Alumni
On November 17, 2010, ten outstanding graduates from Business, Arts & Design were inducted into the inaugural Alumni Wall of Fame. The inductees represent alumni who have excelled in their professional careers, have been actively involved in the community, and have been advisors and mentors to the students. Watch these short video excerpts from the 2010 Business, Arts and Design Wall of Fame ceremony.
Alumni Wall of Fame 2011 Videos |
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Centre for Business Grad Stories
Sheldon D’souza
B409 - Strategic Relationship Marketing
Graduated 2010
After 9 years as a flight attendant I was looking for a career change and George Brown made that easy. Strategic Relationship Marketing
is a well-rounded program and I found it ideally suited for my goals of a career in loyalty marketing. In addition, the co-op experience
at Porter Airlines further enhanced my knowledge gained in class and I was subsequently hired full time. Staff at GBC is ever so
helpful to international students and it was this balance of all elements made my transition from student to professional really
easy.
Maria Marshakova
B145 - Business Administration
Graduated 2010
GBC gave me a deep knowledge in various aspects of business administration. I”ve developed a high interest towards
marketing and had a terrific opportunity to work as an intern in the marketing department of a high-end hotel in Toronto. As an International
student I know that my education from George Brown will help me to build a career anywhere I want in the world.
Jerry Jarosinski
B108 - Business Administration – Marketing
Graduated 2000
“It’s become part of most people’s business lives because it makes business easier.” George Brown College
grad Jerry Jarosinski has one of the best (and according to him easiest) jobs in marketing – he keeps BlackBerry
users loyal. Jarosinski is the Senior Marketing Manager for Loyalty and Retention Programs at Research
in Motion (RIM),
the company that makes the extraordinarily popular BlackBerry personal communication and organization device. [Read
Jerry Jarosinski's story...]
Allison Wilton
B400 - Sport and Event Marketing
Graduated 2004
After graduating from Carleton University with an honours
degree in journalism, Allison Wilton was having trouble
finding work. She sent
out countless résumés before it finally hit her. "I realized that
I needed more valuable work experience," says the 25-year-old Newmarket,
Ontario native. "I had achieved my academic goals at Carleton, however
the hands-on work experience, outside of summer jobs and month-long internships,
was what was missing from my r ésumé."
[Read Allison Wilton's story...]
Micaela Maxwell
B400 - Sport and Event Marketing
Graduated
2005
Micaela Maxwell believes the most valuable lessons aren't always
taught in school. "Hands-on experience in the field can be just
has beneficial as classroom education," the 25-year-old Torontonian
explains. And she should know - while studying Physical Health
and Education at the University of Toronto, she completed
two co-op placements in event planning. From those two
experiences, she discovered
a desire to work and further excel in this field.
[Read Micaela Maxwill's
story...]
Kelly Lalonde
B408 - Post-Diploma Human Resources Management Program
Graduated 2004
Kelly
Lalonde never seems to stray very far from the top.
She earned one of the highest scores across Canada on the Certified
Human Resources Knowledge Examination, the first of two tests leading
to a Certified Human Resources Professional designation.
And when she graduated from George
Brown College's Human Resources Management program (B408), she
tied for highest grade point average and as a result,
earned a placement in the college's human resources department,
which helped to kick-start
her career in the field. [Read Kelly's story...]
Cindy Fong
B108 - Business Administration - Marketing
Graduated 2002
After
graduating from George Brown's Business Administration - Marketing program
(B108) in 2002, Cindy
Fong went on to Ryerson University, where she completed a
business degree. On graduation she was immediately
hired by George Brown as a recruitment officer. She
has now moved on to a more senior
recruiting position at another college located in the
former City of North York.
"My education and career began at George Brown.
It's been five years at the Brown and it's time for me to move on. I
have now moved on to a more senior recruiting position at another college,
but the great thing about it is I will still be on the road promoting
this fabulous college system that turns graduates into industry leaders." [Read Cindy's
story...]
Bryan Foster
Sport and Event Marketing - B400
Graduated 2004
After
finishing a business administration degree at Laurier University, Bryan decided to enrol in the Sports
and Event Marketing program (B400) at George Brown so he could mix
his love of sports with a career in marketing.
"Like a lot of people, I love watching all kinds of sports... hockey,
baseball, football, basketball," he says, "But I've
always been a little more interested than the average
guy in the action going on beyond the playing field. "
While finishing up a business administration degree at Laurier University,
Bryan decided to incorporate his love for sports into his long-standing
plans for a career in marketing. [Read Bryan's story...]
Maryam Hamid
B143 - Financial Planning Management
Graduated 2003
"I love the excitement and complexity of the markets; they're
always changing and you really have to keep up with world events in
order to thrive in them," she says.
Mariam knew she had a number of options, but decided on George
Brown's Financial Planning Management program (B143) because of
its superior reputation, and because she knew that
she would obtain her Canadian Securities Course,
Certified Financial Planner, Derivatives, and Options
designations in addition to a diploma. [Read Mariam's story...]
Kevin King
Marketing student and Student Association president
"George Brown College helped me develop the critical thinking
skills that I use everyday in my position as a sales
agent with Xerox Butterfly Business Products. With
guidance from the faculty, I learned
to examine my attitudes toward difficulty. I can't
change the people, but I can change how I deal with
them, which has made a big difference
in working effectively with teams."
A former Marketing student and Student Association president,
Kevin King received the 2002
Premier's Award in the "Recent Graduate" category
Jonathan Chang, NBA Canada
Sport and Event Marketing
Graduate, 2000
" Working in Basketball Development for NBA Canada is a
dream job for me. In Basketball Development we run
a number of national programs, such as 'NBA Hoop it Up 3-on-3' and 'NBA
Jam Session.' Basketball
has always been an important part of my life, and in
my job, I am driven by my knowledge and love of the
game. I was hired
as an intern by Dan
McKenzie, also a George Brown College Sport and Event
Marketing graduate, and this led to a full time position.
