INSIDE: Industry leaders from Toshiba of Canada, UBS Securities

Canada & KPMG share their insights and advice to the students

at Laurier

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KLARA RAICPresident

Rochelle HeinrichsEditor-In-Chief

Catherine TongVP of Human Resources

Dhruv AgarwalVP of Finance

Lilly ChenVP of Marketing

RODERICK BARRIEVP of Web Design

SBEATRIUM.COM@SBEATRIUM

FACEBOOK.COM/SBEATRIUMISSUU.COM/SBEATRIUM

KLARA RAICPresident

BEvERLy ChEUngEditor-In-Chief

CAThERInE TOngvP of human Resources

ZInThUyA SIvAnAThAnvP of Finance

MARK MAyhEwvP of Marketing

JASOn BAKER vP of web Design

vInESh RATnAM

Director of Art Design

Any views or opinions presented in this magazine are solely those of the author

and do not necessarily represent those of Atrium Media Group or any of its affiliates.

Published Friday, Aug. 31 2012 Last Updated wednesday, Sep. 05, 2012

ATRIUM MEDIA gROUP

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

8-9 Challenging Today’s Non-traditional Markets Ralph Hyatt, President and CEO of Toshiba of Canada Limited, shares his insights on unique go-to-market strategies and words of wisdom to the students of Laurier SBE

10-13 The AMG Industry Black Book Equity Strategist & Chief Economist of UBS, George Vasic, and Senior Manager of KPMG, Jim Whetstone, lend their advice to aspiring Finance & Accounting students.

14-15 From Laurier to the Top of Adidas

Jim Gabel, President of Adidas Group Canada shares his passion for Athletics & Marketing

4-5 Message from the Dean Message from the President of the School of Business and

Economics Students’ Society note from the President of the Atrium Media group

note from the Editor-in-Chief 6-7 Inside Laurier

8-9 Challenging Today’s non-traditional Markets

10-11 The AMg Black Book of Finance: what Makes a Successful

Career?

12-13 The AMg Black Book of Accounting:

According to Jim

14-15 From Laurier to the Top of Adidas

16-17 Laurier Alumni

18-19 Laurier SBE Leaders

20-21 Fireside Chat with First year Professor Laura Allan

22-23 AMg’s guide to First year Business

Dean of Business anD economics

WELCOME TO LAURIER

I am delighted to welcome you to the School of Business and Economics (SBE) at Laurier. I only recently joined the School as Dean after a career as a professor and Dean at the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management. I was attracted to Laurier and SBE for many reasons. Foremost among them was SBE’s reputation for offering its students an outstanding educational experience.

In the last two months, I have had an opportunity to meet a number of SBE alumni. All of them have talked about the high quality of the education that they received here and the great experience that they had a Laurier. I have also talked to a number of major recruiters who told me how pleased they were with the quality of SBE students. This has further confirmed my impression of this institution’s quality and commitment to students.

you are part of one of Canada’s best undergraduate business and economics programs. During your time here, the School will provide you with numerous opportu-nities for both personal and professional development. I strongly encourage you take advantage of the many opportunities offered to complement your in-class education. get involved in student clubs, competitions, community organizations, etc. Find ways of pursuing your interests and passion. Use your undergraduate experiences to expand your horizons. you will be among the next generation of Canada’s business and community leaders. Take this incredible opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills that will help you to excel in these roles.

This is an exciting time for you to be studying at Laurier. Many of you will be here during a period when substantial new investments will be made for your educational experience. This includes a new building, the global Innovation Exchange, which will be opening in the Spring of 2015.

There is much to learn, much to discuss and much to do. Our goal at Laurier is to inspire lives of leadership and purpose. Make our goal your goal! good luck to you all and embrace your great adventure.

Micheál J. Kelly PhDDeanSchool of Business and Economics

PresiDent of the stuDents’ society

Congratulations to the SBE Class of 2016 and welcome to the School of Business and Economics!

It is with great pleasure that I am able to welcome you to Laurier and to one of the top business schools in Canada. In choosing Laurier, you have not only chosen a superior education, but you have chosen a university that is notorious for its school community and spirit. you will have access to first class professors, supportive staff and administration, indus-try professionals and the top student leaders in the country. Most importantly, you will have the opportunity to challenge yourself, become involved within the Laurier community and to make a difference within the school.

As a new student three years ago, I remember the challenges I faced, the successes I achieved and my immersion into the Laurier community. From the get go, I became involved with student activities, and looking back now, I cannot imagine what my experiences would have been like without. That being said, I would love for you to look back on your time at Laurier with the same fondness and memorable experiences. If there is one thing Laurier exudes, it is ubiquitous community spirit among the students.

The School of Business and Economics Students’ Society (SBESS) is here to advocate on behalf of the SBE students to augment your experience here at Laurier. For more informa-tion regarding resources and opportunities available to you, as well as how you can become involved in the SBESS and our SBE Clubs, please visit www.sbess.ca.

I cannot wait to meet you on campus and to witness the amazing things you will accomplish over this upcoming year!

Sarina BruniPresidentSchool of Business & Economics Students’ Society

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IntroductIons

PresiDent of atrium meDia GrouP

welcome young leaders! I hope you are excited for what lies ahead of you over the next four years at Laurier,

because it will be an adventurous ride. An important lesson to understand as you enter university, is that you are responsible for who you become throughout this journey. There are endless possibilities at Laurier and it would be unfortunate if you did not take advantage of them. If you take a look at your tuition bill, you will notice that you pay over three hundred dollars per year, on top of your class fees, to a variety of organizations within Laurier – all of which have volunteer and employment opportunities for you. Every year, there are students who come and go for classes and never truly get to know what Laurier is all about. They learn from their courses and go home to their roommates. The remaining students, the ones that put their hearts into the clubs around campus or their sweat into the athletics programs, are the ones that leave with the best memories. If you choose wisely, you’ll leave Laurier with more than the lessons you learned in your classes.

From my own experience, I can guarantee that you’ll learn as much about business through participating in clubs, as you will in your classes. The theories that you study are an excellent foundation upon which you can build teamwork skills from intramurals, organization skills from running a club event, or interpersonal skills from getting to know the thousands of students already involved.

The opportunities that you have in front of you are endless. Use them to gain experi-ence and meet some pretty amazing and inspiring people.

Klara RaicPresidentAtrium Media group

eDitor-in-chief of atrium meDia GrouP

Regardless of our talents, knowledge, or even pride, we all look for some form of guidance. we reach out to professors, confide in parents and friends, or read advice columns searching for answers in our journey as students – the blueprint for career success, facing challenges that test our character, and confirmation of our own sense as to who we are. whether we are students entering or leaving Laurier, we ride relatively the same storm, in the same boat. we share our experiences as a premature form of wisdom and recognize the importance of chasing that wisdom with a sense of urgency. In this latest issue of Atrium and moving forward, we dedicate our pages to-wards this very purpose. Atrium shares the stories of students, professors and industry professionals on a written platform of news, strategy, knowledge and wisdom.

