Menu

Corporate Residency MBA

Interviews with students and alumni

Archives for Scotiabank

Class of 2018: Where are they going?

Leave a Comment

It’s hard to believe that my fellow members of the class of 2018 and I have already finished our degree. It feels like just yesterday that I was meeting them all for the first time, unaware of the challenges that we would be overcoming and just how close we would become over the next 22 months. With April quickly coming to an end, and exams finished, we sat down with two members of the class of 2018 to discuss their post-graduation plans.

 

What are your plans after our graduation?

Priyanka: I’m excited to have accepted a position with Scotiabank US Corporate Banking in Houston, Texas. Beginning in July, I will be working with a team to perform credit analytics on their portfolio specializing in Oil and Gas.

Alison: I will move to Copenhagen in September to join Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical company. I have been selected as a Global Marketing Graduate, and as such, I will partake in a two-year program, with three international 8-month rotations.

 

What are you most excited for in your new role?

Priyanka: I am excited to learn more about corporate lending and about the oil & gas industry. I think both banking and the oil & gas industries are at a pivotal point where they need to make major changes to stay relevant. I am excited to be a part of the action and see how both industries evolve in the next decade.

Alison: I am really excited to start my career, expand my network, and grow both personally and professionally. I am also excited about the opportunity to work abroad, and gain international experience.

 

How did the Dalhousie Corporate Residency MBA help you get to this point?

Priyanka: Two years ago, I was selling laser eye surgery part-time and felt very ‘stuck’. The CRMBA opened doors to major opportunities and taught me the tools to recognize and capitalize on them. Specifically, it helped put me on the path towards my corporate residency at Scotiabank in Toronto. There, using the skills I learned from the program, I worked hard and networked to ultimately be considered for a more focused position in Houston.

Alison: I had a keen interest in the pharmaceutical industry, and I believe having the opportunity to work for Novartis for my corporate residency was very beneficial in applying for this position. This experience allowed me to gain broad industry exposure and insights on different functional disciplines; ultimately confirming my interest in this industry. The marketing courses in my MBA helped solidify the fact that I wanted to pursue a marketing focus, and taking courses such as International Business and Intercultural and International Management helped prepare me to think globally and for working abroad.

 

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Priyanka: This is such a hard question! I fully expect to remain in banking in the next five years. I used to think banking was boring, but now I realize it is a great way to gain interesting, relevant, and diverse business experience. I would like to remain working in Capital Markets and test out Debt Capital Markets or Equity Capital Markets. I would be happy to be in Houston, New York, Calgary, Toronto, or Halifax, and am open opportunities wherever they may come up.

Alison: In 5 years I see myself working in Europe, within the pharmaceutical industry. I hope have taken on increasingly challenging roles, and to be leading a dynamic and motivated team.

 

Congratulations to all of the class of 2018, and best of luck in your future endeavors!

Learn more about Dalhousie’s MBA programs, and the benefits of a corporate residency.

Corporate Residencies: An International Perspective

Leave a Comment

For prospective international students, one of the main benefits of the Dalhousie Corporate Residency MBA (CRMBA) is the effect that the corporate residency has on your ability to find long-term employment in Canada. As is the case for millennials around the world, securing your first great job experience can be difficult, yet it is crucial to opening the doors to a great career. Throughout the history of the CRMBA program, Dalhousie and Management Career Services have helped to secure excellent residencies for international students who seek to work in Canada or abroad.

My residency gave me a new perspective on what I wanted to do in the long term, career-wise. It gave me the opportunity to not only work in the industry, but to actually feel like a valued staff member and not just an intern.  – Thomas Sykes, UK & Bahamas; Residency at Department of Natural Resources of Nova Scotia

Given that Canada is a multi-cultural nation, the input of non-Canadian citizens in the work environment is often valued, as Thomas can attest to.  But corporate residencies – because of their eight-month duration – also offer the opportunity to settle in and make a bigger difference than can be made during a traditional four-month internship. This is especially true for international students who might find themselves adjusting to both a new culture and a new job.

