degroote alumni report - fall 2011
DESCRIPTION
The Alumni Report is a publication of the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University. In this issue read about alumnus Shawn Cheung and his work as founder of Raising a Village, a Canadian charity focused on alleviating poverty in Uganda. Also featured are Alumna Maja Prvanovic-Kogut, owner of Zoran Designs in Hamilton, Dr. Nick Bontis' new book "Information Bombardment" and more.TRANSCRIPT
ww
w.d
egro
ote.
mcm
aste
r.ca
Fall
2011
Alumni ReportAlumni Report
Also in this issue:A diamond in the rough Information bombardment
Shawn Cheung’s
Raising the Village
The Alumni Report is a publication of the DeGroote School of Business and is managed by the External Relations Office.
Editor: Leah Rosenthal
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40063416
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:DeGroote School of Business,McMaster University1280 Main Street West, DSB-116Hamilton, ON L8S 4M4E-mail: [email protected] site: www.degroote.mcmaster.ca
ALUMNI OFFICER MESSAGE ........3
EVENTS CALENDAR .......................4
DEAN ON DECK ..............................5
DEGROOTE NEwS ..........................6
MAIN STORy ...................................8
ALUMNI PROFILES .......................11
RESEARCh @ DEGROOTE ...........14
ALUMNI COLUMN ........................15
Inside
Alum
ni R
epor
t •
Fall
2011
On the Cover: Shawn Cheung’s Raising the Village
Alumni profiles
Are you or do you know another alumni member who has taken a ‘road less traveled’? Someone who has carved out an interesting career off the beaten path? Did your professional adventures take you to one of the far-flung corners of the world? Please contact Kellie Rabak, [email protected], and share the details of where you found yourself since you graduated.
Did you know…?
2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the MBA program? We are planning a DeGroote celebration next June to mark this milestone occasion. If you are interested in assisting with the planning or alumni outreach for your class, please contact Kellie Rabak: [email protected]
Keep in touch
In the flurry of all the details to keep track of when you move or change jobs, you may not think to connect with DeGroote to let us know about your address, business or email changes. Please drop Kellie Rabak, [email protected], a quick email and we will update your information so you won’t have to worry about missing an Alumni Report, event invitation or e-newsletter.
Help! There’s a hole on our wall!
Help! Our Commerce 1996 class composite is MIA! Under the cover of darkness, someone has absconded with the class photo! If you are a member of that class and would like to donate your copy, we would be most grateful to display it on our ‘wall of fame’. For more information, please contact Kellie Rabak: [email protected]
DeGroote Mentor Program – alumni wanted!
Are you passionate about your career and willing to share your experiences with current DeGroote students? If so, the DeGroote Mentor Program is a perfect opportunity to connect with future business leaders and help guide them with any career advice you may have to offer. To learn more about the DeGroote Mentor Program and how to get involved as a mentor please email us at [email protected].
Attention AIESEC alumni
AIESEC McMaster is pleased to celebrate its 31st year as one of the 28 Local Committees in AIESEC Canada. It doesn’t matter if you have not been involved with AIESEC for a while. All that matters is that you are interested and excited to come out to the events or stay in touch virtually through social media, mentorship or alumni publications. For more information, please contact Angelina: [email protected] or find us on Facebook under “AIESEC McMaster-Non Profit Organization”. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Get InvolvedClaudia Hung
DeGroote School of Business Alumni Report - Fall ‘11 3
This past June I had the privilege of attending the spring convocation ceremony as the
School of Business welcomed almost 700 new alumni. The majority of the graduates transi-
tioned from the Commerce program with MBA grads following with a significant representa-
tion of 200. We were also pleased to welcome three new PhD alumni as well as three from
the Master of Communications Management program.
With the addition of these new alumni members, DeGroote now boasts a population of
more than 16,000 alumni! Although most of our alumni reside and work in Ontario, with a
heavy concentration in the GTA, we have alumni on all continents and living in many coun-
tries around the world. Some have returned to their homeland, while others sought opportu-
nities after graduating to work abroad or overseas.
It’s great to hear from our alumni near and far. There are several alumni in the area who
call or send me emails regularly to say hello or chat about upcoming events, or even make
suggestions about what programs they would like to see. A little further away, I had a recent
conversation with an alumnus in New York City who is anxious to connect with fellow alum-
ni in the area. I was also pleased to meet with another alumnus from the MBA ’86 class who
traveled from Hong Kong and made time during his personal travels to visit the campus and
reconnect with some of his former professors.
On Alumni Weekend in June, we hosted MBA reunion celebrations from the 1991 and
2001/2002 classes. Our guests enjoyed a reception and dinner at the new Burlington campus,
the Ron Joyce Centre. The majority of our guests traveled from within a close proximity to
the event; however we were delighted to see alumni who arranged travel from Ottawa, Cali-
fornia and Florida! It was a wonderful evening for classmates to get together, share memories
and reconnect with McMaster and the School of Business.
