Viewpoints, Winter 2012 - Sauder School of Business

WINTER 2012 • VOLUME 32 • NO 1

A magazine for alumni and friends of the Sauder School of Business at UBC

MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU

Connect Locally.

Connect Globally.

Imagine the power of a community of people united by a common bond and mutual commitment to helping one another succeed.

That’s the potential of the Sauder Global Alumni Network; more than 30,000 alumni in over 70 countries. With the launch of the new Sauder Global Alumni Business Directory, you can put it to work for you.

Power up the network and support your alumni community by activating your profile in the new Sauder Global Alumni Business Directory.

You’ll enjoy: > secure access to the alumni business directory > free access to the Dow Jones Factiva news and business information database > exclusive alumni career services and more

JOIN THE NEW GLOBAL ALUMNI BUSINESS DIRECTORY TODAY AT:

www.sauderalumni.ca

ALUMNI STORIES

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Josh Espstein BCom 2001

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Roberto Aquilini BCom 1987

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Heline Lam BCom 1997

start an evolution UBC launches Canada’s largest fundraising and alumni engagement campaign.

It’s an ambitious goal: raise $1.5 billion and double the number of alumni (that’s you) involved with, or connected to the university. Then again, starting an evolution and changing the world is an ambitious goal, though it’s one UBC feels is achievable if we harness the power of those connected to the university. To see the range of opportunities to get involved in ways that matter to you, get inspired by this issue of Viewpoints, and then visit startanevolution.ubc.ca.

NEWS

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BMO supports UBC with generous gifts UBC establishes new presence in India

IN EVERY ISSUE

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Sauder Index

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Points of View

Newsworthy Actuals Insider Information Class Notes

12 Change the world

A journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step, says the proverb.

But these five have taken big steps on the path to evolution.

Cover mosaic by Brandon Brind, and created from over 1,700 photographs of Sauder alumni and friends. Can you find yourself?

alumni@sauder.ubc.ca UBC Commerce/Sauder School of Business Alumni twitter.com/ubcsauderschool linkedin.com/company/sauderschool-of-business-at-ubc

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McLean family inspires Business Families Centre applauds family dynamic.

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World Bank executive explores global path Interview with Joachim von Amsberg MBA 1990; PhD 1993.

We are all connected Why you should be, too.

Lifelong learning

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In Memoriam: Milton Wong (1939-2011) Visionary. Friend. Supporter.

How Executive Education helps organizations and individuals thrive.

VIEWPOINTS WINTER 2012

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VIEWPOINTS FROM THE DEAN OUR MISSION FOR VIEWPOINTS

Educate. Engage. Evolve.

Viewpoints Magazine is designed to nurture dialogue and relationships with our alumni and friends by ensuring that you continue to enjoy the practical benefits of the school’s leading-edge business thinking.

Viewpoints presents news, research and commentary that demonstrate the ability of our faculty and our graduates to define the future of business and to open doors for those who are connected to the Sauder School of Business. Your thoughts about this mission are always welcome.

We are defined by the people and organizations to whom we are connected.

In business terms, the strength of our personal brand is defined by the strength of their brand.

MY AFFILIATIONS WITH HARVARD, WHARTON AND

“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.”

— George Moore

“But higher education in Canada is the responsibility of government,” you might argue.

“Why should I fill the gap?” The reality is that, in order to ensure our educational institutions are competitive and provide access and appropriate service, we need support beyond traditional resources such as government. The notion that the state is wholly responsible for education just isn’t true anymore. Pressures including health care, infrastructure and primary education have all affected governments’ ability to fully fund post-secondary education.

So if you or your business has an interest in investing in the next generation of business “revolutionaries,”—those whose ideas will 2

WINTER 2012 VIEWPOINTS

EDITORIAL Dale Griffin EXECUTIVE EDITOR Cristina Calboreanu EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jennifer Wah MANAGING EDITOR

DESIGN Brandon Brind CREATIVE DIRECTOR Deana De Ciccio, Leanne Romak GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

PRODUCTION Spencer MacGillivray PRODUCTION MANAGER

MARK MUSHET

INSEAD—along with my proud connection to UBC’s Sauder School of Business—have shaped my attitudes and intellect. These institutional affiliations are a part of my calling card, and signal what I stand for, even before you’ve met me.

The ongoing investment in building a stronger school, being made by Sauder and the University of British Columbia, is something every one of you should care about. The strength of our brand influences the strength of your brand.

UBC’s ambitious new fundraising and alumni engagement campaign, start an evolution, aims to raise $1.5 billion in one of the largest efforts of its kind in Canada. The aim is twopronged: to raise money and to get alumni like you involved. And the ultimate call to action in this campaign is soaring and aspirational: start an evolution, change the world. As the campaign statement says: UBC generates ideas that start evolutions. Ideas that change the way people think and the way the world works.

You can help start an evolution through involvement and investment.This can be as simple as reconnecting with UBC or as generous as making a donation.

change the world—please take a moment to “think different.” You might be surprised at how much inspiration there is in it, for you.

Great business schools in great universities are that way because of alumni who feel connected to their school. In this issue of Viewpoints, you’ll see some examples of people who are, in their own right, starting evolutions, in their communities, their industries, or their thinking. Dan Eishenhardt (page 16) invented ski goggles with GPS tracking, and Marianne Mathias (page 18) is working with Ghanaian women to use their textiles in her high-fashion clothing sold here. On page 14, read about Ray Kanani, whose aim is to capture the moment, digitally; and there’s Nolan Watson (page 20), who developed a framework to help finance and develop small mining operations. Finally, based on his own real-life experience with his wife’s cancer, Sauder’s own Prof. Martin Puterman (page 22) has brought to the world a treatment scheduler, which most certainly changes the worlds of families at a time of stress.

“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it,” said the novelist George Moore. Perhaps investing in your Sauder “home” as the place from which you travel is an evolution worth considering. ■

Daniel F. Muzyka, Dean RBC FINANCIAL GROUP PROFESSOR OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Viewpoints Magazine is produced by Forwords Communication Inc. and published by the Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia 2053 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2 Tel: 604-822-8555, Fax: 604-822-0592. Viewpoints is published regularly for alumni and friends of the Sauder School of Business.

We welcome the submission of ideas and articles for possible publication in Viewpoints Magazine.

Email: viewpoints@sauder.ubc.ca For an online version of Viewpoints, visit www.sauder.ubc.ca

CHANGE OF ADDRESS Send change of address to Alumni Relations Office, fax: 604-822-0592 or email to alumni@sauder.ubc.ca ©Copyright 2012, Sauder School of Business.

Editorial material contained in Viewpoints Magazine may be freely reproduced provided credit is given.

ISSN 089-2388. Canada Post. Printed in Canada.

EDITORIAL BOARD Dale Griffin (Chair), Sheila Biggers, Bruce Wiesner

CONTRIBUTORS Cristina Calboreanu, Lorraine Chan, Carol Dougans, Allan Jenkins, Spencer MacGillivray, Rob McMahon, Erica Smishek, Jennifer Wah, Leanna Yip, Kate Zimmerman PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40063721 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO ALUMNI RELATIONS, SAUDER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, 800 ROBSON STREET, VANCOUVER, BC V6Z 3B7 This issue of Viewpoints was printed in Canada using vegetable-based inks. The paper is also certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The use of their logo assures the end user that the forest-to-consumer process is responsible, and that the product comes from a forest-friendly source.

The Sauder Index BY

JENNIFER WAH

Fundraising goal of UBC’s start an evolution campaign: $1.5 billion Targeted increase in alumni involvement: 100 per cent increase, to 260,000, by 2015 Number of projects available to support as part of the campaign, through gifts of involvement or investment: More than 100

Percentage of university operating revenue from government sources, 1979: 88 Percentage of university operating revenue from government sources, 2009: 57 Percentage increase in tuition fees at UBC, since 2001: 87 How to keep UBC accessible and competitive: Raise $1.5 billion in donor gifts Rank of Canada, among OECD nations, in proportion of population with post-secondary education: 1 Estimated percentage of new jobs in Canada requiring a postsecondary education: 75

Number of alumni connecting with each other on the UBC Facebook page: 6,860 Followers on the @ubcalumni Twitter account: 2,404 Sauder graduates who are members of LinkedIn MBA or BCom groups: 2,894

Top three cities in Canada that are home to UBC alumni, outside Vancouver: Victoria, Toronto, Calgary Top three countries outside Canada that are home to UBC alumni: Hong Kong, Australia, the United Kingdom Sauder Business Clubs around the world: Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, Greater China, London Upcoming Sauder reunions in 2012: Class of 1957, Class of 1962, Class of 1983 Number of benefits and discounts available to those who sign up for a free Alumni ACard via alumni.ubc.ca: 16

VIEWPOINTS WINTER 2012

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NEWSWORTHY SAUDER IN THE NEWS

Dean argues credit-rater overreacted in Globe and Mail In a Globe and Mail op-ed coauthored

by Dean Daniel Muzyka, the authors argue that credit rater Standard and Poor’s overreacted when downgrading the credit rating of the United States.

Muzyka and Tufts University Professor Lawrence Weiss believe S&P’s decision was misguided.

Examining the economic history of the United States, as well as its current financial situation, the two suggest there is no reasonable scenario in which the U.S. would default on its debt. They outline options the country has to avoid default and point out that the overall economic standing of the U.S. is better than that of the U.K. and France, to which S&P was continuing to give an AAA rating. ■

California approves cap and trade, will BC follow suit?

In an opinion piece written for the Tyee, Associate Professor James Tansey applauds California’s recent decision to implement a cap and trade system.

Tansey outlines how the new policy will work, and questions why this story was not picked up by Canadian media, considering California’s status as the world’s seventh largest economy.

Tansey suggests that Ontario and Quebec are now the front-running provinces in the Western Climate Initiative, wonders whether British Columbia will move ahead with its participation in the group, and questions if it can afford not to. ■ 4

WINTER 2012 VIEWPOINTS

Good looks can kill the impulse to shop In a new study, Sauder marketing professor Darren Dahl and his colleagues find that the good looks of a shopper can influence the buying habits of other customers. The researchers conducted several experiments and found that when female consumers with low selfesteem saw a pretty customer wearing the same item of clothing that they were trying on, it decreased their likelihood of purchasing the item. Based on their findings, the researchers make recommendations to retailers such as using dressing rooms which maximize privacy and avoiding opportunities for comparison.

Appearing in the February 2012 edition of the Journal of Consumer Research, the study has attracted coverage in TIME, London’s Daily Mail, the Ottawa Citizen, the Financial Post and the Globe and Mail. ■

Workplace sabotage fueled by envy, unleashed by disengagement Research coauthored by Professor Karl Aquino shows that managers should keep team members connected and engaged to avoid workplace sabotage. The study shows that envy is only the fuel for sabotage. The match is not struck unless employees experience “moral disengagement”—a way of thinking that allows people to rationalize or justify harming others.

Entitled “A Social Context Model of Envy and Social Undermining,” the research will appear in the Academy of Management Journal and was featured in the Mumbai Mirror, United Press International, the Vancouver Sun, the Province and the Calgary Herald. ■

Professor devises better method for evaluating stocks Sauder accounting professor Russell Lundholm was recently featured in Forbes Magazine for a formula he has devised for more accurately calculating accruals to find cheap and overvalued stocks. Lundholm’s accrual formula takes net income minus cash from operations and divides the result by net income.

The formula was the basis for the paper “Percent Accruals” coauthored by Lundholm, Matt Van Winkle and Nader Hafzalla, published in the Accounting Review. In the paper, the authors show how firms in the top 10 per cent in terms of negative accruals turned in annual returns 5.5 percentage points in excess of the market from 1998 to 2008. Those with high accruals trailed the market by 6.1 percentage points a year. Buying the first group and shorting the second would have resulted in an 11.6 per cent annual gain. ■

To learn more about Sauder in the news, visit www.sauder.ubc.ca

Sauder profs make their case

Grads profiled in the Financial Times A group of MBA grads from the Robert H. Lee Graduate School at Sauder were the focus of a profile in the Financial Times for a company they developed in the class Technology Entrepreneurship—a course that teams up business and engineering students to create new high-tech products.

MBAs from the class of 2007, Dan Eisenhardt, Darcy Hughes and Fraser Hall, and UBC engineering grad Hamid Abdollahi, continued working together after graduation to form Recon Instruments, a company that produces technology to equip ski goggles with GPS and motion sensors (see page 16 for in-depth feature).

The team’s technology took a major innovation award at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show—the world’s biggest consumer electronics trade show held annually in Las Vegas. They also raised millions in angel funding and partnered with major goggle companies to produce “Recon Ready” goggles for the 2011–2012 ski season.

What’s their next big hurdle? They’re working with NASA to adapt their technology for possible use in spacesuit helmets. ■

In a monthly series of case studies written for the Globe and Mail’s Your Business section, Sauder professors highlighted challenges and successes in today’s business environment.

Drawing on the experience of company Recon Instruments, Assistant Professor Tim Silk writes that it is important to be as specific as possible about product options when surveying people about product development. He shows how Recon used this method when surveying skiers to get the most accurate and discriminating feedback possible to create their GPS-enabled goggles.

Assistant Professor Chloe Tergiman uses the innovative company Park Assist to demonstrate that it takes more than a really good idea to be a successful entrepreneur. Tergiman describes how the company first sold their lot-monitoring sensor network as a pilot before spending money to develop it, thus ensuring their product’s success.

In a second case study, Tergiman illustrates how taking business classes and creating connections in the business community helped engineer Bradley Pierik turn his innovative idea for a handheld water filter into the social enterprise Twothirds Water Inc. Tergiman writes that by collaborating with Vancouver business incubator Institute B, he was able to receive the expert help and advice he needed to get his business off the ground. ■

Professor shortens wait time for chemotherapy Sauder professor Martin Puterman’s innovative new chemotherapy scheduling system, Chemo SmartBook, was the topic of a variety of news stories, including a

front-page feature in the Vancouver Sun (see page 22 for in-depth feature). The system was created after Puterman proposed in 2009 that BC Cancer Agency work with Masters of Management in Operations Research students doing industry projects arranged through Sauder’s Centre for Operations Excellence.

The students, along with faculty, graduates and post-doctoral fellows, worked closely with

BC Cancer Agency staff to create the computerbased system, which automatically assigns patients to nurses, balances workloads, alerts pharmacists of daily schedules, and meets patient appointment preferences.

The Chemo SmartBook was also featured in the Winnipeg Free Press, Edmonton Journal and numerous other newspapers across Canada. ■

VIEWPOINTS WINTER 2012

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ACTUALS SEEN AND HEARD IN THE SAUDER WORLD: ENTREPRENEURSHIP

HSBC Bank Canada supports the next generation of female business leaders with $80,000 student award On November 7, 2011, HSBC Bank Canada announced a gift of $80,000 to support the advancement of women in business leadership through an award for female students at the Sauder School of Business.