My residency gave me the opportunity to work with professionals in the finance industry and to gain hands-on experience in credit analysis. It was a supportive environment to learn how to apply what I was taught in the classrooms. Ultimately, the corporate residency prepared me greatly for my subsequent job search and for the next steps of my career. – Matthew Cheung, China (Hong Kong); Residency at The Bank of Nova Scotia

As Matthew identified, the corporate residency is a time to apply course learning to the real world, make a difference, and gain valuable experience. It also helps shape and deepen the course experience in the second year, which is designed to prepare students for a successful career.

If you are an international student who is interested in the Dalhousie CRMBA, please feel free to reach out!

Thomas Sykes

Thomas Sykes

Matthew Cheung

Matthew Cheung

CRMBAs Take on Toronto – Toronto Connect 2015

Leave a Comment

Halifax is a beautiful city to live in while completing your MBA, but not where everyone wants to stay after graduation. Ontario is not only where many of our MBA candidates hail from, but is where over half of our graduates seek employment. In order for our students to be able to establish connections and pursue post-grad job opportunities, this year Dalhousie’s Management Career Services (MCS) created a two-day networking trip called Toronto Connect. I was fortunate to be able to experience this excursion first-hand.

In January, 16 of us embarked on the inaugural Toronto Connect trip. On the first day of the trip we attended several corporate tours. We got to visit the downtown offices of companies including Scotiabank, TD Bank, Aon, Sustainalytics, Avison Young, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. There was also an opportunity to network with CRMBA Alumni over drinks at a popular Irish pub after a day of touring these potential employers.

On the second day, we were hosted by the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University for the MBA Employment Summit. This was another opportunity to network with potential employers as well as other MBA Candidates; there were students there from DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University, the Goodman School of Business at Brock University, and of course the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University. The summit included breakout sessions run by professionals in the Toronto business community as well as a networking lunch and trade show.

All of the feedback I have heard about the trip has been very positive. Our MCS team of Anna Cranston, Amy McLellan and Ally Howard spent months working on the logistics of the trip and coordinating meetings and tours with employer partners. They even created two streams to accommodate the different interests of the students attending the trip! There was a finance group and a group for those interested in other opportunities such as consulting and marketing.

Not only did we have the opportunity to scope out the downtown offices of a group of amazing companies, but we also got to do this at virtually no cost! That’s right – most of the funding for the trip came from the Annual Fund and not from our personal bank accounts. This means that each student who attended Toronto Connect had most of their expenses for the trip completely covered.

My fellow student, Sean Tait, “appreciated the opportunity to extend [his] network in Ontario and meet in person with prospective employers.” To read Sean’s blog post on networking click here.

My favourite part about the trip was the first day of corporate tours. I enjoyed visiting both the Aon and Sustainalytics offices and found everyone there to be very welcoming and willing to answer all of our questions. Representatives from senior management and HR were in attendance, and we were able to hear many different perspectives to get a broad picture of what it would be like to work there.

Our class really appreciates the effort put in by MCS to organize Toronto Connect 2015 and we hope that future cohorts are able to have similar experiences!

Toronto Connect 2015 - Sustainalytics Tour

Ethics in action – Professor Jim Barker

1 Comment

Jim Barker.pngProfessor James R. Barker, or Jim as he is commonly known around campus, teaches organizational behaviour for the Corporate Residency MBA program, and holds the Lamb Chair in Business Education in the Rowe School of Business at Dalhousie University. His extensive research has focused on the role of strategic behavior in the development of sustainable knowledge, innovation and change initiatives and the consequences of these initiatives on organizational governance systems, markets and practices. Dr. Barker’s teaching and consulting focus on managing the value creation process across organizations and market levels and emphasize strategic leadership (both planning and implementation), stakeholder relationship management, sustainable enterprise management and strategic change and innovation management. Most recently, Jim and a group of five CRMBA students created Ethics in Action, an initiative that builds on the Dalhousie Business Ethics Case Competition (DBECC). With the support of a $1.5 million donation by Scotiabank, the group will turn the case competition into a conference held every November that focuses specifically on ethics in business. Jordan caught up with Jim and a few of the CRMBA students involved in this initiative to get their perspective on the conference, and business ethics in general.

