Share.Learn.Inspire.Transform
“Success, like utility, is a function of the individual. You should celebrate the fact that what gives you utility (happiness) is as unique to you as your thumbprint or your DNA.”
– Dr. Rick Nason-
Dr. Rick Nason, Associate Professor, Faculty of Management
Read Dr. Nason’s full article here
Yvonne Thevenot MBA(FS) Class of 1999
Fear of Missing Out… A newish acronym associated with social media, but truly has been around as long as kids have been picking sides for baseball, or one group got to go hunting while the other stayed home to help. Of course, it doesn’t just apply to children – every day it sparks motivation in adults to join Club(houses), to gather Apples, and to take on 10-day picture posting challenges.
Fear of Going Out… Ok, I admit it. When I see someone without a mask, I just can’t help the “Hey You” reaction in my brain, heart and stomach. And when I see the CUTE little baby next door, I catch my breath and abruptly take 2 steps back instead of doing what every fibre of my soul wants to do but lean in and smell that baby smile.
Fear is powerful motivator. Fear of action, fear of inaction. And eventually that fear takes its toll. People get tired, worn to a place that sleep doesn’t solve, and even the acts of renewal – nature, reading, song and dance – don’t scrub the fear away… unless… we reframe, we relearn, we reinvent. Add to that some amazing support networks to make happen…to listen, to encourage, to champion, to check in.
So here’s my hope…. from FOMO to FOGO…to YOLO… just for YOU….
“I can say with confidence that the Dal MBA helped me progress in my career while I was a student, but it did something else – it helped me become a better teacher.”
Terry Lampropoulos MBA(FS) Class of 2019
Terry Lampropoulos MBA(FS) Class of 2019
Graduations signify passages and transitions, of moving forward and of accepting new ventures and challenges. Terry Lampropoulos crossed the stage in October 2019 to receive his degree, signifying the completion of a robust academic journey. In a virtual interview with CEGE Connection, Terry shared his insights on how his years of study influenced his direction going forward.
Terry Lampropoulos:
The feeling that I had when I graduated from Dalhousie with my MBA (FS) is something that was truly surreal. I felt happy, nostalgic, grateful, and, honestly, weird because I now had something known as “free time.” I reflected upon what I had learned during my journey to my MBA and I thought back to all the wonderful courses and professors who I had the privilege from which to learn. With a background in sciences, learning about topics like accounting, finance, marketing, and international business was a humbling but very worthwhile experience because I, like many of the alumni finishing MBAs, work in the banking industry. I can say with confidence that the Dal MBA helped me progress in my career while I was a student, but it did something else – it helped me become a better teacher.
In addition to working in the financial industry, I am also the Coordinator and Instructor at Seneca College in Toronto, Ontario for their Risk Management program. I started teaching at Seneca in January 2015, but it has become an absolute passion for me. Seeing my students complete their studies on a part-time basis (something I can definitely related too!) but also excel in the classroom and in their careers is something that brings me unbridled joy. My time as a teacher, however, did not start smoothly. I had just started my MBA studies when I started teaching and my style was, well, rudimentary. Considering all this, I realized that my time as an MBA student was going to give me insights on how to control a classroom, communicate with students using an online platform, build knowledge through discussion, and ensure that my students were engaged in, not only the theoretical material being taught in the textbooks, but also in the real world.
Seeing my professors navigate course material with case information was a dream. Observing the teaching styles of Dr. Carolan McLarney, Dr. James Barker, and Dr. Greg Hebb (I do not intend to miss names, so I apologize) showed me that being myself in a classroom was the easiest way to get students to engage. I would like to say that I know a thing-or-two about risk but listening to my students, the way my professors at Dal did, is something that cannot be forgotten. I felt that I developed a rapport with my professors while I went through my Dal journey and now I hope to do the same with my students. Every time I am in the classroom, I aim to inject knowledge, humor, but, most importantly, create connections. It is these connections that resonated with me at Dal and I hope to do the same with my students at Seneca.
