Goodman - The Magazine, Summer 2019 - Vol. 2, Issue 1 by Brock University

Summer 2019 Volume 2 Issue 1

BEST IN BUSINESS Record-breaking student competition season

Goodman Group launches to support community

New partnerships increase international opportunities Summer 2019

6 TABLE OF CONTENTS Deanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s message

Goodman joins international network of business schools

Milestone moment as Goodman officially opens its doors

Goodman Group increases accessibility of community services

Goodman student earns national accolades

Canada Games draws on student expertise

Prof named CEO of 2021 Canada Games

Goodman charts strategic direction

Accounting students find support through Masters structure

Record-breaking competition season for Goodman students

Goodman facts and figures

Distinguished grad talks to students about the future of work

Top business and management researchers meet at Goodman

Goodman alumna recognized as co-op champion

Business Matters brews up conversation on craft business

Persistence pays off as XpertVR wins Monster Pitch title

New streams offer MBA students expanded opportunities

Goodman Advisory Council

Robertsons leave a legacy with $1-million endowment

UN placement is dream come true for Goodman student

Accounting grad in top one per cent on national exam

Holistic approach defines distinguished scholars work

Emerging scholar follows his heart to Goodman

Professor recognized for teaching excellence

PUBLICATION MANAGER Susan LeBlanc

CONTRIBUTORS Daniela Gatti, Kaitlyn Little, Tiffany Mayer, Delan Perera

EDITOR Kaitlyn Little

PUBLISHER Goodman School of Business

DESIGNER Kev Greene

PRODUCTION Brock University St. Catharines, Ontario ISSN 2561-6706 (Print) ISSN 2561-6714 (Online) goodman@brocku.ca

Cover: Goodmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s JDC Central team brought home the 'School of the Year' title for the second consecutive time in January 2019.

GOODMAN: THE MAGAZINE

DEAN'S MESSAGE The Goodman School of Business has gone through a tremendous period of growth, which has increased our presence in business education. We have now set a course that introduces programming and builds relationships with globally recognized schools, further elevating our distinction among our peers. In this issue, we highlight some of these new relationships including Goodman’s induction into the International Partnership of Business Schools and new double degree programs that will give our students options when pursuing studies at the graduate level. This winter the School finalized its new strategic plan that highlights Goodman’s commitment to its values of passion, perseverance and professionalism while building the school’s brand, relationship and workplace. Our newly transformed building not only gives the Goodman School of Business a world-class setting to engage in research and scholarship, it also serves as a base for the community to gather and interact with our students, staff, and faculty. We also highlight our researchers who are making their mark in their respective fields while seeing how the establishment of Goodman Group is deepening our ties to the Niagara community. I hope this summer issue finds you well, and as always, I welcome your comments and feedback.

Andrew Gaudes, PhD, ICD.D Dean Goodman School of Business

Summer 2019

GOODMAN JOINS INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF BUSINESS SCHOOLS By Kaitlyn Little

oodman’s global network expanded this winter when the International Partnership of Business Schools (IPBS) added Brock University as its Canadian partner in the network. The consortium of 13 globally-oriented, leading business schools in Europe, North and Latin America all grant double degrees, which require study in two countries and promote language and cultural fluency along with business aptitude. “This partnership will literally open up a world of opportunity for our students and faculty,” said Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes. “It means we are now part of a group that holds the same values of including

international experience as well as incorporating work placement in a student’s business education.” The papers were signed March 15 at the IPBS annual meeting, hosted by Universidad de las Américas Puebla in Mexico. The partnership provides Goodman students and faculty access to opportunities in Brazil, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. IPBS President Robert Robinson said Brock’s introduction as Canada’s partner school strengthens the presence of the network in North America. “Brock brings to the consortium a freshness, vigour and dynamism that will serve to enhance our

reputation and quality. We look forward to fostering a deep and lasting strategic alliance in the coming years,” he said. Goodman currently offers double degree options with three of the network’s partners, providing students the opportunity to earn degrees from both Goodman and the partner institution while gaining a co-op experience in both Canada and abroad. As a result of this partnership, Goodman is working on finalizing additional double-degree opportunities with new network partners, giving more students the chance to benefit from gaining a global business education.

HONOUR SOCIETY RECOGNIZES GOODMAN'S ACHIEVEMENTS By Kaitlyn Little

nternational honour society Beta Gamma Sigma recognized Goodman’s recent achievements by presenting the 2019 Silver Outstanding Chapter of the Year Award to the School.

students, faculty and staff in building our chapter.” Each year, the top 10 per cent of undergraduate students and top 20 per cent of graduate students are inducted as members of Goodman’s chapter.

The honour, which recognizes excellence in chapter performance, was presented to Dean Andrew Gaudes at the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International Conference and Annual Meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland, April 14.

Beta Gamma Sigma’s mission is to encourage and honour academic achievement in the study of business, to cultivate and celebrate leadership and professional excellence, to advance the values of society and serve its lifelong members.

“Having Goodman recognized as the Silver Outstanding Chapter of the Year is a great honour,” Gaudes said. “It reflects the great work done by our

More than 600 chapters around the world are eligible for Beta Gamma Sigma’s highest chapter recognition says Chief Executive Officer Chris Carosella.

GOODMAN: THE MAGAZINE

“As our Silver winner, Brock University shows a superior level of commitment to honouring academic achievement, encouraging leadership development, displaying a commitment to service and supporting the business community,” she said. This marked the fourth time since 2007 that Goodman has received accolades from Beta Gamma Sigma. “This recognition isn’t something that happened by chance,” Gaudes said. “It’s a direct result of the ongoing and sustained support for our students and their development.”

MILESTONE MOMENT AS GOODMAN OFFICIALLY OPENS ITS DOORS By Kaitlyn Little

ith confetti raining down and a round of applause from faculty, staff and students, the ribbon was cut on the $24-million building expansion of the Goodman School of Business Feb. 1. The grand opening celebrated a new era for the School which started with its naming in 2012 after a transformational gift from former Brock Chancellor Ned Goodman that made the building project possible. Speaking at the event on behalf of the Goodman family was Ned’s son Dan Goodman. “I’m tremendously proud to be standing in the building that bears our family name,” he said. “It’s amazing to see the vision that my parents had completed and to see the facility in action, just tremendous. “My Dad has had the good fortune and the desire to take his success and pay it forward to the whole Brock community through the Goodman School of Business gift,” he added. “Just what that means to my family is tough to put to words.” The expansion includes five new interview rooms that can be used by employer partners coming onto campus to engage with Brock students. There’s also six new and nine refreshed classrooms, a new Bloomberg financial research lab, graduate student study space, faculty research space, new offices and a striking two-storey atrium totalling 79,000 square feet of new and renovated space. All classrooms in the new building feature state-of-theart technology and all spaces feature new environmentally friendly LED lighting.

“Awestruck,” was Goodman’s reaction seeing the building’s atrium for the first time. “It’s so beautiful this foyer and the natural light that comes in through. “My family is so happy to know that the gift we’ve made is going to have such a strong impact not just on the Goodman School of Business but the community at large as well.” What started out as a facilities expansion to give the growing School more physical space, has in the process, rooted it at the centre of Brock’s campus and given the Goodman community a sense of place said Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes. “Buildings are the embodiment of the culture of an organization,” he said. “What we have here now allows us to create opportunities for collaboration not only within the School but also with our stakeholders beyond the campus in our community.” In addition to the Goodman gift, the transformation was made possible by a $10-million commitment from the Government of Ontario and the support of many generous donors.

Left: Professor Christoph Binder from Reutlingen University, Dublin City University Dean Anne Sinnott, and IPBS President Robert Robinson welcome Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes into the network alongside Ingrid Kirschning from UDLAP. Above: Cutting the ribbon to officially open the building are (from left) Mark Goodman, MBA student and President of the Graduate Business Council Priya Mehta, Dan Goodman, BBA student and President of the Business Students’ Association Aidan Gilhula, Brock President Gervan Fearon, Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes, and MPP Sam Oosterhoff who delivered messages on behalf of Minister Merrilee Fullerton.

“It is incredible to see how Brock University continues to create new venues of opportunity for its students that will aid them in becoming future leaders in Ontario and beyond,” said the Honourable Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Training Colleges and Universities. “In order for our students to achieve their highest potential, they need access to modern tools and facilities to help them develop the skills needed for today’s and tomorrow’s job market.”

Summer 2019

GOODMAN GROUP LAUNCH INCREASES ACCESSIBILITY OF COMMUNITY SERVICES By Kaitlyn Little

n an effort to enhance its longstanding relationship with the Niagara community, Goodman made its community services more accessible in March through the establishment of Goodman Group.

Mishka Balsom, President and CEO of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC), said the most pressing challenge facing Ontario’s businesses today is the availability of skilled talent.

The move brought together programming for Niagara businesses, students and the broader Brock community, providing them direct access to a full range of learning and development services offered by the School’s faculty, staff and students. It will serve as a hub for the community, while also providing students with real-world, experiential learning opportunities.

“Brock University and the Goodman School of Business are truly ahead of the curve when it comes to creating the talent we need to prosper,” she said.