Why do you think this initiative is important for the Dalhousie MBA program?

I believe this initiative is important because Scotiabank is offering us a very high platform to showcase the MBA students in our program here at Dalhousie. Also, we are offered a mechanism for anchoring our philosophy of the CRMBA program, that is, values-based management and our focus on ethics. It is great to have Scotiabank sponsoring our event.

What drove you to get involved with this initiative?

With my professorship in organizational behaviour, I hold a degree of responsibility. This is my area of expertise so it is important that I get involved. I find this initiative very attractive and believe that it can be the flagship event for the Dal CRMBA program.

Why do you believe it is important for MBA students to be taught ethics?

The expectations for ethical action are increasing; companies have high expectations for employees even outside work hours. Since MBA students are so highly scrutinized, it is important that we prepare students to survive in that environment. The faculty is in charge of making sure the students behave ethically in complex organizations, and this initiative is really going to help us achieve that.

What do you see in the future for the Ethics in Action event?

I am hoping this becomes the flagship event for the Dal CRMBA program. I want this to be the event that people are talking about, the event that has a buzz, the central brand of our CRMBA program over the next 5 to 10 years.

I really want to thank Scotiabank, we appreciate their donation and now we’re going to execute. This is a very exciting opportunity and we are going to make it work!

 

We also asked three CRMBA students directly involved in the planning of Ethics in Action—Emma, Laura and Becky—why they got involved in this initiative and why it is important.

Emma Horner

Ethics is such an important pillar in business and it’s an interesting topic that is rarely mastered. Developing an ethical-based mind in business is no easy feat, and being part of something that encourages students from all areas of business to challenge their perspectives and build a framework and foundation that will make them better business leaders tomorrow is something that really excites me.

Dalhousie, the Rowe School of Business and our surrounding community is truly privileged to host such an innovative event. Ethics challenges the way people do business and live their lives. This conference gives MBA students the chance to reflect on and react to ethics, amplifying and ingraining these principles into their skill sets.

Laura Fougere

I got involved in Ethics in Action because I share the belief that leaders must not only have strong ethical values, but also focus the attention of the organization on ethics. This initiative is an opportunity to start the dialogue, challenge assumptions and learn more about ethical behaviour. Bringing together students around the topic of ethics will lead to good business.

I truly believe that the Rowe School of Business is helping to develop the leaders of tomorrow and, in doing so, Dal needs to ingrain in each of us the ability to make ethical decisions. The school is focused on values-based management, which is well aligned to the goals of Ethics in Action. By supporting this initiative, Dal is putting words into action.

Becky Rogez

I was first attracted to Ethics in Action because of the topic of ethical leadership. I have always believed that the foundation of good business is a strong sense of ethics and ethical behaviour, and I was very excited by the chance to develop and promote this way of thinking. Also, this is a completely student-run initiative and I was interested in gaining some experience in project management.

The Ethics in Action initiative is so important to me because it gives students a chance to really highlight the importance of ethics in business. Ethics in Action provides a chance to explore some of the difficult ethical dilemmas that come up in business in a safe environment where students can learn from others and test their ideas. It will also give students a chance to emphasize their commitment to acting ethically in their careers.

Ethics in Action is going to be one more thing that helps set the Dalhousie MBA program apart from other B-schools. Acting ethically in business is starting to become a very popular topic, evidenced by Scotiabank’s commitment and gift. Employers are becoming more and more interested in graduates who have a strong ethical foundation, and Ethics in Action is going to be one tool that helps develop this foundation. It adds value to each MBA degree earned at the Rowe School of Business.