CEGE Connection Archives: November 26, 2019
Class of 2000 MBA(FS)
MBA(FS) Class of 2000
CEGE Connection would like to recognize the contribution of the MBA(FS)Class of 2000 as they commemorate their twentieth-year anniversary. All our best goes out to these graduates on this very special milestone year. Thank you for your commitment to excellence, life-long learning and the communities in which you live and work.
The CEGE Team
Class of 2005 MBA (FS)
Class of 2005 MBA (FS) BMO
CEGE Connection would like to recognize the contribution of the MBA(FS)Class of 2005 as they commemorate their fifteenth-year anniversary. All our best goes out to these graduates on this very special milestone year. Thank you for your commitment to excellence, life-long learning and the communities in which you live and work.
The CEGE Team
Jed Levene, MBA(FS) Class of 2013
Imagine that you were interviewing contractors to build you the custom home of your dreams. How would you feel if one regaled you with stories about how wonderful his hammer and table saw were? The next, told tales of 2×4 lumber and how strong it was. And finally, the third contractor came in and asked you questions like: When you imagine your dream home, what does it look like? What are your absolute must-haves? How big is it? How many bedrooms, bathrooms? Can you show me pictures of homes, kitchens, etc. that you really like?
My guess is that contractor number three has the best chance of winning your business. The reason? He focused on your goals, needs, and what is important to you; while the others told you about the tools they would use to build your home.
This analogy seems bizarre, however, when it comes to financial planning this is exactly what happens. Advisors pontificate on how one investment is superior to the other. Or how fees are the only factor to consider when investing. Why you would be a fool to purchase one type of insurance over another.
This behaviour is no different than that in the example above. The financial services industry often behaves like the first two contractors – trying to sell you on the tools instead of educating you on the fact that products in the financial services industry are simply a means to an end – to help you achieve your goals.
Like the third contractor in the example above, the process needs to be based on your goals, not the bells and whistles of various products; advisors should seek first to understand your goals. Although it may be true that one type of investment has outperformed another type over the last twenty years, that doesn’t really answer the question of: “How can I retire at age 60 with $7,000/mth after-tax, in today’s dollars, indexed to inflation?”
For example, it is possible to achieve all of your goals while earning a three per cent annual rate of return; and it is also possible to achieve none of your goals while earning a 12 per cent annual rate of return. Knowing this, perhaps it is time to give more focus and energy to financial planning versus products.
If you don’t know where you’re going, it really doesn’t matter if you get on a plane, train, or automobile.
One of the biggest benefits in working to successfully execute a financial plan and tracking its progress regularly is that it will help prevent rash decision making. For example, if you have simply purchased some investments without a plan or a goal attached to them, then all that you have to focus on is the rate of return and the volatility. This results in way too much attention to the ups and downs of the market in the short term. By contrast, if you have a plan and your plan is still on track despite a small downturn in the market, you are more prone to stay with it and not attempt to become a market timing expert.
A good advisor should have a very clear understanding of your goals -create a roadmap showing you how to get there – and regularly review those goals with you to ensure that you are on track. Like any homebuilder, most have access to the same or similar tools. The difference is that a good advisor knows that the are tools, a means to and end, not an end in themselves.
Jed Levene is Managing Director at Rockwater Wealth Management. He is a Certified Financial Planner®, holds an MBA(financial services) from Dalhousie University, and a certificate in Behavioural Finance from Duke University. His articles on financial planning appear regularly on Orillia Today, Simcoe.com, CEGE Connection is pleased to advise that Jed has graciously agreed to be a repeat contributor on CEGE Connection.
DRIVING YOUR DEVELOPMENT
Through our blended online MBA programs, working professionals can stay focused on their career while advancing their management and leadership competencies. Developed and delivered by Rowe School of Business professors and world-class academic and industry experts in close collaboration with employers and industry associations, each program is delivered with the internationally recognized academic excellence on which Dalhousie has built its reputation.
MBA FINANCIAL SERVICES
In the accredited MBA (FS) program, Financial Services professionals will develop practical and relevant skills and knowledge for the workplace. Financial Services professionals will develop advanced critical analysis and decision-making skills and deepen their understanding and ability to have positive impact in managerial and client service roles. The combination of our exceptional faculty and the real-life experience of our affiliates has created the best MBA program in the country to meet the needs of working financial services professionals seeking an advanced degree.