I’m very excited about our upcoming fall program: Commerce reunions; the HSM alumni
dinner; and our new alumni speaker series. I look forward to seeing the many alumni who
support our events regularly as well as those who have recently graduated and are coming
to one of our events for the first time.
A warm welcome to all of our new alumni members! You are in excellent company and we
wish you the very best as you embark on your career adventures. To all of our alumni – we
continue to be very proud of your successes and we thank you for being our dedicated
DeGroote ambassadors!
Kellie Rabak, Hons. BA ‘90
Alumni Officer, DeGroote School of Business
Ph: 905-525-9140 ext. 26971
Alumni Of f icer Message
Events Calendar
Alumni Wine & Cheese Networking Event WEDNESDAy, SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
Ron Joyce Centre, Burlington
Connect with our newest MBA students and help them develop their networking skills.
For more information please contact Leahann Renaud: [email protected]
DeGroote Health Services Management Alumni DinnerTHURSDAy, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011
Ron Joyce Centre, Burlington
Networking reception: 6:00 pmDinner: 7:00 pmSpeaker presentation: 8:15 pm
For more information or to register, please contact Kellie Rabak: [email protected]
Company Information Sessions MONDAy, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011
Beginning September 19 opportunities for recruiting partners to brand their organization and meet interested candidates.
Please contact Leahann Renaud for more details: [email protected]
McMaster Career Fair (all Faculties) THURSDAy, SEPTEMBER 22, 2011
David Braley Athletic Centre, McMaster University
Contact Leahann Renaud for more information on how to participate: [email protected]
Commerce Class Reunions: 1976, 1986, 1991 and 2001HOMECOMING WEEKEND SATURDAy, OCTOBER 1, 2011
DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University
Reception and Dinner starting at 6:00 pm
For more information or to register, please contact Kellie Rabak: [email protected]
Mock Interview Night: Commerce & MBATUESDAy, OCTOBER 4, 2011
Ron Joyce Centre, Burlington
Help students prepare for job interviews.
Please contact Leahann Renaud for more details: [email protected]
DeGroote Alumni Speaker SeriesFALL 2011
This fall, we are pleased to present a series of dynamic alumni speakers who will share their experience and professional insights with students and fellow alumni.
Please check our website for complete details on this exciting program:www.degroote.mcmaster.ca/ alumni/events.html
Cup o’ Joe with Alumni FALL 2011
There are various opportunities throughout the fall for DeGroote alumni to come and speak to current MBA students in an informal setting. Enjoy a light breakfast and a cup o’ joe!
Please contact Leahann Renaud for more details: [email protected]
4 DeGroote School of Business Alumni Report - Fall ‘11
Alum
ni R
epor
t •
Fall
2011
DeGroote School of Business Alumni Report - Fall ‘11 5
Dean on Deck
One year at the RJCOne year ago this month, the DeGroote
School of Business’ Ron Joyce Centre
opened its doors. The RJC, as it quickly
became known, is McMaster’s bold-
est move to expand its campus outside
of Hamilton. Located in Burlington on
South Service Road, the RJC is home to
DeGroote’s MBA and executive education
programs.
Approximately 440 students made up
the 2010-11 MBA class spread across the
co-op, full-time, accelerated and part-
time streams. We’re on track to exceed
that number this year with an anticipated
enrolment of approximately 470 MBA
students. Back on the main campus, we’re
also welcoming a near record number of
first year students to the undergraduate
commerce program.
Executive education is a major focus of
the Ron Joyce Centre, which allows us to
expand our programs and provide a wide
variety of education opportunities to busi-
ness clients in the Greater Toronto Area
and Golden Horseshoe.
Between September 2010 and the end
of June 2011, more than 440 executives
participated in open enrolment and cus-
tom executive education programs offered
at the RJC.
One of our most popular offerings
in our new suite of programs was the
five-day Executive Management Program
which focuses on accounting, leader-
ship, crisis communications, new product
development and strategic planning. The
Executive Management Program will be
offered again in October.
This fall we have a large number of
executive programs running – 15 at last
count – including 10 newly developed
courses. Each program is designed to fit
with the working professional’s lifestyle
and to provide immediate impact in their
day-to-day business life. Visit our web
site to learn more and to enroll in one of
our programs.
One of our goals with RJC is for the
facility and its programs to form a hub for
academic and economic collaboration in
Burlington and the Halton Region. One
year into operation, I am pleased to say
we’re well on our way to achieving that
goal.
The Burlington and Halton communities
have been engaged in DeGroote’s expan-
sion from the very start, as advocates and
funders during the early stages and now
as some of the biggest users of the build-
ing and its services. Local government,
businesses and community organizations
have also warmly welcomed McMaster to
Burlington.
Events hosted at the RJC include Burl-
ington’s Sound of Music Festival Line-up
Release Party, custom training programs
for Burlington and Halton staff, a two-day
conference for firefighters, and public
lectures through Burlington Mayor Rick
Goldring’s Inspire Burlington lecture
series. Beyond the building, there is also
immense support for our students with
many organizations funding scholarships
and recruiting Co-op students and gradu-
ates.