 

Dal MBA team strikes gold – RMA Credit Risk Case Competition

Leave a Comment

RebeccaFiander.j175 McKenney.Christopher-208x300Becky Fiander and Chris McKenney recently competed in and won the RMA Credit Risk Case Competition in Halifax, along with fellow CRMBA students Jason Reid, and Mary-Eleanor Walker. Five of the top Canadian business schools sent teams, including Dalhousie’s Rowe School of Business, Saint Mary’s Sobey School of Business, Queen’s University, U of T’s Rotman School of Business, and Wilfrid Laurier’s Laurier School of Business.

First, can you tell us about yourself?

Becky: My name is Becky Fiander and I’m from Liverpool, NS.  I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of King’s College with a major in International Development and a minor in Journalism.  My hobbies generally revolve around food and fitness. I love to cook, try new restaurants and participate in wine tastings. I’m also a big fan of staying active (I’m a bit of an endorphin junkie), and right now I’m into spinning and boxing, with some running and badminton on the side. My next big trip will be to Barcelona, Spain, to do a 5-week, intensive Spanish immersion program. I decided to do that to solidify my Spanish as fluent (my third language altogether), as I will be returning to Scotiabank after graduation. They have operations all over the world, and my goal is to live and work internationally!

Chris: I grew up not far from Dal in Truro, Nova Scotia. I didn’t go too far, doing my undergrad in Biology and Economics (double major) here at Dalhousie. My hobbies include climbing, hiking, waterskiing and, of course, beer and wings.

How did you guys decide to put together this team comprising first and second years?

Becky: Back in July 2012, I received an e-mail from our MBA Society President, Christie Lang, about this case competition that would take place the following February. At the time, I was completing my corporate residency at Scotiabank in Commercial Lending. The bones of this case competition were things that I saw every day at work, so I felt that it would be fun to spread that knowledge to a team. I had never done a case competition before, so this seemed like a good fit, and an experience I wanted to have before I graduated from the program.

The fact that the team had first years and second years was something completely random. After I received Christie’s e-mail, I responded pretty enthusiastically, and was given the responsibility of getting the word out to the two cohorts, and possibly registering a couple of teams. After sending out the initial email, I received responses from both first and second year students. It all fell into place from there. I honestly believe that having such a diverse team, with different educational backgrounds and different strengths, was what made us such a strong team.

Chris: Becky and Mary-Eleanor had posted a team on the Facebook page for a risk competition. I was looking to put a few case competitions under my belt, so I signed up not really knowing too much about the competition or my team. It was a really great experience to work with some people who I probably wouldn’t have ended up working with originally, simply because we didn’t know each other very well or at all back in September.

Now tell us about the case; what did you have to do to prepare?

Becky: Since I had done my residency at Scotiabank, I had access to some great people with vast amounts of knowledge on the subject. As a result, to prepare, we looked at old cases from the competition and worked through them as a team. We met regularly, beginning in November 2012, and also had two meetings with two of my colleagues from Scotiabank. They were very helpful in giving feedback, suggestions and direction.

For this competition, it was laid out as follows:

  1. Prepare a pre-selected case from a previous year (all teams received the same case), and put together a 15-minute presentation for a panel of judges. All teams received the case at the same time, and had plenty of time to prepare before the competition began. This presentation on Friday, February 22, would represent 25% of your team’s overall score.
  2. After Friday’s presentation, all teams took part in a “quiz” to determine the presentation order for the following morning. The quiz was about credit risk, the financial world, as well as current knowledge. Funnily enough, our team came in last and became one of two teams that presented first the following morning.
  3. On Saturday morning, our team received the case at 8:00am and had until 11:00am to prepare a 25-minute presentation about how we would address the issues in the case from the perspective of the bank. Start times were staggered (8am, 8:35am, 9:00am, 10:05am). We decided, going in, that we wouldn’t spend too much time questioning each other’s ideas or answers to the issues we saw in the case. We knew that everyone had their specific strengths, and we organized our attack based on those strengths. We worked together exceptionally well, and had a lot of fun doing it!
  4. After our three-hour preparation time, we presented to a panel of judges, took questions and then sat down to wait for the announcement of the top four teams.
  5. When we heard our team name called, we all got REALLY excited!!
  6. We were promptly moved to a room to prepare for the crisis round. We were given a scenario that related to the case we prepared that day, and were told we had 10 minutes to prepare. We were very systematic with our approach – problem identification, decision, justification, who would present, and GO!
  7. We presented our recommendation to the judges, fielded questions and then went back into the audience with butterflies in our stomachs.
  8. Then…WE WON! BAM!

