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Corporate Residency MBA

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The President’s perspective – Christie’s story

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Originally posted by Scott A.E. Smith.

Sean Sinclair is on exchange at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark, but he managed to have a chat across the pond with Christie Lang, who recently returned to campus from her Corporate Residency with Nova Scotia Business Inc. (NSBI).

Christie was elected by her peers as the Dalhousie MBA Society President for 2012-2013, a role in which she is thriving today. Just last week, she spoke at a special ceremony announcing the christening of the former School of Business Administration as the Kenneth C. Rowe School of Business, modelling a brand-new Rowe School of Business sweater and presenting Mr. Rowe with a gift signed by many of the school’s students.

Christie Lang, the Dalhousie MBA Society 2012-2013 President, noted curling fanatic, and recent NSBI Corporate Analyst. Can you start off by telling us something that we don’t know about you?

A fun fact about me that very few people know is that I can play the drums on Rock Band like it’s no one’s business! However, my musicality is definitely limited to rhythm as I am, quite probably, the most tone-deaf singer you will ever meet. And unfortunately for me (or them, depending on your perspective), there are quite a few of my classmates who would attest to that fact!

Describe the path that led you to pursue a Corporate Residency MBA degree from Dalhousie.

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Coach of the year – Kirk’s story

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Originally posted by Scott A.E. Smith.

Sean Sinclair is on exchange at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark, but he took a break from his studies to catch up with, across the Atlantic, ‘Coach’ Kirk Yanofsky. Kirk recently returned to campus from his Corporate Residency with Nova Scotia Business Inc. (NSBI). In December 2011, Kirk was voted by his peers as the Class of 2013?s first-year Student of the Year. He’s a former volleyball coach, a proud father to (the cutest kid on Earth) Paige, and an all-around great guy. Enjoy!

Also: look out for our next feature with MBA Society President Christie Lang, also of the Class of 2013 (and who happened to do her Corporate Residency with Kirk at NSBI)!

You have a very interesting life story that sets you apart from the rest of your cohort. Please tell us about yourself, Kirk.

I came to the program with a slightly different (and somewhat longer) life experience than the rest of my classmates. I was a high-performance athlete coming out of high school and throughout university. I have been fortunate to have travelled extensively in Canada and been to a few places in Europe. My first career and passion was volleyball and coaching was a natural progression after my playing days. I attended the National Coaching Institute in Calgary (one of only two centres at the time) and received my NCCP Level 4 certification (which qualified me to prepare athletes for national and international level competition). A decade-long career as a professional coach followed (in university and with the national team). After this, I moved on take advantage of an opportunity to work locally (Halifax) in medical devices marketing, education and sales. After a couple years, while this was a good job with some great people, I decided it was not the right job for me and I started to look at other options. After much evaluation this led me back to Dalhousie for degree #3—I have a BSc (’93) and MSc (’99), also from Dal.

Apart from all this, I had the amazing experience of becoming a father in 2007, and the challenging experience of my wife passing away after a battle with leukemia in 2010.

Most recently, I did my corporate residency at NSBI here in Halifax.

Was it difficult to get back into the academic mindset after working for that long? And do you feel that your life experience provides you with a different focus and respect for academia than, say, your younger counterparts?

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An unparalleled experience – Jocelyn’s story

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Originally posted by Scott A.E. Smith.

James Ewart is currently on his Corporate Residency with Aon in Toronto. Recently, he chatted with Jocelyn Ball, who worked for Aon on her Corporate Residency as a member of the program’s inaugural cohort—the Class of 2011. Jocelyn is now working as an insurance broker for Aon in Calgary, Alberta. She’s a star among stars from that inaugural class, who are continuing to build the program’s reputation in the business world. Enjoy!

First off, why don’t you start by telling us the Jocelyn Ball story and how you came to find yourself in the Dalhousie MBA program?

See Testimonial Video #1!

Alternatively, the answer to that question is:

I worked for two years doing environmental permitting and planning and sustainability consulting. I loved the client focus and knew that I wanted to do something that mirrored that for my long-term career. My employer at the time is one of the Employer Partners of the Dalhousie MBA program, so when I went in to discuss doing an MBA with my boss four years ago, he slid the pamphlet across the desk to me. I was curious and went to Dalhousie to check out an information session. The program immediately grabbed my attention—it promised to be different from the other MBA programs I was looking at. My undergraduate degree was done at Renaissance College (UNB) in an experiential education set-up, so the program at Dalhousie seemed like a natural next step for my education.