“This is a very exciting chapter for the Goodman School of Business,” said Dean Andrew Gaudes. “All the projects will engage students, faculty and the community in a manner that provides a rich experience for all parties involved. “We are putting our best researchers into practice in supporting and developing our community, while applying what we advocate when it comes to engaging our students in experiential learning.” Although the formation of Goodman Group is new, the School has an established track record of providing these supports to local businesses, said Goodman Group Director Abdul Rahimi. “Creating Goodman Group allows us to offer the community greater flexibility,” he said. “Depending on the client’s need, we can easily direct them to the business support that aligns with their goals and resources.” Goodman Group will offer: Consulting Services (formerly known as Goodman MBA Consulting); Executive Development; Professional Development (formerly the Centre for Innovation, Management and Enterprise Education); and Venture Development (formerly BioLinc).

GOODMAN: THE MAGAZINE

“Creating the Goodman Group is the logical next step in their quest to support and nurture Niagara’s businesses, and shows Brock University’s continued commitment to excellence and to supporting our community.”

Targeted Professional Development programs Over the last three years alone, the School has provided executive and professional development training to more than 875 community members through programs such as its NextGen Municipal Leadership program, the Professional Leadership Development Certificate, which runs in collaboration with the GNCC, and customized training developed with local organizations. Aimed at addressing the continuing education needs of Niagara’s grape and wine industry, Goodman Group Professional Development launched a new Wine Business Management Certificate this spring. Delivered by industry leaders and leading scholars, the program was designed to help grape growers and winery operators develop the core competencies needed to take a forward-thinking approach to managing wine-related businesses. “This is a space that’s not occupied today in terms of professional development for the wine industry,” said Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes.

Left: Goodman Group team members Drew MacNeil, Abdul Rahimi, Cassie Price and Owen Jeffries discuss the plans to move into their new space in the Brock LINC (pictured behind them in the photo).

“

Creating Goodman Group allows us to offer the community greater flexibility.

”

map-marker-alt SAME SERVICES, NEW LOCATION This summer Goodman Group will move into the Brock LINC in the Rankin Family Pavilion. The new facility, located at the base of the Schmon Tower, will be Brock’s innovation hub co-locating campus resources, which encourage creativity and entrepreneurship.

– Andrew Gaudes, Goodman Dean

“We’ve been successful in this region developing winemakers, and we now have an abundance of winemakers ready to lead, manage, market and strategically place their wineries.”

All projects start with a free one-hour consultation, so the client can meet with the team without any risk or obligation.

From an industry standpoint, LCBO President & CEO, as well as Goodman Advisory Council member George Soleas notes the Wine Business Management Certificate program will help develop a fundamental understanding of wine business management.

Venture Development

“Having worked closely with Brock University’s academics and wine business leaders for many years, I know this program will give participants the confidence and expertise to propel their career in the wine sector forward,” he said. Facilitated by Goodman Group, this new program will be instructed by leading business scholars from Goodman as well as other recognized Canadian and international institutions. This academic knowledge will be paired with the expertise of industry leaders and Ontario wine industry pioneers. The course, which includes five in-class days, covers an overview of the Canadian industry, an understanding of wine markets and legislation, logistics and operations, financial analysis, supply change management and marketing, as well as brand building. The Wine Business Management Certificate won’t be the only new program on offer from Goodman Group this year. The team is also working in partnership with Pathstone Mental Health on a Healthcare Management Certificate which will launch this fall.

Flexible Consulting Services With a rich history of providing consulting services to local businesses dating back to the 1980s, Goodman Group’s Consulting Services division will continue to use the expertise of the School’s students and faculty to provide small to mediumsized businesses and not-for-profit organizations access to affordable business consultancy advice. Covering areas including marketing, sales, organizational strategy, accounting and finance and human resources, the team can help organizations fill knowledge gaps in their organizations. “Our consulting services offer community clients the greatest flexibility,” Rahimi said. “From business advice, guidance or a full-service project, we’re committed to providing our clients with a cost-effective solution to fulfill their needs.”

Since 2012, local entrepreneurs have been turning to Goodman Group’s Venture Development (BioLinc) for programming and support to help build their skills and businesses. Last year alone, the business incubator supported more than 100 Niagara entrepreneurs. From entrepreneurship seminars, business mentoring and networking events to its signature Kick-starting Entrepreneurship program, Venture Development supports students across the University by helping them turn business ideas into a reality. Both the department and the Kick-starting program meet entrepreneurs wherever they are in the business establishment process. “They don’t have to have any more than an idea. We can work alongside to help them grow and expand that,” said Venture Development Coordinator Cassie Price. Fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration student Bailey Cochrane has seen first-hand how going through the Kick-starting program can benefit young entrepreneurs. Through his participation in the program he was able to transform his vision for Stocked Cellars into an operating online business. “It allowed me to conceptualize exactly how I wanted to go about starting a technology company,” he said. The Goodman Group team also work to plant the seeds for entrepreneurship early. Price works alongside student leaders to teach Grade 4 students about entrepreneurship through the Goodman Lemonade program and the incubator works closely with high school students who gain credits while developing their business ideas at Brock. At the end of the day, not all the student entrepreneurs will go on to work for themselves, but the foundational skills they develop through their work with Venture Development will benefit their future positions. “We want young entrepreneurs to determine if this is a viable career path for them,” Price added. “If they find out entrepreneurship isn’t for them, we can teach them other ways they can be innovative in their career path.”

Summer 2019

GOODMAN STUDENT EARNS NATIONAL ACCOLADES By Tiffany Mayer

oving across the Atlantic Ocean to attend school is enough for some people to pat themselves on the back; maybe rest on a laurel or two. Not Sorcha Killian.

The double degree student, who came to the Goodman School of Business two years ago from Dublin City University, wasn’t content to simply move to another country, eventually graduating from university with two degrees and international work experience. She had clubs to establish, competitions and awards to win, and new perspective to offer stalwart institutions at Goodman. Killian had every intention of ‘killing it’ in Canada. “From the get go, I tried to immerse myself in as many things as possible,” Killian said weeks before completing her studies at Brock in April. “I knew I would be in Canada for two years, I would work in Canada, so I wanted to meet like-minded people.” She did that in case competitions here and in the United States, including helping Goodman retain its School of the Year title at the JDCC competition, dubbed the business schools Olympics, in Guelph earlier this year. After less than a year at Brock, Killian, 22, was elected Vice-President of Corporate Relations for the Goodman Business Students’ Association. During her term, she reorganized the association’s corporate sponsorship structure, creating partnerships with the likes of RBC, Microsoft and Desjardins, and increased event sponsorship 400 per cent. She also managed to secure some of the association’s first multi-year partnerships, ensuring event funding for years to come. “Without her contributions, Goodman’s BSA would be on fire,” BSA President Aidan Gihula wrote about Killian. “She has arguably done more by herself than the entire executive, including myself, combined.”

Above: Goodman student Sorcha Killian was recognized as The Canadian Association of Business Students All-Star Executive of the Year.

Killian, however, credits her BSA team with the accomplishment, working by the principle that the contributions of many will far exceed those of any individual. “They worked so hard and so diligently. Without those directors and my executive team, I don’t think we could have accomplished what we did this year,” she said. And last fall, with mid-terms looming, she pitched a Women in Business club to ensure a constant female voice at the Goodman Student Advisory Board table where all school clubs have a seat. She succeeded. “This year, there were issues that didn’t have enough women in the BSA and GSAB represented. Everyone on the executive is very confident but when you have a onegender discussion, you have a one-gender effect, and decisions were being made in conversations that women weren’t part of,” Killian explained. As founder of the club whose motto is “we don’t want a foot in the door, we want a seat at the table”, Killian also co-ordinated a heavy-hitting roster of speakers to inspire Goodman’s female students on International Women’s Day. When she arrived back in Ireland, her suitcases were a few pounds heavier thanks to the recent acquisition of hardware from The Canadian Association of Business Students. The group named Killian its All-Star Executive of the Year, rounding out two years of achievements that others might accomplish in four, if at all. It adds up to a dream resume for a newly minted grad who wants to become a strategic consultant focusing on business development. It’s also the work of someone who admits it all made her incredibly uncomfortable. And that was the point. “I’m not someone who likes risk but that’s why I force myself to take risks all the time. If you continually put yourself in uncomfortable situations, you might fail,” Killian said. “But I’ve learned so much about myself and other people. Even though it’s scary, I think I’m always going to put myself in places I don’t belong.”

Right: Human Resource students Meera Mehta (left), Heather MacDonald and Premi Raveendran present their recommendations to the 2021 Canada Games committee. Far right: Goodman professor Barry Wright, 2021 Canada Games CEO.

GOODMAN: THE MAGAZINE

CANADA GAMES ORGANIZING COMMITTEE DRAWS ON STUDENT EXPERTISE By Tiffany Mayer

hen Meera Mehta volunteered for the PanAm Games in 2015, she appreciated the recognition she received from the organization for her efforts.