Chris: Like Becky said, the first round was a practice case. We were given a week to prepare for this, although being students we had finished it at midnight the night before (better than some teams from what I hear). We presented this case on Friday, and then went on to a lunch networking session, followed by a trivia quiz to determine time slots for the next day. I’m pleased to report Dal came in second to last and last (by no narrow margin), and so we got the early slots for Saturday, which worked well for us anyway. On Saturday we showed up at 7:30, had some breakfast and were given the case at 8:30 sharp.

We went through the steps as we had practiced on many previous cases and worked extremely well together as a team. I was impressed by everyone’s ability to complete their tasks and not question or second-guess anyone else’s. After presenting, we sat around waiting for results. I personally wasn’t optimistic about making the finals (we had done a great job, but there were some impressive and intimidating teams there).

Once we were announced as a finalist, we were led to a room and handed a piece of paper. Once it was opened, the official started a stop watch, giving us 10 minutes to the second to analyze the problem, identify the components and come up with a solution to each. We then had 5 minutes to present. This was by far the most exciting part of the case. The four of us again worked well together to hit all the points. When presenting we did have a slight contradiction, however Becky did a fantastic job of covering this up and kept the presentation going.

Talk about that win and what it means for you personally, the team and Dalhousie’s MBA program?

Becky:  While the cash prize is an absolutely fantastic bonus, I was honestly just concerned about making my corporate residency employer (Scotiabank), my parents and my school proud. As I said before, I will be going back to Scotiabank after graduation, so this win is an even bigger win for my career in credit with Scotia. It was also an amazing experience to work with Chris, Jason and Mary-Eleanor – everyone brought something unique to the table, and we all really showed up during the competition.

  1. Team:  Our team was so excited, and thrilled, to have won the competition. We were a close-knit team and, as I said before, I think our strength was that we had individual attributes that meshed well together. We recognized that everyone on the team had value, and made sure that we all had the chance to demonstrate that value, and put it to good use. We also didn’t take ourselves too seriously, because we all know that there’s no place for ego on a winning team!
  2. I am so excited for the Dalhousie Corporate Residency MBA program. I think this shows to everyone that we are on par with the best MBA schools in the country. Wins like this, great professor, and successful graduates will grow the CRMBA’s great reputation in the future.

Chris: For me personally this was a big confidence boost. There were teams there with members from commercial and investment banking backgrounds. Beating those teams made me realize that the people I will compete against for a career are fallible and can be beaten. I think I can say that my teammates felt the same, with many other emotions as well. In addition, this was a fantastic networking opportunity, and a great way to show off the skill set that the MBA has provided us, much better than you can in an interview.

For Dalhousie, I think having two teams there who represented the program very well was a big deal. Showing the flag at these events demonstrates that we are a serious university, with some excellent talent to recruit! Having the win against top schools from across Canada was a really big deal to me, and I hope to Dal as well. While university programs are measured by dozens of metrics, I feel that having Dalhousie place in case competitions (which we have done a great job of so far this year, especially MBA Games!) is one of the best ways to demonstrate the quality of students coming from our school.

Can you speak to the overall experience and what you have learned/gained from it?

Becky: I had a really amazing experience doing this competition. I made some great contacts with prominent people in the business community, and there is a lot of value in growing your network. While I personally learned that a diverse team has a lot of value, that egos need to be checked at the door, and not to take oneself too seriously, I was told by a teammate that she was impressed by my ability to teach, and transfer my banking knowledge to the rest of the team. It’s not something I really ever considered as one of my strengths, but is definitely something I enjoy and something that gave our team an edge.