Originally, I said yes to another offer at a more established program and well-known school, but I never said no to Dalhousie. When I was trying to figure out where to live in the new city of the other school, something just wasn’t sitting right with me. I printed off the list of companies that recruit at both of the schools I was considering and sat down to compare them. It didn’t take long to realize that the companies I wanted to work for were recruiting at Dalhousie. Dalhousie and the Corporate Residency program were where I needed to be. I haven’t looked back since.

You did your Corporate Residency at Aon, where you now work full-time. Would you say that the experience shaped your career aspirations or did you know prior to the MBA program?

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Control the controllables – Tomas’ story

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Originally posted by Scott A.E. Smith.

Sean Sinclair (@SeanSin3) recently caught up with Tomas Stryncl, an international MBA student and former OHL hockey player who’s currently on his Corporate Residency with Aon Reed Stenhouse in Halifax. After finishing his major junior hockey career, Tomas went on to play for the University of Prince Edward Island and represent the Czech Republic in the World University Games while completing his undergraduate studies. There aren’t many stories more interesting than his, so enjoy!

Tomas, you have perhaps the most unusual story of all the students in your cohort; please tell us a little bit about your heritage.

What’s there to tell besides the Czech Republic is an awesome hockey country and has the best-looking athletes? But seriously, it’s been an amazing and rewarding journey to where I am today. It has been a challenging road to get to the Dalhousie MBA program and to secure a residency at Aon Reed Stenhouse. I come from a spa city – Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic, a big tourist destination and home of the International Film Festival. My parents kept me pretty active in my early years, playing soccer, volleyball and hockey. While my mom, a high school principal, always put emphasis on education, my dad, an engineer and ex-professional volleyball player, put emphasis on sports, ultimately hockey. But it was my older brother’s influence that ultimately pushed me towards hockey. Then, at the age of 16, I was asked to consider Canada as another step in my hockey career. Shortly after, I went through an Import Draft into the Ontario Hockey League and there I was, with the Brampton Battalion, where I played for three years, and had the chance to play against guys like [current NHL players] Corey Perry, Mike Richards, Kyle Quincey and P.K. Subban.

Wow, you seem to have really taken a risk leaving home and moving to a foreign country at such a young age. Have you always been such a risk taker? Do you think this trait is important for future business leaders?

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Thinking internationally – Blake’s story

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Originally posted by Scott A.E. Smith.

For our latest blog, we caught up with Blake Jeffrey, who’s currently on his Corporate Residency with Northstar Trade Finance in Toronto. He will be going on exchange to the Copenhagen Business School in Denmark along with fellow Class of 2013 students Sean Sinclair, Chelsea Mazur, and Afif Nassif this coming September!

Tell us a little bit about yourself, Blake. How have you come to be the person you are today?

I know this is the “cliché” thing to say, but I’ve honestly developed to be the person I am today as a result of a supportive family and great friends. My parents are both extremely hard-working and instilled this quality, along with discipline, from an early age. I grew up in Orangeville, Ontario (my parents are now in London) with a very tight-knit crew of friends. Being a smaller town, we all went to school together and played on the same competitive hockey and lacrosse teams. I have learned a lot from these guys about loyalty and these are the individuals that were a big part of shaping who I am.

I’ve always been one to accept challenge and change head on. I’ve held some rather interesting summer job roles over the years. When I was 18, I spent a summer working as a cheese-maker in a goat cheese factory. Although this wasn’t a “business” role, it was hard, grueling work with long hours and it taught me to appreciate the opportunities I had had to that point in my life. When choosing where to do my undergrad I did a trip to the east coast and immediately fell in love with Acadia. It was a long way from home for any 18-year-old, but it was the best decision of my life to this point. I met some great friends there from all over the country. I was also able to continue my athletics, playing for the Acadia men’s lacrosse team for 4 years, captaining and serving as President for my final 2 years. This is where I was able to develop my leadership style and, most importantly, learn how to effectively get the best out of my teammates and, in that case, friends/peers.

Let’s get this question out of the way early so we can quote you on it later; who will be in the Stanley Cup finals, and who will take home the greatest trophy in all of sports?