To the graduating Class of 2016, congratulations and welcome to Laurier – an unbelievable journey lies ahead of you! Over the next four years, you will meet and work with people of incredible talent and personality. I encourage you to practice two principles that taught me the most during my first year at Laurier: perspective and measurement. I learned the importance of perspective in my approach to problems, people and my own life, realizing that the strength of your own perspective can only be developed through an open mind and self-challenge – push yourself to explore the unconventional and test your interests. when I speak about measurement, I refer to it in the context of how we categorize achievement, in others and in ourselves. As business students, we are wired with a competitive nature and continuously strive for some form of distinction. I learned the importance of measuring achievement through my own self-defined metrics, guided by core values, and I truly believe that this sets the foundation for genuine growth.

Beverly CheungEditor-in-Chief Atrium Media group

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AIESEC LAurIEr StudEntS trAvEL OvErSEAS

while most of us were on summer vacation, AIESEC Laurier sent approxi-mately 10 students overseas to places including greece, Italy, India, China,

and vietnam. This year, AIESEC added a number of countries and companies to its repertoire, pro-viding a larger variety of internship and country placements for students looking for international work experience. we spoke to Chungsoon haw, vice President of Communications, to gain insight on AIESEC’s latest and greatest.

How does the application process work? AIESEC has local chapters all around the

world that update an internal database on a reg-ular basis. Laurier for example, is responsible for putting all companies, businesses and ngOs that they’ve secured as willing to take on interns from abroad into the system. Anyone who is interested in finding an internship can search the database based on their interests and apply directly that way.

How much time is spent in the host country? The minimum requirement is 6 weeks, but

bigger placements range from a year to a year and a half.

What feedback have you gotten from students about their experience?

Most students coming back say it really changed the way they perceive their lifestyle and they’re more aware of all the things going on around the world. Exposure to a new environment and standard of living guarantee some degree of personal development in terms of flexibility, communication and lifestyle.

The actual experience is highly subjective and dependent on individual circumstances, so haw recommends reading the blogs posted by students during their travels for a true glimpse into the AIESEC experience.

On May 25, Anchal writes from Greece…

“I’ve now learned some basic greek, so I really feel and act like a local now. I can order my own frappe (in greek of course), which is the famous coffee drink of Thessaloniki! I can also order my favorite food here, gyros pita, in greek. A gyro is the large rotating meat similar to shwarma, but way tastier. I like to eat it in a pita with tzatziki, tomatoes, onion, fries, and ketchup.”

On June 12, Thomas writes from Vietnam… “I grew so fond of this place, through the

dust and grime, the busy streets, the small chairs (sounds awful, doesn’t it!) I met amazing interns and vietnamese alike. I ate frog, Balut (duck em-bryo), fish eyes, drank snake wine, and had beers for less than 40 cents apiece. I lived in vietnam, worked in vietnam, had good days and bad days, made friends, and learnt more than I learnt in any accounting class at school.”

On July 11, Mackenzie writes from the Netherlands…

“Right beside China town, close to Central Station, the RLD (Red Light District) lights up at night. But that’s not to say there’s nobody work-ing during the day. There are a few. night time is when it’s really exciting though, as I’m sure you can imagine…The red light district is an amazing part of this world, I’m still trippin’ that’s it’s in my backyard.

These students have seen parts of the world most of us only dream of! To read about their international adventures in full detail read the blogs posted at http://aieseclaurier.wordpress.com/

By: Leeza Pece

BuILdIng COmmunItIES SOS In SArA dEL PAdrE

Ever wonder where that $20 goes when you pay for one of the many exam-aid sessions held by SOS every year? Last year SOS raised $98,600 from exam-aids, all of which

went directly to funding community outreach projects in nicaragua, Peru and guatemala.

Shawn Lucas, vice President of SOS, was one of 14 students who travelled to Sara Del Padre, nicaragua to build a dining center for the community.

“In the city, students can only go to school for half a day before they get hungry and have to walk home for lunch. however, if one is located nearby, the government will send food to a dining center so kids can eat there and return to school afterwards. we built the dining center so students can go to school for the whole day,” says Lucas.

Side projects were also executed to benefit the 10 poorest families in the city. Chimneys were built in their kitchens to eliminate the build-up

of smoke inside while they cooked; a pig and chickens were donated and kept in pens built by the SOS students.

Sara Del Padre is a rather secluded area, approximately 4 hours from the airport and an-other 2 hours from another main city.

“we were up in the mountains pretty high, and really close to the clouds – it almost felt like you could touch them,” says Lucas to illustrate what the environment was like. “All the families were really spaced apart though. In the center of the community, there were only 10 or 12 families; you’d have to hike up the side roads just to get to the rest of the families,” adds Lucas.

It is because of this isolation that the citizens face so many daily challenges and was the contributing factor in selecting Sara Del Padre as the site for the outreach project. “To make a living, a lot of families just trade between each other. There may only be about 40 families in the

community, but since they’re so spread out even that becomes difficult,” says Lucas.

Despite the hardships faced by the locals, their life and culture provided anything but a negative experience for the SOS members. “There was some initial culture shock, just because it was so different – there’s this working culture there that we really struggle to grasp in comparison to our own lives,” says Lucas of their initial reaction, “But we quickly got used to it.”

After a few days students had already begun to immerse themselves in nicaraguan culture. Some went to church to pay respects to the citizens’ religious values, while others began to build relationships with the local children. “The boys were really outgoing and friendly – we built them a jungle gym made of tires and wood, and would play soccer and baseball with them during breaks,” he describes fondly.

when asked to choose his most memora-

By: Leeza Pece

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InsIde LaurIer

LAurIEr mArkEtIng ASSOCIAtIOn

By: andrew GIBBs-Bravo

Those interested in marketing need to look no further than the Laurier Marketing Association (LMA). Targeted towards first-year students, the LMA provides students

with an overview of what a career in marketing involves. Students have the opportunity to make incredible contacts both within Laurier and with marketing professionals.

LMA offers general members the skills needed for effective self-promotion through instruction on how to use social media to brand themselves. The club also touches upon other professional skills including resume building and interview preparation. with approximately 100 general members, the club is composed mostly of business students. however, all students with an interest in marketing are encouraged to join – members have varying degrees of experience. The club’s goal is to provide students with marketing experience through case competitions, along with instructional conferences. Marketing events are held bi-weekly, and the LMA hosts two major

events: The Laurier Marketing Conference and the Case Competition.

The Laurier Marketing Conference takes place during first semester, featuring prominent marketing professionals and Laurier profes-sors. The main speaker of last year’s conference was Alan Quarry, CEO of Quarry Integrated Communications Inc., and wLU professor.