Chris: Going in to this, Jason and I, especially, had little to no experience with commercial banking practices. We had to learn everything we touched in the competition (with great teachers such as Becky and Mary-Eleanor), as we went along. While there was a lot to take in, it wasn’t too difficult given the background we had from the MBA so far. We also learned a great deal from practicing with the other Dal team as well as finance professor and mentor Rick Nason. The practice sessions with them gave us a great deal of insight, as well as a bit of a wakeup call to get serious! (They do a great job of presenting.)

The contacts we made over the course of this were excellent. I had a chance to run into an old friend from high school, get to know some competitors from across Canada, and forge some (hopefully) long-lasting relationships. In addition, we had an opportunity to meet judges who were leaders from all of the major banks, as well as major consultancy firms and government. These individuals all donated their time for the competition, and made an effort to get our information (it’s usually the other way around), with some going to great lengths to create Linked-In groups from the competition.

What recommendations do you have for someone entering their first case competition?

Becky: Prepare!

Don’t be afraid of having a diverse team, with a mixture of younger and older members.

Leave the ego at the door – it’s all about team!

Have fun! Do your best, but remember that there is learning to be had if you come last, just the same as if you come first.

Chris: Don’t be intimidated. This was my first live case, and while it was intimidating, doing well is very possible for anybody coming through Dalhousie. Half of our team had zero experience, and the other half had to spend time bringing us along, but through a bit of hard work and a very practical approach we managed to pull it off.  That brings me to the second piece of advice, which is KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid). While complex analysis is a great tool, if you aren’t careful you will end up missing the basics. We saw this on a few occasions. Make sure to address ALL the major points, find practical solutions and, if you have time, do something to differentiate yourself.

Overall, a great learning experience, good opportunity to network and a great résumé line. I strongly urge everybody to try and participate in a case at some point in their academic career. You will increase your employment prospects, have a great time and you might surprise yourself with the results!

 

 

First impressions on the job – Jessica Markic

Leave a Comment

Markic.JessicaJessica Markic grew up in Richmond Hill, just north of Toronto. She started post-secondary education at the University of Guelph in 2008, and in her second year her parents moved from Richmond Hill to Guelph, making it her new home when not in Halifax. Jessica graduated from the University of Guelph with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in human kinetics in April of 2012.

 

What made you decide to do an MBA? Why did you choose Dalhousie?

I had known for some time that I wanted to further my education after my undergraduate degree. I looked into an MBA because I knew it would open up a greater number of job opportunities for me once I graduated—opportunities that I would not have had with only a Bachelor of Science degree.

I originally looked at Dalhousie because I had read an article in Maclean’s magazine about Dalhousie’s MBA program being at the top of a list for Canadian MBA programs for return on investment. I looked into several programs on that list and what appealed to me most about Dalhousie’s program was the work experience I would gain from the 8-month corporate residency.

I think that Dalhousie’s unique program structure definitely gives it a competitive advantage. The first 6 months, during which a number of core classes are taken, prepares students for the 8-month corporate residency. The residency allows students to gain work experience and apply some of what they learned in their first 6 months. During the last 8 months back in the classroom, students choose some elective courses, perhaps influenced by their work experience, to focus their learning.

Additionally, I was really attracted to the smaller class size that Dalhousie advertised, compared to other schools. Coming from a science degree, and having never taken any business courses, I took comfort in knowing that there was a smaller student to teacher ratio and should I need help along the way, I wouldn’t be just a number in a classroom.

Where are you doing your residency and with whom?

I’m doing my residency with Scotiabank in Kitchener, Ontario, working in Commercial Banking.

Could you describe one of your typical workdays for me?

A lot of my days, so far, have been spent spreading financial statements provided by our customers and prospects into a program called Moody’s Financial Analyst. This permits analysis of important margins and ratios to determine financial risk of these customers and prospects. The next step in the lending process would be determining management risk, and my job is to answer specific qualitative questions for each of our customers, which then affects the level of credit risk that was determined from the customer’s historical financial statements.