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A natural-born networker – Sean’s story

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Originally posted by Scott A.E. Smith.

For our latest blog, we caught up with Sean A. Sinclair, who’s currently on his Corporate Residency with Scotiabank in Toronto. Sean started the Facebook group for the Class of 2013, so we made sure to ask him about that. Enjoy!

So what’s your story, Mr. Sinclair? Where are you from?

I grew up in what used to be the small town of Newmarket, Ontario, located about 45 minutes north of my current home in Toronto. My mother is a nurse, and my father is a retired police officer. As you can imagine, both have had very demanding careers and as a result have provided my sister and me with prime examples of loyalty, dedication, discipline and hard work. I carried these life lessons throughout my childhood and into competitive sports where I truly began to develop leadership skills. I had the privilege of captaining various soccer, hockey and lacrosse teams that represented my town or my schools. When I realized I wasn’t going to make it to the NHL and grew too old to compete in organized sport, I continued to train and participate in intramural and recreational leagues. I even tested the waters with competitive bodybuilding, which taught me about discipline, resilience and spirituality to some degree. Sport is where I developed my greatest friendships. It’s where I learned how to succeed and fail with dignity and pride. It’s where I learned the importance of hard work, but also the place where I first experienced defeat and heartbreak. Because of my experience in competitive sports, I hate to lose. I understand the importance of hard work and preparation. But most importantly, because of sports, I am resilient and mentally tough. I will need these traits as I pursue a career in finance as I know there will be thousands of other candidates out there who will have their own advantages. The difference is that I have the determination and the will to network my way to success, and I can suck it up and get going when the going gets tough.

What brought you to the Corporate Residency MBA program?

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The marathon man – Michael’s story

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Originally posted by Scott A.E. Smith.

For this week’s blog, we chatted with Michael Parcon, winner of the 2011 Scotiabank Interview Competition (and the Class of 2013?s Best Dancer award at the MBA Formal!), who’s currently on his Corporate Residency with the Royal Bank of Canada in Halifax. He’s also training for his first marathon in May (hence the title of this post). Good luck, Mike!

What is the Michael Parcon story? Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was born and raised in Corner Brook, NL, and after graduating from Memorial University with a degree in Business Administration, I always knew I would eventually want to get my MBA. With the job market as competitive as it is today, I knew that the best time to get my MBA would be soon after graduation. That way, I would have an opportunity to begin my business career with my best foot forward.

I’ve always had aspirations towards higher education, and I knew there was so much more to learn about the world of business in an academic setting. But I was also eager to start working in the real world and apply some of the skills and experiences I gained from my undergraduate degree. Dalhousie’s Corporate Residency MBA program gave me exactly what I was looking for: the chance to pursue my goal of an MBA degree from one of the best business schools today, and the opportunity to gain exceptional work experience with one of the best employers in Canada.

Tell us about the fall term of the MBA program. What were some of your best experiences?

The fall term of the MBA program was the busiest, most demanding, and most rewarding academic term I’ve ever had and it was quite clear from the beginning that in order to obtain a high quality MBA degree, you are expected to perform academically at a high level. The work ethic and time required to do well in this program were more than I expected, but the fall term was that much more rewarding and significant when I finally achieved what I had set out to accomplish.

One of the most memorable experiences I had last term was winning the 2011 Scotiabank Interview Competition. I entered the contest because I was curious about how my interview skills would compare with other students from Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s University. I wasn’t too serious about winning, but more interested in gaining feedback on my performance. When I was selected as a finalist, though, my competitive instincts took over. The final round was unlike anything I had done before—I was being interviewed by a 3-person panel before a live audience comprising Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s students, staff and faculty. Even more nerve-wracking was that one of the interviewers was posting his candid remarks regarding my performance on his laptop, which was projected above and behind me for the entire audience to see. Winning the entire thing was a great moment for me as it represented a sense of redemption, validation and accomplishment in what I was doing at Dalhousie.

Where are you working for your Corporate Residency and what can you tell us about it?

For my Corporate Residency, I am working for the Royal Bank of Canada’s Commercial Financial Services in Halifax as a Commercial Account Manager. Commercial markets is an area of banking I was interested to learn more about, and RBC is a great place to be exposed to this as our Canadian Banking unit is our single biggest profit driver for the bank overall. My position has two key roles: 1) Meeting with commercial clients in a sales and advisory role to discuss unique credit solutions to address their specific borrowing needs, and 2) Risk analysis and credit underwriting to properly evaluate all risk factors, determine a borrower’s risk rating, model and structure financial lending, and underwrite credit requests for adjudication. The position is exactly what I was looking for in a Corporate Residency, as I get to meet a variety of clients to form sustainable customer relationships, as well as analyze and evaluate financial data for assessment.