Chief Operating Officer, HSBC Bank Canada Sandra Stuart (left), and Professor and Advisory Council Chair in Management Science at the Sauder School of Business Frieda Granot (right), with the 2011-12 HSBC Women in Business Leadership Award recipient Jenny Chan (middle)

This generous scholarship will provide four students with two installments of $10,000, one during their third year and one during their fourth year while they pursue a Bachelor of Commerce. One scholarship winner will be named each year, for the next four years. The recipient for 2011-12 is Jenny Chan.

Recipients of this award will also have the opportunity to be considered as candidates for summer internship positions and for the management trainee program at HSBC Bank Canada.

“This scholarship is a wonderful addition to the activities and services that Sauder offers for women striving to advance into leadership positions,” said Frieda Granot, a professor and Advisory Council Chair in Management Science at the Sauder School and former dean of UBC’s Faculty of Graduate Studies. “We are grateful to HSBC for recognizing the importance of supporting future female leaders through academic initiatives.”

Along with this new scholarship at Sauder, HSBC Bank Canada supports a range of initiatives that promote the leadership of women in business, including an internal Women’s Network that leads activities targeted at advancing the development of women within the company.

“HSBC is working hard to attract, develop and retain the very best talent by supporting women’s professional growth,” said Sandra Stuart, Chief Operating Officer for HSBC Bank Canada. “This award for young women at Sauder is another example of how HSBC is proactively supporting the development of emerging female leaders through skill development, mentorship and community outreach initiatives.” ■

TELUS gives to Management Information Systems to establish TELUS Excellence in IT Award On November 17, 2011, the Sauder School of Business announced that TELUS has made a donation of $60,000 over three years to support the creation of the new TELUS Excellence in IT Award. This is the largest award ever created for Management Information Systems students and will significantly offset tuition costs for up to five students each year.

“The Sauder School of Business is deeply honoured by TELUS’ support,” said Dean Daniel Muzyka. “This gift is a tremendous investment in future generations of business technology professionals and managers, and will encourage our students to pursue and achieve their full potential.”

TELUS and the Sauder School share a valuable connection, with TELUS having been an active recruiter of Sauder students from graduate and undergraduate programs—particularly in the areas of Finance, Accounting, Marketing, and Management Information Systems. For many years, TELUS has also been a host to students from the co-op program. This reciprocal relationship has benefitted students, business professionals and the business technology industry as a whole.

The Management Information Systems Division at the Sauder School offers two key undergraduate specializations open to Bachelor of Commerce students: the Business Technology Management (BTM) option; and the Business Computer Sciences (BUCS) option. Students graduating

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FALL 2011 VIEWPOINTS

from these options are in high demand by companies that need to recruit for business technology management positions, such as TELUS. Bill Sayles, senior vice-president and chief information officer, Business Transformation, TELUS, has been Chair of the Sauder School’s MIS Advisory Board since 2010. During this time, he has influenced the redesign of the BTM and BUCS programs, helped develop student recruitment initiatives, been instrumental to the integration of a student mentorship program, and played a significant role in the implementation of a new scholarship program for Management Information Systems students.

“It’s been extremely rewarding for me,” said Sayles. “We rely on the talent of new graduates and I believe that nurturing and mentoring students throughout their education is very important. The TELUS Excellence in IT Award reflects our company’s ongoing commitment to developing future stars and I’m proud to be a part of that.”

Awards totaling $20,000 will be given out annually to students who have demonstrated academic excellence or leadership relating to the BTM and BUCS programs. ■

Sauder professors emeriti and former deans gather for the annual Emeritus Lunch On November 25, 2011, the annual Emeritus Lunch took place in the new Big 4 Conference Centre in the Sauder School of Business, following a tour of Sauder’s revitalized facilities.

Recently inaugurated, the Big 4 Conference Centre occupies the 9th floor of the newly-renovated tower in the Henry Angus Building. It was named in recognition of a major gift from the four professional services firms: Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. ■

JAMES MACLENNAN

Bottom row, left to right: Larry Moore, Bob Kelly, Peter Lusztig, Philip White, Larry Jones, Ricco Mattessich. Top row, left to right: Tom Ross, Bernhard Schwab, Skip Walter, Stan Hamilton, Dean Daniel Muzyka, Trevor Heaver, Gail Robertson, Merle Ace, Rick Pollay, Brian Bemmels, Jim Forbes

Ch’nook and VIU sign regional partnership MOU In December, Vancouver Island University (VIU) and Ch’nook Indigenous Business Education, which is headquartered at Sauder, marked the beginning of a new partnership. Building on a previous affiliation, VIU will expand its role as a regional partner to enhance the Ch’nook Scholars program for Aboriginal students seeking post-secondary business education. The new partnership will also aim to boost awareness surrounding business and management career opportunities among First Nations high school students on Vancouver Island.

“We are excited to welcome VIU’s Faculty of Management as Ch’nook’s Regional Partner,” said Rick Colbourne, Assistant Dean, Indigenous Business Education at the Sauder School of Business.

“Ch’nook contributes to the sustainable economic development and self-determination of First Nation communities in British Columbia.

This will enable us to have a stronger local focus that is closer to the First Nation communities that we serve,” noted Colbourne, who also serves as director of Ch’nook Indigenous Business Education.

The Ch’nook initiative—aimed at increasing First Nations participation in post-secondary business education—originated a decade ago at the Sauder School of Business. It has evolved with the support of the provincial government, post-secondary business education programs in BC, corporations and other sponsors. ■

Competitions see Sauder students soar MBAs and undergraduates excelled at academic competitions held January 6–8, making it a weekend of success. The MBA team, from Sauder’s Robert H. Lee Graduate School, placed third overall at the MBA Games 2012 at the University of Alberta School of Business in Edmonton—the best placement ever for the school. More than 600 students, from 20 universities, competed at the games, making it Canada’s largest gathering of MBA students.

At Queen’s University in Kingston, Sauder came in second overall in the Inter-Collegiate Business Competition, Canada’s oldest business case competition. In the individual categories, Sauder took second place in MIS, third place in accounting and fourth place in business policy. ■

To learn more about Sauder Actuals, visit www.sauder.ubc.ca

VIEWPOINTS WINTER 2012

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SAUDER FACULTY INSIDER INFORMATION

Sauder professor receives health research award Professor Frieda Granot named one of Canada’s most powerful women Dr. Frieda Granot, Advisory Council Chair in Management Science and Professor in Sauder’s Operations and Logistics Division, was honoured at the 9th annual Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards Gala on December 1. Over 1,200 attendees came together at the Gala organized by the Women’s Executive Network at the Allstream Centre in Toronto to celebrate the 2011 Top 100 Winners in nine categories, proven achievers in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. The event featured a keynote by celebrated author Margaret Atwood, on “The Power of Connected Leadership.”

Granot was named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women in the Trailblazers and Trendsetters category, an acknowledgement of her pioneering work championing post-secondary education and interdisciplinary research in Canada. During her term as Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at UBC from 1996 to 2006, she built a unique incubator of ideas and one of the most successful graduate schools in North America, housing more than 30 thinktanks covering the humanities, social sciences, natural and applied sciences, and health.

In recognition of her work, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2007, and received the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award in the Education, Training, and Development category in 2006. In 2002, she was awarded the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal.

Granot’s career at UBC began in 1975, when she became the first female tenure-track faculty member in the Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration (later renamed the Sauder School of Business). After her term as Dean, she returned to the Sauder School to serve as Senior Associate Dean, Strategic Development and External Relations between 2006 and 2011.

In this role, she has made substantial contributions to a wide variety of initiatives dedicated to promoting women in business and mentoring young women—including Co-Chair of the annual Women in Leadership Forum, Chair of the Sauder Women’s Leadership Council and a member of the Advisory Board of the Young Women in Business network. ■

Sauder Operations and Logistics assistant professor Steven Shechter received the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research 2011 Career Investigator Award. Shechter is exploring new methods of optimizing the timing of medical decisions. Through his research, he aims to develop and apply advanced analytical techniques to aid in decision-making in response Assistant Professor Steven Shechter to questions regarding clinical timing.

The Career Investigator Award was established to foster the development of outstanding health research in British Columbia by allowing researchers to conduct leading research and expand their potential to make significant contributions in their field. ■

Sauder professors funding application ranks high Finance Assistant Professor Jason Chen’s 2011 SSHRC application was ranked the number one application in the area of accounting, finance, management science and operations management. Chen was awarded a total of $56,042 over three years for his proposed research program, “The Social Welfare Costs of Stock Market Inefficiencies.”

Assistant Professor Jason Chen Chen’s project will assess the consequences of an inefficient market by developing a series of macroeconomic models. The findings will make a valuable contribution to the existing body of theoretical literature and aid policy makers in designing policies that mitigate inefficiencies. ■

ATRS presents results of international airport ranking in Australia

Professor Tae Oum

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WINTER 2012 VIEWPOINTS

Sauder Professor Tae Oum, president of the Air Transport Research Society (ATRS), presented the results of the 2011 Global Airport Benchmarking Report at the ATRS World Conference in Sydney, Australia in early July.

The annual report produced by the Sauder-based aviation think-tank measures and compares operating and managerial efficiency and cost competitiveness of 156 airports

around the world, and is used across the aviation industry to guide business, policy and research.

The event was attended by international scholars, government officials, and senior airport industry executives. During the conference, more than 260 papers were presented by industry experts from every continent. ■

Professor’s medical scheduling system wins award Operations and Logistics Professor Martin Puterman’s innovative new chemotherapy scheduling system, Chemo SmartBook, was the recipient of an Excellence in BC Health Care Award from the Health Employers Association of British Columbia in the category of Top Innovation – Health Authority (see page 22 for in-depth feature).

Professor Martin Puterman Puterman’s Chemo SmartBook streamlines the chemotherapy scheduling process using a computer-based system which automatically assigns patients to nurses, balances workloads, alerts pharmacists of daily schedules and meets patient appointment preferences.

The new system has been in use by the BC Cancer Agency at its Vancouver Centre since June 2010 and decreased patient wait-lists by 84 per cent. ■

Sauder professors co-chair international finance conference

Professor Ron Giammarino

Sauder Finance Professors Ron Giammarino and Kai Li co-chaired the 2011 Northern Finance Association Conference in Vancouver in September. This year’s conference was attended by finance scholars, professionals and PhD students from throughout North America and around the world. Participants gathered to discuss current issues in the field of finance, including volatility in asset pricing, lessons from the financial crisis, international finance and behavioural corporate finance.

Dr. Laura T. Starks, the Director of the AIM Investment Center in the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, gave a keynote address. ■

New faculty at Sauder The Sauder School of Business welcomes four members to its faculty.

Murali Chandrashekaran has joined the Robert H. Lee Graduate School at Sauder as the Associate Dean, Professional Graduate Programs. Chandrashekaran received his PhD in marketing Associate Dean, Professional Graduate from Arizona State University.

Programs, Murali Chandrashekaran Associate Professor Katherine White joins Sauder’s Marketing division from the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary. White received her PhD in psychology from UBC. Her research interests include social influence, social marketing, sustainability, prosocial consumption and corporate social responsibility.

Jonathan Berkowitz has been Full-time lecturerJonathan Berkowitz teaching as a sessional lecturer and adjunct professor at Sauder since 1991. This year, he joins Sauder as a full-time lecturer in the Operations and Logistics division. He received his PhD from the University of Toronto.

Finance assistant professor James Park will be at Sauder as a visiting professor for the next two years. Park received his PhD in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

His research areas include empirical corporate finance and asset pricing, financial distress and equity issuance. ■

2012 Celebrate Research Week: exploring the darkside of work On March 6, as part of Celebrate Research Week at UBC, the Sauder School of Business held a forum entitled “A Walk on the Darkside of Work.” Moderated by Prof. Moura Quayle, the event focused on some of the dark aspects of working life—examining the experience and impact of ostracism, mistreatment by customers and career shattering injuries. It included several presentations: “Ostracism in the Workplace: When Silence Hurts,” by Prof.

Sandra Robinson; “Misbehaving Customers and their Influence on Employees,” by Prof. Danielle van Jaarsveld; and “Out of Darkness: Stories of Trauma and Growth at Work,” by Prof. Sally Maitlis. ■

Professor Kai Li

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cutline

Senator David Smith

Dean Daniel Muzyka

UBC President Stephen Toope

McLean family honoured at

2011 Family Legacy Series Dinner On September 15, 2011, more than 750 guests from the Vancouver business community came together at the Westin Bayshore for the Business Families Centre’s Family Legacy Series Dinner. The annual gala offers guests the opportunity to gain insight into the inner workings of one of Canada’s most successful entrepreneurial families.

This year, the BFC honoured the McLean family.

The McLeans on stage, left to right: Sacha, Melanie, AJ, Jason, Brenda, David, moderators Judi Cunningham (Executive Director of the BFC) and Darren Dahl (Professor and Chair, Marketing Division, Sauder School of Business) 10

WINTER 2012 VIEWPOINTS

Left to right: Sacha McLean, Brenda McLean, Jason McLean, David McLean, Judi Cunningham and Darren Dahl

ESTABLISHED IN 1972, THE MCLEAN GROUP HAS

grown over the years from real estate investment and development into a second-generation family business active in film and television production (Vancouver Film Studios), communications (Signal Systems), construction (Harbour Landing Construction), real estate (Blanca Realty), aviation (Blackcomb Aviation) and philanthropy (the McLean McCuaig Foundation). The evening program included a

candid interview with David and Brenda McLean, and their sons Jason and Sacha. Guests were treated to the film Family In Motion—an inspiring historical look back at the founding, growth, and evolution of the McLean Group.

Other honoured guests of the evening included UBC President Stephen Toope, Sauder School of Business Dean Daniel Muzyka, and Senator David Smith, who served as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies.

Following dinner, the McLeans returned to the stage—this time with Jason’s wife AJ, and Sacha’s wife Melanie—for an interactive question-and-answer period.