MBA LEADERSHIP
The MBA (L) program is designed to enable mid-career managers to enhance their Leadership management capabilities and to become exceptional leaders and managers in a broad range of organizations. Our faculty specializes in leadership theory and practice and will help you develop advanced competencies, skills and behaviours required to lead people and organizations through complex issues. This program will enable you to respond strategically to management challenges and work towards your career goals, without leaving the workforce.
MBA PROGRAM FLEXIBILITY
For dedicated professionals, conventional graduate programs can be difficult because they require regular on-site attendance. Our MBA (FS) and MBA (L) programs overcome this dilemma with blended-learning experiences, which are available through state-of-the-art online learning. You study when you want, where you want. This gives you the opportunity to continue to work full time, focusing on your career goals, while simultaneously achieving a graduate degree.
BLENDED/ONLINE LEARNING – THE DALHOUSIE EDGE
Online learning is enhanced by asynchronous educational resources including readings, videos, discussion posts, blogs, and audio files. The real time elements include Live Classroom, tutorials, Collaborate, Adobe Connect and Skype sessions ensuring rich personal connections with your professors and class participants. At the end of each term, course participants meet for a three-to-five-day F2F sessions in selected cities across Canada.
CONTACT US
We are here to assist you every step of the way.
Apply Now: dal.ca/blendedmba
EMAIL: cege@dal.ca I TEL: 902.494.6391
TOLL FREE: 800.205.7510
Centre for Executive and Graduate Education
Faculty of Management I Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 4R2
“I can say with confidence that the Dal MBA helped me progress in my career while I was a student, but it did something else – it helped me become a better teacher.”
Terry Lampropoulos MBA(FS) Class of 2019 Senior Manager, Risk Framework & Methodologies at Scotiabank
Terry Lampropoulos MBA(FS) Class of 2019
Graduations signify passages and transitions, of moving forward and of accepting new ventures and challenges. Terry Lampropoulos crossed the stage in October 2019 to receive his degree, signifying the completion of a robust academic journey. In a virtual interview with CEGE Connection, Terry shared his insights on how his years of study influenced his direction going forward.
Terry Lampropoulos:
The feeling that I had when I graduated from Dalhousie with my MBA (FS) is something that was truly surreal. I felt happy, nostalgic, grateful, and, honestly, weird because I now had something known as “free time.” I reflected upon what I had learned during my journey to my MBA and I thought back to all the wonderful courses and professors who I had the privilege from which to learn. With a background in sciences, learning about topics like accounting, finance, marketing, and international business was a humbling but very worthwhile experience because I, like many of the alumni finishing MBAs, work in the banking industry. I can say with confidence that the Dal MBA helped me progress in my career while I was a student, but it did something else – it helped me become a better teacher.
In addition to working in the financial industry, I am also the Coordinator and Instructor at Seneca College in Toronto, Ontario for their Risk Management program. I started teaching at Seneca in January 2015, but it has become an absolute passion for me. Seeing my students complete their studies on a part-time basis (something to which I can definitely relate!) but also excel in the classroom and in their careers is something that brings me unbridled joy. My time as a teacher, however, did not start smoothly. I had just started my MBA studies when I started teaching and my style was, well, rudimentary. Considering all this, I realized that my time as an MBA student was going to give me insights on how to control a classroom, communicate with students using an online platform, build knowledge through discussion, and ensure that my students were engaged in, not only the theoretical material being taught in the textbooks, but also in the real world.
Seeing my professors navigate course material with case information was a dream. Observing the teaching styles of Dr. Carolan McLarney, Dr. James Barker, and Dr. Greg Hebb (I do not intend to miss names, so I apologize) showed me that being myself in a classroom was the easiest way to get students to engage. I would like to say that I know a thing-or-two about risk but listening to my students, the way my professors at Dal did, is something that cannot be forgotten. I felt that I developed a rapport with my professors while I went through my Dal journey and now I hope to do the same with my students. Every time I am in the classroom, I aim to inject knowledge, humor, but, most importantly, create connections. It is these connections that resonated with me at Dal and I hope to do the same with my students at Seneca.