I’m also enjoying some of the perks and cool things about the job. I’ve had the good fortune to represent the Royal Bank at various industry events, corporate galas and charity dinners, as well as participate in community events and recreational tournaments with clients. And I’m especially looking forward to volunteering for the bank by teaching the Junior Achievement program to a class of ninth-grade students later this month.

Do you know what you want to do after graduation?

I definitely want to continue my career in commercial banking, and hopefully I can continue this with RBC. During my time here, I’ve learned so much about banking and the Royal Bank in general; part of the appeal in working for RBC as a commercial banker was the experience of working for a global organization with a strong and recognizable brand. The bank’s network of operations is so big and varied that career options for advancement are limitless. One of my goals when starting at RBC was to identify positions or areas in the bank where I could tell myself “That’s an area of the bank where I want to be working in 10 years” or “That’s who I want to be in 10 years”. And the best thing about commercial banking is that it provides an ideal set of fundamental skills for a bright career in finance.

How is your experience with the MBA program so far? What have you learned about yourself?

At the same time I started my Corporate Residency with RBC, I also started training for my first marathon that I’ll be running in May, and it’s the perfect analogy I can make when talking about my experience with the program. Getting your MBA is a lot like training for a marathon: both are completely brand new experiences requiring you to learn and adapt to new skills, work harder than you ever have before, pace yourself, and tofocus on a long-term goal no matter how hard it may get. Some days will be good and others will be bad; some days can feel like a race to the finish, while other days you’ll find that slow and steady wins the race; some days you’ll feel like the task in front of you is impossible, and then you feel a sense of pride in your accomplishment; and sometimes you’ll question what you’ve gotten yourself into, but most times you’ll feel that you made the right decision. Ultimately, no matter what happens, the overall fulfillment comes not just from reaching the “finish line”, but in the overall experience itself.

What would you say to someone who’s thinking of applying today?

Past blogs have done a great job of speaking to the huge career advantage that an MBA degree can offer, or the uniqueness of a paid Corporate Residency in the middle of the program, or the refreshing focus on values-based leadership and ethics. But an underrated aspect of this program I wish to share with a prospective applicant are the friendships and connections you will form with your classmates. This program does an excellent job in making sure everyone in the cohort has an opportunity to form both productive working partnerships inside the classroom and close friendships outside the classroom. With my class, we’ve known each other for just a few months, yet today we all feel like one big family. With any cohort, you’ll meet some of the smartest and most interesting people out there, and you’ll form professional networks and personal friendships that will last a lifetime.

Taking the leap – Mary-Eleanor’s story

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Originally posted by Scott A.E. Smith.

For our latest blog, we caught up with Mary-Eleanor Walker, who’s currently on her Corporate Residency with Scotia Mocatta in Toronto. Enjoy!

How did you end up in the Corporate Residency MBA program? Tell us a little about the Mary-Eleanor story.

I was working in marketing/communications for a Crown corporation—closing in on my sixth year at Nova Scotia Business Inc.—and couldn’t shake the desire to go back to school. I had completed an undergraduate degree in Public Relations at Mount Saint Vincent University in 2006, and jumped right into a career. I loved my job, but knew I’d eventually want to get back into the classroom. A fundraising adventure and hike in Nepal led me to finally take the leap and hit the books again. Once I made that decision, I had to decide which program. I met with the faculty and administration at Dalhousie University and appreciated their candid outlook on the program. It’s new and it’s got a lot to offer. You learn a range of subjects and meet many new people with diverse skills and backgrounds. I also found the residency component appealing; who wouldn’t want to gain more work experience and make new connections?

Where are you working for your Corporate Residency and what is it like so far?

I am working for Scotia Mocatta, the precious and base metals division of Scotiabank in Toronto. It has been an exciting and challenging adventure thus far. This is a big departure from marketing/communications and, in some ways, a steep learning curve. I’m being assigned a range of work and have been exposed to many areas of the bank. I’ve learned a lot and I’m only two months in!