The Ron Joyce Centre is a space to
inspire community, collaboration and pas-
sion for learning. While we have enjoyed
great success in our first year, there is
always room to expand, develop and
improve. I invite the alumni and business
communities to share in our continuous
journey for excellence at the RJC.
Visit www.degroote.mcmaster.ca/rjc/ to
learn more about the RJC and its programs
and how you can be a part of this exciting
time in DeGroote’s history.
Mike Lalich
Bob McNutt, interim dean at the DeGroote School of Business, reflects on one year at the RJC.
Alum
ni R
epor
t •
Fall
2011
DeGroote News
6 DeGroote School of Business Alumni Report - Fall ‘11
Social mediaDo you have an account on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter?
So does the DeGroote School of Business! Join the con-
versation and stay engaged with the DeGroote community.
Share your experiences and network with other alumni.
Stay up-to-date on DeGroote news and events.
■ Become a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/degrootebiz
■ Join the official LinkedIn group at www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=44151
■ Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/degrootebiz
Connect with DeGroote and each other today.
“The board should have been on high alert. It should have had a red flag up there…they have
laid out the rules of conduct that they expect of all of their members, certainly staff.”
Chris Bart, discussing corporate governance of the IMF in The Toronto Star
“The market must be expecting a huge growth in revenue and profit to justify that level of market cap,
especially since the company is not expected to show a profit again for at least several quarters.”
Michael Carnegie, discussing LinkedIn’s IPO in The Globe and Mail
“Patients aren’t good at regulating their use of the healthcare system and a physician gets paid every time a patient comes in…So you have rampant growth in the use of physician services.”
Christopher Longo, discussing healthcare in The National Post
“It sends a signal to the rest of the world that Canada is pushing the envelope. For companies, there are real outcomes from these work-family measures, most notably recruitment and reduction of voluntary turnover and workplace discontent.”
Nick Bontis, discussing Quebec’s Work-Family Balance accreditation system in The Globe and Mail
DeGr
oote
In T
he N
ews
TM
Suzanne Labarge, a distinguished graduate of McMaster University, received an honorary degree at convocation from the DeGroote School of Business in June. Labarge is now retired after a successful career in senior executive positions at the federal government and the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). She currently serves on the Board of Gover-nors for McMaster.
FBC Soccer TeamBecoming a part of the Burlington community is some-thing that students at the Ron Joyce Centre feel passion-ately about. So much so, that Focus Business Consulting sponsored and coached a soccer team from the Burlington Youth Soccer Club this summer. The team was made up of 15 boys in the Under 14 age group. FBC is an MBA student-run consulting firm that operates in partnership with the DeGroote School of Business to offer consulting service solutions to companies of all sizes.
RJC Food DriveThe students, staff and faculty at the Ron Joyce Centre held a food drive in partner-ship with the United Way of Burlington and Greater Hamilton from May 16 to June 2 to give back to the Burlington community by raising awareness of youth hunger in the area. The collected food items were donated to Halton Food For Thought, a United Way agency that provides nutrition pro-grams for youth.
Doors Open BurlingtonMore than 160 people visited the Ron Joyce Centre on June 11 and 12 as part of Doors Open Burlington. Visitors were very impressed with the facility with many positive comments about the spacious rooms and
quality of the space.
Top 40 Under 40Commerce graduate Naman Budhdeo ‘96 was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, an award celebrating the accomplishments of excep-tional young Canadians. Budhdeo started FlightNetwork.com, an online travel agency in 2005. The company has grown from a single part-time employee at its creation, to 260 employees. It has now become the second largest online travel agency in Canada, with five per cent of the market share. Budhdeo also created a software company, FareMatrix, and lead generating another company called Booking Navigator.
■ Become a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/degrootebiz
■ Join the official LinkedIn group at www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=44151
■ Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/degrootebiz
Connect with DeGroote and each other today.
DeGroote School of Business Alumni Report - Fall ‘11 7
DeGroote News
“I obviously think very highly of the school. I think it is really underrecognized on Bay Street for the quality of people it produces.”
Adam Felesky ’99, discussing his donation to DeGroote in The Hamilton Spectator
“Successful businesses have an obligation to give back to the communities that supported their profitable growth – to balance the life cycle of needs for both them and their community.”
Murray Hogarth, discussing his donation to DeGroote in The Hamilton Spectator
“The great thing is that team reps can come in here, see what’s available and we can show them the quality and reinforce that it’s made locally. Some people are surprised by that.”
Ben Van Mierlo ‘10, discussing Niko Apparel’s Team Headquarters owned by Joe Camillo ‘87 in The Hamilton Spectator
“It’s enough to pay for all the orphan drugs for all the rare diseases that we currently deny people in this
province. That’s service. That’s front-line provision of care. When you put it into that sort of context, I don’t
see any value whatsoever having LHINs in place.”