It is also my job to populate annual reviews for existing customers. This process ensures that customers are still within the covenants they agreed to when the relationship began. It allows us to ensure that the products we are offering to our customers still fit their needs. Populating a credit application entails some research about the history of the company and its owners and managers, as well as a full financial analysis of year over year interim and annual results.

What skills are required in your position on a day-to-day basis? 

A strong understanding of financial statements is key. Understanding what is happening and why it is happening is important when determining whether or not to lend to a customer, so strong analytical skills are a must.

What parts of your job do you find most challenging? 

Figuring out where to find the information I need to populate applications and answer questions about the customers is most difficult. The bank has a very large database of information, some of which is being transferred onto newer systems, so some information is scattered, and most of the time I find myself having to search for what I need.

What do you find most enjoyable? 

I really like the people I work with and the environment I work in. Everyone is eager to help me, and their doors are always open if I have questions. I also really like that I work independently, and have the opportunity to try and figure things out on my own, but can ask for help whenever I need it.

How would you describe the corporate culture?

Relaxed, supportive and inclusive are words that come to mind. Everyone in the office works really hard, but the office also takes opportunities to have fun. There’s a healthy work-life and I really like that. As I said before, everyone in the office is very supportive and they actively make an effort to include me in deals that I might not otherwise get to participate in, and introduce me to other business units of Scotiabank. The corporate culture has really allowed me to adapt to my role and feel very comfortable, which I am thankful for.

What are the important personal qualities or abilities for a person in your type of work?

You have to like working independently, analyzing financial statements and doing research. Although there are opportunities to work in small teams, most of the day is spent working on your own. However, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t opportunities to make connections as I have already established a strong network comprising both friends and colleagues.

What skills has Dalhousie taught you that have prepared you for this job?

I believe that without the first 6 months of the Corporate Residency MBA I would definitely find it difficult to excel in my current position. I am really thankful for my accounting and finance classes, because without them I feel I would really struggle in this position. Dalhousie definitely helps prepare you for the work term with the intense combination of soft and hard skills classes.

Are you making lots of connections on your residency? What opportunities have you had to meet people outside of your office?

I have definitely made connections with the people in the office that I intend to keep in the future. I work with a great group of people. Outside of my office there are opportunities to meet other Scotiabank employees such as Young Professionals, and opportunities in the community to meet other business people at Business After 5.

Concentrating on finance – Mahmoud Zeidan

Leave a Comment

Jordan Hirtle recently spoke with second year student Mahmoud Zeidan regarding majoring in finance at Dalhousie’s Corporate Residency MBA program. The interview focuses on Mahmoud’s experience as a student at Dalhousie so far as well as his career aspirations in the finance industry.

Mahmoud is originally from the Middle East (Gaza Strip) but immigrated to Nova Scotia when he was four and has been a maritimer ever since. He completed his undergraduate degree at Saint Mary’s University with a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in both finance and accounting.

What made you choose Dal’s MBA and what competitive advantage do you believe the program offers?

I chose Dal’s MBA over the competitors for two major reasons. First, its program and curriculum are unique in the country. I wanted to pursue a career in banking after having some experience in accounting and it was a great transition step for me with the Corporate Residency component of the program. The emphasis on soft skills as a competitive advantage resonates with my development goals as a professional. The Personal and Professional Effectiveness (PPE) curriculum at Dalhousie is excellent.

The second reason I chose Dal is the location of our school. I love Halifax and the East Coast; the student life experience here is one of a kind.

Where did you do your corporate residency?

[Read more…]

President-elect – Andrew’s story

Leave a Comment

Jordan Hirtle caught up with Andrew Frazer a few days after he was elected president of the Dalhousie MBA Society for the 2013-2014 term. The interview focuses on Andrew’s thoughts about the MBA program so far, his residency and his future role as president.

Andrew is originally from Mississauga, Ontario, and moved to Nova Scotia to do his BBA at Acadia University where he majored in marketing. He is a three-time recipient of the Academic All Canadian Award as well as many other awards. Apart from academics, Andrew played football for over four years at Acadia, was captain for two years and is now involved in all types of sports at Dal. He recently obtained a corporate residency position with Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets as a credit risk analyst.