Tell us about the first six months of the MBA program? How did it prepare you for what you’re doing now?

The first six months of the program had their ups and downs. It took some time to get used to student life again. I really enjoyed the orientation retreat; it was a great way to kick off the program and I appreciated getting to know the others in the cohort.

It certainly helped prepare me for what I’m doing now because I hadn’t previously been exposed to the banking industry. The best part of the first six months were the people in my cohort. I’ve learned as much from them as I have from my professors.

Do you know what you want to do after graduation?

I wish I had an answer to this question, but not just yet. I’m certainly exposing myself to a new industry here in Toronto, but it’s still early and I’m not sure if this is the direction I want to take. I’m also not sure if I want to return to marketing/communications. There are a lot of questions yet to be answered, but what I do know is that travel and volunteer work are ambitions of mine and I’ll be adding them to my post-graduation plans.

What would you say to someone who’s thinking of applying today?

I would say, explore it and see if it’s for you. It’s a big decision and not one you should take lightly. I took time to determine that this program was the right step. I would also say that faculty and administration are more than happy to meet with interested students – take advantage of this opportunity. Meet with as many people as you can and gain different perspectives.

It’s a confidence thing – Dex’s story

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Originally posted by Scott A.E. Smith.

Happy New Year! With fall exams complete and the Class of 2013 now away on their Corporate Residencies, the dalmba.ca blog is back full-time for 2012!

For this week’s blog, we sit down for a Q&A with Dex Gittens—a student in the Class of 2012 who worked at RBC Recruitment and Learning in Toronto for his Corporate Residency. Enjoy!

How did you end up in the Corporate Residency MBA program?

In grade 12, I didn’t know where I wanted to go for university. Our [high-school’s] counsellor had all of the grade 12s cycle through his office. He looked at my transcript, looked at me, and asked me what I wanted to do. I told him I wanted to do something business-related. He said, “Okay, business-related… have you considered Western?” I looked into it and based on my own research (plus what he said), I applied and I got in. So I went to Western.

At Western, I did economics and management and some finance, and fell in love with economics. In third and fourth year, I started to really think about what I was going to do after graduation. My mom is an accountant, but I wasn’t sure if that was my calling, so I started looking at MBAs and schools where I could potentially go. In the end, I was torn between a couple but I chose Dal because I didn’t feel like just a number when I was applying, I guess you could say. And so I came here. So far it’s been awesome.

Where did you work for your Corporate Residency and what was it like?

I worked for RBC Recruitment and Learning in Toronto. The person who recruited me actually turned out to be my boss for the eight months. Of all the interviews I had, he made me feel the most comfortable. I knew it was the best fit for me. On top of that, I had always wanted to work for RBC. So when I got the role, it was something of a dream come true for me. My manager was so excited about having me on-board and telling me about what I’d be doing, and that got me really excited about it as well.

Come January, I ended up working on a number of projects and my manager was there coaching me throughout, encouraging me to do more, to take on more—to push myself. I got to work in different areas of the bank, because Recruitment kind of covers all of them, so I was able to learn a lot about all of these different business functions. I also had to deal with a lot of change from day to day—in one department, things would move in third gear and in another they would move in fifth gear. I got to work for different managers as well, and this was one of the most helpful aspects of the whole experience.

What did you take away from your Corporate Residency? How did it contribute to your personal and professional development?

What makes RBC as great as they are is that they invest a lot in their people. Part of that is weekly mentorship, which I had with my managers. What I learned quickly was that in order to add value to your team, you have to speak up. You can’t just sit and take notes and not say anything. In meetings, I would have these thoughts, like “why are we doing it this way?”, and I would have other questions, but I wouldn’t raise them. Then, after the meeting, in a ‘safer’ environment, I would pose the questions to my team. The people I was working closely with would then ask me why I didn’t say anything during the meeting. I would say something like, “I thought everyone else was thinking the same thing.” To that, one of my mentors encouraged me by responding: “Well, I didn’t think of it, so you should have said it!” That was an ongoing challenge for me, having the confidence to speak up. It was a struggle on my own, but the mentoring that RBC provided helped me get past it. Once I did, things sort of opened up for me—a lot of opportunities started coming my way. Soon enough, I was learning about change management and stakeholder engagement and even leading or co-leading certain initiatives.

