Kash Pashootan, Homam Alattar, Danika Chilibeck, George André Skaff and Miguel Jutras and Mike Reynolds.
- Category: Rising Stars
In November 2015, 10 teams of students participated in a case competition as part of their Case Studies in Accounting course.
The winning team and the team that ranked second were respectively awarded $2,000 and $1,200. These prizes are courtesy of CPA Ontario and PME Performance + Croissance Inc. All members of both teams also received a gift certificate of $100 from Logan-Katz.
The judges of the competition were Denis Chainé, CPA, CA, partner at Logan-Katz; Marie-Geneviève Bégin, CPA, CA, Chief of Internal Controls at Justice Canada and Jean-Philippe Aubé, CPA, CA, owner of PME Performance + Croissance Inc., as well as Professor Sylvain Durocher, CPA, CA.
We would like to congratulate the winning teams, from left to right:
1st place: Justin Bélanger, Jia Li, Tania Fécu Dupuy, Joël A. St-Denis, Kristjan Johannes Luik
2nd place: Rebecca Bradley, Jérémy Boileau, Marie-France Bougie, Michelle Farley
- Category: Latest News
The CPA Ontario Intopia Strategy Simulation is an exciting and integrative learning opportunity for BCom students, as part of their 4th year Strategic Management class, and for MBA students.
From November 11 – 15, 2015, 39 BCom teams and 9 MBA teams participated in this simulation at the Telfer School of Management’s Desmarais Building.
Congratulations to the members of the winning BCom team
- Brandon Brown
- Euan Smith
- Kelsie Throop
- Andrea Howland
- Filipus Tjong
Congratulations to the members of the winning MBA team
- Alexandre Beaudoin
- Wendy Hopkins
The CPA Ontario Intopia Strategy Simulation has been a component of the BCom’s 4th year strategy course for close to 20 years. It aims to teach students the concepts of strategic management in a simulated online world known as Intopia. The simulation allows students to practice their skills in a concentrated amount of time where they can get immediate feedback on their decisions.
This capstone activity has recently been renamed to recognize CPA Ontario’s comprehensive contribution of $370,000 to the Telfer School to support students, teaching and research.
- Category: Rising Stars
BCom Finance Student Receives “Volunteer of the Month”
Neekita Bhatia is a driven second year BCom student in Finance who wants to leave her mark through volunteering. She has already amassed a Co-Curricular Record, an official university document that records approved and verified volunteer activities undertaken by students, with lists volunteering experience ranging from being a proxy agent with the uOttawa Residents’ Association to a tax filer with ACORN Canada.
Neekita’s favourite position, however, was leading an Alternative Student Break project with the Office of Campus Sustainability. “We conducted waste audits for DMS and MRT [Pavillons], analyzed the data, and made reports on it. I learned so much about sustainability in that week that I use every day including good recycling practices,” she says. Neekita also recently joined Enactus.
When asked what matters to her, Neekita responds: “I greatly value my networks. […] With my diverse background, I tend to appreciate the individual experiences of every person I meet. It is amazing how different people’s beliefs and personalities are, even within Canada. And I believe Telfer connects me to amazing people through the diverse student body, opportunities in student clubs, speakers at events and a professional and comfortable environment.”
Neekita was awarded the Volunteer of the Month for the month of October with the Centre for Global and Community Engagement.
- Category: Latest News
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The uOttawa Enactus team just competed in the semi final round at the Enactus World Championships, and was named one of top 16 teams among 1,700 other universities and colleges worldwide.
After their humble beginnings of starting as a group of 12 tight knit members, Enactus uOttawa has grown to be a team of 116 highly capable and innovative students, spanning across 7 different faculties at the University of Ottawa in just four years. In recognition of both the local and international impact they’ve made through a variety of projects, the team, after having been crowned National Champions in Toronto this past May, represented Team Canada at this year’s World Cup - taking place for the very first time on the continent of Africa
A 3 day event of competition, collaboration, and celebration, the Enactus World Championships are an opportunity for representatives from 36 different countries to showcase the social impact they’ve made through presentations of up to 17 minutes. Enactus uOttawa showcased 2 of their 12 projects which have empowered countless individuals, created many jobs, and effectively eliminated waste in their local community - the most notable being a project by the name of CigBins. CigBins, a cigarette butt and recycling service, provides meaningful job opportunities to individuals with mental illness. It has thus far diverted over 183,000 cigarette butts off the city streets, and generated $129,000 in revenue.