Wayne Taylor, discussing spending on Ontario’s Local Health Integration Networks in The Hamilton Spectator
“We are grateful to Adam Felesky for helping to lead this wonderful gift to McMaster. He is someone
who has had great personal and professional success and we are very proud of him.”
Patrick Deane, discussing the donation to DeGroote by Adam Felesky ‘99 and Horizons Exchange
Traded Funds in The Hamilton Spectator
DeGr
oote
In T
he N
ews
DeGroote alumni recruiters for fall 2011 Co-op work term
The Centre for Business Career Development appreciates the continuing partnership support received from our DeGroote alumni. We wish to recognize the following alumni who returned to recruit our MBA Co-op students for the fall 2011 Work Term:
Mo Bhamani ‘06, KPMG
Mark Bleiwas ‘01, CresaPartners
Todd Brien ‘05, ArcelorMittal Dofasco
Laura Cherubin ’01, FedEx
Aman Dhaliwal, ’07, Hamilton Health Sciences
Lori Franze ‘00, Rosetta
Mike Heenan ’08, Credit Valley Hospital
Brian Herechuk, ’09, St. Joseph’s Hamilton Health Care
Deanna Heroux, ’04, KPMG
Melissa Jacobson Graham ‘97, Becton Dickinson Canada
Beena Mistry ’04, Hoffmann-La Roche
Doug Murray ‘92, William Osler Health System
Kristen Moore Petten ‘03, ArcelorMittal Dofasco
Nadia Sartor, ’04, Eli Lilly
Neil Shah ‘07, St. Michael’s Hospital
Scott Sherwood ‘10, Teva Canada
yvonne Sinniah ‘05, Central West LHIN
David Stolte, ’92, York Central Hospital
Jason Weshler ‘06, Siemens
Tom Lumley ‘00, Ontario Power Generation
Gia Marasco ‘05, William Osler
We are also proud to announce these companies as new employer partners with DeGroote:
Innovation Factory, Rosetta, Simply Good Technologies*NOTE: This list is not all-inclusive as recruitment for the fall 2011 work
term will continue until early September.
It is our pleasure to invite you to participate in DeGroote’s 2011/2012 fall on-campus recruitment (OCR) programs. This is an excellent opportunity for your company to recruit the most skilled and qualified MBA Co-op candidates, as well as DeGroote business students for your full-time graduate and summer op-portunities.
At DeGroote’s Centre for Business Career Development (CBCD), we are readily available to support your recruiting initiatives, with students available to meet your short and long-term employ-ment needs. With offices at each of the Hamilton and Burlington campuses, our teams will endorse your industry specific requests and ensure that your job posting and interview process are man-aged seamlessly.
Our services are offered cost-free and can include:•Recruitment planning with a Relationship Manager•Posting your position on McMaster’s online job posting system
(OSCARplus)•Hosting on-campus interviews, including lunch and refreshments•Support for on-campus recruitment events
Our OCR process is committed to developing strategic partner-ships by meeting your specific recruitment needs on several levels. To learn more about our fall recruitment programs, or for more information about how CBCD can support your organiza-tion, visit us online today! http://www.degroote.mcmaster.ca/recruit/grad_summer.html
To submit an employment opportunity for fall recruitment, please email your job-posting to:[email protected] – MBA Co-op [email protected] – Graduate & Summer Recruitment
Recruit @ DeGroote: Post your MBA Co-op and Grad/Summer roles now!
Alum
ni R
epor
t •
Fall
2011
Main Story
8 DeGroote School of Business Alumni Report - Fall ‘11
Raising the Village
Claudia Hung
DeGroote School of Business Alumni Report - Fall ‘11 9
Shawn Cheung ‘05, Executive Director of
Raising the Village, believes that it takes a
village to raise a child. A graduate of the
DeGroote School of Business commerce
program in 2005, Cheung founded Rais-
ing the Village, a Canadian charity focused
on alleviating poverty in rural and hard to
reach places in Uganda.
After hitch-hiking across Africa, Cheung
came back to Canada realizing that people
were living in extreme poverty without
access to the resources that could help
them realize their potential. Cheung saw
that along with the pride and dignity of
the rural villages he visited, there was a
deep desire to learn. The people he met
didn’t want to be saved, they wanted to be
educated.
Cheung returned to Canada on a mission
to research the best way to provide these
communities with sustainable solutions to
the problems they were facing. Cheung
called upon professors from his time at
McMaster University to help him create his
charity’s approach.
“What is unique about McMaster Univer-
sity is its doors open policy. After coming
back from Uganda and seeing the need and
recognizing that I needed to do something,
I approached several professors to help
me. Their advice and time was priceless to
the structure and planning of Raising the
Village,” says Cheung.
After three years of research, strategic
modelling, design, and considerations, Rais-
ing the Village became a registered charity
in 2009. What sets Raising the Village apart
from other organizations is their mandate
to support the development of sustainable
communities by empowering the commu-
nity itself through education beyond the
four walls of the classroom.