The major event, which takes place second semester, is the Laurier Case Competition. The competition involves the marketing associations of Canadian universities including Ryerson and york. The teams compete with Laurier to solve real cases in front of a panel of judges. Last year, the case study was based on a marketing challenge faced by Microsoft. Participants generated a strategic solution and were evaluated by Laurier professors. The top three teams were then given the opportunity to present their proposal in front of Microsoft representatives. with no surprise, last year’s winning team came from the Laurier School of Business & Economics.

Aside from the major events, LMA also hosts speaker series that run throughout the year. The events feature Laurier alumni and other marketing professionals who give students their perspective on the industry. As the Laurier Marketing Association continues to grow, it endeavors to become more widely known among Laurier students and expand its presence as an established marketing club.

Students interested in joining can find more information at the “Laurier Marketing Association” page on Facebook or on Twitter @wlumarketing. The Laurier Marketing Association will also have an information session in September.

ble part of the trip, he hesitates before eventually settling on a simple answer: the people. “we got to know the villagers and the locals really well. A lot of people think they’re going to travel and feel good about doing something for charity, but you don’t realize until you get there that it’s really about the people. There is this unmistakable and unforgettable bond that forms between the students and the locals.”

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ChALLEngIng tOdAy’S nOn-trAdItIOnAL mArkEtS

now more than ever, competition for market share in the Technology sector has become both aggressive and fast paced. Patent lawsuits flood newspaper head-

lines; devices are redesigned thinner and lighter and product life cycles become shorter with time. Product innovation becomes a popular topic of discussion. But when we take a look at how companies reach success, management strategy and portfolio diversification unveil key success factors that external observers may not have visibility to right away. AMg sat down with Ralph hyatt to understand Toshiba’s unique approach to business management in the consumer, business and medical sectors for long-term development and sustainability.

Ralph hyatt, wLU BBA ’84, is the President and CEO of Toshiba of Canada Limited, a subsid-iary of Toshiba Corporation. As a global leader, Toshiba Corp. is one of the largest manufacturers of electronic products and semiconductors. Upon graduation, hyatt worked in Sales/Marketing at IBM Canada Ltd. and transitioned eight years later into a Senior Sales/Marketing position at Compaq.

hyatt’s experience with Toshiba helped him to develop a long-term view to the business. he mentions that as a function of the Japanese man-agement culture, it usually takes longer to reach a decision point, because decisions are very well researched and thought out. “when you finally get to that decision point, everyone is on board, everyone is ready to go, and you know that people are committed,” says hyatt.

As hyatt describes the business environ-ment Toshiba operates in, he mentions three key sectors of their portfolio: consumer, busi-ness-to-business (B2B) and the medical sector. In the consumer sector, which many of us are familiar with, the brand is the key leader from a consumer perspective. On the B2B front, business customers are typically purchasing a solution that

combines hardware and software, as opposed to a single buy. The medical business is a little bit unique, involving the sales of higher capital investments including: CT scanners, MRI and X-ray machines. The planning process requires almost two years and involves consultative discussions about the environment the technology will oper-ate in and the training involved.

The consumer side of the business is cer-tainly challenging as the “form factor” of technolo-gy changes frequently – tablets and smartphones have emerged as areas of huge growth. For Toshiba, the challenge lies within their ability to remain competitive as a hardware provider, with-out the additional revenue streams from software programs that companies like Apple make the bulk of their profits from. Market penetration from this point then becomes reliant on channel, sales, and marketing strategies.

In the face of obstacles hyatt advises, “when you are challenged, you have to be prepared to do things in a different way. you are successful based upon certain strategies and the tendency to just do those things better when you are under pressure,” says hyatt.

In 2009, Toshiba integrated the IT and consumer electronics organizations into one operating unit to better address the evolving in-dustry. “Overall we became more effective in both product categories. It also allowed us to penetrate a lot of B2B businesses with our consumer elec-tronic products, which we never pursued before – it allowed us to explore non traditional markets that we wouldn’t have otherwise,” says hyatt.

As Toshiba evolves to adapt to today’s fast changing markets, the company continues to chase opportunities to help develop their go-to-market strategies across different channels. According to hyatt, your go-to-market strategy must be innovative, open to new relationships, and led by accurate forecasting. At Toshiba, a

Purchase, Sales, and Inventory (PSI) system is monitored on a weekly basis and integrated tightly with their retail partners.

“your ability to forecast the product life cycle and to bring in the right product, at the right time, move it through effectively and quickly, is very important. If you make bad decisions from a forecasting perspective, it’s going to cost a lot to move the product through at end of life,” says hyatt.

what’s fascinating about Toshiba is how large and truly diversified their portfolio is both nationally and globally. As a corporation, Toshiba plays in both camps of the consumer and indus-trial sectors. Although more prominently in Japan, social infrastructure is a vital piece to the portfo-lio, which includes: nuclear energy, hydroelectric, high-speed elevators and smart communities. “One of my objectives is to grow the industrial side of Toshiba’s business within Canada. I do see that there is opportunity there,” says hyatt.

As the conversation moves into the discus-sion of environmental issues, hyatt points out the importance of sustainability as a part of Toshiba’s strategy and influence from the Japanese culture.

“The reality is that we are a heavy manu-facturer, so there is a greater responsibility on us to look at environmental issues. we’re the ones using resources and producing goods, which have certain requirements for recycling and proper us-age. It’s a major focus within Toshiba,” says hyatt.

To minimize the impact of its products, systems, and services, Toshiba implements a pro-gressive environmental approach that focuses on three cornerstones: greening of products, greening of processes, and greening of technology.

From a products perspective, Toshiba em-ploys specific standards to safely reduce the usage of hazardous chemicals. On the process front, it focuses on reducing the release of CO2 emissions and improving the efficiency of water usage and

By: LILLIane dos santos & BeverLy cheunG

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Feature

Ralph hyatt, pResident and CeO Of tOshiba Of Canada limited, shaRes his insights On unique gO-tO-maRket stRategies and wORds Of wisdOm tO the students Of lauRieR sbe.

renewable resources. Through technology, Toshiba invests in carbon capture/storage, sustainable en-ergy and smart communities. “Toshiba is prepared to make investments in improving our environ-mental footprint and sustainability, even if it costs more than the alternative,” adds hyatt.

“There may be situations where we’re not first to market if we cannot meet the criteria that we have for our environmental standards,” says

hyatt. “The company on a long-term view would choose to make sure we were being environmen-tally responsible before we come to market with technology,” says hyatt.

From a more personal standpoint, hyatt reflects on some of the greatest lessons he took from his time at Laurier. “The need to be self-reli-ant and self-motivated, because if you are going to become successful, it is going to come down to

the effort you put in,” says hyatt. In closing, hyatt directs his last words of

wisdom to an audience including, but also far beyond solely students. “The one thing you carry with you wherever your go is your reputation. Always conduct yourself with integrity and always conduct yourself very professionally, because that will carry with you no matter where you go,” says hyatt.

