Business Connected - Winter 2023

The 

Business 

School 

BUSINESS 

CONNECTED 

WINTER NEWSLETTER 2023 

The Business School welcomes 

record student numbers 

in Fall 2022 

Plus we celebrate our 

20 th issue of Business Connected!

BUSINESS CONNECTED | WINTER 2023 

Contents 

Featured Articles 

14 

Teaching, Learning & 

Scholarship 

09 Congratulations Class of 2022! 

10 Native Child and Family ——— 

——-Services Office Administration 

——-graduates celebrated 

12 Natalie (Nan) Jiang earns —— 

——-Student of International Trade — 

——-Award 

15 Recycling your old smartphone 

——-can help conserve ape habitats 

24 Centennial and The Regional — 

——-Food Distribution Association — 

——-partner to help strengthen food 

——-security in Eabametoong First 

——-Nation 

30 51st session of the United —— 

——-Nations Human Rights Council 

——-in Geneva 

Career Ready 

14 Students compete at Microsoft 

——-Office Specialist Canadian —— 

——-National Championship and — 

——-World Championship 2022 

16 Connecting Students with —— 

——-Industry - Industry Events! 

21 Experiential Learning at Alterna 

——-Savings and Bank of Montreal 

23 Our Industry Partners 

Connected 

06 Celebrating Our 20th Issue of 

——-Business Connected! 

31 Fun Times! 

32 TBS Retirements: Professors — 

——-Peter Bannon and Linda Traill 

Operational Effectiveness 

24 

07 TBS Launches New Strategic — 

——-Plan 2021-2025 

22 Student Orientation - Fall 2022 

28 More TBS Updates! 

06

Dean’s Message 

Welcome to Business Connected Winter 2023 

“This is our space.” 

Those were some of the first words I wrote 

in the first issue of Business Connected 

some 8 years ago and they have never 

been so true as they are today. 

In July of 2014, we had a very small team 

and, to be fair, a small School to match. 

Looking back, it was myself and Holly Main, 

my incredible assistant, with Chair Amanda 

Stone was at that time balancing roles as 

both Operations Manager and Acting Chair 

of Business and Administrative Studies. 

Soon after, Mary Devine joined us as Chair, 

Finance, Accounting, Law and 

Administration. A team of 1 Dean, 2 Chairs 

and 11 support staff (6 FT, 5 PT), 51 

dedicated full-time faculty and a small team 

of part-time faculty. Our student count in 

Winter 2015 was 3,346. Fast forward to the 

Winter of 2023, eight convocations and one 

global pandemic later we find ourselves in a 

very different environment. 

Our enrolment has grown steadily over the 

years, however, in 2022-23 owing to a 

number of factors, not least of which is a 

desire of the part of Canada to increase its 

immigration numbers, things really started 

to take off. This Winter, The Business 

School accommodated 2,868 more 

students than in Winter 2022, resulting in an 

enrolment of 7,625 students. 

This is a tremendous accomplishment by 

any measure, making our Business School 

the largest at Centennial and indeed larger 

than many Ontario Colleges. 

To manage this, our team has expanded. 

Soon, we will have 5 Chairs, one Ops (still 

one Dean), 20 support staff (18 FT, 2 PT) a 

FT Faculty compliment of 83 and 307 PT 

Faculty, all dedicated to serving our growing 

student population 

Like any business, it will be our challenge to 

adapt to this growth and innovate to provide 

our students with a first-class education. 

What is clear is that we won’t be able to do 

that with the model that we currently have. 

On January 26th, I wrote to you describing 

what the path forward will look like in Fall 

and Winter. Make no mistake, it will be a 

departure from past practice mostly in terms 

our methods and modalities for class 

scheduling. These will include, for all 

programs, elements of asynchronous 

learning, synchronous learning, hybrid, and 

on-campus deliveries, including evenings 

and weekends. 

In addition, we will need to continue to 

innovate our curriculum, to bring forward 

new programs for our students that align 

with our new strategic direction, and bring 

change to adapt to a new business 

environment. This newsletter is full of 

examples of student success and how 

faculty and staff have stepped up to provide 

meaningful opportunities for our students to 

learn and grown. 

Together, I know this School has the ability 

to meet this challenge. 

I want to close with a moment of reflection 

and gratitude. Throughout this publication, 

lovingly edited by Holly Main, we have the 

privilege of looking back on what we have 

accomplished together, a record of which 

any business would be proud. This is "your 

space" and this Winter I invite you to fill the 

next edition of Business Connected with 

even more stories of what you do best. 

Good luck with your winter classes and stay 

safe and healthy! 

Barry O’Brien 

Dean, The Business School 

Greater Toronto's Top 2023 Employers for a second year in a row! 

We are proud to report Centennial College has been named one of Greater Toronto's Top 2023 Employers for a second year in a 

row! Employers were evaluated on the basis of eight criteria, ranging from “work atmosphere and social” and “performance 

management,” through to “community involvement” and “training and skills development”. The competition has become 

exceptionally strong and competitive — so much so that, for Toronto-area employers, the minimum scores to secure a place on 

the GTA list routinely rank among the highest in the nation.( www.canadastop100.com/toronto/ ) 

And another reason to celebrate - Centennial College also made the short list for the Top 100 Employers across Canada! 

We are so proud of these incredible achievements! Congrats, Centennial! 

BUSINESS CONNECTED | 4

5 | BUSINESS CONNECTED 

Business Connected archive available at: https://centennial.core.ocls.ca/islandora/object/centennial%3A1628

Celebrating Our 20th Issue of Business Connected! 

We are excited to celebrate our 20th 

issue of Business Connected! 

The first issue launched in January 

2015. Building off The Business 

School’s first Strategic Plan 2015- 

2020, the Business Connected 

newsletter was a place to share 

stories and celebrate the 

accomplishments and milestones of 

our School. A place for connection, 

and that remains the same to this 

day. 

We have come a long way since the 

first issue. In Dean Barry O’Brien’s 

opening letter, back in Winter 2015, 

he mentions the small team and a 

landmark year for TBS. Since then, 

we have almost doubled in size for 

our admin and support team, not to 

mention our recent record setting 

enrolment. 

Business Connected has been 

growing along with the School, with 

more and more pages of 

achievements and more milestones 

to celebrate in each issue. What 

began as a 5-page newsletter has 

grown to a 36-page publication. 

I have had the privilege of holding 

the role of editor of Business 

Connected for almost 6 years, with 

my first full issue in Summer 2017. 

With every issue, I get to bring 

together and highlight all the 

amazing successes and events that 

our faculty, staff, students and 

alumni are a part of, designing 

pages and editing to best suit the 

content, layout and flow. After 13 

issues and over 300 pages, it is still 

very satisfying, at the end of each 

issue, seeing how everything comes 

together. 

As we celebrate the 20th issue 

milestone for Business Connected, 

it seems quite fitting to be launching 

our new TBS Strategic Plan 2021- 

2025 along with it, just as was done 

in the first issue. Cheers to all that’s 

ahead as we embrace our new 

strategic pillars and continue 

achieving amazing things. 

Holly Main 

Editor, Writer & Designer 

Business Connected 

“The title of the newsletter mirrors 

our new strategic direction which is 

to connect with our fellow 

employers, our students, our alumni, 

industry and the world at large. In this 

newsletter we welcome stories of 

accomplishments and milestones both 

professionally and personally. 

This is our space.” 


Dean, The Business School 

Business Connected, January 2015 

Issues # 1.1-2.1 (3) 

Editor: Ariel Lewis 

Issues # 2.2-3.1 (3) 

Editor: Dainah Ramsay 

Issues #3.2 (1) 

Editor: Freelance 

Issues # 3.3 - present (13) 

Editor: Holly Main

NEW STRATEGIC PLAN 2021-2025 

Welcome to Business Connected 2021-2025 

TBS Launches New Strategic Plan 

CONNECTED in an always on, global 

world means building smarter, faster, 

stronger skills, networks, ideas and 

opportunities. 

As businesses build and evolve at 

unprecedented speeds, they demand 

new approaches, disciplines and 

attitudes. Hierarchies are being replaced 

by agile, flatter, sustainable operations 

offering blended human and robotic 

teams. Employees are rewarded for 

bringing new levels of authenticity, 

analysis and purpose to integrate 

solutions, forge partnerships and elevate 

results. 

The Business School provides an 

academic journey that grows these 

sought-after industry skills and embed 

positive values and respect diverse 

experience and perspectives. 

Business Connected offers a clear 

vision, mission and value approach and 

three guiding principles to build 

relationships across faculty, students and 

industry. It’s a five-year plan for The 

Business School. Engineered to 

empower student success in business 

sectors including logistics, financial 

services, data analytics, marketing, local 

and global business, retail, legal and 

health services. 

This five-year plan also respects that 

operationally, The Business School must 

be effective. It’s not only a skill the 

school imparts, it’s a commitment to 

sustaining The Business School as it 

builds leaders and changemakers. 

Welcome to the 2021-2025 Business 

Connected commitment. 

7 | BUSINESS CONNECTED

CASCADING COMMITMENT 

Bringing The Business School’s vision, mission, 

value to life is a commitment to connect 

students to the business services sector to 

activate excellence in their chosen field and 

empower contributions to better all lives. 

To deliver this commitment, Business 

Connected 2021-2025 is grounded in 

Centennial College’s Triple E Strategy of 

Enrolment, Employment and Empowerment (the 

“3Es”) and the Academic Plan which commits to 

students; supports academic agility and 

excellence, leads institutional effectiveness, 

and embodies inclusive, accessible learning. 