The World Bank estimates that there are
1.4 billion people living in extreme poverty
in households earning less than $1.25 US
per day. The burden of extreme poverty
is a reality for many people in Sub Saha-
ran Africa including many people living in
Uganda. Uganda has a population of 31.7
million people, with 17.7 million under the
age of 18. Combined with high levels of
poverty and illiteracy, Raising the Village is
working with some communities where the
average household income is as little as 10
cents a day.
Cheung has heard the overwhelming po-
sition of people in Raising the Village com-
munities: “We are willing and able; show
us how to do it.” Raising the Village works
to lift the human spirit, overcome poverty,
and nurture growth by empowering people
By Leah Rosenthal ‘07
“We go into these remote villages and we change their lives. We change the day-to-day focus of pure survival into a
sustainable community. My greatest accomplishment? Hope. These people began to dream - and dream big- for the first time.”
– Shawn Cheung
Brendan Maynard
Claudia Hung
Claudia Hung
Developing a sustainable water supply.
Building sustainable housing.
10 DeGroote School of Business Alumni Report - Fall ‘11
with education. The charity aims to de-
velop truly sustainable local solutions – one
community at a time.
“I never imagined that we’d be dealing
with the challenges and needs which arise.
We’re appreciative of the support of the
government, the leaders and the communi-
ty members themselves. This collaborative
effort is what truly drives change in these
villages to occur,” says Cheung.
The need for sustainable education is
a challenge that Raising the Village faces
head on. Since 2009, Raising the Village has
been working together with six extremely
poor and remote villages in Uganda.
Communities such as Kanga, where the
average income is between 15 and 25 cents
per day, didn’t believe it was financially
feasible to educate its children. When
Raising the Village first arrived in Kanga,
the community had a population of 3,000
and a landscape primarily made up of rain
forest. The village was isolated, with roads
washed out for months during the rainy
season, limited infrastructure and access to
clean drinking water.
Since partnering with Raising the Village,
Kanga has developed a community owned
self-sustainable school house, with several
classrooms to provide subsidized and free
primary education to approximately 200
students. This community is committed to
participating in the self-sustainable agricul-
tural program, to raise and harvest crops
to provide a free meal lunch program and
to sell the remaining crops, with revenue
to cover teacher salaries, school supplies
and fees. Within the first six months it has
provided over 60,000 free school meals, not
including second and third helpings.
Cheung’s greatest accomplishment is to
bring hope to places like Kanga. “We go
into these remote villages and we change
their lives. We change the day-to-day focus
of pure survival into a sustainable commu-
nity. My greatest accomplishment? Hope.
These people began to dream – and dream
big – for the first time.”
Special thanks to Catriel Silver ’05
for recommending Shawn Cheung
and his work. Please email Leah Rosenthal
[email protected] if you have
suggestions for our next issue.
Claudia Hung
Claudia HungClaudia Hung
Alum
ni R
epor
t •
Fall
2011
Children taking in a daily lesson in a newly constructed classroom.
Students are ready to learn.
Self-sustainable agricultural programs are adopted by the villages.
Alumni Profile
DeGroote School of Business Alumni Report - Fall ‘11 11
Sapphire. Amethyst. Gold. Silver. Diamond.
The downtown is really starting to sparkle.
Maja Prvanovic-Kogut ‘02 hopes she
has added a gem to downtown Hamilton
after moving her family jewellery business,
Zoran Designs, from Westdale to the city’s
core.
“Right now I’m battling against the stigma
surrounding the area, but I can see the
potential for making this a beautiful down-
town,” says Prvanovic-Kogut, owner of
the store. “I’m relying on that feeling, that
vibe, that this is going to be a great place.
But I am a business grad after all; I did my
research and this is a prime location.”
Prvanovic-Kogut completed her under-
graduate degree in commerce in 2002 at
the DeGroote School of Business, special-
izing in marketing. “It provided me with an
artistic outlet and created an opportunity
for flexibility in my career choice – I could
stay with my family business, or move on to
something else.”
Her father, Zoran Prvanovic started the
business after immigrating to Canada from
Serbia. He began designing jewellery and
selling his creations at festivals and art
shows, and eventually opened his first store
in 1997 in Westdale.
Prvanovic-Kogut helped out in the store
throughout her undergraduate education.
Unsure of what she wanted to do after
graduation, she decided to work in the
store for a year. After the year was up,
Prvanovic-Kogut knew she wanted stay
with the family business.
“One of the benefits of having a local
family operate this business is that we have
a personal connection with customers. We
go through milestones with them – gradua-
tions, weddings, anniversaries, new babies.”
Since her parents are reaching retirement
age, Prvanovic-Kogut has taken over the
store officially. “They’ve put their whole
lives into this store and it’s time for them to
be able to relax. I can do this,” she says. “I
never do anything unless I’m going to do it
right.”
She has been keeping up the tradition
her parents established of offering unique,
custom made jewellery and quality custom-
er service. But she is also making the busi-
ness her own with a modern store design
and a fresh location.