Editor’s Note: CEGE Connection is delighted to advise that Terry has graciously agreed to be a repeat contributor on CEGE Connection. We wish him the very best in his career and in his role as professor at Seneca College
“We invent the future every day through creativity. Inventing the future takes work and has a momentum of its own. I have learned that there are times to speed up, as well as slow down or, even wait for events to unfold in a natural flow.”
James Christopher Desmoulin MBA (FS) Class of 2019
James Christopher Desmoulin MBA (FS) Class of 2019
James Christopher Desmoulin graduated with the Class of 2019 MBA(FS) and has become involved in our vibrant alumni community. In a recent virtual interview with CEGE Connection, James reflected on how creativity influenced his academic journey and his involvement with reBoot Canada, The Prince’s Trust Canada and IYIL2019 through UNESCO.
James Christopher Desmoulin:
“How are the paintings coming along”, my instructor used to ask at the Ontario College of Art and Design, reminding us that we are all painters even though we may believe otherwise. We have the power of imagination within us, whether it be painting, music, poetry, writing or in the performing arts. We must continue to ask ourselves “How is our artistic outflow coming along”.
When I studied art at the Ontario College of Art and Design this was a technique used to stimulate creativity. While it may not be our focus, even in our busy professional lives we are still the painter, the musician etc.
As I wrapped up my MBA at Dalhousie University in August, I recalled a question asked in one of my classes at the beginning of the program: What made you want to complete your MBA at Dalhousie? My answer was simply that I always wanted to do my MBA and found that Dalhousie’s on-line blended program was optimal. So, these past years my question, “how is the MBA coming along” was an affirmation of my art instructor’s reminder to give voice to my artistic nature. An academic journey allowed me to explore the creative aspect of business and strategic direction, to visualize a dynamic world via the lens of a wider, global community.
We invent the future every day through creativity. Inventing the future takes work and has a momentum of its own. I have learned that there are times to speed up, as well as slow down or, even wait for events to unfold in a natural flow.
I support organizations and proponents in building networks where sharing information connects people and teams to engage in collaborative problem-solving. I actively participate in reBoot Canada’s initiative to mentor and train Indigenous youth in technology inclusion. As well, I work with The Prince’s Trust Canada to revitalize Indigenous languages through their children’s coloring books which are illustrated by Patrick Hunter, Prince’s Trust Canada’s Artist-in-Residence.
This year, I am assisting my mother who is participating in the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages – IYIL2019 through UNESCO, the purpose of which is to prevent the loss of Indigenous languages. Once these languages disappear, the world will lose vital knowledge that could be harnessed for human improvement and sustainable development. Our global cultural diversity will be diminished along with unique ways of knowing and experiencing the world, which may disappear forever.
Creativity pulls us into the future. As I come to the end of my MBA academic journey, I look back at the all the beautiful paintings in my memories of my colleagues and professors at Dalhousie. I look forward to inventing the future in my next endeavours.
Editor’s Note: James is a repeat contributor on CEGE Connection. We invite you to read his first article on his work with Indigenous Services Canada and his position as a Union President in the Public Services Alliance of Canada. We wish James the very best as he invents the future in his next endeavours. We look forward to updates on his journey in future CEGE Connection posts.
Links:
IYIL2019 through UNESCO
Twitter: @IYIL2019
Facebook: @indigenouslanguages @IYIL2019
The Prince’s Trust Canada
http://www.princestrust.ca/initiatives/indigenous-languages/
reBoot Canada
“I have very wonderful memories of the class of 2009; so much spirit, engagement and commitment to academic excellence.”
Michelle Hunter
Class of 2009 MBA (FS)
CEGE Connection would like to recognize the contribution of the MBA(FS)Class of 2009 as they commemorate their tenth-year anniversary. All our best goes out to these graduates on this very special milestone year. Thank you for your commitment to excellence, life-long learning and the communities in which you live and work.
Michelle Hunter & Rebecca Budd