Centennial College 

Triple E Strategy 

• Enrolment 

• Employment 

• Empowerment 

Divisional Goals: 

Academic Plan 

1 

2 

3 

Devoted To All 

Things Student 

Academic Agility 

& Teaching 

Excellence 

Embody IEDI 

Business Connected: 

TBS Strategic Plan 

• Teaching, 

Learning & 

Scholarship 

• Career Ready 

• Operational 

Effectiveness 

VISION 

Business Connected 

MISSION 

Prepare learners to excel in the 

business services sector 

VALUES 

Empower learners to build business 

careers that better all lives 

OUR PILLARS 

Teaching, Learning & Scholarship 

• Leading academics and scholarly pursuits 

• Current curriculum 

• Inclusive, equitable, diverse 

• Student success 

Career Ready 

• New essential skills 

• Experiential and work integrated learning 

• Student competitions 

• External partnerships and advisory 

committees 

• 4-year degree 


• Domestic and international enrolment 

• Student retention and contribution 

• Part-time learning strategy 

• Financial targets 

NEXT STEPS 

The final print and digital copy of The Business School’s 2021-2025 Strategic Plan will be available in Spring 2023. Stay tuned for 

more updates to come! 


Congratulations Class of 2022! 

In June 2022, The Business School celebrated our graduates at the 

Centennial College convocation. This year, we had a record number of 

graduates in The Business School, totaling 2,627. This is even more 

impressive given the challenging year of studying and completing their 

program through a global pandemic. 

The Business School would like to recognize your hard work in making it 

through and we are so proud of all of you. A big congratulations to the 

Class of 2022 and we hope that you will keep in touch! 

Special Convocation Congrats! 

The Business School would like to say a 

special congrats to our very own TBS 

Support Staff, Erin Spanton, who 

achieved her Business Administration – 

Human Resources – Advanced Diploma 

through part-time studies. 


Native Child and Family Services Office Administration 

graduates celebrated 

The Business School celebrated the graduation of our sixth 

cohort of the Native Child and Family Services Office 

Administration program at the Progress Campus Event 

Centre on June 8, 2022. This program is offered in partnership with 

Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFST), which 

provides services to families and children of Indigenous heritage in 

the Toronto region. This program provides training to students of 

Indigenous heritage, empowering graduates to gain meaningful 

employment to improve their lives, and the lives of their families 

and communities. Classes are delivered in an environment and 

pedagogy that respects students' heritage, learning styles, and the 

circumstances of their lives. 

The graduation ceremony opened with a traditional Welcome Song 

performed by Fola Kortee, of the Ogichidaa Kwe drumming group, 

followed by an Opening Prayer by Kevin Fujita, Knowledge 

Keeper, NCFST. Graduates were joined by their family and friends 

to celebrate this achievement, as well as members of the NCFST 

and Centennial Community, including (From NCFST) Darren 

Wilson, Manager of Youth Services, Education and Training and 

Julianna Meawasige, Supervisor, Aboriginal Child and Family 

Centre, and (from Centennial College) Dr. Craig Stephenson, 

President & CEO, Seán Kinsella, Director - The Eighth Fire, Dr. 

Marilyn Herie, Vice President, Academic & Chief Learning Officer, 

Barry O’Brien, Dean, The Business School, Jennifer Northcote, 

Acting Chair, Centre for Legal and Administrative Studies, and 

Professor Sylvia Orrico. Special mention to Graduate Melissa 

Goulais, NCFST Office Administration program, who provided 

remarks during the ceremony. 

Congratulations to our graduates Amber-Lee Eckhardt, Melissa 

Goulais, Sydney King, Erica Manningway, Tyanne Murdock, 

Charnele Sondezi, and Shaunessey Tynes. 

2022 Grant Awarded from Ian Martin’s Meaningful 

Work Foundation 

In an exciting new development, organizers announced that 

Centennial has been awarded a 2022 grant from Ian Martin’s 

Meaningful Work Foundation in the sum of $10,000 to help support 

the 2022-23 Native Child and Family Services Office Administration 

program. The generous donation from Ian Martin's Meaningful Work 

Foundation, will support the 2022-2023 Centennial College/Native 

Child and Family Services Office Administration program and will allow 

more students the opportunity to enroll in the program this fall. 

2022 graduating class with representatives from Ian Martin, Centennial and NCFST. 

Congratulations to our dedicated and hard-working graduates! 


Current and Alumni students attend CITT Graduation Ceremony 

On October 13, 2022, current and alumni students of the 

Centennial post-graduate Supply Chain Management program 

attended the Canadian Institute of Traffic and Transportation 

(CITT) graduation ceremony, held at the Toronto Congress Centre in 

Etobicoke. CITT is the designating body for the CITT-Certified Logistics 

Professional (CCLP) Designation. Academic requirements for the CCLP 

Designation are embedded into the Supply Chain Management – 

Logistics Post Graduate Certificate Program (2862). The ceremony 

honored logistics professionals and Centennial students who completed 

the post-graduate program and have at least 3 years logistics experience. 

The event was sponsored by Celestica, a CITT-Endorsed Logistics 

Employer, and employer of Centennial College graduates. Both Gloria 

Tang and Maria Luisa Espinola currently work for Celestica, with Gloria 

representing Celestica at the event and providing a speech to the 

delegation, congratulating the graduates. The celebratory evening 

presented many opportunities for the current Centennial students to meet 

industry professionals and Centennial alumni and learn about what it 

takes to succeed in the industry. 

Centennial students and faculty attending the event (pictured from left to right); Dylan 

Kafka (current), Gloria Tang (alumni), Nishtha Jethi (current), Tushar Sharma (current), 

Steve Bishop (faculty). Not pictured: Luciana Bellino (current) and Manuel Rodriquez 

Fernandez (current). 

Pina Melchionna, President and CEO of CITT and part-time professor at Centennial 

College in the post-graduate program (left), and Denise Ponte, Chair of CITT Toronto Area 

Council (right), presented the CCLP Professional Designation certificates to the graduates, 

including Centennial graduate Maria Luisa Espinola (middle). 

TBS Students Recognized for 

Academic Performance 

Two Centennial students garner special scholarships 

from the Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce 

Congratulations to Centennial students, Pedro Dergado and The Business 

School’s Tatiane Santos, who received the Brazil-Canada Chamber of 

Commerce's inaugural 50th anniversary scholarships. Students were honoured 

during a networking event on December 1, 2022, at the KPMG Bay Adelaide 

Centre in Toronto. 

Candidates were asked to submit a short essay outlining what the Brazil-Canada 

relationship means to them. The recipients were selected from more than 70 

submissions. The BCCC has a long history of sharing information related to 

education in Canada and Brazil; the organization and its members have been 

essential participants in the education system in both countries. The scholarship 

program was made possible thanks to the generosity of sponsors 4BMining, 

Mandala Group Canada, Mellohawk Logistics Inc. and Prima IP. 

We are proud of our over 400 

Business School students who 

received a formal letter signed 

by Dean Barry O’Brien to recognize 

their academic performance, through 

Winter 2022 and Summer 2022 

semesters. To qualify, a student must 

meet the following criteria: Be registered 

in an Ontario College Credential and 

achieve a cumulative grade point 

average (GPA) of 4.0 or 

higher over two 

consecutive semesters. 

This academic 

achievement reflects 

an outstanding 

commitment to 

learning. 

Congratulations! 


Career Ready 

Business School Success Stories 

Natalie (Nan) Jiang earns Student of International Trade Award 

The Business School would like to congratulate Natalie (Nan) Jiang, Global Business 

Management student, who earned the Student of International Trade Award at the 2022 

Export Awards, held in person on December 1, 2022, at the Ontario Investment and 

Trade Centre (OITC). This award is presented by Organization of Women in International 

Trade (OWIT) -Toronto and recognizes a female student of international trade who, through her 

studies and business/ community experience, has demonstrated passion and commitment for a 

career in the field of international trade. The Business School sponsored a table at the 

luncheon where the student received the award, with eight students and two faculty taking part. 

We would also like to congratulate Mignonne Spiegelman, International Business student, 

who was nominated for this award and Professor Anita Agrawal who was nominated for the 

Excellent Award for Leadership on International Trade at the event. Thank you as well to 

Professors Julie Nguyen and Melissa Jimeno for their great work at nominating and 

supporting students at the event. An incredible result for the student and the School. Bravo! 

Group photo: Sitting (left to right): Andres Arze, Qi Wu Wu, Charvi Maingi, Mandeep Kaur, Naomi Rocca. Standing (left to right): Mignonne 

Spiegelman, Natalie Jiang, Julie Nguyen, Adriana Carrillo, Heloisa Reis 

Tima Shah is the Student 

Association’s new President 

for 2022-2023 

Meet Tima Shah, the newly elected 

President of the Centennial College 

Student Association Inc. (CCSAI) for 2022- 

2023. She’s enrolled in our Human Resources program 

and is a former CCSAI Vice President. Tima is involved in various 

student-facing leadership programming, and students would 

recognize her from her presentations at the Leadership Conference, 

Peer-to-Peer Learning series, and most recently, her educational 

video series as part of her election campaign. Faculty from various 

schools may have had Tima come to their class last year to present 

facts about the CCSAI and its services. Tima is a familiar face at 

College Council where her active participation and commitment to 

student-centric decision making was well known. She began her oneyear 

term as leader of the CCSAI on May 1 and is looking forward to 

working with college members to support equitable learning for all. “I 

am very pleased with the diverse representation we have on our 

board this year – and not only in gender expressions!” she told us in 

an email. Tima is the first female CCSAI President since Ravneet 

Kaur served in 2017-2018. 

Write-up from Centennial’s Good News Bulletin June 8, 2022 

TBS lapel pins are in! 

We would to share the final 

product of the Fashion Business 

and Management (FBMT) 

program’s sourcing project last academic 

year. Congratulations to Yolitzin Huerta, 

Aliessia Wiwczaruk, Shawny Firdana, 

and Leondra Hibbert who were awarded 

the winning design that went to 

production. Stay tuned for what is to 

come for the next sourcing project! 