“The amazing thing about this family
business is that it went from a booth, to
a store, and now to an even better store,”
says Prvanovic-Kogut. “My aim is to con-
tinue improving. I just want to get better
and better and moving downtown is the
next step.”
Prvanovic-Kogut knows she is taking a
risk, but sees promise in the new location.
She hopes that the move will make Zoran
Designs one of the businesses that people
associate with the downtown.
“It is turning into a centre for arts and
culture and I am excited about investing in
that,” says Prvanovic-Kogut. “The down-
town is the heart and soul of Hamilton.”
Zoran Designs is located at 285 King
Street East, Hamilton, across from
Denninger’s.
By Victoria Coates
A diamond in the rough
Leah Rosenthal
Students are ready to learn.
Self-sustainable agricultural programs are adopted by the villages.
Alumni Profile
From working the night shift at Walmart
when he and his young family first im-
migrated to Canada, to heading up energy
projects in Suncor, Canada’s largest inte-
grated oil and gas producer, Chitram
Lutchman is living the Canadian dream.
The road to success started back in 2000,
when Lutchman graduated with an MBA
from the DeGroote School of Business.
A then shift employee of Petro-Canada
Oakville Refinery in a single income home,
Lutchman worked 40 hours over weekends
so that he could attend classes on a near
full-time basis to complete his MBA as
quickly as possible, while he continued to
provide for his family.
He graduated on the dean’s honour list
one semester after full-time students. Since
graduating from DeGroote, Lutchman has
completed a doctoral degree in business
administration, obtained both Canadian
Registered Safety Processional (CRSP) and
Certified Safety Professional (CSP) designa-
tions.
“Education is invaluable. It opens doors
for you. But the rest is up to you and
depends on what you can deliver. My time
at the DeGroote School of Business helped
give me the tools but it was up to me to go
out and use the tools,” says Lutchman.
Lutchman used his knowledge from his
home country of Trinidad and Tobago and
his MBA education to quickly become an
experienced professional with extensive
frontline and leadership experience in the
energy industry. As his career evolved, and
reflecting on a disability sustained much
earlier in his career from an industrial work
accident, Lutchman developed a passion
for improving health and safety in the
workplace and this is the area where he
currently focuses his attention.
With international oil and gas experi-
ence, Lutchman has experienced the
extremes of organizational health and
safety practices. As an employee of Suncor
Energy Inc., Canada’s largest oil and gas
producer, he pioneered work within his
organization aimed at improving contractor
health and safety management.
“Oil and gas is a high risk industry
with many of the projects and tasks being
completed by separate contractors. With
75 per cent of work place injuries happen-
ing to the contracted workforce, I have
been tasked with figuring out a strategy
and practical solution to protect this valued
asset,” says Lutchman. “No one should
be hurt at work. And with the support of
my employer, I am committed to finding
solutions that help prevent work place ac-
cidents.”
Lutchman recently published his first
book in 2010 – Project Execution: A practi-
cal approach to industrial and commercial
project management, which summarizes
his knowledge in planning, leadership and
health and safety. Lutchman is also the
principal author of a new book titled Safety
Management: A comprehensive approach
to developing a sustainable system, to be
released later this year.
With his training, skills and experience in
business, safety and technical operations,
Lutchman is among a selected few glob-
ally qualified professionals capable of tying
these three disciplines together.
Lutchman was awarded one of McMas-
ter’s most distinguished awards, the Arch
Award, this past April. The Arch Award
recognizes McMaster’s graduates for their
unique and interesting contributions to so-
ciety, their local community, and to McMas-
ter University. “The Arch Award opened my
eyes to the efforts of my past and the direct
way of helping society by giving back,”
said Lutchman. “I am so honoured to be
recognized but it is recognition for my
family, immediate and extended, as well. I
wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the
love, support and sacrifices of my wife and
children.”
By Leah Rosenthal ‘07
From Walmart to Suncor, a tale of living the Canadian dream
12 DeGroote School of Business Alumni Report - Fall ‘11
PhD Profile
DeGroote School of Business Alumni Report - Fall ‘11 13
Extensive researching, late nights reading,
and the endless analysis of data. Complet-
ing a PhD is no easy task, but for those
who love to learn it is invaluable.
DeGroote’s PhD program in business ad-
ministration offers students the opportunity
to study and conduct leading-edge research
with some of the top researchers in their
fields. The program allows students to gain
a world-class education that develops the
expertise needed to make a significant im-
pact on the business world through original
research. For recent graduates Christa
wilkin ‘11 (nee Austin) and Nicole
wagner ’11, the PhD program was all that
they hoped for and more.
After taking some courses at DeGroote
during an interdisciplinary masters program
in Labour Studies, Wilkin was drawn to
pursue a PhD at DeGroote in the human
resources stream.
“There is a lot of great research happen-
ing at DeGroote and I just basically wanted
to be a part of it,” says Wilkin.