The evening was generously sponsored

by BMO Harris Private Banking, CN, West Coast Reduction Ltd., Bull, Housser & Tupper, CanadaLife, Canadian Capital, Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy and HSBC. ■

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STORY BY

KATE ZIMMERMAN

COLLAGES BY

NATALIE CARR

STILL PHOTOS BY

ROGER MAHLER

Changing the world At the Sauder School of Business, we

That philosophy complements

believe creative, responsible business

UBC’s largest fundraising and alumni

leaders are central to society’s most

engagement campaign, start an

ingenious and positive developments.

evolution. Launched in September,

an evolution campaign is to double the

By educating, training and inspiring

2011, this $1.5 billion campaign—the

number of alumni actively engaged

original thinkers, we play a part in

biggest in Canadian university history

in the life of the university. Alumni

changing the world for the better.

when it was announced—aims

can get involved in a whole range

Sauder Professor of Operations Martin Puterman observed how difficult chemotherapy patients found their wait to confirm treatments, so he worked with a team to redesign the BC Cancer Agency’s chemotherapy booking system.

Nolan Watson used the expertise he’d acquired about a new way to finance mines to co-found two highly successful publicly traded companies–Sandstorm Metals & Energy and Sandstorm Gold.

see page 20

to double the involvement of the university’s alumni by 2015.

“One of the dual goals of the start

Danish engineer Dan Eisenhardt’s relentless quest for knowledge took him all the way to Australia before he arrived at Sauder’s Robert H. Lee Graduate School. There, classroom teamwork eventually resulted in the world’s first ski goggles equipped with widescreen LCD performance information.

see page 22 see page 16

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WINTER 2012 VIEWPOINTS

begins with an idea. of activities, from guest lecturing

UBC Vice President of Development

for knowledge and their desire to

to student mentoring, to attending

and Alumni Engagement.

share what they’ve learned is readily

social and academic events. Sauder

Learning, after all, does not stop

and UBC as a whole is brimming with

when a graduate leaves the university.

opportunities to pursue your passion

That is certainly the case for the

in life. Getting involved can really make

Sauder graduates and professors we

things happen,” reflects Barbara Miles,

interviewed for this story. Their quest

Fashion designer Maryanne Mathias teamed up with a partner to help Ghanaian women find a wider market for their textiles. This spring OseiDuro’s designs will be available through the American chain Anthropologie.

An early adopter of social media marketing, Ray Kanani started SMART Pics Images, the company he established with two other UBC grads before he graduated from Sauder. He now calls Microsoft a client.

see page 18

apparent.

see page 14

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START AN EVOLUTION

Ray Kanani’s clients

want you to say “cheese” If you’ve had your picture taken in a digital phone kiosk at Rogers Arena, a Vancouver bar, a Las Vegas nightclub, New York’s Fashion Week or a post-Oscars party, you have Sauder School grad

But social media has to be constantly updated, which many clients had no time to do.

So Kanani landed on the idea of a digital photo kiosk that would take real-time before and after shots of his parents’ customers and post them to their social media accounts. That idea didn’t take off in a salon setting, but Kanani and Ganapathi realized there might be other applications for it.

Ray Kanani and his partners to thank.

KANANI, 24, IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF

SMART Pics Images, a company he founded in 2010 with fellow UBC grads Aman Bhatia, now its software developer, and Nathan Ganapathi, its sales director.

Kanani had arrived at the Sauder School expecting to major in economics. He soon decided he was less interested in theory than he was in hands-on marketing. He became captivated by the potential he saw in social media and started using it to promote his parents’ hairdressing salon. Other companies wanting to attract a tech-savvy demographic also approached Kanani.

“In some classes, I was listening to the professor at the same time as I was updating different clients’ Twitter or Facebook accounts,” he recalled. “The professor would be saying ‘This is a good way to engage blah blah blah’ and I would be able to apply it, literally, right away for clients I was working with.”

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“We realized that authentic endorsements of a brand on people’s social networks are much more powerful than a one-way communication of a brand saying ‘We rock.’”

Just before Vancouver’s 2010 Olympic Games, the pair persuaded a major club owner to move a mobile version of the kiosk from bar to bar over the course of the event. These high quality digital photos were free to customers, who would get their pictures instantly sent to their Twitter feed.

“The great thing for the bar is that they get a lot of content online revolving around their brand,” Kanani explained. “They’re also able to capture data regarding the people who came to their event or party.”

Success there allowed the founding partners to make a more sophisticated version of the unit with the help of Bhatia, who became the third partner. The company caught the attention of the Vancouver Canucks organization, which sanctioned a booth outside Rogers Arena during the Stanley Cup playoffs and has now installed one inside it.

Since then, SMART Pics has found clients in such major companies as Microsoft, and the company has opened a sales office in Las Vegas.

“I think initially people didn’t quite grasp how important social media was going to be as a marketing tool,” Kanani said. “We realized that authentic endorsements of a brand on people’s social networks are much more powerful than a one-way communication of a brand saying ‘We rock.’ If Microsoft says ‘We kick ass,’ that’s one thing, but if your best friend posts on Facebook, ‘Hey, I’m at a Microsoft party and it kicks ass,’ you can just tell which one is going to be more powerful, more influential to you.” ■

Ray Kanani: President and CEO, SMART Pics Images, BCom 2011 14 ray@smartpics.ca http://smartpics.ca http://friendbangmarry.com raykanani

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START AN EVOLUTION

Going downhill lands Dan Eisenhardt at the peak World domination wasn’t in Dan Eisenhardt’s official game plan, but as president and CEO of Recon Instruments, he got it anyway.

EISENHARDT, A DANISH ENGINEER WHOSE POST-

graduate education took him to the Melbourne Business School for an MBA and then to Sauder’s Robert H. Lee Graduate School for a four-month term on exchange, came up with the scheme that inspired Recon while in his entrepreneurship class in 2007.

A competitive swimmer, Eisenhardt felt swim goggles should give athletes “instant feedback on performance metrics.” He pitched the idea to his class of business and engineering students, found a group of enthusiasts, and they began a project aimed at intriguing venture capitalists. They had to change course when they discovered a potential patent—skiers and snowboarders, they decided that GPS-equipped ski goggles were a better way to go.

Several years later, Eisenhardt and Hamid Abdollahi began to pursue their scheme, bringing another Sauder pair on once it got underway. In the early stages, said Eisenhardt, 36, “It was very difficult, because you need a lot of power to run a display system, and you need a big screen to see the information, but you don’t have the space for either. You need state-ofthe-art electronic components for the GPS and sensors that take up even more space and cost

a lot of money. And you have to produce it at a low price, because distributors and retailers take a lot of the margin.”

Rapidly changing smartphone technology helped, but it was also the height of the recession.

“One thing we did was believe in ourselves,” said Eisenhardt, who persuaded friends and family to put up the initial financing. “It was really tough to get this child up and running and see it have a decent chance in life. That took a couple of years, until we really got to the

“It was really tough to get this child up and running and see it have a decent chance in life.” first proper prototype that we could show to stakeholders and say ‘Here it is. You can put it on your head and you can see the screen.’ From then on, you had buy-in, immediately.”

Recon is now the only company in the world that offers skiers real-time information on widescreen micro LCD that includes speed, jump airtime, GPS location, vertical distance travelled, total distance travelled, temperature, altitude and time. Its Android-based Mod Live version offers Bluetooth access to Smartphones for music playlists, caller ID and text messages,

as well as resort maps, buddy tracking and wireless access to Action Sports cameras for view-finding. The company is even releasing a software development kit in 2012 so people can develop their own apps.

The expansion plans of this Vancouver-based, 50-employee company include accessories geared to snowmobilers, motorcycle riders and the military.

CEO Eisenhardt has some advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. “You need to be very good at persuading, very good at relationship management, and very good at being stubborn and annoying, because you just keep calling. In the beginning, it was Hamid—the CTO—and myself. We were sitting in this tiny room and making flashy Powerpoints and pretending we were bigger than we were. That’s the only way to get them to listen. You throw out some crazy numbers. That’s how the game is played, so we played it.” ■

Dan Eisenhardt: President & CEO, Recon Instruments, Inc.

17

dan@reconinstruments.com www.reconinstruments.com

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START AN EVOLUTION

Maryanne Mathias weaves from West African roots Travel got fashion designer Maryanne Mathias thinking about how she could have an effect on the world beyond the runway.

THE 31-YEAR-OLD GRADUATED FROM KWANTLEN

Polytechnic University with a Bachelor of Fashion Design and Technology, and soon began designing clothes for a living. She quickly realized that she needed to learn how to run a business.

That’s what took her to the Sauder School, where she got her MBA, specializing in Sustainability and Business and Strategic Management. As a result, “I just got more strategic, setting more goals,” said Mathias from Accra, Ghana, over a challenging telephone line.

“Before that I was kind of floating.”

Between degrees, Mathias had started to see her chosen field as shallow and had elected to expand her horizons by travelling the world.

“Ghana was one of the places that sort of stood out for me. I had a good time living there,” she recalled. In 2009, impressed by traditional Ghanaian textiles—weaving, crochet, “tie and dying,” batik and wax prints—she and her high school friend Molly Keogh, also a fashion designer, decided to start a company that would employ and train Ghanaian women at the same time as it rocked the fashion scene.

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WINTER 2012 VIEWPOINTS

Osei-Duro, the company the women founded, remains a going concern. Its designs are available in Canada, the U.S., and online.

Its collaborative work with a company called Complexgeometries has also been sold in such tony establishments as Barney’s New York and the British chain Selfridges. Mathias expects that

“It’s definitely a for-profit business, but it’s also definitely an ethical business.” the North American chain Anthropologie will carry designs by Osei-Duro for spring-summer 2012. “That’s going to be big for us.”

When Osei-Duro started, a women’s co-op situated 150 km north of Accra produced its wares, without benefit of electricity, using handturned machines. Quality and capacity issues forced the partners to transfer their company’s operations to existing Accra factories. The women working there are paid a livable wage and the company supports them in other ways.

“It’s definitely a for-profit business, but it’s also definitely an ethical business,” said Mathias.

success

“We have this one girl—she started doing crochet for us, but with the Anthropologie order, we’re going to need a thousand units of crochet. A lot of times in Ghana, people would try to do it all themselves but not be able to.

So we’re giving her management skills—we’re trying to help her organize a business, and organize thinking, and figure out how to take care of things.”

Mathias now spends about half the year in Ghana and half in Vancouver, in three-month increments. However challenging it may be, establishing a business in Ghana has convinced her that providing jobs, skills and education are essential—“the pillars of development.” ■

Maryanne Mathias: Co-founder, Osei-Duro, MBA 2011 maryanne@oseiduro.com 18 www.oseiduro.com OseiDuro www.facebook.com/OseiDuro

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START AN EVOLUTION

For Nolan Watson, even copper’s as good as gold Nolan Watson claims that accounting didn’t come naturally to him. In the second term of his BCom, he was struggling to get good grades.

go build their mine, or pay down their debt, or whatever they want to use their money for,” Watson explained. “And then what we get back is a stream of that commodity. So our contract might say something like, ‘You now have to deliver us 15 per cent of all of the copper you’re ever going to produce for the life of your mine,

WHEN HE MET AN OLDER STUDENT WHO HAD A

4.0 GPA, Watson asked him his secret. “Finally he told me,” said the South Surrey, BC native.

“The secret was just to work harder than everybody else, and you’ll beat them.”

So he did just that. “I started working harder than I’d ever worked in my life—day and night.” By the end of his program, Watson was on a full scholarship and he graduated with honours, going on to complete his CA and CFA. Next stop, the multi-billion dollar market capitalization company Silver Wheaton, working 100-hour weeks. By the time he was 26, the company had made Watson CFO. While there, he witnessed the birth of a new way of financing mines, called metal streaming, which started with a small Mexican silver mine and quickly became a world class method of financing mines into production.

“What we do is we give these companies money up front on day one, and they use it to

“I started working harder than I’d ever worked in my life—day and night.” and every time you deliver it to us, we may pay you some nominal fee, like 55 cents a pound or something like that, when the market price is $3.50 a pound.’ The difference between the 50 cents we buy it at and the market price is basically our profit. That’s how we make our money back.”

Companies liked the model because it gave them the money they needed without involving potentially meddlesome joint management.

They keep 100 per cent of their deposit and the financier has no say in mining company operations.

In 2008, Watson co-founded Sandstorm Resources (later Sandstorm Gold) with fellow Silver Wheaton alumnus David Awram, applying the same model to the much-larger base metals and energy sector. At 32, he’s now the Vancouver-based president and CEO of both Sandstorm Metals & Energy and Sandstorm Gold, publicly traded companies. The former’s market evaluation is about $140 million, while the latter’s nears half a billion dollars.

“I honestly believe that Sandstorm Metals & Energy can become one of the largest companies in Canada, full stop,” said Watson, who’s also known for founding the charitable organization Nations Cry, with education projects in Sierra Leone, El Salvador and Guatemala.

“We’ve changed the way the worldwide mining industry views how to finance a mine, and we’re going to continue to do that.” ■

Nolan Watson: President and CEO, Sandstorm Metals & Energy, BCom 2001 21

nwatson@sandstormltd.com www.sandstormltd.com www.nationscry.com

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START AN EVOLUTION

Puterman’s chemo treatment schedule inspired by his wife Dr. Martin Puterman knows that some of the most dreaded words in the English language are “You have cancer.” So, in an effort to help alleviate the uncertainty for patients who’d received that unwelcome diagnosis and were awaiting chemotherapy, in 2009 he and his team of researchers launched a redesign of the BC

process, especially from waiting and lack of information. I thought that what we study and apply in many other fields would apply equally well to cancer care.”

Much of the stress for chemotherapy patients revolves around their first appointment, after which they follow a rigorous protocol. Already scared, cancer patients knew they were supposed to start chemotherapy, but had no idea when.

This uncertainty meant that they couldn’t plan ahead for treatment day, coordinate pre-treatment drugs, arrange child-care or request rides.

Cancer Agency’s chemotherapy booking system.

APPLYING BUSINESS STRATEGIES TO HEALTH

care management problems was nothing new for Puterman, who has worked at Sauder since 1974 and in the health care field in various capacities since 1982. Half a dozen years ago, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), he created a research team at the BC Cancer Agency’s (BCCA) Vancouver Centre to apply operations research methods to improve cancer care delivery. It was observing the undue stress his wife and others underwent when awaiting confirmation of chemotherapy treatment appointments that got him thinking that there had to be a better way to do this.

“Because I saw the system from the inside— not as a patient, but as the spouse of a patient—I was able to identify many opportunities for improvement,” said Puterman. “I know how taxing the system was on patients in terms of added stress from uncertainty throughout the

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WINTER 2012 VIEWPOINTS

“I thought that what we study and apply in many other fields would apply equally well to cancer care.”

Coordinating chemotherapy appointments is a complex task. The Centre books 15,000 appointments for more than 2,000 patients every year, and “every patient is different in terms of the amount of nursing and chair time they need, what drugs they receive, when they can start their treatment, and what other tests or procedures they might have the same day,” said Puterman.