Representing Centennial 

Enactus Award at The Business School 

Mental Health workshop 

coordinated by Enactus 

Centennial 

Enactus faculty advisor Professor Byron Tobar, along with student Enactus 

Centennial President Naomi Rocca and Project Reset Lead Saurav 

Balodi, present the Excellence in Innovation 

Award 2022 to The Business School. 

The Enactus Centennial team achieved this award 

at the Enactus Canada’s Regional Exposition, in 

March 2022. The award recognizes the 

development of social innovation campaigns 

that lend to meaningful change to an existing 

social problem. Through Project Reset, 

Enactus Centennial continues to help address 

mental health by collaborating with Punjabi 

Community Health Services, Centre for Addiction 

and Mental Health (CAMH), our own Centre for 

Accessible Learning and Counselling Services 

(CALCS), CCSAI and Centennial’s Leadership Academy to 

offer workshops that are requested by our students. Their first workshop was 

offered in June (more details on the right >>) and future workshops will be completed 

by the Punjabi Community Health Services (PCHS) and other partners. 

The award is on display in The Business School’s reception area, Room C3-06 

Progress Campus, with an easy to access QR code. Drop by and click to next 

level engagement that innovates and betters lives. 

Enactus Centennial at Nationals 

From September 30-October 2, 2022, The Enactus Centennial team 

participated in the Enactus Canada National Exposition. The team profiled 

their uniquely designed mental health initiative, Project Reset, co-hosted 

with the Punjabi Community Health Services. Enactus student clubs such as 

Centennial’s foster entrepreneurial leaders who view business as a way to 

address social issues. 

This summer, Enactus Centennial 

coordinated their first Mental Health 

workshop, Stress and Self-Care in 

Context, held online on June 29, 2022. 

The session explored self-care strategies 

and practices as well as major stressors 

that affect particular groups and 

communities, understanding stress not 

only as an individual factor, but as a 

social phenomenon rooted is specific 

socio-economic conditions. The workshop 

was presented in collaboration with 

Project Reset, Enactus Centennial, The 

Canadian Mental Health Association 

(CMHA) and the Government of Canada’s 

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship 

Canada (IRCC). 

Interested in participating in 

the Enactus Centennial Team? 

If you're a student interested in joining the team 

or a faculty member interested in volunteering 

with projects, mentoring the team or be a 

connection for industry partners, please contact 

enactuscentennial.info@gmail.com. For more 

about Enactus Canada, please visit enactus.ca. 

Insurance Industry WinterHack 

Four (4) students from our Insurance Management Program competed at 

the 2022 WinterHack: College & University Design Thinking Ideathon held 

from November 16-18, 2022. This year’s 2-Day insurance related 

innovation competition aimed to provide a space for students and 

university/college insurance programs to show their talent, knowledge and skills 

related to Creativity, Innovation and passion to #MakeInsuranceBetter. Cheers 

to our students Riona Dsouza, Glenda Esther Gonzales, Karin Sioufi and 

Kaylia Williams, pictured here with Dean Barry O’Brien, who represented 

Centennial College at the competition. 


Students compete at Microsoft Office Specialist Canadian 

National Championship and World Championship 2022 

This summer, 10 Business School students were invited to take part in the annual Microsoft Office 

Specialist Canadian National Championship in June 2022, hosted by CCI Learning. We are 

excited to announce two students won in their categories! Hitesh Kumar placed 3rd in Canada in 

Microsoft Excel and won a $500 dollar prize, medal of achievement and certificate. Gagendeep Ranjit 

placed 1st in Canada in Microsoft Word 365/2019, winning a $1500 dollar cash price, medal of 

achievement and certificate. 

As the 1st place winner in his category, Gagendeep 

earned the opportunity to represent Canada in the 

World Championship in Anaheim, California, July 24- 

27th. Gagendeep received an all-expense paid trip 

to Disney Grand California Hotel where he competed 

against students from 75+ different countries. 

Congratulations to Gagendeep and Hitesh! We are 

so proud of your achievements! 


Building Leaders and Changemakers 

Recycling your old smartphones can help conserve ape habitats 

Centennial has teamed up with the 

Toronto Zoo to expand their cell 

phone recycling program to all our 

campuses. How does recycling old phones 

help protect apes? The mineral coltan is 

used to produce the element tantalum, 

which is found in almost all cell phones. 

Unfortunately, mineral extraction in the 

Democratic Republic of Congo is impacting 

endangered ape habitats. By recycling your 

old smartphone, you are closing the loop on 

waste and the tantalum can be harvested 

from old devices, reducing the demand to 

mine coltan. 

To spread awareness of this recycling 

initiative, The Business School’s Corporate 

Social Responsibility students have focused 

their capstone projects on exploring the 

electronic waste crisis and the various 

conservation organizations supported by 

the Toronto Zoo through the collection of old 

devices. Collection boxes are situated at 

each campus Security Desk, ready to 

collect your old cell phones tucked in your 

kitchen drawer at home. Click here to learn 

more about the program. Thank you to 

Professor Natalie Chinsam for all her help 

with this initiative. 

International Development Sector Events 

Students from the International Development Program were busy 

this fall, engaging in sector events throughout the semester. Check 

out all the highlights below! 

As part of “Gender Equality Week” 2022, students of the International 

Development program participated in a discussion with Cuso International Staff: 

Tina Sweeney, Laura Stella Lortie-Maurel, Ginette Sindeu, and Tatiana 

Palouki, on gender-transformative approaches to respond to climate change. 

Tina also met students upon her return from a trip to Senegal and Cameron to 

discuss best practice in Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Accountability 

(MEAL). 

Tina Sweeney is a member of the International Development PAC and continues 

to create opportunities to engage students in the International Development 

sector. Thank you, Tina, for all the support you provide to our students! 

Students volunteered and 

participated in Ontario Council for 

International Cooperation (OCIC) 

Annual General Meeting and 

symposium on September 27, 2022. 

The event was a great opportunity to 

learn about feminist, anti-racist and 

decolonial approaches to public 

engagement. 

On September 28, 2022, Students 

participated in Crossroads 

International Open House on gender 

equality in sub–Saharan Africa. 

International Development program 

students participated in the Casa 

Foundation annual conference 

“Friends of Africa” to learn about 

economic opportunities and 

challenges in the content. 


Career Ready 

Connecting Students with Industry 

Vuitton, Colette Liburd, Owner of The Clarendon Trading 

Company, Anna Care, Director of Digital Experience at Aritzia, and 

Tracy Platt, AVP of Product Development Style & Home at 

Canadian Tire and thank you to Program Coordinator and Professor 

Pamela Richards for organizing this event. 

(Left to right) Journalist and author Andrew Willis, President Craig Stephenson, Acting Chair Sandy Di 

Felice, and Professors Trevor Preston, Tulsi Dharel, Iain Chalmers, Melissa Jimeno, Justin Molloy, and 

Adriana Carrillo, at the Industry on Campus event. 

Inaugural post-COVID Industry on Campus event 

featuring journalist Andrew Willis 

On June 16, 2022, The Business School held its inaugural 

post -COVID Industry on Campus event at Progress 

Campus, hosting Globe and Mail journalist and author 

Andrew Willis. Andrew joined Centennial 

students and faculty to share insights from 

Canada’s leading CEOs during COVID, and what 

those insights offer students as they embark on 

careers in the global economy. As captured in his 

book UNPRECEDENTED, Andrew spoke to 

values-driven leadership, strategy, and tenacity 

as cornerstones of the integrity and resiliency 

demonstrated across Canadian companies. 

As an added event feature, Centennial College President Craig 

Stephenson dropped in to share Centennial’s approach to 

managing the crisis as well. Of importance was acknowledging that 

despite the many months of lockdown, prioritizing the well-being of 

the College community was paramount. 

Congratulations to organizers Professors Melissa Jimeno and 

Trevor Preston for attracting over 75 students to the event. Thank 

you as well to our Professors, including those pictured above, for 

their attendance and support of students. 

Careers in Fashion 

On November 22, 2022, The Fashion Business and 

Management program hosted Careers in Fashion, featuring 

a panel of fashion industry experts. This was an in-person 

event, held at the Centennial College Event Centre, with panelists 

joining virtually. Panelists discussed careers found in the industry, 

their personal career journey, essential skills for career progression 

and the future of fashion industry employment. Thank you to all the 

panelists who took part, including Program Advisory Committee 

(PAC) Members: Janet Ellis, Corporate High-End Manager at Louis 

Law Day - The Post-Pandemic Legal Industry 

On November 30, 2022, The Business School’s Centre for 

Legal and Administrative Studies hosted Law Day - The 

Post-Pandemic Legal Industry, at the Centennial College 

Event Centre. The event began with a welcome from Dean Barry 

O’Brien and featured a lineup of industry speakers highlighting the 

importance of understanding industry changes that resulted from 

the pandemic such as, virtual court and the significant use of Zoom. 

Guest speakers included: Courtney Fraser, Business and Criminal 

Lawyer at Fraser & Associates Legal Group, Kubes Navaratnam, 

Real Estate Lawyer at Nava Wilson LLP, Sabah Fatima, Senior 

Paralegal at Del Condominiums Rentals and TBS PAC Member, 

and Nicole Sicchia, Superior Court of Justice Court Reporter and 

Centennial College Graduate. 

“We have had students observe virtual court and recently we 

attended court in person, many of the courtrooms have all 

parties on Zoom and only the court clerks in the courtroom. 

Everyone has had to enhance their technology skills. The legal 

industry has been forced to modify the way they upload evidence 

and conduct court, this is similar to what we experienced in 

education and our classrooms.” 

Professor and Program Coordinator Tanya Domize 

Over 100 students from the Paralegal, Court Support, Law Clerks 

and Office Administration Legal Programs were in attendance. 