The human resources student worked, unpaid, as a volunteer recruitment co-ordinator, pre-screening volunteers applying for a role with the games and scheduling interviews. It was an important job fielding candidates to help the Games to run smoothly, and the praise she received went a long way. “I felt like I was always recognized for my work,” said Mehta, who’s in her final year of studies at Goodman. “As a team, before we started for the day, we always discussed the goals we wanted to achieve before the end of the day… and we would talk about our challenges.” The experience left no question that volunteer and employee recognition should be one of the pillars of a human resources recruitment and retention strategy Mehta and a group of her classmates created for use by the 2021 Canada Games being held in Niagara. Their strategy for the Games was one of four presented by Goodman human resources students to Prof. Barry Wright, 2021 Canada Games CEO; Prof. Dave Bouckenooghe, Chair of the Organizational Behaviour, Human Resources, Entrepreneurship and Ethics department; and Dan Lonergan, Senior Experiential Education co-ordinator this spring. Devising a 2021 Canada Games HR strategy was one of two service learning projects Goodman human

resources students could work on this term, lending their expertise and concepts learned in class to nonprofit organizations needing help with real-time issues. “It’s a great opportunity because you get hands-on experience from something that could be realistically implemented in their strategy to be successful,” Mehta said. “I feel I can show this (project) to a potential employer. ‘This is how I’ve done it, this was the thought process as an individual and team to ensure the client needs were met.’ ” Being commissioned to develop business solutions for organizations beyond Brock’s borders is becoming more common as the University’s reputation grows in the community, Lonergan noted. “These organizations are looking to our faculty and students to lend their expertise and skills through these types of projects,” he said. “Our goal is to make these partnerships meaningful for all parties involved and encourage and strengthen the reciprocal relationships between Brock and the Niagara community.” As for the 2021 Canada Games HR strategies presented, Wright said he was impressed by the innovative ideas the students offered. Going forward, he and his Games team will draw on each strategy to come up with the best policies for the organization. “They received an open-ended challenge and they were able to succeed with that challenge,” he said. “Each one of the groups had something that was very positive. They bring fresh ideas, fresh insights, a fresh approach. They’re not married to old ways of doing things.”

GOODMAN PROF NAMED CEO OF 2021 CANADA GAMES By Tiffany Mayer

oodman Associate Professor Barry Wright will helm one of the country’s most prestigious sporting events.

Wright was seconded as Chief Executive Officer for the 2021 Canada Games, which take place in Niagara. He officially started his role on May 1 and will oversee the organization and operation of the Games, including its finances, human resources, volunteer programming, and sport and athlete services. “This is a wonderful opportunity that will bring all of Niagara together as we welcome athletes, parents and spectators from across Canada,” said Wright. “Hosting the Canada Games will be a special moment in the history of Niagara, and it is an honour to be invited to work alongside the other members of this group.” Wright joins several other members of the Brock community involved with the Games. University President Gervan Fearon sits on the 2021 Canada Games Board of Directors with Tom Arkell, Brock’s Special Advisor to the VicePresident, Administration, and Michelle-Elise Burnett and Mary De Sousa, both members of the University’s Board of Trustees. Wright has taken a temporary leave from Brock to concentrate on his work with the Games, which take place in summer 2021.

Summer 2019

GOODMAN CHARTS STRATEGIC DIRECTION By Kaitlyn Little

uilding off a period of growth for both Goodman’s brand and physical space, the School is charting its path into the future with the development of a strategic plan that will guide it until 2022.

The plan positions Goodman as a globally oriented and community dedicated business school that engages and challenges through scholarly initiatives, education and practice. Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes said that the strategic planning process involved a lot of reflection and thorough internal and external consultation which yielded the School’s strategic plan along with new mission, vision and values statements. “I believe we’ve arrived upon a direction for our business school, which complements our community, campus and most importantly our students,” he said. That direction focuses on the three overarching priorities of building the brand, building relationships and building the workplace. These overarching priorities will work with the four strategic priorities identified in the plan, which are to: foster an active research culture; elevate community awareness and reputation; advance global opportunities; and drive exceptional experiences. Amy Tomaino, Goodman’s Senior Administrative Officer, is facilitating the plan’s implementation.

“We’re essentially building Goodman together,” she said. “Establishing this strategic plan creates a guiding true north. It will keep us all moving in the same direction, so our activities are supporting the broader vision.” Part of implementation will be setting up performance measures and reporting the progress the School is making towards the strategic objectives. Creating annual action plans will help put the plan in motion and ensure focus and alignment. “There’s tremendous work already happening,” Tomaino said. “Part of our process will be inventorying it in a way where we can look at our collective progress.” Having a strategic and well thought out approach to operating is also one of the many criteria business schools need to receive and retain accreditation through bodies such as Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The timeline of the plan is designed to mirror Goodman’s next round of AACSB reaccreditation. The Goodman strategic plan comes on the heels of the launch of the University’s plan “Brock University: Niagara Roots – Global Reach.” The Goodman plan was designed in alignment with the Brock Strategic plan, which strives to make a positive difference in the lives of students, faculty and communities on a daily basis.

VISION:

To be a leading business school in experiential education and scholarly activities.

MISSION:

Goodman is a globally oriented and community dedicated business school that engages and challenges through scholarly initiatives, education and practice.

GOODMAN: THE MAGAZINE

“

We've arrived upon a direction for our business school, which complements our community, campus and our students.

”

– Andrew Gaudes, Goodman Dean

VALUES:

Passion: Compelling enthousiasm, eager interest and excitement Perseverance: Steadfast dedication to achieve success Professionalism: Integrity, collaboration and excellence

Part of the 2019 MAcc cohort listen to Professor Barbara Sainty. Graduates of the program credit the supportive environment of the tight-knit group to their success in the program.

ACCOUNTING STUDENTS FIND SUPPORT THROUGH MASTERS STRUCTURE By Daniela Gatti

reparing for the CPA’s Common Final Exam (CFE) can be a daunting task. But for Laura Percy (BAcc ’16, MAcc ’18), not going through it alone made all the difference.

After finishing her Bachelor of Accounting (BAcc) degree, Percy chose to stay at Goodman for her masters because of the structure that it offered in comparison to the other pathways to obtaining a CPA designation. “I wanted to have that structure when I was going through the CPA prep to get ready for the CFE. I thought it would be really beneficial,” she said. In January 2015, Goodman welcomed the first cohort into the newly designed CPA-accredited Masters of Accountancy (MAcc) program. The program existed for over a decade prior, but with the merging of the three Canadian accounting designations came the opportunity to redesign the program to better fit the need of aspiring professional accountants as well as the changing demands of obtaining the designation. Covering all the prerequisites for the CFE in eight months, as well as completing a study plan in the summer months to prepare for the profession-wide

exam can be a challenge. Goodman’s program was designed to help students feel supported through the process. The program, which utilizes a cohort system, has students take their classes with the same group of peers throughout the program. Percy, now an Audit Manager at Canadian Tire, found that the closeknit environment contributed to her success in the program. “I liked the sense of community that everyone had,” Percy said. “It’s a difficult program, but it was nice having friends in the program that understood what you’re going through. I made some really good friends that I’m still friends with and hopefully will be for life.” The program is structured so that students begin in January, complete the course work in July, and are expected to write the CFE required to obtain the CPA designation in September. Following that, students have the option of completing a four or eight month co-op work term. Now almost one year since convocation, Percy says that her experience at Goodman set her up for success in her career.

“It prepared me for the real world. When I’m at work and I have tight deadlines, the skills I’ve learned in the MAcc, as well as the actual material of the program, were really transferable to work,” she said. Percy’s sentiments about the program are echoed by students from previous cohorts as well. For Connor Gates (BAcc ’16, MAcc ’16), pursuing the MAcc program was the bridge to beginning his career as a CPA. “Pursuing this degree allowed me to work through the CPA curriculum in an environment that I was familiar and comfortable with,” he said. “Beyond the debits and credits, this program taught me valuable skills in organization and time management, communication and critical thinking.” Now an associate at Crawford Smith and Swallow, Chartered Accountants LLP in Niagara Falls, as well as a part-time lecturer at Goodman, Gates says his professors and the resources available to him heavily influenced his positive experience in the program. “The resources available to the students, and the support offered by faculty make it possible for each and every student in the program to succeed.”

Summer 2019

RECORD-BREAKING COMPETITION SEASON FOR GOODMAN STUDENTS By Kaitlyn Little

rom successfully defending the JDC Central ‘School of the Year’ title to bringing home record medal hauls at DECA and ICDC competitions, Goodman students have had a competition season that will be tough for future students to top. During the winter term, undergraduate and graduate students raised Goodman’s profile by finding success at some of the top Canadian and international business case competitions including the Battle on Bay and the inaugural World Trade Centre Buffalo Niagara International Case Competition. “These achievements reflect the hard work and preparation our students put in,” said Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes. “These cases mirror real-life business situations and our students prove time and time again that they have the knowledge and ability to handle them deftly, employing innovative solutions that make them stand out amongst their competition.”