First off, why did you choose Dalhousie to do your MBA?

I decided to apply to Dal’s Corporate Residency MBA (CRMBA) program to further my academic success and to get real work experience. This was essential. I also enjoy the east coast culture, and the faculty made me feel welcomed and wanted during the application process.

So you’re the new president, congratulations!  Do you plan on implementing any changes?

[Read more…]

A natural-born networker – Sean’s story

Leave a Comment

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?

[Read more…]

Making every moment count – Jamie’s story

Leave a Comment

Originally posted by Jordan Fujiwara.

Jamie McGuigan is a busy guy. Before coming to the program he was all over the globe, visiting places like Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Sweden and Tanzania (check out his Tanzanian blog: http://tantasticvoyage.blogspot.com/). He also taught English in Korea. Then he came to the Corporate Residency MBA, which he describes as being “very challenging and rewarding. Now that I’m in the workforce I feel like a well tuned Olympic athlete; it’s definitely given me the confidence to speak up, contribute, and not just be ‘another’ employee.”

As a member of the Credit Solutions Team at Scotia Commercial in Toronto (the same position as Rich in Halifax), he’s recently embarked on his rotational program. He’s also been enjoying the bustling life of downtown Toronto. Originally from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (“the city that never sleeps,” according to Jamie), this UPEI grad (BBA) has no trouble fitting in with the big city culture. He’s witnessed an undercover police bust, motored around on a Segway (apparently the elderly supplied him with many a strange look), attended a bunch of Raptors games and joyfully took to the streets with the crowds after the Men’s Hockey Team earned our record setting 14th gold medal!

Busy indeed! Prior to shipping off to Toronto, he was no less active during the academic portion. Jamie participated in a business skills competition put on by the Sobey School of Business (a friendly rival of Dalhousie’s) with several other Corporate Residency MBA students. Out of the $15,000 in prize money, our team took away $11,000 of it, coming first place in EVERY event! “It really spoke volumes to the calibre of our team,” says Jamie proudly. He also ran Dalhousie’s team for the Fall 2009 Financial Post Stock Challenge.

One of the most memorable experiences for Jamie during the first six months of the Corporate Residency MBA was the Interview Competition. Our whole class had a day where we did mock interviews (with real employers). The interviewers ranked us, and the top three were invited to do a public interview where they were grilled by a panel of three interviewers, while the rest of the class watched… one of the interviewers took candid and frank notes regarding the interviewee’s performance on his laptop, which was projected above and behind the interviewee for all to see! This experience was particularly memorable for Jamie since he was actually one of the top three. “It was a really high pressure situation. I don’t know if I’ll ever be nervous in any situation after that,” he recalls. I remember watching those interviews and being nervous for Jamie (as well as the other two: Jocelyn and Matilde, who you’ll meet soon enough), but what an experience for him, and the audience!

Moving to the present: as promised in Rich’s blog, I called upon Jamie to shed some light on what exactly they do in the Credit Solutions Team. Jamie joked, “I start my day by putting on my pants, one leg at a time. Once the pants are on I make blockbuster financial deals!” Both distraught and intrigued by the image of a half naked Bay Street Baron, I requested some elaboration. Jamie explained that his team works with clients who have revenues between 10 and 500 million dollars and that he does a lot of business analysis and helps determine appropriate loans as well as their covenants and restrictions. He works alongside a credit solutions manager and client relationship manager for every client, providing a lot of the analysis. “I have a great deal of autonomy,” he says, “the great thing about commercial banking is that you get to touch on so many different products and companies. I’m getting a lot of experience quickly, it’s a great role… I’m looking at telecommunications companies, the wine importers, private schools , gold and silver mines in Mexico… they all have unique issues.”

Whew! That’s a lot to take in, but if anyone can handle it, it’s Jamie. With that said, goodbye for now and be sure to drop in next Thursday!