“At the end of the dAy, no mAtter the situAtion, crisis, or problem you Are fAcing, it is just business And there is

AlwAys A solution.” – rAlph hyAtt

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ReseaRCh equity stRategist & Chief eCOnOmist geORge VasiC lends his adViCe tO aspiRing finanCe students.

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What Makes a

Career?suCCessful

we have all done the same at one point in our university careers – gravitated towards industries with shortages, researched the employment require-

ments at headlining companies, or ‘google-ed’ the average salary of our dream job. In our interview with george vasic from UBS Securities Canada Inc., he speaks of the importance of putting aside the preconceived notions of career choices and instead, focusing on playing to our greatest strengths in an environment that will allow us to do so.

george vasic, Research Equity Strategist and Chief Economist of UBS Securities Canada Inc., oversees the Canadian Department of Research for Switzerland’s largest bank. The team is responsible for the coverage of 120 Canadian stocks, which entails monitoring and analyzing companies, markets, and economic trends for insights on investment decisions. In addition to setting targets for the TSX, vasic is often quoted and highly regarded in the media for his economic outlook and sector recommendations for Bloomberg Businessweek, Canadian Business Magazine, globe and Mail, and Financial Post. As vasic lends his knowledge on the securities industry to AMg, he focuses on the professional development of today’s young graduates.

“Career milestones start with getting the first job, which is never easy,” expresses vasic, referring to his initial position at global Insight, after having graduated from McMaster University with an M.A. in Economics. At the time, the position had come to vasic’s attention only after conversing with his classmates, who had been previously interviewed by the firm. To express his interest, vasic handwrote a letter to global Insight, and to his success, was contacted for an interview with the firm. his advice, leading up to his present career where he is highly involved in recruiting, is to never underestimate the power of someone with enthusiasm for the position.

“go for the jobs you are really interested in. Rather than casting a wide net, at least in the very beginning, cast a narrow net and go in with 110% enthusiasm,” says vasic.

The journey certainly becomes challeng-ing on a personnel side, where vasic concedes the main obstacles to be predominantly people related. vasic stresses the importance of setting a high recruiting standard, particularly in any research type firm. “If you start bringing in “B” players to an “A” player franchise, it will dilute the performance of your “A” people,” he says.

Stated simply, the people who end up succeeding are those who position their career at a higher priority. “There are lots of people with the raw materials to do better, but implicitly more than explicitly, they have chosen not to,” adds vasic.

So what differentiates a candidate from a similar pool of applicants? Among several factors, it boils down to taking the additional steps to demonstrate your interest to an employer.

“what I would recommend for those look-ing to be in equity research is to pick a company you are interested in,” says vasic. “Prepare a brief report outlining the company and build a simple model. Come out with a conclusion, ‘here’s my target price, here’s my recommendation,’ and be prepared to discuss it in the interview,” says vasic. Taking the initiative to conduct research will show the interviewer you have done substantive work in an area, as opposed to a broad conclusion in a currently popular sector.

“If you can get to a sell, which is even better than a buy, the real contra thought is to say, ‘Look, I investigated this company, I think it is significantly overvalued or I think its industry is in secular decline, but it’s only priced on next year’s numbers.’ Anything like that is far more convinc-ing. Even if you don’t get to the interview, it’s something you can include in an email expressing your enthusiasm for a position,” vasic advises further.

From a career standpoint, vasic speaks to a more long-term focused strategy when it comes to the direction of graduates. he’s quick to point out the importance of keeping an inventory of person-ality traits, strengths and weaknesses. Evidently, at the end of the day, people tend to revert back to the main traits that shape their personality.

“what you want to do is play to your strengths and make sure you don’t have any negatives that are going to be showstoppers. you don’t have to make those into strengths, but neutralize them, and you will go far,” advises vasic. “It’s learning to work within your own personality and competence makeup. It really is that part of it – matching it up to the job – that is the key to success.”

As words of encouragement, he highlights the fact that the majority of people will not be able predict specifically what kind of job they will be in – and they do not need to.

“Most people get out there with a toolbox of skills that they can match and find a job,” says vasic. “Once you start moving up, there are many different roles out there and you’ll find yourself in all sorts of interesting places. get into the indus-try and see where it takes you.”

By: BeverLy cheunG

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aCCORding tO Jim

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For most undergraduate students, the thought of entering the post-grad job market is rather daunting. The picture of the “real world” we’ve got painted in our heads

is far from pretty. Jim whetstone, Senior Manager at KPMg LLP and fellow Laurier graduate, lends his advice to aspiring accounting students and sheds some light on an otherwise daunting task.

Before working at KPMg, one of the “Big Four” auditing firms and largest professional services networks in the world, whetstone had to make the same decisions students face today. “I had always liked numbers and accounting in high school,” he says. So for whetstone, the choice to pursue his CA designation was an easy one. But what about the students who enter university with no idea as to what they want afterwards? never fear, half the battle has already been fought – you’ve made that difficult decision in choosing an undergraduate program, and for anyone even considering accounting in the future, Laurier’s BBA program is a good one. whetstone agrees, saying that on his pursuit of a CA designa-tion and position at KPMg, Laurier prepared him for what the field of accounting required.

Once you’ve made the decision to enter the field of accounting, it’s important to actively pursue opportunities to gain that needed field ex-perience before receiving your designation. “I got my foot in the door by attending many recruiting events,” says whetstone. he went on to mention KPMg’s involvement in the co-op program at

Laurier, along with the graduate recruitment process for both co-op and non co-op students. he recommends the recruiting process, via the Laurier University Career Development Centre, a great place to start.

As students, you’ve begun applying, but how do you differentiate yourself from a giant pool of candidates vying for the same positions? whetstone’s advice is to gain any experience you can applicable to the field, but to make sure you are also well rounded.

“Personality is a core strength that is important for an accountant,” says whetstone, contrary to the monotone typecast society has placed on accountants. “Don’t let the stereotyp-ical persona influence your decision to pursue your career in accounting,” he encourages.

Since most aspiring accountants are going to have similar qualifications, it is necessary to set yourself apart during interviews. “Read the newspaper and keep up-to-date on facts and events,” whetstone mentions as a good tactic to help develop speaking points to keep conversa-tion flowing while networking with recruiters. with knowledge of current events directly and in-directly related to the realm of accounting, you’ll impress recruiters, land the job and be able to engage in meaningful conversation with clients.