Puterman and the UBC grads on his Operations Research for Improved Cancer Care (ORICC) team—Ruben Aristizabal, Vincent

Chow, Kevin Huang and Pablo Santibanez —observed the existing system, identified inefficiencies, redesigned processes and determined the need for a schedule optimizer. In collaboration with Centre staff, they developed a customized schedule-planning software tool called Chemo SmartBook. Within a year, the proposed changes and new system went live.

Chemo SmartBook allows schedulers to simultaneously determine appointment times, assign patients to nurses, balance workload and case complexity between nurses, smooth pharmacy workload and accommodate patients’ requirements and requests for specific times. It’s been so successful that ORICC recently received another grant from CIHR to help it perfect Chemo SmartBook and apply it at another BCCA centre.

ORICC is involved in 10 different projects at the BCCA, Puterman noted, using tools based on innovative analytical thinking that are commonly taught and researched at business schools.

When it comes to health care, however, Chemo SmartBook is such an innovative development that the team is now exploring ways to make it more widely available. ■

Dr. Martin Puterman: Sauder School, Professor of Operations 22 Martin.Puterman@sauder.ubc.ca puterman.chcm.ubc.ca

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23

BY

ALLAN JENKINS

We ebs bste ter’ r s diict ctio onary na arry y su ug gge estts mo m re re tha han 19 9 defi efinittiio ons ns fo or th the he wo word ord d “en enga nga gage age ge” an a d mo mosstt o off th hem m app pply ly tto ly o th the he t em th eme o eme off thi his issu ue of of V Viiew wpo p in ints tss, and nd the he fol ollo lo ow wiing ng seri se eriiess of al alu um mni ni pro rofi rofi file le les. ess..

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plled pled dge, ge g e, to o beg gin n and d car arry arry y on an an ente nter nt erp erpr prris ris ise, e, tto o ta ak ke e part artt.. ar We a asske ed thre thre th ree eq qu ues esti tion ons o off nin ine e al alum lum mni ni w who ho ha ho av ve sstta ay yed ed ccon on nn ne e ect cted ct d to Sa Saud au ud de err in on o e wa way o orr ano noth th her er, abou ab bo ou ut wh why th t ei eir in inv vo olv l e em men ent nt was wa w as im impo po ortan rttan antt, and and nd ho ow w they th he ey y ho op pe ed d iitt m miigh ght ch c an nge e the heir ir wor ir orld orld ld. Th hey yh had ad a d as many ma y dif iffe f re rentt and d com ompe pelllin pell ng an answ werrs arre tth her ere arre de d efi efi fini n ti tion ion ons o off the e worrd, d, bu utt wh ha at m ma ak ke es es th the em m eac ach stan stand st an nd out—tto out ou op par arap ar arap ph hrra asse se Jo oh hn n F. Ke Ken nn ned dy’ y’s ’s ti time mele mele me less esss quo uote te— te— is ttha is hat th hat ha they ey ask sk no ott wha at th thei heir eiir sc sch cho hooll can an do fo or them the th em m, bu b ut wh wha what att the hey ca can n do fo orr the eirr scch hoo ool.l.

Hashem Abou

lhosn

nt row) cond from left, fro Mike Peplinski (se

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WINTER 2012 VIEWPOINTS

Rodrigo

Caetan o

Annie Shu-Yuan

Kathleen Diga (fi rst from

Yu

left, front row cro uching)

enault

Dallas H

Mike Woodward

-Chi Wang

Terence Ting

VIEWPOINTS WINTER 2012

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ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT

In what ways do you, your classmates, your profession, or your industry hope to start an evolution?

Evolution is change. I think we are at a critical moment.

Will we change our practices of mass pollution and the growing divide between rich and the poor? I work at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and see the challenges people face. If universities and educators could change their thinking, and start teaching our young leaders about economic growth and its implications for humanity, we just might start an evolution.

Kathleen Diga, BCom 2003 (International Business) Manager/researcher, Poverty Reduction Assessment Project, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa Sauder Alumni Representative, Durban

I think education and skills development are going to evolve in ways that are hard to imagine today. Some institutions will evolve to meet and lead those changes and it will primarily be through the quality of the social networks we are only now beginning to deploy and new tools and approaches to generating and sharing knowledge. With its internationalist outlook, UBC is really well positioned to evolve and lead the evolution on teaching, research and knowledge sharing. Canada now attracts about twice as many immigrants as the U.S. on a per capita basis. Vancouver counts every second resident as foreign born. And UBC has always had ties to Asia that are deepening every year. It’s a great position from which to influence the future of business thinking and education.

Mike Peplinski, MBA 1992 President and Founder, Assemblex Technologies, Inc, Austin, Texas Sauder Alumni Representative, Austin, Texas

We live in an interesting time. We’ve never been so interconnected, but so vulnerable to environmental changes. We’ve never been so productive, but so dependent on energy. We’ve never been so sure that we have limited resources. I invite you to start an evolution by reaching out to our global network and rethinking how we could use our natural resources more efficiently. Innovation can make a real difference in our history!

Rodrigo Caetano, MBA 2007 Executive Director – Business Development, WhiteLeaf Management Consulting, Brasilia, Brazil Sauder Alumni Representative, Brazil

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Evolution requires change. With the reputation of the business world suffering since the financial crisis started, now is the time to chart a new course. I think there is an opportunity here in Vancouver for Sauder alumni to be the next face of the business world in our city, province and country. People are hungry for this kind of leadership.

Dallas Henault, MBA 2011 Manager, Client Services, Kirk & Co. Consulting Ltd, Vancouver VP Events, Sauder Business Club of Vancouver

For you, what’s the greatest value of staying connected to Sauder and UBC? Extending the connection to create a community away from home is a great value to me. Many alumni in Shanghai are far away from home and new in town. What I gained or learned from the IMBA program in Shanghai is not only the education or new perspective in life; it helped give me a sense of belonging. I am proud to be a Sauder and UBC alumna and so would love to help others to be connected and expand our community.

Annie Shu-Yuan Yu, IMBA 2009 Financial Analyst, IBM, Shanghai Public Relations Executive, Sauder Business Club, Shanghai

Back in the 1980s, Sauder was one of the first Canadian universities to establish an academic presence in Shanghai.

Since then, many outstanding alumni have returned or moved to Shanghai. The IMBA program will add to our alumni in this region. So it is important to have the Sauder Business Club to serve as a platform that connects our alumni. I’ve lived in five different countries and regions in the past 20 years. Before I graduated from UBC, it was hard to get a sense of belonging to this global village.

Today, in the Sauder Business Club, I know I’ve found a community that shares the understanding and experience we gained at Sauder. I’d like to encourage more alumni in Shanghai to share their experience and mentor our young alumni via the Sauder Business Club platform.

Terence Ting-Chi Wang, IMBA 2009 Managing Partner, Mason Investments LLC, Shanghai President, Shanghai Branch, Sauder Business Club of Greater China

We’re in the early stages of harnessing the power of our alumni base, both at Sauder and UBC. I hope this increased focus on engagement will get more of us involved with students at the school, to help them reach their full potential.

In turn, I hope that these students will do the same after they graduate, so that the quality of education and learning experiences for students continue to improve over time, as more and more alumni give back.

When visiting a new country, the first thing I do is to connect with someone from our Sauder network. Through that experience, I met extraordinary people who took the time to share invaluable insights on their career development. After moving to Brazil, I decided to take a more active role. This has been an incredible opportunity to consolidate my network with the Sauder international community.

David Kwan, BCom 2000 (Finance) Vice President, Institutional Equity Sales, Macquarie Capital Markets, Toronto Founding President, Sauder Business Club of Toronto

The Sauder Business Club helps connect alumni with each other and the school. I have been enjoying the benefits of the alumni connections and would love to help others. I also think working with the Sauder Business Club helps to promote our school’s brand.

Rodrigo Caetano, MBA 2007 Executive Director – Business Development, WhiteLeaf Management Consulting, Brasilia, Brazil Sauder Alumni Representative, Brazil

Annie Shu-Yuan Yu, IMBA 2009 Financial Analyst, IBM, Shanghai Public Relations Executive, Sauder Business Club, Shanghai

A common bond exists between classmates. Part of the mandate of the Sauder Business Club is to extend that bond beyond alumni in the same graduating year. Our club’s launch brought together more than 400 members. Seeing and hearing people connect and re-connect reinforced that all of our time is worth it.

I had a lot of help getting my current role here in Calgary.

Not in terms of signing the offer—but in terms of getting me up to speed on the industry and answering my questions. I even had the opportunity to do a practice interview through the career centre. I want to give the same opportunity to other grads who aren’t as familiar with the city or industry—and hopefully I can help them the way I was helped.

Dallas Henault, MBA 2011 Manager, Client Services, Kirk & Co. Consulting Ltd, Vancouver VP Events, Sauder Business Club of Vancouver

Mike Woodward, BCom 2007 (Accounting) Equity Research Associate, CIBC World Markets, Calgary President, Sauder Business Club of Calgary VIEWPOINTS WINTER 2012

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ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT

Why is it important to you to volunteer for Sauder?

I live in Durban, South Africa, and so I think it is important to recognize we have amazing alumni in far corners of the world who may not be able to make the next social in Toronto or Shanghai, but who care deeply for the place they still call home.

Kathleen Diga, BCom 2003 (International Business) Manager/researcher, Poverty Reduction Assessment Project, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa Sauder Alumni Representative, Durban

Toronto’s vast Sauder alumni base is second in size only to Vancouver’s. It was important to bring alumni together to help leverage this network, whether it is for business or social purposes. We also help educate students and recent alumni about opportunities in Toronto, and give them resources to help them in their transition.

David Kwan, BCom 2000 (Finance) Vice President, Institutional Equity Sales, Macquarie Capital Markets, Toronto Founding president, Sauder Business Club of Toronto

With the SBCT, staying connected to UBC provides a sense of familiarity and community in Toronto—especially if you’re relatively new to the city. It wasn’t until I moved to Toronto that I realized and truly appreciated the network I had built in Vancouver. In Vancouver, my network grew very organically—very naturally—through school, organizations, volunteering, work, friends... In Toronto, those options to meet people were suddenly very limited. The SBCT gave me an opportunity to rebuild that network and to help others do the same.

Pey-Lin Hui, BCom 2006 (Finance) Associate, TD Securities, Toronto Head of Mentorship Program, Sauder Business Club, Toronto

While working in Toronto and getting involved with recruiting for our firms, the advantages for students from Eastern schools became clear: polish and summer internships. Easterners were not necessarily more talented, but they were better prepared for interviews. Second, local alumni from their schools secured summer internships and co-op positions for them—getting a full-time offer as a summer student is a much easier way to get into a firm.

So we started the Capital Markets Mentorship Program to help UBC students compete better. We pair selected 3rd year students with two mentors at the start of the year to prepare them intensely for summer internship interviews in January. We help these talented students get the extra polish they need to get through the door with summer positions.

Hashem Aboulhosn, BCom 2008 (Finance) Associate, Vanedge Capital, Vancouver Co-founded Sauder CMMP in 2009

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A strong education has helped give me opportunities few other people get. I went to a very good high school and had an incredible university experience. If I can help someone get a similar education that gives them an opportunity they would not otherwise have had—I think that makes their life, and Canada, a better place.

Mike Woodward, BCom 2007 (Accounting) Equity Research Associate, CIBC World Markets, Calgary President, Sauder Business Club of Calgary

The road less travelled BY

ALLAN JENKINS

PHOTOS BY

JOACHIM VON AMSBERG

Joachim von Amsberg (MBA 1990; PhD 1993) has seen much of the world in his travels, both personal and professional. His almost-20-year career with the World Bank has taken him down paths exploring investment and infrastructure in the Phillippines and Brazil. And his international life, and adventures with three daughters, leaves him always considering alternate paths Viewpoints interviewed Von Amsberg and got a glimpse into his experiences.

Ever the explorer, Joachim von Amsberg hiked up Borneo’s 13,435-foot Mount Kinabalu, the tallest mountain in the Malay Archipelago, in 2010.

VIEWPOINTS WINTER 2012

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PROFILE VIEWPOINTS For most of your World Bank career, you have been “out in

the field,” so to speak, and now you are Vice President of Operations Policy and Country Services back in Washington. How did that go?

Reform is just making sure the whole World Bank is more client-oriented and results-focused. That involves reforming our financial products, but also our knowledge products, which is really the advice that we give to clients.

VON AMSBERG It’s been an interesting transition because I have been in

VIEWPOINTS What needs to be in place for a developing country to

country programs, essentially advising governments, for most of my career.

Then I moved to this corporate role, which is more about the leadership, organization, positioning and reform of the Bank. So it was a big change.

But it’s actually interesting, in a sense that I can try to bring the client spirit and the field sprit to headquarters.

leverage the resources the World Bank provides? What needs to be in place for you to feel that the risk is managed?

Joachim spends as much time as he can in Vancouver, where the view from Kits Point never disappoints.

VIEWPOINTS What does the Operations Policy and Country Services

VON AMSBERG Development is ultimately private-sector driven. But

countries typically need effective public institutions to provide the framework to facilitate development. Our role as the World Bank is to help facilitate the emergence of these institutions. By that, I mean structures and the ministries, and, more important, the rules of the game.

Sixty years ago, when we thought about development, we thought it was all about capital investment and building infrastructure. In the 70s, we discovered that human capital and education are critical. Then, in the 80s, we started emphasizing the right policies, such as pricing policies and trade policies.

But in the past 20 years, people have looked even deeper and realised “well, it’s really about the institutions that make the policies.” This is where the focus of our thinking is today. How can we help strengthen the emergence of effective institutions that provide supportive environments for private investment and private sector-led development? How can we support institutions that allow collective action on options that need to be taken to the public sector where coordination is necessary, such as large infrastructure projects or major policy changes?

VIEWPOINTS Your story is somewhat unusual. You started as an electrical engineer, and then went on to get your MBA and a PhD. Many Sauder graduates want to go straight into business. Yet you chose public service.

Why?

department do?

VON AMSBERG In a sense, we’re responsible for the corporate policy and strategy of the World Bank. I typically express it in three R’s: results, risks and reforms.

Results means making sure that everything we do actually has tangible results in the countries where we work. We want to make sure all of our instruments will lead to results, by which I mean such things as schools, clean water, vaccinations… that kind of real development outcome. So we make sure that the Bank is managing for those results, that we are managing ourselves for those results, organizing ourselves around those results, measuring them and then communicating them to our funders.

As for risk, well, development is risky. We work with developing countries that have weaknesses. Often these are institutional weaknesses; sometimes it is corruption or lack of adherence to social or environmental safeguards. So we have to manage our internal systems in a way that we can responsibly manage these fiduciary, social and environmental risks.