Thank you to Professor Tanya Domize for organizing the event and 

to Professor Dhakshi Ariyakumar for her help in coordinating the 

student volunteers. Thank you to our student volunteers for all their 

help! 


Career Ready 

Daring To Be Different Event 

Why did the price of a watermelon in Nunavut, Canada, 

reach $70.78? Food insecurity is a problem throughout 

Northern Canada due to supply chain issues. 

Reflection and amplification of Indigenous voices and contribution 

into our programs and courses is one of the Centennial College 

Academic Plan 2021-2015 Wildly Important Goals (WIGs). Remote, 

Northern Canada Indigenous communities source food locally but 

may also need to rely of food that is transported from external 

locations. 

On November 2, 2022, the Centennial College Student Association 

Incorporated (CCSAI) and Student Community Engagement 

departments hosted Daring To Be Different, featuring Michael Dick, 

Managing Editor at CBC Network Canada and Fort William First 

Nation resident and Volker Kromm, Executive Director of the 

Regional Food Distribution Association. Michael and Volker are 

leaders and changemakers fighting food insecurity and “Connecting 

Canada’s North”. They provided an in-depth overview of the 

logistical challenges facing this flow of goods. It was clearly 

explained and demonstrated via maps that given the distance and 

resources needed to transport food to these communities, the food 

products become increasingly more expensive, will be of lower 

quality and will often lack nutritional value. Having worked with 

Centennial College on other Business School initiatives, Michael 

and Volker closed the event with a challenge to all in attendance to 

step up and collaborate with the RFDA to develop sustainable 

logistic strategies for supply chains of Northern Canada. 

The two-hour event began with a breakfast inspired by Indigenous 

cuisine, prepared by Centennial College Chefs and Culinary 

program students, and was attended by over 110 Centennial 

(Left to Right) Stewart Linton, Chair Supply Chain Management Program Advisory Committee, Volker 

Kromm, Keynote Speaker, Vickie McInnis Event Organizer, Professor and Program Coordinator in The 

Business School (TBS), Michael Dick, Keynote Speaker, Barry O’Brien Dean of Business, TBS, 

Devansh Thakkar Vice President CCSAI, Laura Woods, Director, Student Community and 

Engagement, Linda Traill, Event Organizer, Professor (Retired) in TBS 

Keynote Speakers Michael Dick & Volker Kromm 

students and faculty in-person at the Centennial Events Center, as 

well as an additional 20 plus online attendees. Thank you to all who 

helped organize this event, including TBS Professors Vickie 

McInnis and Linda Trail (retired). 

Examining fashion brands’ appropriation of Black Cultures 

On November 10, 2022, The Business School hosted How 

Black Cultures Shape Fashion and Pop Culture: A Dialogue 

with Kimberly Jenkins. During this online event, Professor 

Kimberly Jenkins of the Parsons School of Design and founder of 

The Fashion and Race Database lead a powerful conversation that 

celebrates the contributions of diverse Black cultures to fashion and 

pop culture. As a fashion historian and researcher, Professor 

Jenkins uncovered the ways in which popular fashion brands have 

profited from Black cultures, and identified what steps can be taken 

to address the cultural appropriation of fashion. Chantal Carter, 

founder of Love & Nudes and TBS Program Advisory Committee 

(PAC) Member, joined as MC for this important dialogue. 

This Globally Networked Learning 

(GNL) initiative was presented in 

partnership by The Business 

School’s Fashion Business 

and Management program 

and the Innovation, Inclusion, 

Reconciliation and Healing 

portfolio and was open to all 

members of the Centennial 

College community. 


Career Ready 

Logistics and Freight Forwarding: Options, 

Opportunities and Obstacles + Brazil-Canada 

Chamber of Commerce 

On November 16, 2022, The Business School hosted the 

Logistics and Freight Forwarding: Options, Opportunities 

and Obstacles event, in-person on Progress Campus. This 

event has been held over the last few years, providing Global 

Logistics and Freight Forwarding students of The Business School 

at Centennial College the opportunity to meet and discuss their 

career in Freight Forwarding with various guest speakers and it has 

always been a great success. 

Students were joined by guest speakers Arnon Melo and Peter 

Hawkins, President and co-owner (respectively) of MELLOHAWK 

Logistics, who discussed the Three O's (Options, Opportunities and 

Obstacles) to getting a job in International Trade, Supply Chain and 

Logistics. The Options are identifying careers and industries related 

to logistics. Opportunities are understanding what is happening in 

Global business and how this can help you. Finally, the Obstacles 

(both spoken and unspoken) that prevent you from getting a job you 

are going for. 

As a special addition, this year’s event also featured guest 

speakers from the Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce, as well 

as the Deputy Consul of Brazil Leonardo Coelho and the Vice 

Consul Josina Rodrigues, who spoke about the services of the 

Consulate and some other agencies that they work with, providing 

valuable information to help increase successful outcomes for 

students. 

The invitation was extended to all Business School programs, 

especially International Business Management, Global Business 

Management, and Supply Chain and Operations. Over 150 students 

were in attendance. A big thank you to our guests Arnon and Peter 

who take part in this event each year and to Professor Mauro 

Spies for all his help in organizing the event. 

Digital Engagement Strategy Alumni and 

Networking Mixer 

On November 8, 2022, the Digital Engagement Strategy 

Program held their first Alumni and Networking mixer at 

dentsu Toronto. Alumni from every cohort managed to 

attend and share their success stories with current students. 

Students also had an opportunity to welcome and engage with our 

Program Advisory Committee (PAC) members – Natalie Baxter, 

Marketing Manager, Global Ultra-High Net Worth & Private Banking 

at RBC Wealth Management and program alumni, Nick 

Henderson, Vice-President, Performance Marketing at dentsu, 

Adam Rodricks, Senior Manager, Social Media & Community at 

KPMG Canada, and Kelly Seawright, Digital Platforms Manager at 

Mercedes Benz Canada, as well as our student PAC members, 

Jennifer Melo and Pedro Pongo, who also took part in the event. 

Thank you to everyone who helped make this event such a 

success. A special thank you to Genevieve Guay, former PAC 

Chair and partner in this program, for her continued support in 

hosting this event. 

The evening proved a great opportunity to reconnect with old 

friends and make new connections. We very much look forward to 

the next event! 

HRPA Student Presentation 

On November 21, 2022, The Business School hosted a 

Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) virtual 

presentation to provide students with more information 

regarding pursuing a professional HR designation. Students were 

joined by guest speakers from the HRPA and the Toronto Chapter, 

who spoke about the Certified Human Resources Professional 

(CHRP) and Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) 

designation, providing specific tools and tips to guide students as 

they transition into an HR career. Thank you to Professor and 

Program Coordinator Sheldon Shiewitz for his help in organizing 

this event. 


Career Ready 

International Development Guest Speakers – Fall 2022 

During the Fall Semester, The Business School’s International Development students were joined by numerous in-class industry 

guests, who spoke on a variety of topics, including: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Jean Barrett, Manager of Community Microfinance Program 

at Alterna Saving, discussed Microfinance programs for 

women and youth in Canada. Alterna Saving is one of the 

largest credit unions in Canada 

Qasum Popal, former Manager of UN Kabul office and now 

Aman Lara’s Humanitarian Affairs Manager spoke about Food 

Security and Famine among vulnerable groups in Afghanistan 

Laura Barbosa, Executive Director, Students Offering 

Support, shared several innovation approaches of SOS 

programs to support children’s education in some of the most 

vulnerable communities in Latin America 

David LePage, Founder and Managing Partner of Buy Social 

Canada, introduced students to innovative ideas to initiate 

social enterprises that integrate social, cultural, and 

environmental goals 

Hyang Cho, Executive Director at Good Neighbours Canada, 

shared an overview of the development programs 

implemented by Good Neighbours Canada, in more than sixty 

countries, to support gender equality and community 

development 

Glenn Checkley, Indigenous Food Sovereignty Programs 

Director for Canadian Feed the Children, discussed CFC 

• 

• 

• 

programs and partnerships to achieve Indigenous Food 

Sovereignty 

Thank you to Program alumni Joao De Franco, 

Communication Officer at Global Affairs Canada, for sharing 

some job search hacks with students and reflecting on the 

importance of 

volunteering in the 

sector during the 

completion of the 

program courses 

Edna Lee, professor 

from Philippines, presented two sessions in the International 

Development Program on social enterprises in the Philippines 

including Permaculture- conscious design and maintenance 

of agriculturally productive ecosystems 

PAC member Cicely McWilliam, Policy, Political and 

Communications Professional and Independent Consultant, 

introduced students to the challenges and achievements of 

the LGBTQ rights movement in Canada. She critically 

compared the social context and legal milestones of Canada’s 

movement to that of South Africa. 

The Business School ‘Cookie Drop’ project a smashing success 

Akey principle of Supply Chain 

Management is the successful 

distribution of a commodity. To 

demonstrate this principle, OMGT228 

students were required to decorate a 

cookie kit, prepare the kit for retail sale 

and package the cookies for international 

distribution. Over a period of four weeks, 

cookies were prepped, packaged and 

carried around by students acting as 

fictitious couriers who would mildly 

mistreat the packages by dropping them 

from waist height in class. When the 

cookies arrived at the fictitious retailer’s 

high-volume distribution centre, each kit 

was “accidently” dropped off a highvolume 

“conveyor belt” system. Business 

faculty Vickie McInnis and Steve 

Bishop enlisted the assistance of 

EllisDon construction employees Joe 

Sobczak, Adrian Francis and Christian 

to evaluate the resilience of each cookie 

kit by dropping them off the second level 

of the A-Block building currently under 

construction at a height of about six 

metres. Kits were assessed for damage 

by support staff member Erin Spanton, 

who assigned grades based on 

packaging choice and creativity, as well 

as damage sustained to the cookies. 

Congratulations to students Angie 

Linares Gonzalez and Fernando 

Zamora Luna (Team 8, 

shown), who were judged 

to have the most creative 

retail and resilient 

packaging combination. 