JDC CENTRAL After an intense weekend of competition, one of the most sought-after trophies in Canadian business school competitions returned to Brock University January 7, marking back-to-back top titles for the School. The Goodman team successfully defended its ‘School of the Year’ title at the JDC Central, which is the largest undergraduate business school competition in central Canada. The event brought together more than 700 student delegates from Ontario, Québec and the Maritimes. JDC, often dubbed the “business school Olympics,” is three days of exhaustive competitions encompassing academic cases in eight fields of business, parliamentary style debates, sports tournaments, social competitions and charity contributions. In addition to the ‘School of the Year’ title, the 47-person team placed second in overall participation and third in the all-encompassing Academic Cup. “We’re incredibly proud of our students’ success at JDC Central,” said Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes. “To bring home the ‘School of the Year’ title twice in a row is an incredible feat at this intense competition.”

GOODMAN: THE MAGAZINE

Goodman last won the title in 2017 as the 2018 event was cancelled due to inclement weather. Students also placed second in debate, digital strategy, business strategy, finance and the wildcard case competition. They rounded out the podium by placing third in human resources and the dodgeball sports competition. Although the team had no first-place finishes, it was the consistency of the results from across all areas that helped Goodman defend its title, said student cocaptains Summer Gullage and Steven Simons. “Everybody on the team came to compete and did well. It was a true team effort,” Gullage said. The School of the Year award takes into consideration all aspects of the competition, including funds raised for charity and the 1,500 volunteer hours the team completed between September and December 2018. The team will look to win a third consecutive title on home soil, when Goodman hosts the 2020 event next January.

DECA ONTARIO RESULTS: The following teams received medals for their final award standings in their categories: • International Marketing: First place Jasman Bisram and Avneet Rehal • Business to Business: Second place Amani Ahmad and Manahil Haider • SEED (entrepreneurship pitch): Third place Hamza Pasha and Ahmad Pasha • PMI Case Boss: Third place Karina Atha, Shehryar Khalid and Natalie Tosello

The Goodman JDCC team included: Co-captains: Summer Gullage and Steven Simons; Accounting: Smiley Bhayee, Kawshik Basak and Ahmad Pasha; Business Strategy: Sorcha Killian, Josiah Dueck and Shania Walden; Digital Strategy: Alex Kowalchuk, Meagan Gloor and Majid El-assi; Debate: Brett Orlando, Natalie Tosello, Mitchell Glass and Shane Shibley; Entrepreneurship: Aidan Gilhula, Srujal Patel and David Puglisi; Finance: Alex Bernas, Eric Shelton and Jesse Porter; Human Resources: Erica Runstedler, Vanisha Hira and Vishrut Shah; International Business: Alexa OgilvieRobinson, Jasman Bisram and Karina Atha; Marketing: Jayna Sutaria, Rosie Di Matteo and Catrina De Angelis; Social: Maria Denisov, Justin Gravestock, Simran Arora and Jayden Paul; Sports: Drew Macneil, Jessica Bent, Joshua Pigat, Olivia Poulin, Mile Peles, Nicole Smith, Trevor Szaniawski and Bryan Haakman; Volunteers: Yarnie Shahparast, Dhvani Shah and Meera Mehta; Faculty Advisor: Lewis Stevenson; Godparents (mentors): Bianca Read (BBA ’18) and Carter Burke

DECA AND ICDC This also marked a record-breaking year for Goodman’s DECA delegates bringing home their best ever medal totals from DECA Ontario provincials and ICDC competition in Orlando. For Goodman DECA President Jasman Bisram, the outstanding team results of 21 medals was capped off by achieving his own personal milestone. After eight years of practice, preparation and mock cases, Bisram was only a 15-minute presentation away from achieving his goal when he stepped on stage competing at his last year of DECA provincials. The fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration co-op student came ready to succeed and realize his dream of earning a first-place finish. Alongside partner Avneet Rehal, Bisram emerged victorious at the DECA U Ontario case competition, earning the top prize in the International Marketing category. More than 1,300 students from across the province competed in the fast-paced event, held Jan. 18 to 20 in Toronto. The competition puts students’ analytical and communication skills to the test in several business categories that mimic real-life situations they will face in the workplace. Bisram first got involved in DECA in Grade 9 at his Brampton high school and has been competing at the provincial and international level each year since. Having previously finished second and third at the university level, a top finish was all he was missing from his DECA resumé.

“I was from a high school that was very competitive in DECA and after getting pushed into it in Grade 9, I got completely hooked,” Bisram said. “For the last eight years, through DECA, I’ve slowly and consistently been growing my communication skills and becoming comfortable by being put in uncomfortable situations. “I wanted to become the elite presenter that employers look for and other students look up to as a role model.” Bisram confirmed the top result at DECA Ontario wasn’t a fluke by also finishing first in the International marketing category at ICDC. Although he was proud of his personal accomplishment, he credits a dedicated team of 56 students for the School’s overall success. From September to the time of the competition, team members practised a minimum of two to three mock cases a week in their subject area, providing each other with feedback and advice. “I feel ecstatic about our team’s results,” Bisram said. “The hard work the team has put in over the last few months really translated into the quality of their presentations. The level of polish in the students’ presentations was why we were able to do so well.” The team was one of five schools with delegations under 100 students also recognized for their overall participation. At ICDC, all 16 Goodman delegates placed in the top 10 in their respective categories and brought home record high 34 medals. The impressive results included nine first place finishes, two second place honours and one third place award.

The following students received medals for placing in the Top Five of their individual categories: • Corporate Finance: Sam Farberman (case 1 and case 2), third place overall • Corporate Finance: Manvir Brar (case 2) • Fashion and Retail Management: Khariny Kethees (case 2) • Human Resources Management: Harvinder Trehan (case 2), third place overall • Management Consulting: Saideepak Vuppu (case 2) • Restaurant and Food Services Management: Sukhwinder Gill (case 1), second place overall • Travel Management: Nimrat Brar (case 2) • Travel Management: Andrew Park, second place overall

ICDC RESULTS: The following students received medals for their final award standing at ICDC: • Marketing Management: First place Amani Ahmad • International Marketing: First place Jasman Bisram and Avneet Rehal • Human Resource Management: Second place Charnjot Brar • Restaurant and Food Service Management: Third place Karina Atha • Sports and Entertainment Marketing: First place Kido Okeleke and Mile Peles • Corporate Finance: First place Manvir Brar, Second place Sam Farberman • Travel and Tourism: First place Nimrat Brar • Business Ethics: First place Roshanth Thulasiram and Vishrut Shah Placing in the Top 10 at ICDC were Aman Juthani; Martina Cutruzzola; Natalie Tosello and Sukhwinder Gill.

OTHER COMPETITIONS Battle on Bay – First place finish for Bryan Haakman, Adrianna Garisto and Ryan Tully Family Enterprise Case Competition – Best undergraduate presenter Josiah Dueck MBA Games Finance team – Third place finish for Puneet Rastogi, Hanyue (Mavis) Lu, Bianca Xu and Carlos Guerra World Trade Centre Buffalo Niagara International Case Competition – First place finish for Sorcha Killian, Jasman Bisram and Sam Farberman

Summer 2019

FACTS AND FIGURES GOODMAN ENROLLMENT

WORK TERMS COMPLETED BY GOODMAN CO-OP STUDENTS

UNDERGRADUATE

1,200

2,870

2,842

2,882

2,907

2,962

2014 / 15

2015 / 16

2016 / 17

2017 / 18

2018 / 19

1,000

884

899

14-15

15-16

986

1,051 1,028

800

600

GRADUATE

400

576

547

2014 / 15

2015 / 16

615

2016 / 17

594

614

2017 / 18

2018 / 19

200

TOTALS

BAcc Co-op MBA ISP

4,000

3,446 3,500

3,497

3,389

BBA Co-op MAcc

17-18

BBA Dual MPAcc

18-19

MBA Dom

3,576

3,501

STUDENTS EMPLOYED, FURTHERING THEIR EDUCATION OR STARTING THEIR OWN BUSINESS AT GRADUATION

3,000 14-15

16-17

15-16

16-17

17-18

18-19

80%

72.95%

WHERE GOODMAN GRADS WORK Greater Toronto Area

Niagara Region

25%

70%

65.98%

68.89% 64.96%

67.54%

60% 2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

49%

RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

map-marker-alt

2014

112

2015 Other areas in Ontario

2016

23% Outside Canada

1% 14

GOODMAN: THE MAGAZINE

Other areas in Canada

2017 2018

122

GOODMAN SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION

THROUGH VENTURE DEVELOPMENT

NUMBER OF COMMUNITY PROJECTS

733

800

600 500 400

participants in the Kick-Starting Entrepreneurship Program

591

700

250

335

411

300

entrepreneurs supported

200 14-15

15-16

16-17

17-18

18-19

VALUE OF CONSULTING

$820,918

Monster Pitch applications

2018 / 19

COMMUNITY MEMBERS SUPPORTED THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Goodman Lemonade Grade 4 students

310

350

events hosted

300 250

170

200

190

100

RECENT GOODMAN GRADUATES GRADUATION-CAP

123

150

UNDERGRADUATE

50 0 2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

GRADUATE

114

478

199

Fall 2018

Spring 2019

Fall 2018

Spring 2019

MSC GRADS JOIN ACADEMIC RANKS Goodman’s MSc prepares students for careers in academia and research. Congratulations to three alumni who have gone onto scholarly positions after completing doctoral degrees:

NICOLE O’BRIEN (MSc '13) specialized in Operations and Information Systems Management and is a visiting Associate Professor at Suffolk University in Boston Massachusetts.