Everything I was learning was really validated when [Program Director] Dr. Scott Comber and [Corporate Residency Manager] Ally Howard came to see me in early March. They passed on the glowing things that were being said about me and this really affirmed my confidence in speaking up going forward.

What do you want to do after graduation later this year, and more long-term in the future?

Near the end of my residency, I started thinking ahead to what next steps would look like. Coming back to Halifax, I knew I would have to maintain the strong relationships I had built during my 8 months in Toronto—which might lead to a potential job down the line. The best way to do so, I thought, was to work part-time for the bank while I was back in school. I brought the idea to my managers and worked with them to perfect my résumé and cover letter to their standards—each of which took two months (or about 50 iterations)! On one of my last days at the bank, it was sent to some higher-up people in Toronto and then on to RBC’s offices in Halifax. So [beginning this month], I’ll be working part-time for RBC here in Halifax, which keeps me connected to the bank—which is great. After graduation, working for RBC is what I’m pushing for right now, and I’m currently interviewing for a number of opportunities there.

More long-term, I think Commercial Banking is what I want to do. The reason for that—which is one thing I learned while I was at the bank—is the importance of having what’s called a broad base of skills in order to be successful. This is what I’m developing through my MBA, and especially through the Corporate Residency component, and in working part-time for the bank. I’m trying to set myself up for success.

How have you developed since you started the Corporate Residency MBA? What has it done for you?

The Corporate Residency MBA has broadened my perspective, which is what an MBA is supposed to do. In undergrad, I wasn’t sure what a business degree meant, but now I have a good idea. You’re supposed to be good at a variety of things, and I’ve definitely gotten that so far. In your first year, you have mandatory courses, but in your second it’s more about taking classes that are suited for you. I’ve tried my best to push myself outside my comfort zone and take classes and get myself involved in things that I might not have before.

Reflecting on who I am now versus who I was then, it’s more or less a confidence thing. If you’re confident in your ability to do things and what you bring to the table with a team, that’s all that matters. The biggest thing for me has been with presentations. I used to be terrified of them and now I’m doing case competitions. I can deal with stress and a busy schedule better than I could before. In addition to the case competitions, I’m serving on the MBA Society and generally just taking on way too much—but managing it. I’m working with different people in more diverse groups, rather than the same people all the time, and learning different ways of solving problems—because I know now that this is how the real world works.

Finding your dream job – Michelle’s story

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Originally posted by Scott A.E. Smith.

For this week’s blog, we sit down for a Q&A with Michelle Ernest—a Corporate Residency MBA graduate from the Class of 2011 who’s now working in her dream job at lululemon—and let her tell her own amazing story. Enjoy!

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is the Michelle Ernest story?

Ahh, the Michelle Ernest story. How much time do you have? A cup of coffee or a bottle of wine?

It was a glorious and sunny summer day in 1987 when…
Not that kind of story? OK, here’s the summarized version of the past few years: I completed my undergraduate degree at Acadia University in Wolfville, NS. I majored in Business with a focus in Marketing and a secondary focus in Music and Spanish. I spent an invigorating summer working for one of Halifax’s top advertising agencies and fell further in love with the wild and wonderful advertising world. I had plans to return to said agency after I graduated from Acadia. Unfortunately, 2009 wasn’t the greatest year to jump into the business world and, as my agency was downsizing, my job became no more. I decided that it was an opportune time to return to the classroom.

I always knew I would get my MBA one day; what I hadn’t expected was that that day had arrived! I loved Halifax and wanted to spend more time in the city, and had formerly worked on the advertising campaign of Dalhousie’s (then-new) Corporate Residency MBA so I already knew the program intimately. I quickly turned around my application and GMAT and was on my way to starting school, again. I knew early on from my experience with and knowledge of lululemon that my dream job would be to ultimately end up in their head office. However, I also knew that I had a long way to go before that could happen! I had finished my Corporate Residency with Aon and was just about to commit to returning upon graduation! I was excited about starting my career with Aon, knew that it was an excellent company and felt confident with my choice. I looked forward to becoming a strong business leader within Aon, hoping that the role would position me well for a possible opportunity with lululemon later in my professional life. And the stars must have been aligned that week because before I had officially accepted a position with Aon, I received an offer from lululemon athletica (the result of making my goals known, a powerful conversation, and being in a pipeline transparent to lululemon’s leadership team). It was my dream that came true, and the rest will be history.