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WINTER 2012 VIEWPOINTS

Th d ht (S fiya, Y i and dZ Three daughters (Safi Yasmina Zara)) k keep hi him on his toes, and exploring different horizons.

the like, from the shores of Vancouver Island to Brazil to the Philippines to Indonesia. I enjoy it tremendously.

VIEWPOINTS And on the family front?

VON AMSBERG Yeah, I have three daughters. They’re actually living now

back in Vancouver. So that’s a good opportunity for me to go back to Vancouver more frequently. ■

Career highlights JOACHIM VON AMSBERG TOOK OVER AS THE WORLD BANK’S VICE President, Operations Policy and Country Services, on July 1, 2010.

Sights set high: At the peak of Mount Kinabalu in Borneo, two years ago.

Von Amsberg, a German national, has held various positions in Washington and in the World Bank’s country offices.

Before being named Vice President, OPCS, he was Country Director for Indonesia for three years, overseeing one of the Bank’s largest

VON AMSBERG From early on, I was very interested in development and

environmental challenges. When I went into electric engineering, it was really about energy policy and energy supply. Development is absolutely driven by the private sector, thus the MBA was a natural fit. Then I did the PhD in public policy, which brought the economic and business side together. So I came from that angle, and I was also motivated by the experience of having spent some time in India and other developing countries.

country programs and country offices. He supported the Government of Indonesia’s efforts to improve the investment climate and service delivery to the poor through stronger governance; and led the Bank’s relationships and engagement with Indonesia, its government, and other stakeholders, in close collaboration with the International Finance Centre (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).

As Country Director for the Philippines from 2004–2007, Von Amsberg led a new World Bank strategy for enhanced support to the Philippines. This strategy supported “Islands of Good Governance,”

VIEWPOINTS And why the World Bank?

demonstrating how improved accountability and service delivery would lead to better economic and social outcomes. Under this

VON AMSBERG I interned with the World Bank while I was still at UBC. Since the Bank is the premier institution in the development area, it was hard to turn down their job offer. I haven’t regretted it a single day.

We work on the toughest issues in the world: countries with poverty, countries with environmental challenges. To do this, we have to be a learning organization. We have to learn from our mistakes. So the bank encourages a lot of innovation and a lot of criticism, and it has faith in people to come up with solutions to problems.

From my first day, I was given the space to come up with solutions to tough problems. On my first assignment, I was sent to Chile to meet the environment minister and help address environmental problems. I’d barely been with the Bank for two months. I thought, hey, this is an interesting place.

Where else do you get so much responsibility, so quickly, to help shape major policy discussions on behalf of a large organization and help an entire country?

strategy, World Bank programs were scaled up significantly, aligned more closely with the country’s own priorities, and implemented, as far as possible, through the country’s own systems and institutions.

Von Amsberg began his career at the World Bank in 1993 as an economist and young professional. He worked on environmental programs and policy studies from 1994–1997 for Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay, as well as on policy studies in Egypt. Subsequently, he worked for many years on the Bank’s Brazil program, including a stint as lead economist, where he led the economic policy dialogue, analytical and advisory assistance, and adjustment lending programs for the Government of Brazil.

Von Amsberg was a member of the steering committee that oversaw the preparation of the World Bank’s Governance and AntiCorruption Strategy. He was also an integral part of several task forces to strengthen the World Bank’s programs in support of middle income countries.

VIEWPOINTS What about when you’re not working?

Von Amsberg holds a PhD in Finance and Economic Policy from the University of British Columbia; an MSc in Electrical Engineering from

VON AMSBERG I enjoy nature tremendously, and I have been lucky to

the Technische Universität Berlin, Germany; and an MBA in Finance

have been in very beautiful places. I like hiking, biking, scuba diving and

from the University of British Columbia. ■ VIEWPOINTS WINTER 2012

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EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

Lifelong learning BY

ROB MCMAHON AND CRISTINA CALBOREANU

Early-morning yoga, avalanche beacons, computer simulations, a surprise visit from a mystery CEO: all lessons from Sauder’s Executive Education.

These elements combine with small-group activities, stimulating dialogue, experienced professors and cohorts of motivated, executive-level participants.

From their start 30 years ago, Sauder’s Executive Education programs have evolved to include customized programs, short-term workshops, and even a 10-month, health care-focused Executive MBA. This suite of choices reflects Sauder’s partnership approach to program development and delivery. Formed in collaboration with clients, learning options remain as unique and dynamic as participants.

We asked 10 individuals from very different industries—from health care to telecommunications— to reflect on their executive education experience.

Here are their stories.

Customized Corporate Programs Sauder partners with client organizations including Cathay Pacific Airways, the BC Lottery Corporation, and Rocky Mountaineer, to craft customized programs that blend research and practice.

Randy Powell became President and Chief Executive Officer of the Armstrong Group, owners and operators of the world-acclaimed Rocky Mountaineer, in October 2007. Prior to joining the Armstrong Group, he was President of Maple Leaf Fresh Foods, President and CEO of Second Cup, and President of S.C. Johnson and Sons.

As CEO, Powell says, he looked for a source of “talent, insight, and knowledge” that Rocky Mountaineer could draw on. Over the years, he built an “integrated, multi-faceted” partnership with the Sauder School of Business, including serving on the school’s Faculty Advisory Board, developing a relationship with the Business Career Centre, hiring summer interns from the MBA program, coordinating faculty members, facilitating board meetings, and having members of the Rocky Mountaineer team teaching and presenting at the School.

“Having had so much interaction with the school,” Powell says, “I recognized the incredible value that Executive Education could offer.”

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Randy Powell, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Armstrong Group

Powell helped design a sixmodule customized program ranging from strategy to innovation to finance, but using Rocky Mountaineer case studies.

“It’s one thing to teach a basic financial management course to leaders in sales or marketing,” Powell explains, “but being able to teach it to them using our own company’s balance sheet or P&L, as opposed to example companies, is much more valuable.”

The program also includes action learning projects—as Powell explains, “working on real live projects underway in our company, with the benefit of academic, structured thinking.” Participants receive Sauder credits that can be used, for instance, towards an undergraduate degree.

The first cohort included 20 senior managers, with another 40 managers in a subsequent cohort, out of a total workforce of approximately 200, or 400 including seasonal staff.

Asked to comment on the program’s quality and impact, Powell doesn’t hesitate: “I am ecstatic,” he says.

“The caliber of faculty at Sauder is world class, and although we’re not a multibillion-dollar corporation, this program gives us access to resources that would otherwise only be available to such organizations.”

Philippe Lacamp is Head of Sustainable Development for John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Ltd., whose portfolio includes Cathay Pacific Airways. He assumed his role in August 2010, after serving as Cathay Pacific’s General Manager Corporate Risk Management, responsible for the development and implementation of a corporate risk management structure for the airline covering legal, compliance, risk and insurance.

Philippe Lacamp is Head of Sustainable Development for John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Ltd.

Peter Charlton, Vice President of Human Resources at the BC Lottery Corporation

Elise Gillespie, a vice-president at COBS Bread

According to Lacamp, Swire partnered with Sauder to create a customized, Cathay Pacific-led course for Swire Group employees because “Swire has a long history with UBC, dating back 30 years, which gave us both a deeper understanding of the values and areas of expertise that could be developed and hopefully would be mutually beneficial.”

Lacamp described the focus of the customized course as “sustainability.”

“We needed to make sure that we had a generation of future leaders who would be able to think outside the narrow confines of their daily jobs,” he explains.

“This is a never-ending process, of course, and thus the need to be sustainable. Swire has been around for 200 years. We fully intend the businesses and their positive broad social impacts to be around for another 200 years. The one thing we know is that they will look very different from what they are today. How do we address that?

Thus the specific challenge was how to create the right conditions to stimulate our future leaders to think deeply about future scenarios: access to resources, technologies, future generations’

employment expectations, social impacts, the environmental footprint and so on.”

Analyzing the impact of the program, Lacamp noted that “The feedback continues to be overwhelmingly positive.” He added, “It has broadened people’s awareness of the thinking around broad business issues and strategies and also enabled valuable crossindustry sharing within the Group. Those are networks that are essential for the sustainability of the Swire Group.”

Peter Charlton, the Vice President of Human Resources at the BC Lottery Corporation, has taught at business schools around the world.

He was drawn to Sauder for its willingness to customize a program with BCLC. At that time, the economic downturn was undermining the organization’s traditional business model, and so the CEO was open to structural change.

“BCLC was a very traditional organization that needed outside input to evolve. Sauder helped us challenge our assumptions and offered us different models to work with. Together, we shaped these ideas to fit BCLC’s organizational context,” explained Charlton. “I think a lot of organizations look

to business schools for what they can bring to an organization.

But it’s important to frame that consideration not on what happens in the classroom, but rather around how those ideas are transformed and applied in a specific workplace.”

The first 12-person cohort of senior BCLC employees involved working with Sauder to translate theory into organizational practice.

The results of the two-year program are already apparent: Charlton pointed to substantial cost savings, new revenue-generating projects, and increased employee satisfaction with company leadership.

Accelerated Leadership Program In a word, Sauder’s Accelerated Leadership is intense. The threeweek program, split into two sessions, requires full-time commitment. Participants are nominated by their organizations and travel to Whistler for small group seminars.

When she arrived in the winter resort, the last thing Elise Gillespie expected was to hunt around in the snow for an avalanche beacon. But that “search and rescue” exercise VIEWPOINTS WINTER 2012

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EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

Jerry McPherson, General Manager, Project Portfolio at Syncrude Canada Ltd.

Dr. David Albiani, viteoretinal surgeon, UBC/VCH Eye Care Centre

Dr. David Butcher, Vice President of Medicine and Clinical Programs at Northern Health

Ted Ritchie, the Director of Information Technology at Catalyst Health Care

became a course highlight for Gillespie, a vice-president at COBS Bread.

“The instructor hid a beacon and told us to go find it. The first time, it took 10 minutes—definitely not fast enough. Working together, we trimmed our time to a minute. The exercise really demonstrated that working collectively gets better results,” she said.

A relatively young leader at COBS Bread, Gillespie signed up at Sauder on the recommendation of the company’s board of directors.

At first, she was skeptical: when hiring, she is critical of applicants who boast long lists of degrees, but little on-the-job experience. But the program convinced her of the value of self-reflection. She used her time there to develop a strategy to align staff functions across the company to better fit the company’s mission: real bread, real people, real delight.

Jerry McPherson, General Manager, Project Portfolio at Syncrude Canada Ltd., is one of seven executive-level colleagues who completed Sauder’s Accelerated Leadership Program.

Originally an engineer, McPherson was impressed by the program’s peer-based learning and the diversity of his cohort, which included professionals from fields

like human resources and law.

Compared to his undergraduate experience, where McPherson sat in a giant lecture hall absorbing hours of lectures, he enjoyed the opportunity for facilitated, open discussions with peers—and in particular, one involving Cathay Pacific Airways.

“The case study was about the airline’s reorganization. We broke into groups and reviewed the new CEO’s decisions,” explained McPherson. “After presenting our thoughts, someone at the back of the room stood up and introduced himself: it was the CEO. He walked us through his reasoning step-bystep, which I found a very creative learning approach.”

Centre, UBC Retina Fellowship Program, and the British Columbia Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons. While he entered the program to improve technical skills like finance and accounting, by the end he was focused on “softer” skills, like leadership.

“My ongoing clinical learning is extremely specialized, so I wanted to try out something very different: I find when you’re thrown into the deep end, you end up learning so much more,” he said. “Health care is one of the biggest expenditures in the country, and I think it’s absurd to think the system is not as efficiently and optimally managed as it could be. We need programs like Sauder’s to bridge that gap.”

Dr. David Butcher, Vice President of Medicine and Clinical Programs at Northern Health, agrees. After starting medical school with expectations to become a surgeon, he spent 15 years as an anaesthetist and a general practitioner before moving to administration. Suddenly his colleagues spoke a different language of “strategic planning” and “resource utilization.” Sauder’s program helped him understand this new context.

“As a physician, I was trained

to completely focus on the needs of individual patients,” he said.

“I find administrators apply more of a systems approach: it’s still fundamental to provide the highest quality care to individuals, but as stewards of public resources, they also consider broader impacts.”

Dr. Butcher enjoyed the EMBA’s participatory and interactive structure, and found that with a little modification, he could apply his course assignments to on-the-job issues, like contract negotiations with physicians in the Northern Health region. He found the peer groups he formed with clinical practitioners, pharmacists and others pushed his group to negotiate creative solutions to common challenges.

Ted Ritchie, the Director of Information Technology at Catalyst Health Care, also pointed to the benefits, and tensions, that come from those negotiations. A lot of Ritchie’s job involves negotiation and change management in IT processes across a variety of professional fields. He enjoyed the opportunity to learn alongside diverse people with very different perspectives on health care.

“Most of our cohort worked for the public sector—only three or four came from private

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Executive MBA in Health Care The Executive MBA in Health Care is Canada’s only business program specifically focused on the health care sector. Now in its third cohort, the part-time program brings together participants in clinical and administrative positions.

Dr. David Albiani is a viteoretinal surgeon, a clinical position as highly specialized as it sounds. He signed up to build up administrative knowledge for work with the UBC/VCH Eye Care

Andrew Llewelyn-Jones, the Agricultural Superintendent at Lantic Inc.

Shawn Ershad, Senior Regional Manager at Bell Canada

enterprises, and I found their views surprisingly different from mine,” he said. “Some people stressed the need to contribute to society, while I was focused on turning a profit. Being exposed to those perspectives was beneficial, both personally and professionally.”

“My group often meets for open discussion, but it’s usually focused on scientific or operational issues. After the course, I asked everyone to tell me what they thought of my leadership,” he said.

“Their responses were not only fascinating, but helped us become a tighter group. Hearing critique from my peers at Sauder helped me start that discussion.”

Shawn Ershad, a Senior Regional Manager at Bell Canada, also said his Sauder experience helped him better interact with his 14-person Senior Sales Consulting team.

Ershad described a key lesson: the distinction between a manager and a leader. Though he has received numerous “President’s Club” Awards throughout his sales career, Ershad said the course demonstrated that leadership also involves developing a vision and strategic goals for oneself, and one’s team.

“I believe a great leader has no need to lead. A great leader is content to point the way with positive reinforcement,” said Shawn. “Sauder’s ‘Meeting the Leadership Challenge’ curriculum helped me to further understand and create a balance between my personal and professional life and shifted my management philosophy into leadership skills.” ■

Open Enrollment Programs Every year, Sauder offers close to a hundred management seminars to approximately 1,900 working professionals. One seminar, called “Meeting the Leadership Challenge,” presented both Andrew Llewelyn-Jones and Shawn Ershad with an opportunity to confront their thinking about what makes a strong leader.