She successfully defended her thesis
on people who feel they have been paid
unfairly. She concentrated on the emotions
impacting these people, particularly envy,
and the resulting counterproductive behav-
iours they engage in, such as theft. Wilkin
also examined how individual factors
such as personality can reduce theft in the
workplace. Her thesis was supported with
a competitive $40,000 national scholarship
from the Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council (SSHRC).
“It’s been a really great experience, and
I’m kind of sad that it is over, but excited
for the bigger and better opportunities that
are to come,” says Wilkin of her time at
DeGroote.
These new opportunities are already ma-
terializing for Wilkin who has accepted a
tenure track teaching position at California
State University. This job will allow her to
teach and continue her research on fairness
in the workplace, as well as study non-
standard workers and how their attitudes
and behaviours might be different from
those of permanent workers.
“It’s an aspiration that I’ve had since
coming into this program. It’s been my
end goal to have this tenure track position,”
says Wilkin.
Wagner achieved her PhD in Information
Systems. She investigated the differences
experienced by older and younger users
of a website, exploring their ability to de-
velop a mental model of the website, their
performance, and their feelings toward the
website.
Aside from her research and the theoreti-
cal knowledge she gained, Wagner, a busy
mom throughout her PhD, notes that there
is a lot more to be learned in the program.
“What I learned in the PhD program at
DeGroote was not just the content of what
I studied. It’s not just about the classes,
or just about the research. I learned a
lot about people and different types of
work environments. I learned about be-
ing accountable for myself and being self
guided,” says Wagner.
What’s next for Wagner? She has a
postdoctoral research position with
campus-wide libraries at McMaster. Wagner
is currently holding focus groups with dif-
ferent users of the library website to help
the library redesign their website to make it
more user-friendly.
By Victoria Coates
The pursuit of academia
Victoria Coates
Alum
ni R
epor
t •
Fall
2011
14 DeGroote School of Business Alumni Report - Fall ‘11
Research@DeGroote
What is the last thing you touch before
you go to bed? Ever feel your phone vibrate
in your pocket when it isn’t even in there?
You’re not alone. Recent research by Nick
Bontis, associate professor of strategy, has
shown tangible results for those who rely on
smartphones and suffer from uber-connec-
tivity.
Bontis received his first Social Sciences
and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
grant ten years ago. After receiving three
more, Bontis began research with two
DeGroote PhD graduates, Ofir Turel (PhD
’07) and Alexander Serenko (PhD ’05) on
a research study that focused on family and
work-related consequences of addiction to
work-related technology.
The results were published in 2011 in the
Information & Management Journal. Bontis
and his colleagues focused on 241 organiza-
tional mobile email users and studied their
levels of addiction, work overload, reliance
on technology and work-family conflict.
The research team found that addiction to
mobile devices related to increased family
conflict and work overload. In simple terms,
excessive use of one’s smartphone led to
feeling overwhelmed at work and tension
within one’s family life. This ultimately
results in a decrease of commitment to one’s
organization and higher levels of work-family
conflict.
“There are real economic and social impli-
cations to crackberry addiction. The average
Canadian smartphone user is receiving 84
emails every twenty-four hours and checking
them at night, on weekends and on vaca-
tion. Even though the numbers are alarming,
the evidence is all around us,” says Bon-
tis. “This study provided a natural bridge
between academic research and practical
implications. We all need to learn how to
work smarter, not harder.”
As an extension of his research activities,
Bontis launched his new book, Informa-
tion Bombardment: Rising above the digital
onslaught in April 2011. “The big problem
is that most of us have no idea how to filter,
organize and prioritize all the information we
receive,” says Bontis. “My BlackBerry was
supposed to allow me constant access and
connectivity in order to be more productive.
Ultimately, it has led to more stress, sleepless
nights, and phantom vibrations.”
Mobile digital devices have crossed all
boundaries of our lives, and some of us can’t
live without them. While we suffer from
the dangers of addiction, work overload,
and stress, we must never forget that oth-
ers around us (like our children) suffer as
well. Bontis and his colleagues have rung
the alarm on the dangers of these pervasive
technologies.
This particular research program originally
started with a SSHRC grant that was applied
for a decade earlier. The funding supported
data collection, doctoral students, a working
paper, a conference presentation, a peer-
reviewed publication and a series of outreach
presentations that the public benefits from.
That this cycle of research has culminated in
a new book for the general public is particu-
larly rewarding for Bontis. The book clearly
illustrates the impacts on society at large and
offers tangible tips to users of digital devices.
Information BombardmentFOur ways tO wOrk smarter, nOt harder
1) use rule wizardsWhether you use Gmail, Hotmail or Out-look, use e-mail rule wizards to gain greater control over the daily deluge of informa-tion. By implementing some of the inher-ent sorting and classification tools of these programs, information can be more easily organized and managed.
2) exit InterviewsUnder the umbrella of succession planning, significant amounts of intellectual capital can be either gained or lost depending on how well an organization manages its human capital. Institutionalized exit inter-views are critical in coding and quantify-ing what employees know before its gone forever.