What are you doing now? Where do you work and what do you do there?

I work for one of the best companies in the world.

I was the first to be hired into lululemon’s new Advanced Management Program, whereby high-potential individuals are brought into the company in a type of an accelerated work environment. This group of peeps has since grown to almost a dozen, and we are still and always looking for greatness (wink wink)!

I work on the Operational Solutions team as a project manager where I get to create, develop and execute special projects to make the stores more efficient and awesome, and thusly to better the company as a whole. Ops Solutions is essentially the funnel between every department at the head office, and our 191 North American stores and showrooms. I get to work one-on-one with the stores’ leadership teams—training them on new projects and initiatives, coaching them on best practices and how to utilize these initiatives, troubleshooting any operational issues that might arise, and establishing rapports and relationships. To complement this, I also get to work with many of our cross-functional departments to bridge the gap between the retail floor and what goes on “behind the scenes”.

So in a nutshell, I get to play and be creative and strategic and work with a ton of outstanding, fun, smart people. Everyday. Hellooo dream job!

Where did you work during your corporate residency? Tell us about it.

I worked for Aon Risk Services. I was a Strategic Business Advisor for Eastern Canada but worked in a unique position as I was based in Halifax, working for a group of individuals in Toronto, traveling all over Eastern Canada! I worked on two projects for Aon—one to help identify new market opportunities and another to further strengthen and enhance Aon’s existing client-relationships and accounts. It was a tremendous opportunity and I thoroughly enjoyed working with our teams across Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Although we were working specifically on projects pertaining to Aon, the skills I developed through establishing rapports with individuals, mostly via phone or email, are transferrable into any role where cross-functional relationship-building is an asset and an advantage.

What was the biggest challenge you faced during your corporate residency?

My biggest challenge actually doubled as the greatest advantage! The nature of my projects at Aon (and the geography between me and the other offices) meant that I would be in a type of a self-managing role. I knew this coming into the position, and was excited about it. I appreciate and thrive in an independent work environment, and this was great for me, but also challenging at times. There was a high level of accountability that came with many of the decisions I made, so I had to be 100% confident and make sure that each choice and decision was calculated, worthwhile and appropriately supported.

Your job at lululemon is a dream job to many people. How did you make it a reality?

And MY dream job, as well!

I’ve never been a big fan of leaving things to chance or taking the proverbial back seat. I wholly believe in myself to accomplish great things, but nothing is going to fall into my lap. I learned a long time ago that I have to make my own good fortune happen. However, despite a commitment to always being in action, I can’t take all the credit for bringing my dream into reality. As I mentioned before, the timing was perfect—a week or two later and we might not be having this conversation. I also had a great mentor who not only knew me well enough to know in which department my skills and personality would be a perfect fit, but who also took a stand for what I am capable of and what I can deliver and change in this world.

Where do you see yourself in one year? Five years?

By this time next year I hope to have become a Operations Manager in my department, in the process of preparing for a 6-month position with the Ops team at the head office in Melbourne to help train and leverage their department to support the growing Australian market.

Five years? Still with lululemon, though not necessarily in Vancouver. You might catch me back on the East Coast, south of the border with our US operations, or maybe even opening our first showroom in the Caribbean!

If you were to reflect on your experience in the Corporate Residency MBA program, how have you changed? What do you think sets this program apart? Why would you tell someone to apply?

I remember Dr. Scott Comber said once: “an MBA is about volume and production”.  Regardless of what project you’re working on or what spreadsheet you’re analyzing or case study you’re picking apart, it’s not necessarily about the type of work you are doing but the way you are doing the work. My MBA was, in two words, fast and fun. My job at lululemon is, in two words, fast and fun. Because of the way I learned to work and suceed in my MBA, I am fully prepared to thrive in this role. It’s important to work hard and have fun, but each of those is only most rewarding when complemented by the other. If you’re just looking for a three-letter acronym behind your name, go to the cheapest and easiest business school you can find. If you’re looking for an MBA that focuses on both the professional and personal side of business, open your eyes to Dalhousie’s program. Integrity isn’t a core value, but rather the foundation upon which your values should be built. Dal’s MBA—built on integrity—masters the combination of soft skills and hard skills, creates valuable opportunities to expand your network and work on real-world business cases, and does an exceptional job preparing you for what you will encounter entering the work force.