The assignment “drop” 

day ended up being great 

fun for students, faculty 

and EllisDon employees 

alike. 


Career Ready 

HIRED 

#HIRED 

GAC Recruitment Fair 

On September 21, 2022, students from the International 

Development Program participated in the Global Affairs Canada 

Public Engagement Working Group recruitment fair. The job fair 

included Ontario Council for International Cooperation (OCIC), 

Crossroads International, Oxfam, Veterinarians without Borders, Youth 

Challenge International Program, and International Bureau for 

Children’s Rights. 

The Business School would 

like to congratulate 

Grace-Ann Wilmot, 

recent graduate of our 

Marketing Research & Data 

Analytics program, who was 

the successful candidate of a 

full-time position as Strategic 

Research and Data Analyst on the Program Quality 

team in Centennial College’s Center for Academic 

Excellence and Program Quality, starting January 

2023. We are looking forward to having Grace-Ann 

as a part of the Centennial Team! 

Know a TBS Graduate who was 

recently #HIRED? 

We’d love to hear from you! Email us with the details 

hmain@centennialcollege.ca 

Need help with your career search? 

The Career Services and Co-operative Education Department provides support 

and guidance to all students and alumni with their career planning and job search 

goals. We also offer an Optional Co-op Program for many Business programs. 

OUR KEY SERVICES 

HireCentennial – Resource & Job Portal 

HireCentennial is your one-stop shop for all your job search and career 

planning needs. View job postings, download tip sheets, register for events 

and job fairs, and book appointments here. Login to HireCentennial to begin 

accessing our resources and services. 

Advising Appointments 

Drop-in with a Peer Career Coach or schedule an appointment with one of 

our employment advisors to support you with resume and cover letters, 

career planning, interview preparation, and more. Book your virtual or inperson 

appointment today on HireCentennial. 

Job Search Webinar Series 

Join us to learn practical tips and get answers to your questions about 

resumes, interviews, job search, networking and a variety of other career 

topics. Sign up via the Career Events calendar on HireCentennial. 

Online Tools 

• Ten Thousand Coffees – network with alumni and employers virtually 

• Big Interview – practice your interview skills virtually and get AI 

feedback 

• Career Success Guide – teach yourself how to job search with our 

self-directed guide 

Details can be found on HireCentennial > Job Search Resources > Online 

Tools. 

Upcoming Job Fairs 

Save the date! The next job fair will take place virtually on February 9, 2023. 

Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter to get updates. 

Contact Us 

Hire.centennialcollege.ca | careerservices@centennialcollege.ca 

Centennialcollege.ca/career-services | 416-289-5233 


Career Ready 

Experiential Learning at Alterna Savings and Bank of Montreal 

During the Fall Semester, graduating students in the financial 

services programs were given the opportunity to participate 

in two experiential learning opportunities during student 

engagement week. Space was limited due to the in-person visits at 

both Alterna Savings in Scarborough and BMO- Bank of Montreal at 

First Canadian Place in downtown Toronto. 33 students were in 

attendance. 

At BMO, students toured the branch as well as the 68th floor where 

they took lots of pictures with the CN Tower as a backdrop. They 

met with several of their employees, including Paula Oliveira, 

Regional Vice President of Downtown Toronto, Branch Management 

and two of their HR partners. Topics included work experience, 

education, roles within BMO, a day in the life of, and lots of Q&A 

throughout. 

Paula shared some key insights into what she is looking for when 

evaluating talent. For those new to the organization, she looks for 

relevant experience and skills (ie: customer service), those eager to 

succeed, comfortable being interviewed and willing to answer 

questions to help the organization learn more about them (ie. what 

would your mom say about you?). For those working within BMO 

she is looking for good performance, those willing to adapt, who 

work well in teams and are resilient. 

Based on student feedback and concerns with resume rejection in 

the past, Paula authorized a hiring session to be held for all those in 

attendance. 

At Alterna students toured the branch and had the opportunity to 

hear from Frugina Ball, Region Head Member Experience, and 

Alterna team members from Retail, Wealth, Mortgage Advisory and 

the Contact Centre to provide an overview of roles and career paths. 

Frugina compared and contrasted banks vs. credit unions which was 

critical in helping the students bring this concept into the real world. 

Student resumes were collected and will be reviewed against 

openings. 

Students were thrilled with the opportunity to experience these 

organizations firsthand and are excited about their futures. One 

student shared “I was amazed by the team, the amount of time they 

put into talking with us and answering our questions, they made us 

feel very welcomed and comfortable and really went beyond our 

expectations for this visit. I would like to point out how this visit 

presented a real opportunity for us to connect and speak about job 

opportunities in the near future. “ 

Both organizations are excited to make our visits a regular 

occurrence as they continue to hire qualified and diverse talent. 

Centennial College and International Business University sign MOU to open 

pathways to students 

Centennial College and International Business University (IBU) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that 

takes advantage of Ontario's recognition of prior learning and credit transfer system to optimize pathways for students' 

learning. The MOU sets out transfer credit pathways from Centennial's two-year Business Diploma and three-year 

Business Administration – Leadership and Management Advanced Diploma 

to IBU's Honours Bachelor of Commerce Degree in International 

Management and Technology. Centennial graduates who meet IBU 

admission requirements are eligible for block transfer credit recognition 

towards IBU's degree program. Read the full article at: www.newswire.ca 



Supporting our International Students 

Centennial College knows that we succeed when our students are prepared and supported along their educational journey. We 

also know that our students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, and that those who are new to Canada 

require specific support that the dedicated staff of Student Community and Engagement (SCE) are well-prepared to deliver. Our 

transformation last year was completed in part to address the needs of these students. Highlighted below are some of the 

programs and services we offer for international students. 

headSTART 

• headSTART is a 16-week pre-arrival program serving over ten 

thousand students annually. It is designed to help new international 

students prepare for their personal, academic, and professional 

success at Centennial and in Canada. The headSTART program 

includes an online portal, weekly newsletter, and webinars tailor-made 

to give international students the tools and resources they need to 

succeed in areas where students have struggled in the past. 

Career Support 

• 99% of Centennial students complete some form of work placement 

during their program, and our international students are no different. 

Through SCE programming, students are given tools to help them 

enter the job market in their chosen fields. Tools include digital badge 

programs, career counselling, and access to the Devant platform, 

which guides international students through job search, networking, 

and career fair opportunities specific to them. 

International Student Support (ISS) 

• We work hard to make ISS the home away from home for international 

students during their years here. Our team of full time International 

Student Advisors (ISAs) provide in-person and virtual support to 

international students across all campuses. Whether the student needs 

help with immigration, health insurance, housing, homesickness, 

securing a job, or any other issue that might arise, our team is there. 

We support students through webinars, by phone and email, and 

during in-person drop-in advising hours on all campuses. 

Mental Health Support 

• International students have 24/7 access to mental health support 

through keep.meSAFE, which offers counselling service in multiple 

languages by counsellors who have experience in supporting the 

unique challenges international students face. 

As a public institution, we are absolutely committed to giving students the best experience 

possible. Our relationship with our international students doesn’t start on the first day of 

class, and it doesn’t end when they graduate. We work hard to prepare them for their 

experience at Centennial College and in Canada, and they thrive with the support of our 

staff and programs. If you are interested in finding out how you can better support 

international students and these teams, please contact Keiko Hoehn, Manager, 

International Student Support, khoehn@centennialcollege.ca. 

Student Orientation - Fall 2022 

This past semester, The Business School hosted its 

biggest Student Orienation to date, with 1,750 new 

students registering to attend either in-person or 

virtually. Welcome, everyone! 


Career Ready 

Our Industry Partners 

TBS Fall PAC Event 

On October 5, 2022, The Business School hosted a Fall Program Advisory 

Committee (PAC) Event, at the Centennial College Event Centre. The 

event was an opportunity to bring together our industry members after the 

pandemic for networking and a presentation from Dean Barry O’Brien launching 

The Business School’s new Strategic Plan. Our PAC Members provided valuable 

discussion and feedback on changes to the economy impacting our students, and 

unique skills that employers are looking for, as well as identifying opportunities for 

the next 5 years ahead for The Business School. Thank you to all our industry 

professionals who took part both in-person and online. 

Welcoming our new PAC Members 

Program Advisory Committees (PAC) provide an essential link between Centennial College 

and the community they serve. PAC members inform programming with respect to industry 

trends and thus any changes in skill and knowledge requirements, keeping curriculum 

aligned with industry needs. The Business School has over 200 PAC Members. We are 

excited to welcome our new PAC Members below! 

Natalie Baxter 

RBC Wealth Management 

Marketing Manager, Global Ultra- 

High Net Worth & Private Banking 

Brett Boadway 

Insurance Brokers Association of 

Ontario 

Chief Operating Officer (COO) 

Anna Care 

Aritzia 

Director, Digital Experience 

Marnai Cimolai, CRM 

Risk Manager, Corporate 

Insurance 

Manulife 

Retiring PAC Members 

Leanne Hardman 

Intact Insurance 

Unit Claims Manager, Accident 

Benefits 

Nick Henderson 

Vice-President 

Head of Performance Marketing 

Barbara Lambert 

Northbridge Insurance 

Claims Quality Assurance 

Colette Liburd 

The Clarendon Trading 

Company/Centennial College 

Co-owner The Clarendon Trading 

Company and Professor (SHTCA) 

Stephen McDermott 

Canadian International Freight 

Forwarders Association (CIFFA) 

Director, Education and Marketing 

Erin Poirier 

Crawford & Company (Canada) 

Inc. 