Andrew Llewelyn-Jones, the Agricultural Superintendent at Lantic Inc., attended the weeklong workshop last summer.

Small groups and role-playing scenarios helped him build relationships, discuss ideas, and exchange productive criticism with peers. While critiques always feel somewhat uncomfortable, they also help establish an environment of honest, two-way communication—a context he’s working to develop with his own team.

AFTER GRADUATING FROM THE SAUDER SCHOOL IN 1987 with a BCom with a marketing option, Bruce Wiesner started his career as a sales representative with Minolta Business Equipment. He held positions with Pitney Bowes, Quebecor, and finally Canada Wide Media, where he served as Senior Vice President before returning to Sauder in spring 2010 as Associate Dean of Executive Education.

Wiesner says he found sales an excellent entry into the business world, and his work for three Fortune 500 companies taught him another crucial lesson: the importance of lifelong education. Using Bruce Wiesner, Associate Dean of significant in-house corporate training Executive Education enterprises, outside consultants, or a mix of both, Pitney Bowes, Quebecor, and Canada Wide all made substantial investments in training and professional development for their employees.

“I saw that the best organizations invest heavily in their people, no matter what their background, talent, or education,” Wiesner says. “You can’t possibly enter the workforce and be prepared for the rest of your life. The workplace changes, competition changes, technology changes, and people evolve over time in terms of their skills and abilities. You need to be prepared for that.”

The opportunity to lead Executive Education at Sauder was attractive, Wiesner explains, because he believes in lifelong learning, and he believes that Sauder can leverage its strengths to become a leading player in the competitive executive education market.

“We have done very well with our open enrolment courses, helping individuals with their own personal and professional development. Now we have a huge opportunity to capitalize on our relationships with the business sector to create custom programs, helping organizations build their teams and address business problems through corporate education.”

Sauder has partnered with organizations like the BC Lottery Corporation, Rocky Mountaineer, and Cathay Pacific Airways to create customized programs that blend research and practice—programs that Wiesner describes as “applied learning, action learning, project-oriented learning—solutions for real business problems.”

He adds, “Custom programs are a tremendous opportunity for knowledge transfer—an opportunity to apply research and create a feedback loop.”

“We have a reputation as Canada’s leading research-based business school, and we are able to leverage the thought leadership of our faculty to deliver immediate impact back to businesses,” Wiesner says.

“One client described it as being able to see farther ahead, over the top of the hill.”

Wiesner notes that, all too often, when organizations go through tough economic times, they cut back on discretionary expenditures like training and professional development. “The temptation to cut the short-term cost and put the money back into their bottom line is overwhelming,” he says. “But that represents a serious challenge to their long-term success. The best organizations invest in professional development in tough times as a way to emerge successfully ahead of their competition.“ And that, for him, is the true meaning of lifelong learning. “It’s about being proactive, in your own development as well as the organization’s development,” he says. “It’s about being prepared for what’s coming around the corner.”

Or over the top of that hill. ■

MBA alumni course privileges UBC MBA modules are now available for auditing to MBA alumni post–convocation (subject to space availability). This is an excellent way to support a new career direction, pursue a professional interest, and build your network.

A complete list of modules and module descriptions can be found at http://www.sauder.ubc.ca/Programs/MBA/MBA_Full_Time/Current_Students.

To find out more about specific course availability, administrative fees, and how to register, email askmba@sauder.ubc.ca or call 604-822-8422.

VIEWPOINTS WINTER 2012

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Josh Epstein happy to “wait for rain.”

Vancouver’s Motion 58 premieres award-winning short film at VIFF A WARMING PLANET HAS MADE WATER SCARCE, FOOD A RARITY, AND

wearing plants like jewelry fashionable.

James, a hapless office worker, becomes obsessed with nurturing his plant in order to obtain the respect of his peers and risks everything not to wait for rain.

Wait for Rain, which was screened this past October at the Vancouver International Film Festival, is a futuristic comedy about James, the pitiful office worker who must sacrifice himself to get the attention of the girl he desires. The film was produced by Motion 58, a Vancouver-based, up-andcoming film production company lead by Josh Epstein, BCom 2001, and Kyle Rideout, two Vancouver filmmakers and actors.

“Kyle and I were interested in exploring the modern obsession with fads and how sometimes important causes become a fad,” says Epstein.

“So we had this idea of a green movement that starts out wearing green ribbons and buttons and evolves as people try to outdo one another—so the ribbon turns into a branch, a leaf, and eventually everyone is wearing plants around their necks like necklaces and have forgotten why.”

A winner of the National Film Board of Canada Filmmaker Assistance Program, the National Screen Institute Drama Prize and the Bravo!FACT Award, the film is narrated by acclaimed Canadian actor, writer and director Paul Gross. Mr. Gross won international attention for the drama series Due South, which he starred in, co-wrote, and executive produced.

His directorial debut came with the film Men With Brooms, a movie which broke Canadian box office records. Shortly after, he played Geoffrey Tenant, the troubled Artistic Director of the New Burbage Festival, on the beloved television series Slings and Arrows, and is the recipient of four Gemini awards for his feature film Passchendaele.

The Wait for Rain cast also includes Peter DeLuise, Lara Gilchrist, Pippa Mackie, Blu Mankuma and Haig Sutherland.

“Paul Gross is such a strong supporter of Canadian film, when we approached him to be a part of this project he was happy to come on board,” says Rideout, who directed the film. “And Paul is such a phenomenal actor with such a strong artistic vision; it was inspiring for all

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WINTER 2012 VIEWPOINTS

of us to have him a part of this movie.”

“We were very excited that Wait for Rain had its first public screening at the Vancouver International Film Festival,” says Epstein, the film’s producer and co-writer. “Kyle and I are both from Vancouver so it means a lot to us that the people here got the first opportunity to see this film that showcases so many talented artists within the community.” Following the festival, the film went on to be named one of the top five Canadian short films of 2011, and is screened by the TIFF Film Circuit before some of their features.

Epstein and Rideout founded Motion 58 Entertainment in 2011, and Wait for Rain follows the multiple Leo Award-winning short film, Hop the Twig. They currently have a screenplay in development with Movie Central, a Corus Entertainment Company.

An established and award-winning theatre actor, Josh Epstein recently began to gravitate towards film, combining his commerce background with his passion for storytelling to produce award-winning work. Motion 58 currently has two screenplays in development, including one with The Movie Channel, and is creating a new television series with Canadian rocker Josh Ramsay of the band Marianas Trench.

He has also produced a trio of award-winning theatrical productions including a show which

The Guardian trumpeted as the “Best Solo Show of the Year.” As an actor, Epstein has starred in productions across Canada, including Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Jessie Nomination) at the Playhouse, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which won him a Jessie Award, The Producers at the Arts Club (Ovation Award), Bard on the Beach and The Lord of the Rings. He is headed back to for his second season at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Director and writer Kyle Rideout has worked extensively as an actor across Canada for the last nine years, in theatre, anime, voice-over, film and TV. He is the recipient of two Jessie Richardson Awards and was honoured with

the Sam Payne Award for Outstanding Performance. His film Hop the Twig recently won three Leo Awards and has played around the world. ■

“ Kyle and I were interested in exploring the modern obsession with fads…”

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Connecting alumni in the Lower Mainland:

Sauder Business Club of ARTICLE BY

CAROL DOUGANS

PHOTOS BY

ROGER MAHLER

If the size of the crowd and energy in the room were any indication, it’s an idea whose time has come. More than 500 people, representing a cross-section of degrees and grad years as far back as 1973, attended the launch of Sauder’s newest Business Club at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Vancouver.

THE SOLD-OUT SEPTEMBER 28 EVENT WAS THE

culmination of a year of hard work and planning by the Sauder Business Club of Vancouver Executive team—Jeff Potter, BCom 2006; Alex Monegro, BCom 2010; James Mollard, MBA 2010; Felicia Lee, MBA 2006; Chris Lee, BCom 2005; Nik Laufer-Edel, BCom 2008; and Dallas Henault, MBA 2011, along with members of the Sauder Alumni Engagement team and Club volunteers.

“An active alumni community is one of the hallmarks of a world-class business school.”

- Dean Daniel F. Muzyka

Sauder Dean Daniel Muzyka welcomed the enthusiastic crowd, noting proudly that an active alumni community is one of the hallmarks of a world-class business school. Distinguished

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Keynote speaker Roberto Aquilini, BCom 1989

alumnus and keynote speaker Roberto Aquilini, BCom 1989, conveyed his wholehearted support for the club initiative, describing his Sauder experience as the foundation for both friendships and business relationships. Aquilini is a managing partner of the Aquilini Investment Group, which, among other interests, owns and operates the Vancouver Canucks hockey team.

Promising to foster lifelong connections among alumni and between alumni and the school, Business Club President Jeff Potter made a compelling case for club membership,

including enhanced business and social networking, mentorship, professional development, the opportunity to make a difference and, last but not least, have some fun.

The club is off to a great start. For more information on the Sauder Business Club of Vancouver and how you can get involved, visit www.saudervancouver.ca. ■

Vancouver launches

Sauder Business Club of Vancouver Executive Team—left to right: Nik Laufer-Edel, Jeff Potter, Alex Monegro, Chris Lee, Felicia Lee, James Mollard, Dallas Henault

VIEWPOINTS WINTER 2012

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Business Families Centre receives $1.95 million from BMO Last November, the University of British Columbia welcomed a $2.2 million donation from BMO Financial Group to support education and outreach to help families successfully transition their businesses over multiple generations, as well as assist innovative research and education to benefit dairy farms—most of them family-run.

THE BUSINESS FAMILIES CENTRE (BFC) AT UBC’S

Sauder School of Business received $1.95 million to establish a new Family Enterprise Program. The program will further academic research and innovation in areas that include succession planning, family dynamics and governance. The BFC will also set up a new national database—the first in Canada—to advance research in this field while giving entrepreneurial families the necessary tools and information to flourish.

Family enterprise forms the backbone of the Canadian economy, with families owning or controlling an estimated 80 per cent of all businesses and representing the largest form of enterprise worldwide.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business and Statistics Canada surveys from 2009 show that businesses with fewer than 50 employees represent almost 98 per cent of total businesses in Canada, generate 45 per cent of Canada’s GDP, and employ 55 per cent of workers. However, in today’s economic landscape, only 30 per cent of family businesses survive into the second generation.

The BFC was initiated in 2001 with more than 30 founding families, including those of Brandt Louie, Gordon and Leslie Diamond, Peter Bentley, and Charles Young. A leader in the field, the BFC is known for its comprehensive research and academic programs, addressing issues such as succession planning, wealth management, family dynamics and governance. The BFC also serves families by educating professional 40

WINTER 2012 VIEWPOINTS

Left to right: Dean Daniel Muzyka, Janine Guenther, Joanne Gassman, UBC President Stephen Toope

advisors working with families.

In addition to its gift to the BFC, BMO Financial Group is providing $250,000 to develop new classroom space at UBC’s Dairy Education and Research Centre located in the Fraser Valley at Agassiz. The largest dairy cattle research facility in Canada and one of the largest in the world, and part of the UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems, the Centre is renowned for pioneering research that considers sustainable food production along with animal health and welfare.

“We are delighted that BMO Financial Group sees strong value in the vital work that the Sauder School of Business is doing to ensure the continued health of family businesses,” says UBC President Prof. Stephen Toope. “We are also very grateful for BMO’s investment at our Dairy Education and Research Centre, which is known globally for research that produces evidencebased recommendations for the dairy industry in Canada and around the world.”

“Many Canadian industries, including the dairy industry, succeed because of the shared

talents, energy and knowledge among family members,” says Senior Vice President Joanne Gassman, BC and Yukon Division, BMO Bank of Montreal.

“BMO has a long and proud tradition of support for UBC, through scholarships, fellowships, research grants and capital building campaigns,” says Gassman. “Given such outstanding research and education initiatives, we were very pleased to come alongside UBC as a major supporter of UBC’s campaign. This is also historical for the Bank, since it is the largest single donation ever made in BC.” “As a national leader in family enterprise education we are always looking to innovate and deliver improved programs for our business families and their advisors,” said Business Families Centre Executive Director Judi Cunningham. “The generous gift from BMO Financial Group will allow us to do just that—to expand and build on the reputation of our Road Map Program and to develop a much-needed database to house latest thinking, empirical data and provocative research.” ■

UBC establishes significant new on-the-ground presence in India The University of British Columbia is deepening its commitment to India by opening offices in Bangalore and New Delhi and establishing partnerships with leading universities and research institutions across India. The new Bangalore office will be spearheaded by the Sauder School of Business and was announced in the city at a recent event hosted by the BC Premier Christy Clark.

“OUR NEW OFFICE IN BANGALORE

puts UBC and Sauder on the ground in a country that will influence global economic growth for the next century,” says Sauder Dean Daniel Muzyka. “Through enhanced research, programs and engagement, the school will endeavor to serve the needs of India as it grows, while learning from rapid changes taking place in its economy.”

Sprawling suburb in Bangalore.

Sauder is also signing Memoranda of Understanding with two of India’s most prominent educational institutions, the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

These partnerships will provide a framework to increase student exchange, research partnerships and collaborative program development.

The announcement of the new UBC India Office in Bangalore was part of a BC government trade mission to India led by Premier Clark.

“International education is an important part of BC’s Jobs Plan,” says Premier Clark. “The opening of the UBC India Office will showcase educational opportunities available in BC as well as support future partnerships and academic exchanges.”

The UBC India Office in Bangalore will be a gateway allowing UBC and Sauder to engage directly with key academic, government and business stakeholders. With the goal of enhancing educational programs, exchanges, and research collaboration, the office will work to deepen connections with the Indian business community to enhance career support and job opportunities for students and alumni. It will also serve as a strong base to the ever-growing network of UBC and Sauder graduates who call the country home.

Sauder’s new India initiatives will offer important opportunities to exchange country-specific data and collaborate in the creation of new knowledge in areas such as entrepreneurship, health care management, family business, and operations and logistics.

Faculty and students will have the opportunity to gather valuable insight from the world of Indian business, which can only be gained through hands-on in-country experience.

Sauder’s connection to India has grown substantially since 2004, when it established a student exchange program with the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. Since 2006, the school’s full-time MBA program, offered by the Robert H. Lee Graduate School, has seen applications from Indian-educated candidates more than triple. Many of Sauder’s Indian students return to live and work in India, and there is an exciting network of Sauder grads building on the ground in the country. ■

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CLASS NOTES

Dear alumni, From Vancouver to Hong Kong and from London to Karachi, the Sauder community includes 30,000 alumni in 67 countries.