In addition to the competition rounds, the Championship’s events also consisted of two Action Leaders Forums (covering the topics of Food, Water, and Energy Security) in addition to a Women’s Economic Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Forum - which were supplemented by various guest speakers. Featured performances included African Footprint, The Soweto Gospel Choir, and DJ Reactagirl.
With last year’s Enactus World Cup taking place in Beijing, China and this year’s competition in South Africa, a country in which every public university is involved with the organization, the championship moves internationally from city to city each year, and will be taking place in Toronto, Canada for the 2016 rounds.
Contact
Enactus uOttawa
(613) 562-5800 ext. 3700
- Category: Rising Stars
This year marks the return of the Telfer School of Management at the largest HR competition in eastern Canada. The HR Symposium took place from November 21 to 23 at the University of Quebec at Rimouski. The competition brings together more than 250 university students from nine business schools
The delegation distinguished itself by winning two 3rd place trophies;
- 3rd position in the collective agreement negotiation simulation.
- Samantha Paiement
- Benjamin Macré
- Émilie Fournier
- 3rd position in the case of human resources management.
- Brook Runions,
- Ibrahim Gheriani
- Mia-Kin Viau-Gamache
Congratulations to all the members of the delegation that was composed of Maral Eliott, Marc Anthony and Patrick Guénette Patenaude (quiz) Émilie Fournier, Samantha payment, Benjamin Macré (collective bargaining agreement); Magali Mayrand Janice Chapman and Richard Laberge (arbitration); Brooke Runions, Mia-Kin-Viau Gamache and Ibrahim Gheriani (HRM case); Renée Leduc, Oneal Ishimwe Fadi Azzi, Cameron Harvey, Tamara and Alexander Roy-Stang Hannoun (sports) and Patrick Furgeson, Sera Ertan, Steven Benoît Ménard and Marie-Pierre Lafrance for their work as coaches and volunteers.
Congratulations to Rafael Morin, who assumes the dual role of president and coordinator of the Telfer delegation. With the help of all the participants, a colossal work has been done to ensure our participation in the competition.
The delegation wishes to thank the coaches, Suzanne Payette and Jane O'Really and offer a special thank you to the coach and godmother Anne-Julie Charlebois students in human resources. They also want to acknowledge the cooperation of Telfer alumni Audrey Lamarche and Alex Massi.
The financial contribution of the Telfer Human Resources Association (ARHHRA) has been essential to the project and the organizers would like to thank the president of the association, Abhiram Sarvepalli.
Finally, all participants want to personally thank the Rimouski organizing committee who made this event a success.
Photo: Brook Runions, Ibrahim Gheriani and Mia-Kin Viau-Gamache (HRM)
- Category: Latest News
On October 17th, 15 students from the Telfer School of Management embarked on a journey to China that truly brought them a once in a lifetime experience.
Enactus uOttawa is a non-profit organization consisted of a community of student leaders who are committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better more sustainable world. With 5 incredible projects with this common goal, Enactus uOttawa is currently one of the top teams in Canada, thereby leading to the opportunity to attend and support Team Canada, represented by Enactus Memorial, at the 2014 Enactus World Cup Competition in Beijing, China! Thus, 15 representatives from Enactus uOttawa flew to Beijing, China on October 17 to participate in this Olympic equivalent of the Enactus world.
The experience that followed is one that we will cherish for our entire lives.
Our team arrived in Beijing and experienced numerous exciting tourist attractions: The Summer Palace, the lively markets, Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, and of course, The Great Wall of China. Not to mention the luging we did down the mountain from the Great Wall!
With 34 countries represented, ranging from Brazil and South Africa to Russia and Australia, the competition began with a fair that featured all the countries’ cultures, including clothing, food, and activities. It was an exciting experience to venture through this large room filled with people from, quite literally, all around the world!
The World Cup competition presentations showcased the teams’ outreach projects’ and their ability to positively impact people’s lives. Team Canada advanced as far as the semi-finals, with Ireland, China, Morocco, and Puerto Rico progressing to the finals which were held the following day.
In the end, China was named the 2014 World Cup Enactus Champions in front of a roaring crowd of over 5,000 student, academic and business leaders! Their project created a wind and solar generator system that supplied electricity to local herdsman and in turn, doubling their annual income. Throughout the competition, there were also some fascinating speaker panels, featuring the CEO of Walmart, the Executive Vice President of Coca Cola, President of the U.S. Foundation of KPMG LLP, as well as many others.
It was an experience to remember, and we were extremely excited to have had the chance to not only explore Beijing, but meet hundreds of incredible like-minded friends who are change-makers —just like us— from around the world.
by: Liora Raitblat
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The following article was written by a member of our student community. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Telfer School of Management. For more information or to flag inappropriate content, please