Head of HR, North America 

Livia Tersigni 

Insurance Institute 

Senior Manager, GTA, Kawartha 

Durham, Cambrian Shields 

Find out more 

about PACs at 

Centennial 

by clicking 

HERE 

Thank you to our retiring PAC Members for all the support they have provided to TBS and 

our students over the past years: Denise Brown and Genevieve Guay (Digital Engagement Stategy 

PAC ), Jennifer Ger and Odessa Paloma Parker (Fashion Business and Management PAC), and Bruno 

Panzica and Catherine Derksen (Insurance Management Graduate Cerificate PAC). 

“Started at Centennial” 

Shout Out 

The Business School would 

like to give a shout out to 

Adnan Mehdi, 

Global Business 

Management 

program alumni 

and PAC 

Member, who 

was featured in 

the “Started at 

Centennial” alumni 

series. Read the full article at: 

www.centennialcollege.ca/startedat-centennial-blog/ 

Do you have an alumni story you’d 

like to share? Please contact 

webupdates@centennialcollege.ca 

to learn more. 

Debut Book Congrats! 

Special congrats to PAC Member 

Adam Rodricks whose 

debut book, Trigger 

Fingers: Personal 

Branding Through 

Storytelling, is a #1 

best-seller in Canada. 

Read more HERE 


Centennial College and The Regional Food Distribution 

Association partner to help strengthen food security in 

Eabametoong First Nation 

In December of 2020, our Strategic Initiatives and External 

Relations (SIER) team shared news that Agriculture and Agri- 

Food Canada had established a “Local Food Infrastructure Fund 

(LFIF)” to strengthen food systems and to facilitate access to safe 

and nutritious food, for at-risk populations. 

Professors Vickie McInnis and Linda Traill of The Business 

School and Peter Groot, Grants Coordinator with SIER, decided 

that this was an excellent opportunity to partner with Volker 

Kromm – Executive Director of The Regional Food Distribution 

Association (RFDA) of Northwestern Ontario, a food bank that 

collects, and distributes food to shelters, homes and many 

Indigenous communities. 

a lack of food storage available in the community. This means that 

frequent trips are necessary to ship goods, keeping costs high for 

the goods they receive, especially compared to many other cities, 

towns and communities across the province. 

We are excited to share some great news, in October 2022, thanks 

to the effort of this team (pictured below), the RFDA received the 

LFIF grant and was awarded $98,687 to help cover the costs of the 

storage container for Eabametoong First Nation. 

After many strategic sessions to determine how best the LFIF fund 

could support the RFDA’s vision and communities that it serves, the 

team submitted a proposal to purchase a 9.5 ft X 40 ft. refrigerated 

storage container for the Eabametoong First Nation. 

Eabametoong First Nation, is 

located approximately 1000 km 

from Toronto, has limited access to 

food at various times throughout the 

year. Although some of their food is 

sourced locally, communities also 

rely on food that is transported from 

outside of the community, either 

driven or flown into their 

communities, depending on the 

time of year and (ice) road access. 

Given the distance and resources it takes to transport food to 

communities, food is expensive, often lower quality, and is not rich 

in variety or nutritional value. Additionally, many communities can 

only purchase small quantities of food in each shipment, as there is 

This is one of many success stories that continues to support the 

RFDA to create a reliable and equitable emergency food delivery 

system throughout the region. 

Let No One Go Hungry 

The Regional Food Distribution Association (RFDA) aims to create a 

reliable and equitable emergency food delivery system throughout the 

region, coordinate food from individuals and businesses, promote the 

universal right to have access to healthy food, and provide instruction 

on food preparation and active livelihood for sustainability. Our mission 

is simple, “Let no one go hungry in our midst.” To find out more, or to 

donate, visit www.foodbanksnorthwest.ca 



Kicking off the 2022-2023 Academic Year! 

TBS Fall Kick-Off 2022 

On August 29, 2022, The Business School hosted its annual 

Faculty and Staff Fall Kick-Off to celebrate the start of the 

new academic year. The event took place at the Centennial 

College Event Centre and featured a presentation by Dean Barry 

O’Brien launching the School’s 2021-25 Strategic Plan, followed by 

program cluster breakout session to engage faculty implement 

strategy. Key to the event was a session by Ivey Publishing on 

utilizing business cases and afternoon sessions by our publishers 

(McGraw Hill, Pearson, Wiley, and Cengage) on the integration of 

publisher resources to enhance the student experience. Thank you 

to everyone who came to take part in the event! 

Resources from event available on The Business School portal at 

https://e.centennialcollege.ca/d2l/le/content/55666/viewContent/10211365/View 

Recognition of Academic Achievement 

During the TBS Fall Kick-Off, we took a moment to recognize 

employees who have completed an academic credential during the 

pandemic, since March 2020. Congratulations on all the 

achievements below! 

• Amirmahdi (Amir) Anbari Project Management Program, 

Centennial College (by December 2021) 

• Dhakshi Ariyakumar LLM in International Law (Masters in Law), 

University of Leicester, United Kingdom. Graduated in 2021 with merit 

• Tracey Bissett Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 

Certificate (TLHE), Centennial College, 2021 & Higher Education Teaching 

Certificate, Harvard University 2020 

• Ana Caracaleanu Leaders of Learning certificate from HarvardX, an 

online learning initiative of Harvard University. 

• Sandy Di Felice TLHE with high honours, Centennial College, & 

Certification in automotive law and ethics with high honours, Georgian 

College 

• Tanya Domize Digital Marketing Certificate, York University 

• Stephen Hudovernik Master of Finance, Queen's University 

• Alex Maletich Master of Business Administration (MBA), Cape Breton 

University, received November 2020. Project Management Professional 

(PMP) Certification received October 2020 

• Tammy Mang TLHE (Teaching & Learning in Higher Education) with 

Honours, Centennial College 

• Surjeet Singh Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (TLHE), 


• Rathika Sitsabaiesan Prosci Change Management Practitioner 

• Patrick Smith Master of Business Administration (MBA), Roehampton 

University 

• Erin Spanton Business Administration – Human Resources – 

Advanced Diploma, Centennial College 

• Jennifer Tilk TLHE (Teaching & Learning in Higher Education) 

certificate program, Centennial College 

• Sana Zargar Master of Business Administration in Community 

Economic Development, Cape Breton University 

And cheers to everyone who continues to fill their professional 

designations and gain additional skills including... 

• Naila Aaijaz PMP (PMI, USA) and Transportation systems (CITT) 

• Tulsi Dharel Chartered Marketer (CM) awarded by Canadian 

Marketing Association (CMA) 

• Angela Marchese Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification 

• Mauro Spies FITT CITP|FIBP (Certified International Trade 

Professional) granted in March 2022 

• Pat Tari Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification 


NEW TBS Profiles 

Stephen Hudovernik 

Full-time Professor, Accounting 

What I do 

I see myself as an active learning partner with my 

students, using a variety of teaching strategies to 

bring a strong and practical understanding of 

accounting, finance and business to learners. 

Teaching has been one of my interests for a long 

time - whether as part of a corporate team, in a 

mentoring relationship or in the classroom, I am 

inspired to help ambitious people on their journey 

towards achieving career success. I am proud to 

be a part of the Centennial College community. 

Before I joined Centennial 

Before pursuing a post-secondary education 

career path, I held a variety of senior level 

positions in Accounting, Finance and Strategic 

Planning, in both the private and public sectors. I 

also enjoyed a stint as an independent consultant 

assisting in the purchase of an Ontario winery. I 

am a proud professional accountant with a CPA, 

CMA designation and I hold Master of Finance 

(M.Fin.), Juris Doctor (J.D.) and Honours Bachelor 

of Commerce (B. Com.) university degrees. 

Things you may not know about me 

Prior to joining Centennial, I had over 10 years of 

educational experience with organizations such as 

George Brown College, the University of Toronto’s 

School of Continuing Studies and CPA Ontario for 

the Professional Education Program “PEP” 

(including one of their predecessor organizations, 

CMA Ontario). 

My interests outside of work 

I currently serve on the Board of Directors of my 

condominium corporation including specific 

responsibilities as treasurer. In my spare time, I 

enjoy travel to experience different cultures and 

places (the last big trip included standing with one 

foot in each of the northern and southern 

hemispheres, in Ecuador). Meanwhile in Toronto, 

you will find me on the curling rink in the winter 

and on the tennis courts in the summer. 

Accomplishments 

Smith School of Business scholarship at Queen’s 

University for my recent Master’s degree studies. 

Betty Liu 

Senior Financial Officer 

What I do 

I am the Senior Financial Officer in the Business 

School. I joined the Business School from Miller 

Thomson where I was a Financial Analyst. My job 

basically is to make sure that our school’s finance 

and operation move smoothly. 


Since I have moved to Canada, I had been in 

different industries, including Accounting firm, NPO, 

Law firms, and I had worked as a financial and 

accounting professional for 7 years. Then I realized 

that I am very interested in education industry, 

especially working in a school, thus I have applied 

this position in Centennial College. 


I am a very easy-going person. I was born in 

Beijing, which is a both modern and historical city. 

My family moved to Canada 7 years ago and now 

we are living in Markham. We are fascinated with 

the natural beauty of Canada and had already 

visited many places in the country. I live with my 

husband and our 10-year-old boy, and my parents 

now have moved from China and live with us as 

well. 


Baking (I love baking cakes for my family member’s 

birthdays); Travelling (my travel plan had been 

interrupted by Covid, but I will resume it soon); 

Swimming (We have a pool in the back yard and 

enjoy it in the summer); Skiing (I started to learn 3 

years ago and love it so much); hiking (I love the 

nature beauty for four seasons in Canada); Watch 

movies (Both in English and Mandarin). 

The best part of my day 

When I have finished my tasks or solved finance/ 

accounting/payroll questions for a faculty or staff, 

and when I feel I am important to the team and 

school, it would be a great accomplishment for me. 


I have a Master’s degree in Economics and got an 

ACCA and CPA, CGA designation. 