“working for KPMg has taught me that reputation is an important and essential asset during recruitment and after securing employ-ment,” says whetstone. with this, whetstone

expresses the importance of maintaining a positive personal image, especially in a society so driven by the Internet. now more than ever, an individual’s online presence can impact your career both positively and negatively. As a result, it is important to ensure that you carry yourself online the same way you would in person. Simply thinking before you post something to a social media site can help avoid a professional and reputational disaster.

The ability to adapt and thrive in a dy-namic working environment is another essential element you must be able to prove you possess. “The constant variety and fast-paced nature of my position at KPMg are the most rewarding parts of the job,” whetstone says–the same factors which can set you apart to recruiters from similar accounting firms.

Although a rewarding career, whetstone emphasizes that it is not without its challenges. “Time management while juggling deadlines are definitely the most difficult aspects of the job and it takes a lot of hard work. however, receiving my CA designation was one of my greatest and proudest career milestones to date,” he expresses. Aspiring accountants of Laurier should heed his words as encouragement, inspiration and proof that the end goal is achievable, despite the dedi-cation and effort required to succeed.

By: Leeza Pece

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FrOm LAurIEr tO thE tOP OF AdIdAS

Jim gabel, pResident Of adidas gROup Canada, shaRes his peRspeCtiVe On the spORting gOOds industRy and hOw tO make it a CaReeR destinatiOn.

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Feature

FrOm LAurIEr tO thE tOP OF AdIdAS

Ever wondered what it would be like to run the country’s largest and one of the most successful consumer sporting goods companies? Perhaps Jim gabel, BBA ’85, can

provide you with some insight. As a Laurier alum-nus and current President of Adidas group Canada, which includes Adidas, Reebok, TaylorMade and Rockport. Jim has turned his passion for athletics and marketing into any fitness and sports lover’s dream-come-true-career.

naturally at the start of our conversation, I’m slightly nervous to be interviewing such a prominent figure in the sporting goods indus-try. But before long, it’s quite clear that gabel is someone who has truly turned his interests and passions into a career he loves. After graduating Laurier, Jim spent 7 years in the IT industry in sales and sales management, before marrying his passion for sports with a growing career.

“It was for a bunch of reasons,” he explains. “One, it was an industry I’d loved all my life in terms of sports. Most importantly, I can associate with the products,” says gabel.

while gabel’s passion for sports and athletics have been a driving force in determining his career path, so has his interest in sales and marketing. “If you are interested in true marketing, the sports industry is probably one of the most innovation-driven industries in the marketplace. At Adidas alone, we have 50,000 products and we introduce between 10,000 to 15,000 new products every year,” says gabel.

But with companies like Adidas, who re-ceive a constant flow of resumes, it’s no mean feat to break into the sporting goods industry. So what is the President of Adidas group Canada looking for on a resume? here’s your answer, straight from gabel himself:

“If you want to get to the top of a consum-er products company like ours, then you would probably want a slant in sales and marketing.” And that’s just the tip of the iceberg as Jim asserts, “I believed this at Laurier and I still believe it today, that there is more to education than just marks. you don’t need to be a world-class athlete to join our company; you need to be interested in sports. I think that helps, because then you can better associate with the products.” gabel is looking for several factors: “Are they well-rounded? Are they confident? have they done their homework in terms of showing that they really want to work for our company?” he adds.

It’s no mystery why graduates are lining up to work for Adidas group. gabel notes that with nike’s approximate $21 billion USD in sales and Adidas competing at $17 billion USD, Adidas continues to be one of the market leaders in consumer sporting goods. “It’s really a two-horse race,” says gabel.

“I think we’d be recognized as the most innovative company in terms of new product introductions. we also are probably a little less edgy – which is good or bad depending on how you look at it. I think it’s a good thing because I like what our company stands for and we lead the marketplace in many facets, including sustain-ability, which was evident in last month’s London Olympics. Last year, we were the top performing company on the DAX (the german stock exchange) and that’s because we are all-around a very good

company. we have no weaknesses, and we’re growing at a faster rate than nike is today,” says gabel.

If Adidas is to keep on top of the market, and nike on its toes, the company must ensure they are up to date with trends.

“we tend to look for macro trends,” says gabel. “For example, a trend we are following very closely is the movement toward fitness and wellness known as ‘wELLThy’. Usually if you’re wealthy, you’ve got social status. whereas now, there is a stronger movement towards being healthy, and if you live a healthy lifestyle, you’ve got status. There are 3 billion people in the world right now that either are, or desire to live a fit and healthy lifestyle, so that’s why we’ve looked at new ventures like Crossfit (Reebok) and Zumba to tap into more people wanting to live a healthy or fit lifestyle,” says gabel.

Fortunately, Jim is no stranger to keeping up with various trends and demands during his previous years with Reebok in the U.S. “Everyone just thinks Canada is a smaller version of the US market, but that’s just not true. hockey is much more prominent in Canada than it is in the United States. So is soccer, it’s much stronger in Canada because of our multicultural society.”

But its not just major trends like soccer and hockey that drive sales. There are subtleties that can make a huge impact on Adidas’ reach and competitiveness. “25% of the Canadian population plays with left-handed golf clubs. In the United States, it’s 3%, and we still see that with hockey,” Jim reveals. “The US has a much stronger fishing and hunting market and Canada has a much stronger outdoor market per capita in terms of outdoor climbing etc.,” says gabel.

As for the time he’s spent working in both the U.S. and in Canada, Jim mentions, “The U.S. is the biggest commercial market in the world, so by default it’s an exciting market to be in. The market is bigger and moves faster, but there is no place like living in Canada.”

gabel’s soft spot for Canada comes with his favourite memories of his time Laurier and the quality of friendships he made. During his years at Laurier, gabel kept busy playing intramural ice-hockey (even winning a few coveted intramu-ral t-shirts), volunteering as a head don at Little house residence, becoming vice-Chairman of the Student Union and working as one of the early advocates for Shinerama, one of Laurier’s largest fundraisers. Even today, gabel continues to be involved in the Laurier community considering Adidas is the current provider of Laurier’s varsity team uniforms; keeping Laurier athletes well dressed!

“I graduated 28 years ago and still, to this day, we have about 16 of us that get together an-nually around Christmas time and also for a golf tournament in the summer. It’s called wLUgI (wil-lu-gi): wilfrid Laurier University golf Invitational,” says gabel.

Between wLUgI, managing a multi-bil-lion dollar sports company, catching some of the London Summer Olympics, coaching and playing soccer with his three daughters, it’s clear Jim hasn’t forgotten his golden hawk roots. gabel tru-ly shows us that the dream job can be landed with a Laurier BBA degree, hard work and passion!