MATT WEGENER (MSc '10) specialized in Accounting and is now an Assistant Professor at the University of New Brunswick.

ASMA ZAFAR (MSc '13) specialized in Organization Studies and will be joining Goodman as an Assistant Professor of Marketing, International Business and Strategy July 1. Summer 2019

Brian Parsons speaks at the Distinguished Graduate reception held in the Goodman atrium Nov. 15.

TOP BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT RESEARCHERS MEET AT GOODMAN By Daniela Gatti

usiness scholars from across Canada descended on Goodman for the annual Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) Conference this spring.

The School welcomed more than 450 attendees to the conference May 24 to 27, giving business academics the opportunity to discuss their work with other researchers in their disciplines. Eric Dolansky, Associate Professor of Marketing at Goodman School of Business and Regional Chair for the conference, said that the involvement by so many Goodman faculty members in Canada’s largest academic business conference demonstrates what the School can accomplish. “ASAC presents a tremendous opportunity for Goodman and Brock to showcase all the wonderful changes that have been happening here and for business academics from across the country to see who we are and what we do,” he said. The theme of the conference this year was Harvest, representing both Niagara’s summer landscapes, but also the research and innovation in a conference such as this. “It’s not a developmental conference, but there is a nurturing and encouraging element to it. People bring research that they’re working on and receive valuable feedback,” Dolansky said. Andrew Gaudes, Dean of the Goodman School of Business, said it was an honour to host a conference of this magnitude at Goodman. “The conference was a tremendous success,” he said. “We’ve worked hard at Goodman to build a strong culture of research and innovation and hosting ASAC provided a great opportunity to share that with our colleagues from across Canada.

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DISTINGUISHED GRAD TALKS TO STUDENTS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF WORK By Kaitlyn Little

s manager of Canadian operations for one of the world’s largest risk management firms, Brian Parsons (BAdmin ’90) had nearly three decades of experience to share when he returned to his old stomping grounds last fall.

clients grow and meet their strategic needs,” Parsons said.

Parsons was back on campus Nov. 15 to receive the 2018 Goodman School of Business Distinguished Graduate Award which celebrates outstanding professional or personal achievements of Goodman alumni.

For students just starting out, his advice is to keep an open mind as they leave the university and to think beyond the typical organizations and industries they might consider as employers.

Working as President and CEO Canada Region of Willis Towers Watson, Parsons is a trusted insurance and risk management professional. He shared his wide-ranging knowledge and experience with Goodman students during a roundtable and reception. “I spend a lot of time talking with clients, working with and engaging staff and thinking of ways to develop products and services that will help our

He used that experience in his roundtable presentation which looked at the future of work and featured a discussion on the impact of digital revolution on employees.

“You have no idea what the breadth of the workforce and the skills that are needed” he said. “Keep an open mind, there are industries out there that you don’t even know exist yet, and they might not even exist today. “Don’t turn a blind eye to any industry, even if you’re not really sure what it does. Think about the work environment, the people you meet and what it will demand of you when you think about if you want to get into and pursue a job in that area.”

BUSINESS ALUMNA RECOGNIZED AS CO-OP CHAMPION By Tiffany Mayer

hen RSM Canada hires co-op students, the Toronto-based accounting firm always comes to the Goodman School of Business. Rhonda Klosler (BBA ’93), the firm’s national Chief Operating Officer, knows the candidates vying for a placement will be top notch.

“The reason we come back to Brock is the quality of the students,” Klosler said. “We need quality employees. They’re out working with clients and we need to hire the best.” In turn, Goodman accounting co-op students tapped by RSM also work with the best. Klosler has been named Brock’s Alumni Co-op Employer of the Year for the opportunities and work environment RSM Canada provides students during their placements. “It’s an honour to be nominated or considered,” Klosler said. “I wasn’t even aware they had such an award.” Still, she does know the benefits of a placement at RSM for aspiring CPAs. Nearly 30 years ago, Klosler was an accounting co-op student at Brock in need of a co-op placement. She was hired by RSM’s previous incarnation, Smith Nixon, to use the skills she was learning at what was then a small accounting firm. Klosler returned for successive co-op work terms, then as a permanent hire after graduating in 1993 because of a workplace that offered her opportunity and a closeknit culture. “I felt recognized (at Smith Nixon). I was a high performer. They wanted me back and I was given a challenging path,” Klosler said. “If you were energized by challenges there were lots of opportunities.” From her first day on the job as a student, Klosler ultimately began climbing the ranks at what would become one of Canada’s largest, mid-tier market accounting firms. Today, Klosler is a managing partner at the Toronto office because of those formative experiences as a co-op student.

Far left: Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes addresses ASAC delegates at the conference’s awards night celebrations.

“The reason I stayed with the firm is the people — the clients and the team members — and the opportunities,” she said. “If you don’t love what you do day after day, you’re in trouble. I’ve been blessed.” The close-knit culture that kept Klosler coming back endures at RSM, even though the firm now boasts over 650 employees nationally, with 400 in Toronto. It’s why RSM continues to dip into the Goodman talent pool, hiring up to four students a year. The firm wants people who can forge strong relationships with clients and Goodman brings out that ability in its students, Klosler noted. “Goodman produces high quality candidates who are curious and collaborative and want to work with and service our clients,” she said. Today, Goodman alumni make up nearly 10 per cent of RSM Canada’s Toronto workforce, including three of its partners. Klosler is grateful for the education and opportunities Brock offered her as a student and now as an employer. “I chose to go to a smaller university where I felt I could establish strong relationships with people. I wasn’t a number,” she said. “As an employer now, fast forward, that’s the advantage. You go in, you hire students young, you work with them, develop their skill sets, provide them opportunities and help them work through the ranks. Clients understand it’s really important to see the same people year after year. You have students come back for successive work terms and hire them when they’re done school. You have employees who are familiar with clients, their business, and our processes, so it’s a win-win.” The award, she added, will only ensure that continues. “It’s a competitive space out there finding top talent. I can now say to a potential hire who has offers from the Big Four and RSM Canada..., RSM has been recognized as a strong employer. On a personal level, it’s just really great to be recognized for giving back.”

Above: Goodman School of Business Dean Andrew Gaudes congratulates alumna Rhonda Klosler on receiving the Brock University Alumni Association’s (BUAA) Alumni Co-op Employer Award.

Summer 2019

BUSINESS MATTERS BREWS UP CONVERSATION ON CRAFT BUSINESS

Geoff Dillon (left) discusses what it means to take a craft approach to business with co-panelists Nadia Senchuk, Conrad Davies, Tamara Jensen and moderator Todd Green at Goodman’s annual Business Matters community event.

By Tiffany Mayer

eoff Dillon plans on talking a lot in 2019. He has a story to tell, and it’s one as Ontario’s first craft distiller that he hasn’t felt as compelled to share until now.

Since opening the doors of Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers in Beamsville in 2012, Dillon has seen the proliferation of “phony craft” spirits hit the market. It’s liquor produced by a large company on behalf of distillers branding themselves as artisanal. Their bottles are adorned with quaint, eye-catching labels, and the product is sold significantly cheaper than Dillon’s spirits made in small, timeconsuming batches. But consumers willing to pay more for Dillon’s gin, vodka, or peach schnapps get local fruit in every bottle and help to keep 18 people employed at the small business, he explained. “I’m telling that story a lot this year,” Dillon said. “Please listen and care.” The young entrepreneur was part of the annual Business Matters panel discussion hosted by the Goodman School of Business Wednesday, April 10. Moderated by Goodman marketing professor Todd Green, this year’s theme, Crafting the Brand, was intended to shed light on what it means to take an artisanal, authentic approach to running a business. In addition to Dillon, the panel included Goodman alumni Conrad Davies (BBA ’14), general manager at Breakwall Brewing Company in Port Colborne, and Nadia Senchuk (MBA ’07), co-founder of Leaning Post Wines. Tamara Jensen, co-owner of Dispatch restaurant and brand strategist for Form & Affect, a boutique brand development agency in St. Catharines, rounded out the speaker roster. Green noted consumer interest in craft businesses is pushback against big corporations more concerned with the bottom line than building and supporting community by making superior products, much like Dillon and his co-panelists do with their enterprises.