Jasmine Mather 

Department Assistant 

What I do 

I am the Department Assistant in the Business 

School, providing assistance to the Academic 

Chair, Accounting, Finance, Economics & Math 

department. My job is to provide secretarial and 

administrative support for the department, 

specifically to students, faculty and Academic 

Chair. 


I have actually been working at Centennial College 

since 2016. It began as a summer job where I was 

assisting in transitioning printed course outlines 

into digital forms. Overtime, I began working as an 

administrative assistant at the School of 

Advancement. I love the people and the 

environment at Centennial! 


I am currently pursuing my Master of Education in 

Social Justice at OISE. I also work at a hospital as 

a scheduling assistant on weekends. I love the 

colour pink, reading, and travelling. This year I 

went to Miami, the Dominican Republic, and 

Mexico (photo below)! 


The best part of my day is when I get home and 

relax. I enjoy completing all my tasks and earning 

a well deserved break. 


I enjoy going out for dinner and spending time with 

my friends and family. I love going to the gym and 

having fun! 


Completed my Undergrad in Human Biology and 

am now pursuing my Masters of Education in 

Social Justice. 

Krystle-lee Schwalm Vella 

Full-time Professor, Office Administration 

What I do 

Education is my passion and over the past eight 

years I have had the privilege to work with 

talented, creative, and innovative thinkers at 

Centennial College. In that time, I have taught in 

both the OA Business and OA Legal Programs, 

gaining the trust of colleagues which has awarded 

me the opportunity to take on a variety of specialty 

projects, several new course designs, and program 

development initiatives within numerous delivery 

modes. Most recently, I joined The Business 

School as a full time Professor within the Legal 

and Administrative Department. I enjoy creating a 

supportive and equitable learning environment 

where student engagement is in abundance. 


Before joining Centennial College in 2015, I was 

an elementary and high school teacher in Ontario 

for 5 years. Additionally, I spent 10 years working 

within the private corporate sector in a variety of 

capacities. I have worked directly with colleagues, 

customers, and business partners in various 

customer service, sales, training, administration, 

and management positions. I have managed multimillion 

dollar projects, have led brand and product 

marketing initiatives, while generating new 

business and increasing sales. 


I am a people person and I love to talk – this is a 

perfect career for me! In my elementary school 

report cards, my teachers often said that they had 

to remind me that I was not the classroom teacher. 

I genuinely enjoy helping others discover new 

things and ideas and this started at a very young 

age. I am Maltese-Canadian and am a mother to 

three young children including twins! I enjoy 

spending time with my family, catching a movie 

with my husband, traveling to new countries, and 

baking custom cakes. 


I hold two university degrees with honors which 

include a double major in law, business, and 

sociology as well as a Bachelor of Education. 



Elizabeth Williams 

Full-time Professor, Marketing 

What I do 

I have the privilege of teaching a variety of 

marketing-related courses in The Business School. 


I joined Centennial as a part-time instructor in 

2018 and have also taught at Seneca and Royal 

Roads University. This all follows a 25-year career 

as a marketing and communications executive with 

organizations such as Rogers, Bank of Montreal, 

Aon and ADP. I have also worked as an 

independent consultant with HydroOne, Shoppers 

Drug Mart, Toyota and J. Walter Thompson, 

among others. I continue to speak at business and 

academic conferences, when I can. 


I am working on my Doctor of Business 

Administration degree, with a research focus on 

how business schools can teach better manager 

communications skills. I am currently finishing a 

MITACS-funded project looking at how North 

American companies communicated during the 

pandemic. 


When I’m procrastinating on other things, I can be 

found in a canoe in Canada’s spectacular back 

country or in my kitchen making something 

ridiculous I found online. I volunteer in my 

community, most recently with an animal shelter 

and as a soccer referee mentoring young women 

who are interested in becoming officials. I also 

collect whisky from around the world, which I enjoy 

while watching hockey (Go Habs!) or binging 

Netflix. 


Is when a student asks a question I can’t answer. I 

get to dig into something fun and invariably come 

away with new knowledge I can share. 


IABC Gold Quill Award Winner 

Rogers CEO Award Winner 

More TBS Updates! 

Congrats, Welcome Back, and Welcome! 

The Business School has a few support staff updates: Mabel 

Liu was the successful candidate for the full-time Success 

Advisor role with TBS. She will continue advising for the 

Accounting, Financial Services and Insurance Management 

programs. We also welcomed back Tahmina (Tam) Qassem from 

parental leave in September 2022. Tam is the Department Assistant 

for Legal and Administrative Studies programs. And finally, we 

welcomed two new members to the team, Betty Liu, TBS Senior 

Financial Officer, and Jasmine Mather, Department Assistant for 

the Chair, Accounting, Finance, Economics & Math department. 

Read more about our new team members on pages 26 to 28. 

On November 28, 2022, The Business School welcomed back 

Chair of Business and Management Studies, Amanda Stone, who 

returned from parental leave. A big thank you to Acting Chair Sandy 

Di Felice for the support she has provided over the last year. Her 

leadership and problem solving helped keep the department 

running smoothly while The Business School supported a record 

high enrolment for Fall 2022. 

Support Staff Goodbyes 

These last months, The Business School said goodbye to: Mei 

He, former Senior Finance Officer, who accepted an offer with 

the Centennial College Finance team, Camille Jimenez 

former Department Assistant for Legal and Administrative Studies 

programs, who accepted a position at SETAS, Anshul Chhatre 

former Department Assistant for the Chair, Accounting, Finance, 

Economics & Math department, who accepted a full-time 

opportunity, outside of Centennial College, and Melissa Tapscott 

who has accepted a position as IT Project Manager. Wishing 

everyone all the best in the next chapter ahead. 

Welcome New Program Coordinators 

TBS welcomed two new coordinators to the team for Fall 2022: 

Leona Jones, Program Coordinator, Insurance Management 

Program, and Patrick Smith, Program Coordinator, Marketing 

Research and Analytics. Thank you to our past coordinators, 

Richard Karim and Colleen Paterson, for all the support they 

provided to our students and these programs respectively. 



Faculty & Staff Highlights 

Congrats to our TBS Award Nominees! 

We would like to recognize this year’s faculty, support staff 

and student nominees for their outstanding contributions to 

teaching excellence at Centennial College. All have 

demonstrated passion, dedication and exceptional quality in the work 

they do at the college in support of teaching and learning. 

Panels and Conferences 

Cheers to all our faculty and staff who continue to share 

their knowledge with their community, including these 

events below: 

George Wicken Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence - Nominees: 

Professor David Parent 

Professor David Tooke 

Professor Linda Nikolaou 

Professor Paul Coke 

Professor Michael Carter 

Professor Mila Romaniuk 

Professor Peter García Sjögrim 

Professor Steve Bishop 

Professor Vida Shehada 

Diane Fagel Support Staff Excellence Award - Nominee: 

Melissa Tapscott 

George Wicken Student Achievement Award - Nominee 

Pamela Del Canto Chiappa 

Online Strategies and Techniques 

During the Fall Engagement Week 2022, TBS online mentor, 

Rathika Sitsabaiesan, hosted an online session to share 

some strategies and techniques for group work and 

collaboration. We surveyed faculty in the spring and this topic was a 

recurring theme This one-hour session shared best practices that 

enhance our students’ learning experience. Thank you, Rathika! 

Fresh off the Press 

In August 2022, TBS Professor Debbie Mohammed and her 

colleague Nikolaos Karagiannis published two articles in the 

Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing, edited by 

Dimitrios Buhalis. More information about the publication available at 

www.elgaronline.com. 

Debbie A. Mohammed and Nikolaos Karagiannis 

(2022) Caribbean Tourism, Elgar Vol 1, 427-430 

Nikolaos Karagiannis and Debbie A. Mohammed 

(2022) Global Tourism Trends, Elgar Vol 2 429- 

431 

Friends of Africa Panelist 

Professor Vida Shehada was a panelist on “Learning 

Digitally: Building an Effective Digital Education System 

beyond 2025” at the Casa Foundation annual conference 

“Friends of Africa” to learn about economic opportunities 

and challenges in the content. 

International Conference Keynote Speaker 

In December 2022, Professor Rathika Sitsabaiesan 

shared her expertise and valuable insight as a Keynote 

Speaker at the International Conference Freedom of 

Expression, Hate Speech, and Religious Freedom: A 

Human Rights Perspective, organized by UNEQUAL 

World Research Center. 

“Leaf”ing Stress Behind at the Annual 

Support Staff Conference 

On June 22, 2022, TBS Support Staff Holly Main 

facilitated an art workshop, “Leaf” Stress Behind 

by Exploring Pattern, at Centennial’s Annual 

Support Staff Conference. In the session, Holly led 

attendees through a drawing exercise, exploring the use 

of pattern and giving an 

opportunity to practice 

technique, with a portion of 

the session paired with 

music, creating a 

meditative art experience 

while creating a unique art 

piece along the way. 

Sample of the drawing that 

was created here! 


Featured Article 

Meanwhile at the 51st session of the United Nations Human 

Rights Council in Geneva... 

During the 51st session of the United 

Nations Human Rights Council 

(UNHRC) that took place in Geneva, 

Switzerland from September 12 to October 

7, 2022, Rathika Sitsabaiesan, Human 

Resource Management Faculty led a team 

of Members of Parliament and global 

activists in this international arena. 

Rathika has been a global human rights 

activist for much of her life and continues 

this work here at home and abroad. Rathika 

represented Tourner La Page, a human 

rights organization based out of France at 

the UNHRC. 

During one of 

her 

interventions, 

Rathika 

presented to 

the UNHRC on 

the Zero draft 

resolution on 

Sri Lanka and 

Rathika presenting her speech at the 

UNHRC representing Tourner La 

Page, a global human right 

organization based out of France. 

expressed her 

disappointment 

on behalf of 

the global 

Tamil diaspora as it served as a continual of 

the denial of justice for the hundreds of 

thousands of Tamil victims and survivors. 