Each of our alumni holds a piece of the School’s history as well as its future. The connections that hold our community together are our School’s most meaningful strength.

So tell us your story, and share your news. We want to hear from you! Whether you just got the job of your dreams or are still finding your way, took a trip around the world or have been enjoying the comforts of home, got married or became a parent—fill us in on your family and career, accomplishments and interests. Let us hear from you, and send us your photos.

We’ll print your news in the Class Notes section of Viewpoints magazine, which is consistently ranked as one of the most popular segments of our publication. Through the Class Notes, you will share your story with your fellow alumni and current students, reconnect with old classmates, and stay connected as a vital part of the Sauder community.

We’re looking forward to hearing from you.

1960S Peter Hebb BCom 1963 Peter Hebb is now living on campus in Chancellor Place, less than 100 metres from the original Commerce “shacks.” As a Member of the Order of St. John and its Palliative Care Foundation, he issued a press release mid-year congratulating UBC for its decision to allow the new St. John Hospice to proceed.

The release said “The University campus site on Stadium Road is the best place for the Faculty of Medicine’s research and educational activities while providing a badly needed hospice for the community at large.”

The primary focus will be to provide for the end-of-life physical comfort of the patient by eliminating pain and controlling symptoms.

YOUR FEEDBACK MATTERS Tell us what you think of this issue of Viewpoints.

Go to www.sauder.ubc.ca to complete our reader survey.

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J. Gilles Nolet MBA 1968 Gilles started his career with the Bank of Montreal before moving to Roynat Capital, a Canadian financial institution involved in term lending, where he worked for about 10 years and eventually became Vice-President for the province of Quebec operations.

Afterwards, he became a major shareholder and President of Matco-Ravary Inc., a publiclytraded building materials company, involved in the retail as well as the wholesale business, in the industrial, commercial and residential construction sectors, and where he spent 25 years.

Following the sale of Matco-Ravary to Groupe BMR in 2003, he continued to manage the corporation for an additional period of two years.

From 2005 to 2007, he was the President of Le Commensal Inc., a manufacturer of vegetarian food sold to distribution outlets such as grocery

stores, convenience stores, institutions, and franchised restaurants. Gilles was also a director of the Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon, the largest foundation in Canada, and a member of its Audit and Investment Committees, for ten years. He is currently a director of the Chagnon Family Trust and of the Foundation of Greater Montreal.

He also sits on the Board of Directors of Convivia inc., a holding company owning Pacini Restaurants and Commensal, and of non-profit organizations such as Formetal Inc., a social reinsertion organization helping disadvantaged young people. Throughout his career, he also held directorships in several other public and private corporations.

J. Gilles Nolet is a graduate in Civil Engineering from the Université Laval and received an MBA in Finance from the University of British Columbia. Gilles taught finance at the École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC Montreal).

Over the course of his business life, Gilles has observed that successful organizations had a common denominator, which is a better-thanaverage management of their human resources.

He has been practicing executive coaching since 2008, where he can use his rich and varied business and management experience with managers and professionals to help them develop their full managerial potential.

1970S John Coombs BCom 1973 After 35 years with TD Securities, I recently retired from my position as head of the European & Asia-Pacific region in London.

During the summer months, we will be residing in our cottage on Skootamatta Lake, enjoying time with our son’s family (two granddaughters). In the winter, we will be living in Victoria West, and visiting with our daughter’s family (two grandsons) in Tofino.

had several subsequent closings and continue to uncover, list and sell attractively priced commercial properties well below replacement cost with excellent actual and/or potential cash flow. Check out our web site at www. suncommercialre.com to see what we are up to.

Remember, while it is raining what seems to be nonstop in Vancouver, it is sunny almost every day in Scottsdale and Las Vegas, so come on down and check things out down south.

Robin Bristow BCom 1986 I joined MacKay LLP’s Kelowna office in September as a senior manager in its accounting and assurance department.

Meena Sheth BCom 1978 In Chicago since 2008—before that was in Rochester, NY for 28 years! I have two grown sons, a doctor and an actuary. I have worked in public accounting, banking, Xerox and now at Navistar. Enjoying the Windy City for now, will see where we end up in the future!

1980S Jennifer Martin MBA 1982 Jennifer Renshaw (Martin) launches SIP natural craft sodas for non-drinkers and healthy soda seekers. Try the three curious flavors—Rosemary Lime, Lavender LemonPeel, and Coriander Orange at UBC’s Point Grill.

Paul Miachika BCom 1980 As a founding partner of Sun Commercial Real Estate five years ago, a brokerage firm specializing in commercial investment sales in Phoenix and Las Vegas, 2011 has turned out to be a very busy year, albeit mainly with bank-owned or -controlled properties. In May, our investment team participated in the largest commercial real estate note and property auction in US history and successfully sold four properties/notes totaling $15 million. We have

of partners). At present we are responsible for the development and ownership of assets in excess of 200,000 square feet, with a capitalized value in excess of $85,000,000. I am married with four children and two grandchildren and enjoy traveling, playing hockey, golf and making wine. Looking forward to a variety of business and fun activities over the coming years. I have and remain committed to a variety of volunteer activities as well.

Margaret Buttner BCom 1983 I have been Manager of Annual Giving at The Arthritis Society. In my spare time, I sit on the board of the Vancouver International Marathon Society. This year I had the pleasure of being Co-Chair of the 40 year celebration of the marathon. As well, on October 9, I completed my first half-marathon in Victoria.

Richard Coulter BCom 1985 After graduation, I commenced work in the real estate development industry immediately with a company called Westwater Industries.

I continued in real estate with a number of companies, namely McDonalds Restaurants, Trilogy Development Corp., Colliers, and Bentall.

After Bentall, I began developing commercial real estate for my own account (with a variety

Grace Sun BCom 1986 After graduating from Commerce in 1986, I went to law school in Windsor, Ontario and I have been practicing family law with Sorbara Law, the largest locally owned law firm in the Guelph-Kitchener-Waterloo area in Southern Ontario. I also act as agent for the Office of the Children’s Lawyer representing children in custody battles and children apprehended by Children’s Aid Society. I also act as agent for the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee in domestic matters.

Michael Beg DULE 1987 This past year I accepted an executive appointment to run BMO’s Corporate Finance Division, Real Estate Finance group and oversee BMO’s Canadian real estate lending business. The group provides construction and term financing to builder/developers and other mid-market private real estate investors with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.

SHARE YOUR NEWS Class Notes are easier than ever to submit. Simply fill out the online form at www.sauder.ubc. ca/alumni/classnotes

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CLASS NOTES Edinburgh while I did a Master’s in Commercial Law), and in our spare time we have recently launched the Canadian branch of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. The Society is the world’s largest whisky club (26,000 members).

Only members can purchase The Society’s extraordinary and unique bottlings of single cask, single malt Scotch whisky, selected from over 125 different distilleries. See www.smws.ca.

1990S VeronicaWargo Veronica Wargo BCom 1987 Teaching ice skating at the Ice Den in Scottsdale.

I have transitioned from running my food brokerage business to teaching. My husband Ray now maintains the business so that I may teach full time. It is my passion so I am really enjoying this segment of my life. I am turning 50 in January and my twins Luke & Sedona will be graduating high school with an Associate’s Degree in May. They have both been accepted to ASU Polytechnic campus where my son will be taking software engineering and my daughter Mechanical Engineering. We took a Caribbean cruise with my parents in celebration of their 50th and our 20th anniversaries. We have been very blessed. Always enjoy reading this section to see if I recognize people from my era.

Rob Carpenter BCom 1989 I also garnered a law degree during my time at UBC and am now working as Vice President, Corporate Law at Enbridge Inc. in Calgary. My wife Kelly and I are both single malt Scotch geeks (a hobby picked up during a year spent in 44

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June Wing MBA 1990 I am still very much enjoying being a realtor in Victoria. Never a dull moment —there is always a new challenge! I am finally making money being a permanent student! I switched real estate firms to Sutton Group—West Coast Realty in August. Most of my business involves assisting buyers from out of town so it makes so much more sense to be with a national firm. I am very passionate about introducing newcomers to our wonderful city. Please call or email if you are interested in relocating to Victoria.

Cynthia Wong BCom 1991 I have passed the basic windsurf coach exam and am now a licensed windsurf coach in Hong Kong. I continue my passion in Hobie sailing and will join the upcoming Hobie Asian Classic and the Around the Island Sailing Race held in Hong Kong in October and November respectively. On my Wellness Center, I found Bell Lifestyle Products in Canada and bring the products to Hong Kong through my website: www.belllifestylehongkong.com. This will hopefully benefit many people suffering from chronic illness and do not like the side effects of prescription drugs.

YOUR FEEDBACK MATTERS Tell us what you think of this issue of Viewpoints.

Go to www.sauder.ubc.ca to complete our reader survey.

property management and general insurance company operating since 1933. Mike is living in Oak Bay and is married to Maria Payne Boorman and has two children, Spencer and Evelyn.

Mike is the fourth generation of family to be involved in the business. Mike’s focus aside from management is real estate sales.

2000S Nancy Chiao BCom 1991 It is such a strange sensation to be typing this after almost twenty years since my graduation.

Can it really be that long ago?

I now live in California and have been fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom for the past 12 years. While watching my son grow into a teen, I do hear the call of commerce again. I’m hoping to re-enter the work force some time soon. The global economy has not been this bad in a long time and certainly in Silicon Valley we see the disastrous effects. But where there is a will, there is a way.

I feel honored and proud to have studied at UBC and would like to add that many Americans here think highly of our university. Cheers to everybody.

ik Boorman DULE 1999 Mike Since completing my Diploma in Urban Land Economics at UBC, Mike has been managing the family business in Victoria, BC. Boorman’s is an independent, family-owned real-estate sales,

Tania Bangayan BCom 2001 I finally took some risks and tackled a few bucket list items along the way. Get diving certified: check. Live & work abroad: check.

Venice, Turkey, Greece, Jerusalem, West Bank: check. Pursue a new career direction: check.

Soon will start teaching at Capilano.

Graham Day BCom 2006 I have recently returned from a powerful personal and professional experience in Haiti working with the Clinton Foundation’s “Clinton Health Access Initiative.” During my year-long stay, I quickly learned that the post-earthquake problems of Haiti are as numerous as they are complex. To combat these, there is a need to actively coordinate the many agencies, country donors, NGOs and companies, without crowding out the responsibilities of the government or the potential of the private sector—a tricky balance indeed.

After graduating from Sauder in 2006, I spent three years working as a management consultant for Oliver Wyman on projects in the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East.

Since then, I have begun my master’s degree in International Affairs and Economics at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University, in Washington, DC. As I go forward, I hope to keep inching ahead my knowledge on using for-profit business models to improve living standards in the developing world. In Haiti, I saw many examples of how this can work, but there are certainly many more opportunities to be uncovered. Oh, the applications of a business degree!

Rosanna Zhong BCom 2004 Kelly Tai, an amazing girl born on Sept. 11, 2010. She is truly our bundle of joy.

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CLASS NOTES

Jeremy Cook BCom 2006 This year I have been working full-time at a CA firm in Victoria, making my way through CASB (writing the UFE in 2012), and spending any free time with my wife and two kids (now four and one years old).

Jeff Desjardins BCom 2007 Launched Revolve Marketing Inc., a successful investor communications company in February 2011. Pioneering the industry with its infographic press release concept, Revolve works with micro and small cap resource companies to build awareness with investors.

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St L MBA 2007 Steve Lowry I rebranded and re-launched a company I run with two UBC grads nationally: www.playtaximedia.com. Here are the details: Following three years of success in Vancouver, Canadian company Play Taxi Media is extending its Interactive Advertising Network across Canada—The future of interactive advertising is speeding through Canada to a cab near you. Play Taxi Media (Play), founded by 31year old Canadian entrepreneur Zachary Killam [UBC undergraduate & law school grad— my business partner], is expanding its network of taxi headrest touch-screens to 1500 across Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary, and will be officially national in November 2011.

Why should you take notice? Play is defining a new type of consumer engagement. From an advertising perspective, Play takes the power of TV’s full motion video, combines it with the interactivity and measurability of online, and places it in front of consumers in a captive out-of-home environment. The network also enables consumers to enter email or phone numbers to get access to promotions and additional information. The combination of fun content, interactive ads and the captive taxi environment has been a winning formula for Play’s advertisers and for those in other markets around the world. From a public perspective, the interactive capabilities of the screen and a permanent survey app give consumers a chance to have their voices heard with respect to product preferences and current event topics.

Interaction and survey results are made available to advertisers and news partners, with survey

results also available on the screens themselves.

Play is bringing the most widely used passenger taxi screen technology to Canada, which has been developed by Touchmedia and is already deployed in 30,000+ taxi screens worldwide. In contrast to similar screens that exist in some cities in the US, which are built primarily to handle credit card processing, Play’s screens are purpose-built entirely for the enjoyment of passengers. The quality of the visual and interactive experience is similar to that of today’s smartphones. Play has partnered with the CBC for daily news headlines, The Weather Network for weather reports, and provides local restaurant and attraction content to interested passengers. In addition, Play supports Mothers Against Drunk Driving, given the natural fit between the two organizations, and will feature anti-impaired driving messages on the network.

By offering video and mobile app experiences to passengers without the distractions of the home or the online environment, Play has cornered the large-scale interactive out-of-home advertising space. This emerging media strategy allows brands to reach consumers in a highly engaging manner for an extended period of time. Notes Killam, “Our advertisers, which have included brands such as TELUS, Flight Centre and MasterCard, have engaged with consumers in this very unique way and our passenger engagement levels have proven to be quite significant. Interaction and a lengthy dwell time simply result in higher recall.”

SHARE YOUR NEWS Class Notes are easier than ever to submit. Simply fill out the online form at www.sauder.ubc. ca/alumni/classnotes

say about how the race went. At 25, I was the second youngest professional in the race and only guy in the top 15 who, coming in to the race, had to work part time to make ends meet.

It is a huge honor to be able to represent the Sauder School of Business and the University of British Columbia at International events. Big thanks to Professor Dan Gardiner for daring me to dream big and just GO FOR IT! I am looking forward to using my marketing degree to build a long career in the sport of triathlon.

Eugene Lu BCom 2007 I went back to my hometown of Shanghai twice to see my girlfriend and we decided to get married in January 2012! Even though we are 15 hours apart, our relationship grows stronger each and every day.

Thank you, Nina. You bring sunshine into my night.