By: vIctorIa craIG

sbeatrium.com

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paRtneR Jillian swaRtz shaRes heR expeRienCes and philOsOphies with the students Of lauRieR.

froM NegotiatioN to MeNtorship

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LaurIer aLuMnI

“It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?” philosopher henry David Thoreau once said. Everyday, we prioritize and fulfill our

many commitments as students, professors, law-yers, parents, or businessmen – we work hard. But when we refer to our busy calendars to remind us what we should be doing, we seldom ask why. we are then paused with the million-dollar question: have we prioritized our commitments to achieve a long-term purpose?

we sat down with Laurier Alumnus, Jillian Swartz, who recently received a wilfrid Laurier “Leader of Tomorrow” Award as the founder of AMg’s magazine. Today, Jillian is a partner at Blake, Cassels & graydon LLP, which has been recog-nized as Canada’s Law Firm of 2012 by Chambers global. She also acts as Co-chair of Blake’s Professional Development Committee, a role she assumed in 2007.

As a business lawyer, Swartz focuses on mergers and acquisitions, complex commercial arrangements and the provision of strategic legal and business advice. Jillian has broad profes-sional experience in the industries of Business, Infrastructure, Real Estate, Information Technology and not-for-Profit. her portfolio of clients includes The Royal Ontario Museum, Invacare Corporation, the Detroit River Tunnel Partnership (a partnership between OMERS and CP Railway) and Fundata Canada Inc.

But what was most fascinating about our conversation with Jillian was the consistent change in discussion from what she does to why. Jillian is without a doubt passionate about her career and we discover early on the different me-diums she uses to achieve her purpose – helping others reach their goals.

In addition to helping her clients achieve their objectives, she dedicates much of her time towards mentoring other lawyers and law clerks for both professional and personal growth. On the topic of charitable initiatives, Jillian says, “writing a cheque is easy, but giving of your time is much harder. I think that’s a challenge everyone should make for themselves.”

As we discuss the topic of goal achieve-ment, the conversation leads further into the topic of integrity. As Jillian mentions, the world should

have a long-term view. Focusing only on short-term goals, such as tomorrow’s share price or the next quarter’s financial results, and ignoring the long-term impact can lead to poor decision making. Even decisions that seem minor can make a real impact.

“In making decisions, I work from a place of integrity and I try to stay true to my principles even when it’s difficult to do so. It’s important to stick to your principles when it’s not in your own personal interest to follow them. It shows the true strength of your character,” says Jillian.

Jillian also brings this long-term view into her personal life as a mother. She recalls her 10-year old son’s initiative to help clean recyclables on a local street after attending a “From Me to we” seminar. It later led to a family conversation about the effects of littering on the environment and the potentially large impact of small initiatives.

having a good sense of perspective on a long-term purpose also provides a real sense of how we are spending our time. Are we truly spending our professional and personal time working towards goals of good health, meaning-ful relationships, or helping others to reach their goals? Balancing a schedule is not easy, but what Jillian advises to students, is that it’s important to break away from the textbooks and take time to gain real life experience.

“whether it’s financial planning or exercise, schedule it in your calendar as if you were going to class or an appointment with a client. Treat it as equally important and you’ll find that you can achieve more personal goals. If you don’t partake in the extra-curricular aspects of university, your experience won’t be as rich,” said Swartz.

Allocating a true sense of time for goals also means evaluating the key strengths we should be focusing on from a professional stand-point. In reference to Tom Rath’s StrengthsFinder 2.0, Swartz highly endorses the thesis of the book – we spend too much time focusing on our weaknesses.

“If something is really holding you back in your personal life or career, fix it so that it’s aver-age. however, if you’re just average at something, you’re better off to just to leave it. Focus on your strengths; leverage those and success will follow,” says Jillian.

Managing commitments plays another im-portant role in maintaining a balance and priority in our lives. This year, Swartz became a member of the wilfrid Laurier Board of governors where she will bring her expertise as a lawyer to the table. In fact, her invitation to consider joining the board was offered five years ago, but Swartz decided to postpone her term until her children grew older. “when I do something, I only know how to do it 110% and I wanted to wait until I could offer that level of commitment,” says Swartz.

Although her role on the Board of governors only commenced on July 1st, Swartz identified two encouraging themes during her first board meeting. “First, there was a thoughtful and lively debate – and debate was encouraged. Second, there were a number of women at the boardroom table,” said Swartz. gender diversity (and all kinds of diversity) is something that assists organizations in making the best possible decisions. It is clear that Laurier recognizes diver-sity of thought as an important asset.

In her early years of law school at the University of Toronto, Swartz had every intention of becoming a litigator, quite different from her current role as a corporate lawyer. Embracing the unexpected path, she recognized several factors that play into her preference for corporate law – the congeniality, teamwork, timeframe to resolve issues and the opportunity for ‘win-win’ situations.

“I like to take time to think about things from different angles. I think about how it all fits together as a unique way of approaching the problem and finding a solution – there is more than one way to address any business issue,” says Swartz.

The experiences Jillian shares about her professional and personal life certainly showcase both the breadth and depth of her endeavors. But what we take away from her here at AMg, is the understanding that a career (and life itself) is measured by a variety of metrics. And how you de-cide to implement those metrics will help shape your own definition and achievement of success.

By: BeverLy cheunG

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LaurIer Leaders

Many of us have a hard time finding our passion and inspiration, but for Michael gagliano, it comes down to taking what he loves and sharing it with the

world. Fourth year Business student, Michael, is the Co-founder of Laurier Innovation and Technology Club and elected Student governor of the wilfrid Laurier University Board of governors. Currently starting his co-op term in September with Microsoft Canada Co., Michael’s interest in technology and entrepreneurship has allowed him to give back to the Laurier community.

Laurier Innovation and Technology Club received the “Best new Club” on campus award in 2012 and achieved much success in its first year. when I asked Michael about his inspiration for co-founding LITC, he specified two factors: one being the city of waterloo, and the other his family. Michael states that waterloo is the ‘Silicon valley’ of the north. with so many great tech companies and incubators in the region, Michael wants Laurier to take advantage of the technol-ogy, culture and community in waterloo.

“The goal of LITC is to bring about new innovations, new inventions and new technolo-gies, and make Laurier Canada’s entrepreneurship university,” says Michael.

Another reason for Michael’s interest in LITC is his entrepreneurial family background. Michael’s grandfather, the founder of St. Joseph Communications, and father, the Co-founder of Luminato Art Festival, serve as his inspiration.

“Family has always played a huge part in my life. I have learned so much from the people in my life, and around me, who keep doing great things,” says Michael.

Michael realized his passion for entre-preneurship while watching the free concert in

Toronto held by Luminato in its first year. “It was great to see how a whisper across the dinning table had turned into something so big. It was a huge entrepreneurial initiative and the amount of value they were able to bring to the city was unbelievable,” adds Michael.

gagliano’s passion lies in entrepreneurship, technology, art and providing students with the necessary tools to succeed. According to Michael, the recipe for a successful entrepreneur includes the following:

R A good co-founder (to balance both the technical and business sides)

R People who are better than you R Diversity

when speaking about entrepreneurship and LITC, Michael specifies university as the per-fect time to start a business.