She called on the UNHRC to move the case 

of Sri Lanka to the UN Security Council to 

be referred to the International Criminal 

Court and to have a Special Rapporteur 

appointed for Sri Lanka under Agenda 4. 

Over the course of the week in Geneva, 

Rathika helped to organize an NGO 

parallel-event and also Chaired the event 

entitled, “International Crimes and the 

International Criminal Court”. This event 

saw the participation of multiple Members of 

Parliament from Sri Lanka, human rights 

legal experts, and activists. The team also 

met with the Working Group on Enforced 

Disappearances with testimony from two of 

the mothers who are leading the charge in 

Sri Lanka by bravely organizing the many 

mothers who have lost their husbands and 

children who have been forcibly 

disappeared. Moreover, the team in Geneva 

was able to have multiple meetings with 

Country Missions, activists, and even the 

Secretary for the Pen Holder—UK. The 

slight change in the final version of the 

resolution 51/5 shows that even as 

individual global citizens we can all work 

together to make big changes—even if it is 

one small step at a time toward the larger 

fight for justice, recognition of truth, ability 

for reconciliation, and eventual hope for 

growth and prosperity. 

Rathika Sitsabaiesan in the Main Hall of the UNHRC. 

Rathika Sitsabaiesan Chairing the NGO Parallel event at the 

UNHRC 

Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation 

To continue to develop and embed principles of Indigenization, 

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (IEDI) within The Business School, 

in the fall 2022 semester, full-time professors were invited to 

participate in the “4 Seasons of Reconciliation” online modules, 

paired with optional discussion groups based on the modules. 

This builds from the guest speaker event, “Reconciliation on 

Bay Street”, hosted by The Business School in 2019, which 

discussed Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: 

Call to Action #92: Business and Reconciliation. 

The Business School wishes to continue our collective IEDI 

professional development through team reflection to discuss 

and develop meaningful steps to embed the Truth and 

Reconciliation Calls to Action 

within our curriculum. 

Thank you to our faculty for 

their commitment to this 

initiative and we look forward 

to opening up this opportunity 

to all Business School faculty 

and staff in the Winter 2023 

semester, as we continue on 

our path to Truth and 

Reconciliation. 

Photo by Holly Main, National Day of Truth and 

Reconciliation, September 30, 2022, at Nathan 

Phillips Square 



Fun Times!... 

On August 16, 2022, The Business School said farewell and congrats to Professor Linda Traill who 

retired on August 27, 2022. True to form, Linda even had her class there to celebrate with her too. 

In June 2022, The Business School’s Support Staff and Admin team took a break from the office to 

enjoy some sunshine, snacks and lawn bowling at the Agincourt Lawn Bowling Club. Turns out we take 

lawn bowling very seriously, with measuring tape precision! 

Holly Main with her “Hey Girl” illustration, 

donated in support of Student Scholarships, 

Pride Celebration 2022. Cheers to Neil Buddel 

who gave him a nice home! 

(Left) Former Acting 

Chair Sandy Di Felice, 

Dean Barry O’Brien, 

and Chair Mary Devine 

recruiting potential 

students at the Ontario 

College Information 

Fair (OCIF) at the 

Enercare Centre in 

September 2022. 

On October 18, 2022, Team CLAS hosted a hybrid baby shower in 

celebration of a baby on the way for Professor and Program Coordinator 

Samar Hamid. Cheers to everyone that was able to come by! 

Festive sweaters and lots of holiday 

cheer! On December 16, 2022, TBS 

hosted its annual Festive Sweater Party 

and Gift Exchange Game in the boardroom. 

Cheers to Akil Jones Weekes who 

was crowned with the most festive 

sweater of them all! 

his season, The Business School 

brought back its Holiday Mix & Mingle. 

On December 7, 2022, everyone came 

together at The Local Restaurant to 

enjoy some great food, tasty apple 

twist mocktails and share in holiday 

merriment! 

On October 6, 2022, The Business School “Showed their Blue” in support 

of the Toronto Blue Jays who made it to the American League Post Season 

Wild Card Series where they battled the Seattle Mariners, in a best of 3 

series in Toronto. 

Have an article or event you would 

like to share in Business Connected? 

We are always looking for events that highlight the 

great work done by our students, alumni, faculty 

and staff! Please email submissions to Holly at 

hmain@centennialcollege.ca . 



Business School Retirements! 

Peter Bannon 

Professor, Marketing 

The Business School said a big congratulations and farewell to Professor Peter Bannon 

who retired from the College on June 24, 2022, after 10 years at The Business School. 

Since joining in January 2012, Peter has been an exceptional and respected faculty 

member of The Business School, showing great commitment to our Marketing programs, 

colleagues, and students. Peter’s decision to retire means a lot of energy and knowledge 

leaves The Business School as well. 

Some of Peter’s contributions include: 

• 

• 

• 

Contributed to the development of the marketing post grad and diploma program; 

Coached students and participated in the Centennial College OCMC team; and, 

Developed the ODL for MKTG 229 Digital Marketing course. 

We wish Peter the very best in his retirement and important next chapter in life! With teaching behind him, we are sure he will have more 

time to focus on cycling and playing golf a couple passions of his. 

Linda Traill 

Professor, Marketing 

The Business School also said a big congrats and farewell to Professor Linda Traill who 

retired from the College on August 27, 2022. Since joining TBS in January 2008, Linda 

has been an exceptional and respected faculty member within the Marketing and 

Corporate Account Management programs. She has a special gift of always wanting to help to 

ensure that our student experience is the best it can be. Linda’s energy, enthusiasm for 

learning, her ability to make and leverage industry connections to ensure student success and 

most of all, her commitment to student engagement in the classroom will be so missed. 

Some of Linda’s accomplishments include: 

Linda’s favourite memory: 

“I’ll never forget sitting in my car after 

I taught my first continuing education 

course ever, and realized that I had 

finally found my dream job! I will also 

never forget when Barry O’Brien decided 

to get everyone at the Business School 

involved in the Ice Bucket Challenge to 

raise funds in support of ALS.” 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

20+ Marketing Career Hack events since 2015, providing students with the opportunity to 

connect and network with over 60 different Industry experts and alumni, in their field of 

study. Awarded the President’s Spirit Award for these efforts. 

Key contributor to the Business School’s first strategic plan. 

Led the introduction of a Capstone course into the Corporate Account Management 

Program in January 2022, in collaboration with Michael Ryan, providing students 

experiential learning opportunities with employers prior to graduation. 

Co-lead a cross-functional team of Business students on a 

Faculty Lead International Project (Flip) to China. Colead 

a cross-functional team of Business and Theatre 

Arts students on an Applied Research Abroad Project to 

help put a marketing and fundraising plan in place for 

Qaggiavuut – in support of Nunavut Performing Artists. 

Awarded Board of Governors’ Award of Excellence as 

Distinguished Academic Employee. 

And much, much more! 


Important Dates 

January 

9 

Start Date – 14 Week Winter 

semester 

January16 

PLAR Deadline / Course 

Change Deadline for most 

programs (Winter 2023) 

23 

January 

Withdrawal with partial refund 

deadline (Winter 2023) 

20 

February 

Family Day - College Closed 

21-24 

February 

Engagement Week (Reading Week) (Winter 2023) 

17 

March 

Withdrawal Without Academic 

Penalty (Winter 2023) 

April 

7 

Good Friday - College Closed 

21 

April 

End Date – 14-Week Winter 

Semester 

26 

April 

Winter 2023 Grades Deadline 

May 

4 

May 

8 

Transfer credit deadline 

(Summer Semester 2023) 

Start Date – 14 Week Summer 

semester 

15 

May 

PLAR Deadline / Course 

Change Deadline for most 

programs (Summer 2023) 

22 

May 

Victoria Day (College Closed) 

8-16 

June 

Centennial Convocation Ceremonies will be held June 8-9 and June 

12-16, 2023, at the Athletic and Wellness Centre at Progress 

Campus. More details about TBS Ceremonies to come! 

26-30 

June 

Engagement Week (Reading Week) (Summer 2023) 

14 

July 

Withdrawal without academic 

penalty deadline 

August 

7 

Civic Holiday (College Closed) 

Academic and Planning Calendar available at https://www.centennialcollege.ca/student-life/enrolment-services/academic-and-planning-calendar/ 


Thank you to our content contributors: 

Vida Barker 

Jason Beaulieu 

Steve Bishop 

Tracey Bissett 

Natalie Chinsam 

Mary Devine 

Sandy Di Felice 

Tanya Domize 

Samar Hamid 

Stephen Hudovernik 

Melissa Jimeno 

Leona Jones 

Steven Khan 

Nicole Koss 

Betty Liu 

Holly Main 

Jasmine Mather 

Vickie McInnis 

Debbie Mohammed 

Julie Nguyen 

Jennifer Northcote 

Tina Norton 


Pamela Richards 

Krystle-lee Schwalm Vella 

Vida Shehada 

Kerri Shields 

Sheldon Shiewitz 

Rathika Sitsabaiesan 

Mauro Spies 

Byron Tobar 

Linda Traill 

Elizabeth Williams 

With contributions from other areas of Centennial College, including: 

• Marketing and Communications 

• Career Services and Co-operative Education 

• Student and Community Engagement (SCE) 

Published by 


The Business School 

P.O. Box 631, Station A 

Toronto, ON M1K 5E9 

Managing Editor 


Editor and Designer 

Holly Main 

Cover Design 

Centennial Marketing and Communications 

To submit to Business Connected, please 

email hmain@centennialcollege,ca

Stay Connected! 

CentennnialTBS 

@CentennnialTBS 

Centennnial_TBS 

Email: business@centennialcollege.ca 

centennialcollege.ca 

S7_01_NOV22

Business Connected - Winter 2023

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