Jeff Symonds BCom 2007 I haven’t had much to report until now. I have been working a part-time job at The Bike Barn in Penticton and putting everything on the line to pursuing a dream in triathlon. In September, I had a huge breakthrough and got on the podium with a third place finish at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Las Vegas. I think the photo attached say everything there is to

Roshena Huang BCom 2008 In 2010, I founded Impactuate Consulting Inc. with Tom Minnes, CA, CPA (Illinois), and fellow BCom 2008. I provide management consulting services in the areas of marketing, communications, and new venture development to a diverse portfolio of clients. Tom shares his expertise in accounting and finance with clients in the mining and oil and gas industries. (www.impactuate.com) Christian Dy MBA 2008 The past summer, I led a team of 17 volunteers to Guatemala to work with projects including: aid for battered women, excavating projects, reforestation, and working with local schools. I have empowered the volunteers to continue the projects back here in Canada. We are continuing to create funding for the women, and I am attempting to bring the head Guatemalan coordinator here to Vancouver in November to speak.

As well, I am training another team to return in the summer of 2012.

YOUR FEEDBACK MATTERS Tell us what you think of this issue of Viewpoints.

Go to www.sauder.ubc.ca to complete our reader survey.

Amoura Rose MBA 2008 Opened a skincare business, became the face of two chains of tea shops and working in Best Buy. 2009: MBA class of 2008, but I graduated later in 2009 to complete a double major in Marketing and HR, the first year a double degree was introduced in the Sauder MBA. 2009: Opened natural skin care company called “Amoura Rose” and sampled it out to VIEWPOINTS WINTER 2012

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CLASS NOTES people for feedback and advice, did surveys on product.

2010: launched the Amoura Rose skin care line, Geisha photo became the brand and face of US corporate tea chain Teavana and Canadian corporate tea chain Teaopia.

2011: landed a Human Resources role with Best Buy, opened an online dog boutique called “Chihuahua Couture,” and the Amoura Rose skin care line is now selling in three stores (and given a trial run at the Sutton Place Hotel during the summer of 2011 only).

2012: launching a new line of natural lip balms to add to the Amoura Rose skin care collection and getting married.

Warren Tardif BCom 2008 I spent most of the year traveling between LA, Seattle, and Vancouver. My younger sister is now studying at UBC majoring in economics, while my older brother works for Microsoft in Bellevue. I keep my base in LA, but being close to my siblings has kept me going back to the Great Pacific Northwest. I earned the top award in my current profession last September and I’m looking forward to achieving even more next year.

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Spenser Rocky BCom 2009 After two years at the Boston Consulting Group, I’ve left to run pricing and promotions at Mobilicity—one of three new wireless phone companies. It’s fun to be one of the underdogs fighting to upset Canada’s cushy telco cartel! Still living in Toronto and loving it.

2010S Martina Valkovicova MBA 2010 I spent my summer in Kenya with the Sauder Africa Initiative for a second time, teaching youth in Nairobi slums how to develop their own businesses. It is the best project I have ever been involved in and I hope to stay involved for a very long time.

Adrian Law DAP 2010 After completing the DAP program in December 2010, I went traveling in Morocco with my wife for almost three weeks. It was an exhilarating and terrifying experience to be in North Africa for the first time! When I returned, I worked temporarily as an IT technician at the Faculty of Arts, UBC. During the summer of 2011, I went camping in the USA and visited Zion Canyon (in picture), Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon.

All three canyons were spectacular and different in their own way. Finally, in September 2011, I started a new career at PriceWaterhouseCoopers as a New Associate and am currently auditing my first client company. I hope to complete my CA training in three short years.

Navida Nuraney MBA 2010 In January I became the Executive Director of ArtStarts in Schools, a not-for-profit organization that promotes art and creativity among British Columbia’s young people. My MBA combined with my experience in the arts sector made me well aligned to land my dream job—one that combines the arts and business. Months have passed and I still love the challenge of my role where I manage a staff of seven, a budget of $1.4 million, and where I work to achieve the overall aims of the society through the implementation of our strategic plan. Come visit ArtStarts’ public gallery in downtown Vancouver at 808 Richards Street—Canada’s first for young people’s art.

Ashar Kazi BCom 2011 I got plenty of stories from a short travel to the UK and Karachi this summer; too many to mention. I was back in Vancouver within three weeks and I started getting bored after sitting at home for 10 days so I jumped on the first opportunity I found.

I’ve been working for Phoenix Media Direct in Burnaby for about three months and I’ve been trying to bring some changes in their processes.

I never knew how to make websites, but I just completed their content website, which is live on phoenixmedia.ca (It’s SOOOO much better than what it was a week ago). Now I’m building an online store for a very extensive range of products. I’m actually an Account Manager here so I was primarily hired to deal with clients in

Surrey, Langley and Delta—which is a massive region for one person to handle all printing businesses.

I’m looking to relocate somewhere within Canada to get a hang of the several other places on this massive chunk of land.

continuing to write newspaper columns and books.

Bill will be greatly missed by his many friends and colleagues at the School and the University, and by the Canadian public policy community.

in memoriam

reunions

William T. (Bill) Stanbury BCom 1966 It is with great sadness that we announce that William T. (Bill) Stanbury passed away at his home near Guadalajara, Mexico on October 27 after a short illness. Bill earned his BCom at UBC in 1966 and went on to complete his MA in 1969, and his PhD in Economics in 1972 at the University of California at Berkeley. From 1970 to 2000, when he took early retirement, he served as a faculty member in the Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration (later renamed the Sauder School of Business), retiring as the UPS Foundation Professor of Regulation and Competition Policy.

He was a prolific scholar and larger-thanlife character who became one of the country’s best-known policy economists. Over his career, with more than 200 publications including many monographs, edited volumes and policy studies, he made important contributions to the debates surrounding public policy in relation to competition policy, regulation, privatization, the financing of political parties, and many other areas. In 1989, Bill won both the Jacob Biely and Killam Research Prizes at UBC. In 1996–97, he held the T.D. MacDonald Chair in Industrial Economics at the Competition Bureau.

He was a regular advisor to government agencies including the Canadian Competition Bureau, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, the Law Reform Commission of Canada, the federal Office of Privatization and Regulatory Affairs, and the federal Treasury Board, and testified before several parliamentary committees on competition policy, airline regulation/ deregulation, and the regulatory process.

Bill remained active after retirement from UBC,

BCom 1961 50th Anniversary Reunion The BCom Class of 1961 celebrated their 50th anniversary in style with a three-course dinner at the Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club on September 16, 2011. The Development and Alumni Engagement Office decorated the venue with photos of UBC and Sauder in the sixties, which was very well received by the alumni.

Before dinner, the alumni enjoyed a tour of the new Henry Angus Building, which features expanded and upgraded spaces for studying, collaboration, connection, and service. Special thanks to the Reunion Committee—David Howard, Michael Leckie, Bill Garriock and Doug Butterworth—for their hard work and interest in creating a great experience for their classmates!

Thank you to everyone who attended!

BCom 1975, 1976 and 1977 Reunion The BCom Classes of 1975, 1976 and 1977 held a reunion at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club on September 16, 2011. To kick off the event, a large group of alumni enjoyed a tour of the newly renovated Henry Angus building. Daniel Muzyka, Dean of the Sauder School of Business, was pleased to host this great alumni gathering where alumni had the opportunity to reconnect and share memories and stories from their time at UBC. Thank you to the Reunion Committee— Mike Andruff (1975), Don Nilson (1976), Barry Fenton (1977), Greg McPhie (1976) and Gary Moore (1976)—for their enthusiasm in organizing this event! Thanks also to everyone from the BCom Classes of 1975, 1976 and 1977 who attended and helped make this such a wonderful event!

upcoming reunions The BCom 1957 Reunion will take place on April 3, 2012. It will include a building tour with Dean Daniel Muzyka at 9:30 a.m. and brunch at the home of alumnus John Savage in West Vancouver.

The BCom 1982 Reunion will take place in October 2012. Details to come.

Planning for the BCom 1962 Reunion is underway. Details to come.

For more information about these reunions, please contact Sharlene Cheu, at 604-827-4616, or Sharlene.Cheu@sauder.ubc.ca. We look forward to seeing you next year!

Contact us Is your information missing or incorrect?

Just let us know by emailing alumni@sauder.ubc.ca

Become a Sauder School of Business alumni contact Be a contact for Sauder School of Business and fellow alumni in your city, country or region.

Help counsel prospective students, advise new graduates, welcome summer interns and arrange alumni events.

To volunteer, contact us today!

We can be reached at: Tel: 604-822-6801 Fax: 604-822-0592 e-mail: alumni@sauder.ubc.ca We always appreciate your feedback on events and programs in support of alumni activities.

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In memoriam: Sauder School mourns loss of friend and supporter Milton K. Wong 1939-2011 One of the Sauder School of Business’s strongest supporters, prominent Vancouver businessman and philanthropist Milton Wong passed away on New Year’s Eve at the age of 72.

THE UBC ALUMNUS WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF SAUDER’S

Portfolio Management Foundation (PMF), a program that gives students real-world experience investing in the capital markets. Dedicating his time, expertise and financial support, Wong established and helped launch the program in 1986 with fellow founders Murray Leith and Michael Ryan.

“Milton was a visionary. He understood the need for well-trained investment professionals to manage changes affecting the financial industries and worked tirelessly to ensure that our students were ready to take them on,” says Daniel Muzyka, Dean of the Sauder School of Business. “He will be remembered for his generosity and dedication to the community, and as an inspirational figure for a generation of BC entrepreneurs and business people.”

Launched with an initial investment of $300,000, the two-year extracurricular PMF program allows a number of BCom students to work with a real portfolio of stocks and bonds, now valued at $4.5 million. Until recently, Wong met regularly with PMF classes to provide insight from his years of experience into what is necessary to succeed in the capital markets. The program now has more than 130 alumni working in the financial industry around the world.

Milton K. Wong grew up in Vancouver’s Chinatown as the eighth of nine children of an immigrant tailor. He graduated from UBC in 1963 after studying political science and economics, and established the financial management firm M.K. Wong and Associates in 1980. After HSBC bought the firm in 1996, he went on to serve as non-executive chairman of HSBC Asset Management (Canada) Ltd., managing billions of dollars in global assets.

During his successful career, Wong purchased the Chinese Freemasons’ building at Pender and Carrall, where his father had started Modernize Tailors in 1913. He restored it and converted the upper floors into housing for seniors.

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“Milton Wong was a builder, constantly looking for ways to make Canada better.

He was, quite simply, one of the most generous and genuinely thoughtful people that I have ever met.”

— Stephen Toope, UBC President

Wong remained engaged with UBC throughout his life and was a generous donor and supporter of the late Michael Smith’s human genome sequencing project at the university.

“Milton Wong was a builder, constantly looking for ways to make Canada better,” says UBC President Stephen Toope. “He was, quite simply, one of the most generous and genuinely thoughtful people that I have ever met.”

Wong leaves a remarkable legacy. He was one of the instigators of The Laurier Institution as well as the Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival, and played a major role in supporting many First Nations initiatives, land claims, and business partnerships.

Among his many honours, Wong was named to the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia for his contributions to education and public service. He was inducted into the 2012 Business Laureates of BC Hall of Fame, and was awarded the City of Vancouver’s highest honour, the Freedom of the City Award.

A tireless supporter of higher education, Wong served two terms as Chancellor of Simon Fraser University, from 1999 to 2005. He was instrumental in raising funds for and supporting organizations such as the BC Cancer Foundation, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Science World, and the YWCA. Milton Wong is survived by his wife Fei, daughters Andrea, Sarah and Elizabeth, sons-inlaw Kevin and Joe, and three grandchildren. ■

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POINTS OF VIEW

My journey. Your journey.

Throughout this issue of Viewpoints, you have read about UBC’s start an evolution campaign. Evolution may be defined as a process of “formation or growth,” or “gradual, peaceful, progressive change or development.” This campaign invites you to engage with your alma mater and our alumni network as you grow and change.

HOW DOES STARTING AN EVOLUTION APPLY TO YOU AND

“The ‘start an evolution’ campaign is about changing the world for the better.”

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your relationship with the Sauder School of Business?

Throughout your life and career, each and every one of you—our Sauder alumni—will undergo your own unique evolution, transforming from a student to a professional, a leader, a mentor and a global citizen.

The school has been part my own evolution, too.

Since 1999, with the exception of three years I spent running a consulting practice, Sauder and UBC have been a part of my own evolution as I developed my professional skills, volunteered and gave back.

When I needed leadership training I turned to Sauder, and was inspired to become a more creative leader from the late Peter Frost; learned finance for non-financial types from the beloved Steve Alisheran, and studied managerial economics with the renowned Professor Brander. My studies continue today, and—once a year—I also volunteer to run a teamdevelopment workshop for our PMF students. Of course, believing in the importance of environment on education, I am also a donor to the Opening Worlds Campaign. The school has been with me throughout my journey and will be my partner as I continue to evolve.

How can you connect and further your own evolution? Reach out to the Alumni Career Manager in the Business Career Centre, remain current by taking courses through Executive Education, volunteer to mentor or speak to students, or support an area you would like to see developed at your school.

The start an evolution campaign is about changing the world for the better. As someone who works every day with alumni like you to find out how to better engage you, I am proud of the impact that Sauder’s alumni and friends have on businesses, public organizations and communities around the world.

This campaign is UBC’s hand extended to you, to leverage the global network, resources, and engagement opportunities the Sauder School of Business makes available to you as you evolve. We all look forward to joining you along your journey. ■ Sheila Biggers ASSOCIATE DEAN, DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT

ALUMNI IN FOCUS

Gain insight into fellow members of the alumni community.

HELINE LAM

Degree and grad year: BCom 1997

Traits you admire most in others: Patience and empathy

Current home city: Singapore Talent you would most like to have: Professional ID: Head of Talent Acquisition, Private Bank, North & South

The ability to cook (my husband seconds this)

East Asia at Standard Chartered Bank Last book you couldn’t put down: Business motto or philosophy: Passion is key to success and fulfillment In business today, it’s important to... have the highest level of integrity Most valuable thing learned since

There are so many! Chasing Daylight: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life by Eugene O’Kelly Most listened to: Amy Winehouse Gadget of choice: iPhone

graduation: Family comes first Your best-kept secret (what most people Biggest risk taken ever taken: I changed careers in 2005 and moved to a place that I had not been to at that time—

don’t know about you): It wouldn’t be a best-kept secret if I tell you, now would it? :)

Shanghai, from Hong Kong Favourite journey: My honeymoon with Greatest achievement to date: I successfully changed careers from a

my husband, more than three years ago in Germany, Spain and Plzen

Private Banker to HR professional, and met my husband during the process!

Where will you be in 10 years?

Wherever life may lead...

Person you admire most and why (living or historical figure): My father; he has an incredible heart and is very loving, hard working and persistent

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