“when in your life are you going to be sur-rounded so closely by thousands of young people in your community, who you have the opportunity to collaborate with? you are not married; you don’t have kids or mortgages to pay for. If you fail, you are not loosing a lot, you kind of go back to where you started. Its much harder and riskier later on in our lives,” he said.

According to Michael, the most impor-tant thing to realize is that ideas don’t make a business –the people do. One motto for Michael, which helped led to the success of LITC, is to welcome people who are both better and differ-ent from one another. People often say that you should never go into business with your friends, but according to gagliano, that concept is wrong. you should get along with the ones you work with, because the people make all the difference.

At the moment, gagliano is working towards bringing the first “TEDx” event to Laurier.

The event will feature 20 guests who will speak in the Senate Board of Chambers to the most prom-ising students in the Laurier community. Michael did not give much detail about the list of speak-ers, but told us to look out for more information starting September. when asked about his goal for the upcoming years, Michael says he wants to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and start his own business one day.

“I don’t think it’s right to go work for your family business, having done nothing on your own. you are just joining somebody else’s hard work and effort! And you don’t necessarily deserve it, so I don’t think I am entitled to that at all,” says Michael.

According to Michael, a good dream to have is to do what you love, and that’s what we should aspire to do everyday.

Michael says in closing, “I want to do great things for the world and always want to remember to think and act big. I have learned, from speaking with many successful leaders, that as Canadians we need to not be afraid to make an impact beyond the borders of Canada.”

getting tO knOw litC’s CO-fOundeR, miChael gaglianO

By: MarIa MustansIr

sbeatrium.com

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gEttIng tO knOw

PrOF.LAurA ALLAnin heR fiReside Chat with amg, business

pROfessOR lauRa allan shaRes heR thOughts and wORds Of wisdOm tO the inCOming Class

Of 2016. 20

Meet your ProF

how did you enter the business field? how did you know that was where you wanted to go?

I actually had wanted to be either a veterinarian or a lawyer. There were no business courses when I went to high school. But my family owns an ad agency, so I grew up with that. I was a little undecided when I chose Laurier, but my brother was here. he was taking business at Laurier, so I came to Laurier Day and I thought, I can do this. Business is such a wide-open field, and everything is a business, so if I chose to go into law, I would have gone into corporate law. I couldn’t really shift gears to be a vet but I could certainly have an animal-based business.

what is emotional intelligence and how does it help with the transition to university from high school? how does one go about improving their emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is your ability to recognize and understand your emotions, and those of other people, and to use that awareness to manage your behaviour and interactions with people. There is research connecting success or lack of it, in first year, to a student’s level of emotional intelligence; particularly such factors as stress tolerance, impulse control, adaptability, independence, and optimism. These are all things that affect a student’s ability to successfully transition to university. The first step to improving EI is awareness, and that is one of the reasons we have integrated the EQi assessment into the first year curriculum. For someone like me, who has devoted their career to helping students succeed in first year, it is heartbreaking to see otherwise very intelligent students fail. There are of course many reasons for this, but at least when students become aware of some of the factors holding them back, then they can be more conscious about working on those areas that hold for them the greatest opportunity for growth and increased success.

what piece of advice can you give our incoming first years about succeeding in wLU’s rigorous business program?

First, leave your pride at the door and ask a lot of questions. Reach out to all the resources that are available. A lot of students come in, hav-ing been so strong in their old schools, thinking they can handle it on their own. Then their pride gets the better of them and they don’t want to admit when they are overwhelmed. Everybody is in the same boat and you have to be resilient enough to recognize that there will be setbacks and learn from them. Every mistake you make is a learning opportunity. Recognize that your strategies in high school, will not necessarily work in university. And most importantly take respon-sibility for your own learning, as no one else will – manage your time and keep up with your work right from the start. University moves at a much faster pace than high school leaving little if any time to catch up. Ask a lot of questions, work smart, and get the help you need before you really need it.

what kind of changes should first years expect from their transition from high school to univer-sity?

As I mentioned, university moves at a faster pace and nobody will be doing anything for you. you have to take responsibility for yourself. In high school, the course outline is unpredictable and it changes as the course progresses. In uni-versity, know that you’ve got this outline, and that is gold. It allows you to have the control that you never had in high school. I think that’s the biggest difference students should be prepared for and take advantage of – after the first week of classes you will have all the information you need to plan out your semester. I tell my students to get a big 4-month wall calendar and put all their due dates and tests on it so they can visually see the whole semester. Then you can transfer these dates to each of the weeks in a planner with hours marked off. If you block off all your classes, prep time, and time to work on your assignments and study for your tests – you’ll see the time fill in very quickly, and be less likely to waste valuable time. This is critical as time management is the number one cause of failure in university.

why teach first year business? why not upper year courses?

I started teaching first year because I had been a TA for the same intro business courses when I was a student in the business program. I have taught a second year decision-making course, but my base is first year. I think it is the most important year. I love the excitement and the thrill of first year and to see the change in the students as they progress throughout the first year and throughout the program. I think it is the pivotal year and I really wouldn’t want to do anything else. I get a lot of intrinsic satisfaction out of it.

Do you keep in touch with former students?Absolutely, in fact I’m just talking to a few

of them right now. People come back and ask for references from me, catch up with me and let me know what they are doing. I love it.

how does it make you feel when a student of yours makes it big in the business world?

That’s what it’s all about. That’s the great-est satisfaction for me – seeing students go on to be successful in the business world. It’s why we do what we do, and it makes it all worthwhile. In fact I just incorporated a number of young entrepre-neur profiles in the next edition of the introduc-tory text for which I’m one of the co-authors. I profiled a number of our business grads that have gone on to do incredible things.

how have projects like the stock market compe-tition and the new venture project changed over the years to adapt to real life scenarios in the business world?

The most recent change has been the addition of the PepsiCo Pitch competition as a lead up to the new venture competition. For the Pitch each student is required to prepare and

present an individual 90 second to 2 minute pitch about their new venture idea. This is a critical skill and is something we’ve incorporated along with other soft skills that students need to succeed; such as working in and leading a team, writing for business, and thinking critically. As the Minister of Education said to the students recently during the new venture competition: “Companies promote and fire for soft skills” – that is very real life.

what is your best memory from your time at Laurier?

wow, there are far too many. I would say my best recent memory is when we put up the Leaders of Tomorrow wall. That’s something that I’d been pushing for, for so many years. In my opinion, we didn’t celebrate our students enough. we talked about how great they were, but there was no visible, tangible, permanent statement. Students with top executive positions, who have won competitions, or who have started clubs or other initiatives on campus are displayed on the wall. All the awards and plaques were sitting in people’s offices and they needed to be out there. That’s my fondest recent memory because it brings all the good memories together, and frankly I think our students are the best and now everyone can see that.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with your new students?