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“Craft has a buzz quality to it but its well-enough established beyond a buzz phenomenon,” Green said about the impetus for the night’s theme. “People really like it and want to support it, and they want to meet the brewmaster at Breakwall or the owner of Dillon’s. There’s an inherent value to saying you’re small and caring about what you’re doing.” That message was echoed by panelists. “The big thing is the story. People want to be part of that story,” Senchuk said. “People tell me I’m living their dream. People want to be part of something bigger. They want to learn more and be part of the journey.” As such, they’re also willing to pay to do it, particularly when that artisanal business is producing a better product than the competition, Jensen noted. “From a consumer perspective, there’s more of a value perception with a craft brand,” she said. “You’re not one of the big guys, and you’re not going to get something for $5.” Still, big isn’t bad, Davies said. In the world of beer, people love to bash big breweries, but he pointed out they make a “good and consistent” product. “It might not be to my taste,” Davies said. “For us, we’re trying to push the limits of what a small town can do. We’re growing the community.” In addition to hearing the panelists’ ideas and challenges with their small businesses, Green was hopeful the evening would help other aspiring entrepreneurs. “Mostly we want to engage the community and put a spotlight on what people are doing in Niagara but also give people the chance to hear how that business grew,” Green said. “Budding entrepreneurs may be wondering ‘What if I opened a craft brewery, a craft winery or a boutique social media agency? Is there room for me?’ ” The Business Matters series is supported by the Willmot Foundation and is part of the D.G. Willmot Leader Series.

Drew MacNeil and Evan Sitler took home the 2019 Monster Pitch title with their company XpertVR.

PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF AS XPERTVR WINS MONSTER PITCH TITLE By Kaitlyn Little

he third time was a charm for Evan Sitler and his business partner Drew MacNeil as they took home the 2019 Monster Pitch title.

Having competed in the semifinal round of the competition in previous years, the duo had unfinished business when they stepped onto the stage to present their company XpertVR to a soldout crowd of 150 people at the Goodman School of Business March 1. “It’s a long time coming, and we’ve put a lot of work into this business over the last three years,” MacNeil said. “After progressing and hearing feedback from the judges, it was really exciting to finally win this competition.” Inspired by the hit TV show Dragons’ Den, Monster Pitch features Brock student entrepreneurs and is hosted by student club Brock Innovation Group in partnership with the Goodman School of Business and Goodman Group Venture Development (formerly BioLinc). XpertVR uses virtual reality (VR) simulations to enhance current projects market research firms are working on which provides their clients with more detailed insights into consumer behaviour. Moving into the VR realm for this work allows companies to get more detailed analytics faster and

at a cheaper price point than using conventional research set-ups. With a number of competing VR firms located overseas, XpertVR is finding success being able to provide in-person service to the Ontario market. Now in business for a year and a half, the company is starting to build an impressive portfolio. XpertVR’s client list includes RedBull, Niagara Falls Tourism, Hamilton Health Sciences and the Wine Marketing Association of Ontario. The judging panel included Bruce Croxon, co-host of BNN’s The Disruptors and CEO of Round 13; Allie Hughes (BA ’09), CEO and Founder of marketing agency H&C Inc.; Deborah Rosati (BAdmin ’84), Corporate Director and Founder and CEO, Women Get On Board; and Jason Sparaga (BBA ’93), CoFounder and Co-CEO of Spark Power Corp. and founder of Spara Capital Partners. “Being able to hear from industry experts and get proper feedback about how to move this business forward in a professional way was really great,” MacNeil said. The duo won a $14,000 prize pack that includes cash and in-kind support comprising legal, marketing and accounting services. XpertVR also took home the $500 Fan Favourite prize chosen based on an audience vote.

The three other finalists Athletes Pursuing Excellence, AutoPhill and Brand Me Down made the judge’s job difficult with their impressive presentations. From creating a tool, which helps athletes refine their mental focus, to revolutionizing the pharmacy dispensing industry and changing the thrift shopping experience, the teams were not short on big ideas. “My overall impression was that they all did a fantastic job,” Croxon said. “And I’ve got six years of comparison to draw upon when I say that it’s the best year I’ve seen by far.” Rosati echoed that sentiment. “I just think the presentations were top notch,” she said. “Each year they have gotten better and better and this is the pinnacle.” Sparaga, whose company Spark Power Corp. is a long-time Monster Pitch sponsor, said he received support when he was getting started and wanted to provide similar assistance to entrepreneurs coming up in a school environment. “It’s up to people like us who have gone through the grind and have made it, to try to sponsor those who have the drive and tenacity to try make something as an entrepreneur.”

Summer 2019

Kedge Business School's Bordeaux campus in France is one of two places Brock MBA students will be able to study under the new double degree program.

NEW STREAMS OFFER MBA STUDENTS EXPANDED OPPORTUNITIES By Kaitlyn Little

tarting this fall, Goodman’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) students will be able to enroll in new streams that will broaden their experiences while offering them the opportunity to earn two graduate degrees in the same time frame as the standard MBA program.

The first, a double degree program with the Kedge School of Business, will give students the chance to gain global perspectives while studying in Canada and France. The second stream will prepare tomorrow’s health leaders by allowing them to obtain both their MBA and Master of Public Health degree concurrently at Brock. “These programs offer our students a fantastic opportunity to differentiate themselves while preparing for their future careers,” said Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes. “Graduating with two masters level degrees positions them with a unique skill set and perspective.” Students pursuing the Kedge double degree will spend a year at both schools and will earn an MBA from Brock and a Master in Management (MIM) from Kedge while gaining work experience by completing an international co-op placement. Students can choose to study at Kedge’s Bordeaux or Marseille campus, and all classes will be in English.

GOODMAN: THE MAGAZINE

Kedge’s Director of International Relations and Operations Anne-Catherine Guitard said the school is excited for this new collaboration. “Kedge is delighted to launch this new double degree with Brock’s top-ranked Goodman School of Business,” she said. “It will not only give students a multicultural perspective in their management studies, but also expose them to real-life work experience in a foreign environment — both of which are vital in today’s competitive employment market.” Kedge is Goodman’s first double degree partner at the graduate level, but similar programs are available to students at the undergraduate level with universities in Ireland, France and Germany. The new MBA MPH program is the first of its kind in Canada and will be offered through Brock’s Faculty of Applied Health Sciences and Goodman. The two-year program will help develop health leaders by providing students with a strong foundation in both management and public health. “The MBA MPH blends the best of business and public health education,” said Gaudes. “The need for public health officials to have solid business backgrounds is becoming more and more important, and Brock is looking to fill that gap with this program that is relevant to today’s health administration

environment.” During the first year, students will be on campus taking the core MBA courses. For the second year, students will take MPH courses delivered online. The program also includes a mandatory six-month internship offered through the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences. “Both programs overlap in extremely relevant and timely ways,” said Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Dean Peter Tiidus. “Taking an interdisciplinary approach to launch Canada’s first concurrent MBA and MPH degree program means we can offer a wellrounded approach to learning about public health administration.” The MBA MPH program also addresses the challenges of providing optimal care in a manner that is operationally self-sustainable, says Goodman’s Director of Graduate Programs Carrie Kelly. “This program will generate personal and professional fulfilment for our students and respond to the growing need for graduates who can lead the charge in reimagining management in public health,” she added. Goodman’s graduate programs team is currently working on finalizing an additional international MBA stream which would commence in fall 2020.

ROBERTSONS LEAVE A LEGACY WITH $1-MILLION ENDOWMENT

GOODMAN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS DEAN'S ADVISORY COUNCIL MAY 2019

n life, Joe and Anita Robertson were known as a philanthropic couple generous with their time and money.

At Brock, where both were heavily involved, that giving legacy will live on through the donation of a cherished piece of art and the creation of a $1-million endowment fund in their memory. Joe, a prominent businessman, spent a decade on the University’s Board of Trustees and served as Chair from 2012-14. Anita was an active volunteer both at Brock and in the Niagara community. Their daughter Laura had just been hired to work in Brock’s athletics and recreation department when tragically, all three were killed in a plane crash on their way to a family vacation in July 2018. “The Robertson family have been significant contributors to the Niagara community and many initiatives, including here at Brock University,” said President Gervan Fearon. “We were devastated by the loss, but we will always be deeply grateful for their involvement in the growth and success of Brock over many years.”

Left to right:

Daniel Goodman

Doug Wilkinson

Andrew Gaudes

George Soleas

Mark Arthur

Scott Hawkes

Larry G. Maxwell

Mark Dockstator

Bonnie Lysyk

Anthony Marotta

Owner, GFI Investment Counsel Dean, Goodman School of Business President, Industrial Alliance

Joe was also actively involved in Goodman, serving on the Dean’s Advisory Council from 2009 to 2015. The University has enhanced the endowment fund for student awards by $600,000 and scholarships and bursaries have been established in his name.

Investment Advisor, TD Waterhouse

The Joe Robertson Bursaries in Business will support three undergraduate and two graduate students each year who demonstrate financial need. The Joe Robertson Scholarships in Business will support three undergraduate and two graduate students annually based on academic merit.

Mishka Balsom

At an April 29 event to unveil the painting that was part of the gift, Joe and Anita’s son Clark told the 100 people in attendance that the awards will help his parent’s legacy live on. “While my parents are physically no longer here, they aren’t truly gone,” he said. “Their dreams and values, hopes and joy, they live within my brother and I. They live within anyone they’ve ever touched, and they will be there for the students who go on to earn these scholarships and bursaries – students who, much like my parents, began short on cash but full of optimism and dreams of a better tomorrow.” Scholarships and bursaries have also been established in Anita’s name to support Brock Nursing students.