We, in turn, have hired 3 other
George Brown students on intern (co-op) placements.
There's no question: the Sport and Event Marketing program at George
Brown College
helped
me carve a path into a profession that is like no other."
Philip Tome
Business Administration Marketing
Graduate, 2001
"During my academic career at George Brown College,
I was always free to experiment with new ideas. With guidance
and support, I was able to excel in an applied-learning
environment. The many wonderful
professors and staff at George Brown created a true
'application' environment. I walked away from the School of Business
confident in
my abilities
to meld ideas into sound business decisions."
In my role as Strategic Project Manager with the Northern Group, I
have launched functionality-rich online catalogues, innovative multi-user
game environments, and Northern's first e-Commerce project. My next
project will be to lead our one-to-one (or CRM) marketing initiatives."
School of Financial Services
Christopher Deir
B301 - Bachelor of Business Administration - Financial Services
Graduated 2007
Explore your options. It’s simple advice, but by following it, Christopher Deir has taken his education to new heights.
It began with a potential problem. As part of Ontario’s double cohort graduates, Christopher faced increased competition for
a post-secondary education spot. While on the waiting list for two universities, a friend recommended the new Bachelor of Applied
Business program at George Brown College... [Read Christopher Deir's story...]
Erin Foote
B301 - Bachelor of Business Administration - Financial Services
Graduated 2006
Despite being among the first George Brown College grads to hold a degree, Erin Foote found she had no problem being accepted into the Master
of Taxation program at the University of Waterloo. A graduate of George Brown’s Bachelor of Applied Business - Financial Services program
in the Accounting Stream, Foote was accepted into the prestigious program immediately after graduation.
[Read Erin Foote's story...]
George Brown Bachelor of Applied Business - Financial Services Grads Are Going Places
June 2008
On June 12, 2008 the second cohort of our Bachelor of Applied Business - Financial Services degree students
graduated at the college’s annual convocation ceremony. This was another strong group of grads that not
only achieved academic excellence in the classroom during their four-year study in the program, but also jump started
their careers by securing progressive positions in reputable companies across Canada.
Now, after merely two graduating classes, our degree program already has successful grads in PricewaterhouseCoopers,
TD Bank Financial Group, KPMG Canada, Ministry of Public Works (Government of Canada), Miller Bernstein and Partners, and other leading CA firms
across Canada.
In addition, other grads were accepted into prestigious Master’s degree programs such as the Accelerated MBA program at University of Windsor
and Master of Taxation Program at University of Waterloo. Two of our degree grads passed their CFP
(Certified Financial Planners) Exam on their first attempt. This is remarkable considering the nationwide CFP exam success rate is below 50%.
Stay tuned for more successful grad stories on our website!

Nitin Jain came to Toronto from India seeking new challenges, adventures and learning experiences. "After completing my Bachelor of Commerce
degree at Delhi University, I decided to come to Canada for postgraduate studies to enhance my academic skills," Jain says. "I came
on my own as I don't have any friends or relatives here. I started everything from scratch." Less than two years later, the risks that Jain
took are starting to pay off.
With a postgraduate certificate in Marketing Management - Financial Services from George Brown College and a full-time job on Bay Street, Jain,
only 23 years old, has accomplished a lot in very little time.
[Read Nitin Jain's story...]
"The Centre for Financial Services
has developed my practical financial skills and my
soft skills, such as those used
in conducting presentations, along with communication
and leadership. The new Bachelor's degree in Applied
Business will emphasize that balance
even more."
Kim Osinga
Honours
graduate, Business Administration - Accounting
"George Brown College helped me develop the critical thinking
skills that I use everyday in my position as a sales
agent with Xerox Butterfly Business Products. With guidance from
the faculty, I learned
to examine my attitudes toward difficulty. I can't
change the people, but I can change how I deal with them, which
has made a big difference
in working effectively with teams."
A former Marketing student and Student Association president,
Kevin
King received the 2002 Premier's Award in
the "Recent Graduate" category
"Working in Basketball Development for NBA
Canada is a dream job for me. In Basketball Development
we run a number of
national programs, such as 'NBA Hoop it Up 3-on-3'
and 'NBA Jam Session.' Basketball
has always been an important part of my life, and in
my job, I am driven by my knowledge and love of the
game. I was hired as an intern by Dan
McKenzie, also a George Brown College Sport and Event
Marketing graduate, and this led to a full time position.
We, in turn, have hired 3 other
George Brown students on intern (co-op) placements.
There's no question: the Sport and Event Marketing program at
George Brown College helped
me carve a path into a profession that is like no other."
Jonathan Chang, NBA Canada
Sport and Event Marketing Graduate, 2000
"During my academic career at George Brown College,
I was always free to experiment with new ideas. With
guidance and support, I was able to excel in an applied-learning
environment. The many wonderful
professors and staff at George Brown created a true
'application' environment. I walked away from the School of Business
confident in my abilities to meld ideas into sound
business decisions."
In my
role as Strategic Project Manager with the Northern Group,
I have launched functionality-rich online catalogues,
innovative multi-user game environments, and Northern's
first e-Commerce project.
My next project will be to lead our one-to-one
(or CRM) marketing initiatives."
Philip
Tome
Business Administration Marketing Graduate, 2001
Read more stories from
George Brown Graduates...
To learn more, visit the George
Brown College Alumni page.
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