I just wish the students the absolute best of luck. you can do it if you consciously and delib-erately work at figuring out how to tackle it. Don’t just let it happen to you, take control. you all have it in you to be phenomenal – I truly believe that.

By : uMa durranI

sbeatrium.com

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A+

Introduction to Business Organization (BU111)3 lecture hours, 1.5 lab hours

What you will be Learning:This course will examine the challenges of the external business environment, with a focus on how they impact corporate strategies and deci-sions. Topics include: competitive analysis, and an in-depth examination of political, economic, social, and technological factors. BU111 includes a required weekly lab where students develop skills towards academic success and preparation for the professional environment. Crucial skill sets include research, writing, teamwork, and individual and group presentations.

Major Components: R new venture R Individual Memo writing Assignment R group case study

Tips from Professor Leanne Harharty: In order to succeed in this course, you need to work hard and manage your time effectively. Concentrate, focus and actively engage with what you have learned in lectures. Participation and meaningful contribution in group activities and tasks are also pivotal in academic, professional, and personal development.

Introductory Calculus for Business and Social Sciences (MA129)3 lecture hours, 1.5 problem session hours

What you will be Learning:This course focuses on developing introductory skills for calculus. Topics include: solving equa-tions and inequalities; algebraic, logarithmic and exponential functions and their properties; matrix representation and solution of systems of linear equations. Previous students have commented that this course is a review of grade 12 Calculus, with the addition of matrices.

Major Components: R Labs

Tips:Complete the homework for the week before each lab, as the questions in the labs are highly reflective of the textbook questions.

Functional Areas of the Organization (BU121)3 lecture hours, 1.5 lab hours

What you will be Learning:The main learning objective from a theoretical standpoint is for students to understand the inte-grative nature of business and how decisions in each functional area affect one another. you will learn: how to build an effective business model; how to create and communicate a message that will ‘stick’; and how to forecast demand for a product vs. banking on market ‘potential’. From the course content, you will also learn about sus-tainable business practices, how to manage your debts and why human Resources are important assets for business. BU121 also covers soft-skills in business where students learn how their ability to understand and manage their emotions will affect their success in business. Students will con-tinue to develop and cultivate verbal and written communication skills in a business context, how to think critically and negotiate effectively, and become an effective leader and team player.

Major Components R new venture R Individual Pitch DISC R EQi reflection

Tips from Professor Laura Allan:The course outline will be your bible for this course. Write down every crucial date on a large 4-month calendar and plan ahead.

Introduction to Differential and Integral Calculus (MA110)3 lecture hours, 1.5 lab hours

What you will be Learning:This 1.0 credit course introduces you to limits of functions, continuity and its consequences, along with rational, algebraic and transcendental functions and geometric relationships. MA110 is based on theory and applications of differential and integral calculus with single and multi-vari-ables. This course acts as a gateway to upper year finance and math courses. If you are planning to take math in the future, then MA110 is a smart choice.

Major components R Labs

Tips:Use the lab time to understand the material and ask questions. Manage your time well and never let the homework from the week before pile up. This course moves at a fast pace and completing and under-standing the questions assigned each week will help you succeed.

Introduction to Microeconomics (EC120)3 lecture hours

What you will be Learning:EC120 is an introduction course to how supply and demand influences price and market struc-ture. The concepts covered include: opportunity cost, supply and demand (externalities, trade, taxation), and market structure.

Major Components: R Aplia online assignments R In class iclicker participation

Tips from S.I. Assistant Leila Bautista:The best way to succeed in this course is to think broadly and be open to different ways of interpreting the content. Do not memorize the material, but aim to understand it. Put yourself in the situation for every problem and ask yourself “What would I do?”

Introduction to Macroeconomics (EC140)3 lecture hours

What you will be Learning:The sequence to microeconomics, this course aims to provide students with the ability to understand, interpret, and analyze macroeconomic events and policy issues facing our economy. Professor Smith’s intention is for students to leave EC140 with the ability to understand and interpret news stories relating to the economy. Important concepts include: national Income Accounting, the definition and computation of gross Domestic Product (gDP) (in addition to its uses and limita-tions) and the determination/changes in the price level.

Major Components: R In class iclicker participation

Tips from Professor Robert Jefferson: It is important for students to do the work consis-tently every week. As with all university courses, students need to know that lectures represent only a small component of the course. Independent study of 8-12 hours per week is expected to complement the two 80-minute lectures. The biggest adjustment for students entering university is realizing that most learning is done outside of lectures.

the aCademiC expeRienCeTO FIRST YEAR BUSINESS

By: MarIa MustansIr

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aMG GuIde

TO FIRST YEAR BUSINESS

AIESEC Laurier facilitates a global internship program in the networks of management, IT, education and development.

The international platform for young people to explore and develop their leadership potential

the CO-CuRRiCulaR expeRienCe

Atrium Media Group is a leading media organi-zation and publisher of Atrium, Laurier’s Student Business Magazine.

DECA U leads undergraduate experience through case competitions, networking and professional development.

The Double Degree Club provides Double Degree students with academic and social activities.

Laurier Economics Club empowers members to link economic theory with real life models and implications.

Laurier Financial Mathematics Association provides relevant training, networking, social and leadership opportunities for Laurier in the interest of financial mathematics

Laurier Investment and Finance Association de-velops, educates and inspires students to explore the different roles within the finance industry.

Laurier Innovation and Technology Club fosters en-trepreneurship and innovation at Laurier and in the waterloo community.

The Link connects past, present, and future Laurier SBE students through a number of leader-ship events held in Canada and internationally.

Laurier Marketing Association links students with an interest in marketing through conferences, speaker series and competitions.

Laurier Sales Association provides students an opportunity build their sales knowledge and skills while networking with experts in the industry.

Laurier Students Offering Support (SOS) raises funds through SOS Exam-AID sessions to help increase the quality of education in developing nations.

SIFE Laurier aims to develop socially responsible business students by initiating outreach projects to help improve the standard of living for those in need.

WLU Debating Society develops well-read, confident and analyt-ical public speakers through competitions across the world.

WLU Human Resources Network provides a networking platform for students interest-ing in hR amongst themselves, alumni, and professionals in the field.

Women in Leadership helps students to develop leadership skills while raising awareness about the role of women in business.

XLerate helps first year students develop skills through workshop seminars, leadership opportu-nities and case competitions.

Laurier Consulting Club provides students with the tools to explore careers in consulting through networking and practical experience.

Laurier Sports Management Club focuses on pro-viding students with the opportunity to develop management skills in sports management.

Laurier Accounting Association acts as a liaison between accounting professionals and students to provide an avenue for professional development.

E-Business Laurier (EBL) helps students gain knowledge in social media marketing and develop/ap-ply various skills in social networking environments.

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