Auditor General of Ontario

Partner, Deloitte

President & CEO, LCBO President & CEO, Fortis Ontario President, First Nations University of Canada Chair, Goodman Alumni Network (ex officio)

New to the Advisory Council and not in photo are:

President & CEO, Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

Julia Deans

Former CEO, Canadian Children's Literacy Foundation and Futurpreneur Canada

TORONTO ADVISORY GROUP Deepak Chopra

President & CEO (Retired), Canada Post

Graeme Deans

Partner, Ernst & Young LLP

Dan McGrath

COO, Cineplex Entertainment LLP

INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY GROUP Lili Tomovich

Chief Experience Officer, MGM Resorts

Greg Berti

Vice President Global Markets & Industry Relations, Andrew Peller Ltd.

Summer 2019

UN PLACEMENT IS DREAM COME TRUE FOR GOODMAN STUDENT By Tiffany Mayer

nish Tiwary has worked his whole life for a job with the United Nations.

The Goodman MBA student focusing on marketing is doing a co-op term with the United Nations in Hanoi, Vietnam. But more than a work term essential to completing his degree, Tiwary, who has his master’s degree in development studies, is doing work he’s always wanted. “The United Nations is my dream company. I’m not saying that because I’m here now,” Tiwary said. “I want to work with the United Nations for life.” It’s a dream closer to reality now, thanks to Tiwary serving as a program analyst, junior professional consultant on several projects related to climate change and the environment in Vietnam. The work, to be done over his six-month co-op term, is important, hands-on, and impactful. It’s also related to Tiwary’s previous education, and experience in waste management. One international border over, Ahmed Jawa is doing consulting, project management and data analysis on several projects dedicated to strengthening the economy of Cambodia.

GOODMAN: THE MAGAZINE

Much like Tiwary, the Goodman undergrad working toward his finance degree saw six months with UN in Phnom Penh as a lifetime opportunity. “When else am I going to get the chance to work with a massive organization that’s not typical to your everyday?” Jawa said. “I thought I should get involved in something much bigger. The projects are helping a greater cause and an entire community.” Tiwary and Jawa are the second cohort of Goodman students to do a co-op term with the UN. Goodman is the first business school in Canada to form a co-op partnership with the United Nations Association in Canada, offering opportunities to all its students, no matter their program, to gain international experience with the world’s most influential intergovernmental organization. Their consideration of the greater — rather than their individual — good is what makes them ideal candidates, explained Julia Zhu, Brock’s associate director of co-op education. “We’re trying to create an international mindset,” Zhu said. “For Anish and Ahmed, who are doing quality, important work, their ‘international mindset’ is giving them the confidence to compete on a global level.”

Both students, and Qasim Khanani, who finished his co-op term with the UN in Uganda in April, ultimately embody the five qualities required of co-op students, she added. They’re persistent, optimistic, curious, willing to take manageable risks and they’re flexible, adjusting quickly to life in a foreign country. Early in his work term, Jawa noted his goal had always been to become a corporate leader but now professional doors are opening to work abroad in the NGO sector and help a country “come back on its feet.” “Part of me wanted to work in a third world country and change something for the better, and drive them toward success, and development and growth,” he said. As for Tiwary, he knows it could be years before he lands a coveted permanent job with the UN. Many of his colleagues with similar ambitions spend years volunteering with the organization, or gaining experience elsewhere before returning. He’s undeterred. “It’ll take a while. Most jobs want five years of experience,” Tiwary said. “It is possible.”

ACCOUNTING GRAD IN TOP ONE PER CENT ON NATIONAL EXAM By Kaitlyn Little

Above: Goodman alumna Suman Nagra placed on the national honour roll for the CPA Common Final Exam. Left: Co-op students Anish Tiwary (left) and Ahmed Jawa (right) are part of the second cohort of Goodman students to do a term with the United Nations.

or Goodman alumna Suman Nagra (BAcc ’18, MAcc ’18), 2018 will be a year that she won’t soon forget.

Not only did she graduate from Brock twice, first with her Bachelor of Accounting co-op degree in June followed by her Master of Accountancy degree in October, she started a position with EY as a senior staff accountant and capped off the year by finishing in the top one per cent in Canada on the CPA Common Final Exam (CFE). The results, released by the CPA on Nov. 30, indicated that 6,163 candidates successfully wrote the exam across Canada in September, and the top 68 performers made the prestigious National Honour Roll. The exam represents an important milestone for CPA candidates, who face rigorous academic, practical and examination requirements before they can use the internationally recognized designation of Chartered Professional Accountant. Nagra’s results capped a strong showing for the 2018 cohort of Goodman’s MAcc program. “I’m extremely proud of the outstanding results we’ve obtained this year on the CFE from our graduate students,” Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes said. “It reflects the tireless effort of the faculty in the School that have prepared them for such a leading accomplishment.” While completing her bachelor’s degree and co-op terms at EY, Nagra knew that she wanted to obtain her CPA designation, which meant picking between the CPA’s Professional Education Program or Goodman’s accredited MAcc degree that covers the CPA requirements. Choosing to complete the MAcc program allowed her to reach her goal faster.

“Choosing the MAcc program was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” she said. “The co-op program and master’s get you to where you want to be at such a young age.” The program’s small cohort provides students with individual attention from Goodman faculty and builds tight bonds among classmates. “The amount of familiarity you end up having with the faculty allow them to focus on what your strengths and weaknesses are, to make sure that you as an individual are fully prepared from every angle,” Nagra said. “I feel that in a larger class that might not be as feasible.” The support she has received from the program’s professors has left a lasting impression as she begins her career. “I want to thank Pascale (Lapointe-Antunes), Barbara (Sainty) and Linda (Stillabower),” she said. “I think they are such strong female role models in the master’s program and an inspiration to everyone.” Gaining the knowledge and skillset needed to excel on the CFE started while she was taking the BAcc program. Nagra also wanted to thank Goodman lecturers Sangeeta Hollo and Glenn Skrubbeltrang for their support and motivation throughout and beyond her undergraduate degree. At the CPA convocation in March, Goodman hosted a reception to honour all the School’s successful alumni as they celebrated this significant professional milestone.

Summer 2019

HOLISTIC APPROACH DEFINES DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS WORK By Tiffany Mayer

he phrase ‘Houston, we have a problem’ often conjures how NASA and a crew of three astronauts aboard the Apollo 13 spacecraft safely returned to Earth after an oxygen tank exploded on board.

Both the mainstream media and the space agency framed the mission as a huge success when the crew touched down in the Pacific Ocean six days after launching in 1970. But Dave Bouckenooghe, chair of Goodman’s Organizational Behaviour, Human Resources, Entrepreneurship and Ethics Department, questions whether it was actually an example of corporate failure. After all, the spaceflight was supposed to land on the moon without any issues. NASA has failed at space missions since then, and looking at the data, Bouckenooghe, who studies organizational behaviour and psychology, says there’s a reason for that. “It appears they didn’t learn from these failures,” he said. “Instead, they have constantly reframed failure as success and created a climate where failure became institutionalized.” NASA isn’t alone, however, Bouckenooghe noted. The paradox of failure plagues other organizations, too. “The main stream of thinking is ‘What can we learn from failure?’ The reason you want to learn from it is to avoid it. Yet, you don’t really accept the failure because you want to avoid it, which makes a focus on learning somewhat problematic,” Bouckenooghe said. “A lot of organizations regularly encounter failure, creating conditions for the failure to persist and become embedded in the organization’s culture. The question then becomes, how can you turn around that kind of detrimental thinking?” Bouckenooghe’s research into organizational failure is a future project. But his previous research about other issues of the corporate psyche, including workplace bullying, the relationship between employee entitlement and ethics, and leadership and job performance, has spawned a long list of papers published in some of the world’s most prestigious academic journals. His prolific work has also earned him the title of Goodman’s Distinguished Scholar of the Year, an honour Bouckenooghe, who’s received numerous career accolades, admitted came as a surprise. “You’re always trying to work hard and do your best. If you’re persistent about what you’re doing, it will pay off,” he said. Bouckenooghe takes a “helicopter view” of how organizations work when quantitatively researching a behaviour or issue. That holistic approach enables him to answer questions that will ultimately benefit businesses. It also strays from research that can sometimes be “so niche, so analytical” it misses the bigger picture and doesn’t offer feasible solutions to the organizations it’s meant to help.