3) Benchmarking & metricsRemember: if it is not measured, it can’t be managed. For example, calculate the full amount of dollars spent on training and de-velopment in your organization and divide it by the number of full-time-equivalents (headcount). Then benchmark your $T&D/FTE metric year-over-year and against other competitors.
4) alumni networksSetup an alumni network of former employ-ees who have since retired from your orga-nization. Their insight offers a tremendous opportunity to gather and harvest historical intellectual capital.
Nick Bontis
Nick Bontis is a 3M National teaching fel-low and an award-winning professor of strategy. His Bontis on Business news-paper column appears Saturdays in The Hamilton Spectator and Bontis on Business TV segment appears Fridays on CHCH television at 6pm.Information Bombardment: Rising above the digital onslaught is available for purchase in print and e-book formats at www.InformationBombardment.com
By Leah Rosenthal ‘07
DeGroote School of Business Alumni Report - Fall ‘11 15
Alumni matter. Maintaining the connection
with the people and the school can be a
critical tool to enhance both your personal
brand and your school’s reputation. It’s
win-win for everyone. So why let the con-
nections dissipate, especially in the age of
social networking, which should make it so
much easier?
My favourite MBA instructor, Jim Letwin,
told me to always promote the school and
the brand. It’s normal to have some com-
plaints about any school, but it’s essential
to speak positively about your experiences
and remain engaged. He mentioned that
York University’s poor reputation 20 years
ago greatly improved through alumni en-
gagement.
Everything I did while at DeGroote was
about trying to improve our reputation. In
1999, our school never went to the MBA
Games or case competitions. As presi-
dent of the MBA Association, I thought we
should go, then win and then host. We
made that happen then and DeGroote still
does today.
People ask me what I think about the
Co-op MBA. I tell them all the amaz-
ing things our school did, as well as my
personal experiences and what I got out of
them. As alumni, we should promote our
school through events, actions and words.
By giving back, you improve the De-
Groote brand for both future and past
students. Remember that this is the school
that will always be on your resume.
Today, I donate my time to engage
others. I come back to McMaster to de-
liver presentations, give advice and help
students network. I always make myself
accessible, on and off campus. Anything
I can do to make them successful leaders
will reflect back on us all.
You too can engage by hiring DeGroote
students as Co-op or full-time hires. You
can join us for the golf tourneys, alumni
events and reunions. While donations are a
great way to invest in the School, there are
many other ways for you to give back.
Just take the first step - make the call and
give your time. Be an engaged alumnus or
alumna and build up your personal leader-
ship brand, as well as DeGroote, McMaster
and your fellow alumni.
Bobby Umar ‘02 is president of Raeallan,
a training and speaking company, and
delivers keynotes on leadership, branding,
and connection. Bobby is a TEDx speaker, a
DeGroote executive education instructor, a
comedic actor, and a proud new dad.
Web: www.raeallan.com
Twitter: @raehanbobby
FB fan page: http://dld.bz/Rjyu
TEDx talk: http://youtu.be/piKHZWhzTYU
Engage and enhance the brand for everyone
Alumni ColumnKaren N
ewm
an
Karen New
man
Members of Bobby’s 2002 class gathered at the RJC on Alumni Weekend in June to tour the new facility, reconnect with each other and enjoy a reception and dinner.
By Bobby Umar
Great Organizations are Built Through Great Leadership
As Global Head of Human Resources, Tax & Global
Resourcing at KPMG, Alim Dhanji, SHRP, is leading
a cohesive world-wide transformational strategy
enabling KPMG member fi rms to recruit over 250,000
partners and professionals for Audit, Tax and Advisory
functions across 150 countries over the next fi ve years.
Increasing globalization means our fi rms’ clients place
ever more emphasis on high caliber people with a
global mindset. This, combined with KPMG’s growth
plans, call for aggressive recruitment plans. Dhanji’s
strategy helps achieve this through innovative cross-
border sourcing programs and international mobility
initiatives such as Tax Trek, which provides some
200 tax professionals annually with an international
assignment to develop global skills.
These are results that set him apart as a
Senior Human Resources Professional (SHRP)—
a senior HR designation for proven, high-impact
leaders.
Alim Dhanji
The Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) is Canada’s HR thought leader with more than 19,000 members in 28 chapters across Ontario. It connects its membership to an unmatched range of HR information resources, events, professional development and networking opportunities and annually hosts the world’s second largest HR conference. In Ontario, HRPA issues the Certifi ed Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation, the national standard for excellence in human resources management and the Senior Human Resources Professional (SHRP) designation, reserved for high-impact HR leaders. www.hrpa.ca
www.hrpa.ca/shrpFind out if you have what it takes to be an SHRP:
FILE NAME: 11_SHRP_AlimDhanji_DeGroote PUBLICATION: DeGroote PUBLICATION DATE: September 11
DIMENSIONS: 8.5x 11 BLEED: 0.125 CREATION DATE: July 31. 2011 AUTHOR: Jill Holmberg