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Below is a listing of Dave’s refereed publications from the past five years: Raja, U., Sheikh, R., Abbas, M., & Bouckenooghe, D. (2018). Do procedures really matter when rewards are important? A Pakistani perspective on the effects of distributive and procedural justice on employee behaviors. European Review of Applied Psychology, 68, 79-88 Raja, U., Bouckenooghe, D., Syed, F., & Naseer, S (2018). Interplay between P-O fit, transformational leadership and organizational social capital. Personnel Review, 47, 913-930. Bouckenooghe, D. & Menguc, B. (2018). Understanding the dynamics between supervisor-follower social capital, work engagement, and employees’ creative work involvement. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, 35, 238-251. Bouckenooghe, D., Raja, U., Butt, A.N., Abbas, M., & Bilgrami, S. (2017). Unpacking the curvilinear relationship between negative affectivity, performance, and turnover intentions: The moderating effect of time-related work stress. Journal of Management & Organization, 23, 373-391. Bouckenooghe, D., Cools, E., De Clercq, D., Vanderheyden, K. & Fatima, T. (2016). Exploring the impact of cognitive style profiles on different learning approaches: Empirical evidence for adopting a person-centered perspective. Learning and Individual Differences, 51, 299-306. Bouckenooghe, D., Zafar, A., & Raja, U. (2015). How ethical leadership shapes employees' job performance: The mediating roles of goal congruence and psychological capital. Journal of Business Ethics, 129, 251–264. Bouckenooghe, D., Schwarz, G., & Minbashian, A. (2015). Herscovitch and Meyer’s Three-component model of commitment to change: Meta-analytic findings. European Journal of Work & Organizational Psychology, 24, 578-595. De Clercq, D. Bouckenooghe, D., Raja, U., & Matsyborska, G. (2014). Unpacking the goal congruenceorganizational deviance relationship: The roles of work engagement and emotional intelligence. Journal of Business Ethics, 124, 695–711. Bouckenooghe, D., Raja, U., & Abbas, M. (2014). How does self-regulation of emotions impact employee work engagement: The mediating role of social resources. Journal of Management & Organization, 20(4), 508–525. Abbas, M., Raja, U., Darr, W., & Bouckenooghe, D. (2014). Combined effects of perceived politics and psychological capital on job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and performance. Journal of Management, 40(7), 1813–1830. De Clercq, D., Bouckenooghe, D., Raja, U., & Matsyborska, G. (2014). Servant leadership and work engagement: The contingency effects of leader-follower social capital. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 25(2), 183–211. Bouckenooghe, D., De Clercq D., & Jana Deprez (2014). Interpersonal justice, relational conflict, and commitment to change: The moderating role of social interaction. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 63(3), 509–540.

Bouckenooghe was drawn to academia after briefly working as a consultant and feeling dissatisfied with the results. Academic research gives him an opportunity to have real impact, he said. “When you’re in the world of consulting, you always intend to reinvent the wheel. You’re relying on models that have been around a long time,” he explained. “I wasn’t really satisfied with this approach. You’re not really helping companies except for treating symptomatic issues. Often, you’re just using non-validated templates that have been around a while and fail to develop tailored solutions for companies. “When doing academic research, you’re coming up with more fine-tuned and often more accurate solutions to problems.”

RESEARCHER FOLLOWS HIS HEART TO GOODMAN By Tiffany Mayer

hen Jin Lei graduated with his MSc in statistics from Northern Illinois University, a PhD in finance beckoned. The alternative was pursuing a career in number-crunching. It simply didn’t hold the same allure as academia, however.

“You either work for a pharmaceutical company or Statistics Canada or the Bank of Canada where you have to code and crunch data all the time,” Lei said. “I really enjoy applying those things in the real world and it’s possible to do that in a business school.” When the Goodman Assistant Professor earned his doctorate in finance from McMaster University, his classmates headed to Bay Street. Lei headed back to the classroom, but this time as a teacher. He could interact with students and do research as a university lecturer rather than live the 9-to-5 corporate life. In other words, he felt he could have a more meaningful career in higher education versus one in a high-rise office tower. Five years after arriving at Goodman to teach finance and do related research, Lei has been named the school’s 2019 Emerging Scholar of the Year. The award confirms his decision to forge his own path in life. “They make more than I do now but I prefer this lifestyle,” Lei said about his former classmates. “I like teaching students. I’m not after money, that’s not my value in life. I wanted to have a positive effect on people’s lives. I also enjoy the freedom of academic research.” In just a few short years as an academic, Lei has conducted innovative corporate and behavioural finance research that’s bound to be cited by students and colleagues for years to come. Most recently, he co-authored a paper about credit risk contagion, exploring how firms and their stakeholders react to the financial distress of peer firms. Using the flu virus as metaphor, Lei and his fellow researchers determined the spillover of peer

Below is a listing of Jin Lei's refereed publications during the last year: Lei, Jin, Jiaping Qiu, and Chi Wan (2018). Asset tangibility, cash holdings, and financial development, Journal of Corporate Finance, 50, 223–242. Ertugrul, Mine, Jin Lei, Jiaping Qiu, and Chi Wan (2017). Annual report readability, tone ambiguity, and the cost of borrowing, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 52, 811–836.

firms’ financial conditions shapes corporate financial policies and helps banks design efficient lending contracts to reduce loan default rates. In the process, he came up with a new way to measure credit risk contagion. Lei is currently refining his research for publication. Ultimately, he has to convince journals and their readers of the merits of his methods. “It’s not easy to do,” he said. Still, it’s in keeping with Lei’s tendency not to follow the pack. “The key is I constructed a new measure and captured something not already in the literature,” he said. “Other people can further extend the existing literature based on my work so that academics, professionals, and policy makers would have a better understanding of the business world.” It’s a point of pride for Lei. So is sharing his findings with his students in the classroom, and with others in his field at conferences, where he’s proud to represent Brock and Goodman and spread the school’s strong reputation in teaching and research. “It’s an honour for me to let them know there is a university called Brock and it’s doing important research, meaningful research,” Lei said. “It’s my great pleasure to receive such a prestigious research award, and I would definitely continue conducting quality research. I’m very grateful for the tremendous research support provided through our business school.”

Summer 2019

FOR THE GREATER GOOD By Tiffany Mayer

Teaching excellence award winner focuses on what he’s contributing at the head of the class

rowing up, Tek Thongpapanl’s bedtime ritual included asking himself if he learned anything that day. If not, the then-aspiring university professor would pull out a book and keep reading until his daily mission was accomplished. These days, Goodman’s Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Programs asks himself if he’s contributed to the greater good. Teaching technology and innovation management and marketing to students at Goodman, either during one of his lectures, or by clarifying lessons in a follow-up email or meeting, ensures he checks that box before calling it a day. “I think I can say I’m getting old,” Thongpapanl said with a laugh about his nightly routine. He can also say he’s the recipient of the 2019 Goodman Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, an honour bestowed on Thongpapanl largely because of that conscientiousness he brings to his profession, along with his expertise in his fields of teaching and research.

with a student for 1.5 to two hours a week and read through their work. With Tek, the thing is, wherever I am today it’s because of him, to be honest.”

Thongpapanl drew inspiration from the faculty he worked with as a student, particularly while doing his PhD at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, before being hired by Brock in 2005.

Years later, Thongpapanl hasn’t forgotten the people who helped him along the way. He’s coauthored papers with some of his early mentors, his byline appearing in globally recognized journals. He’s also delivered a long list of seminars at prestigious universities throughout the world, sharing his expertise and passion in new product development and product innovation.

“Their passion and care for the future generation, they really do whatever they can to help you and support you, and remove obstacles from learning and make learning fun and interesting,” he said. “They were so selfless for what they’ve done for other people and I emulated them.” He’s done that by being readily available to his students, keen to help them learn and understand different perspectives. Thongpapanl’s willingness to support his students has, in turn, inspired many of them to pursue academic careers, including Abdul Ashraf, who now teaches marketing at Brock.

These traits aren’t lost on his colleagues, and especially his students — more than 50 of whom wrote letters of support for his award nomination.

Thongpapanl was Ashraf’s master’s supervisor in 2008, meeting with him for up to two hours a week and preparing Ashraf for PhD research. Ashraf shows the same patience today when he advises a student needing similar support.

Really, though, to be able to stand at the front of a university lecture hall is a dream come true for

“Most (supervisors) wouldn’t do that,” Ashraf said about Thongpapanl. “It’s an involved process to meet

Tek Thongpapanl (left) talks with Abdul Ashraf, a former student who was inspired by Thongpapnal’s dedication to his students to pursue a career in academia.

Thongpapanl, who left Thailand and his family at 15 to pursue an education in the U.S., all with the intention of one day teaching at a higher education institute.

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In the classroom, he encourages students to think critically, creatively and systematically about the concepts he presents, rather than simply giving them information. His approach to teaching is as philosophical as his reflections before sleeping each night, rooted in his Buddhist faith. Thongpapanl merely wants to help others be the best versions of themselves. “When you think about it, being a teacher is passing along knowledge so that knowledge continues. It’s less about it being a legacy,” he explained. “I don’t judge my success by what I leave behind but rather how I was able to help in terms of other people being successful. Maybe this is part of Buddhism. It’s not about what I leave behind but about what I contribute when I’m alive.”

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THE LAST WORD

“The ability to directly make such an impact through my work was inspiring. The practicality of the experience also made me self-aware of the competencies I need to build to continue to pursue my dreams." – Goodman student Qasim Khanani on his eight-month UN internship in Kampala, Uganda.

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