2025-business-connected-tribute

Special Edition: A story told through
Dean’s Messages
As we gathered content for the
final issue of Business Connected,
I found myself feeling nostalgic
and flipping through past editions,
revisiting the achievements,
memories, and milestones that
have shaped our School.
Issue by issue, one thing stood
out—the Dean’s Message. It
captured the spirit of the moment
and the pulse of the School at the
time. I thought it would be
meaningful to gather all of these
messages into one place, allowing
us to reflect on the story of The
Business School through these
messages.
This collection also serves as a
tribute to Dean Barry O’Brien and
his remarkable leadership. I feel
very lucky to be able to have
worked side by side with him all
these years and get to learn from
his leadership. Barry’s strategic
vision helped shape the guiding
principles of our School, providing
us with a clear path forward. He
fostered a culture of trust and
provided unwavering support to
his team—empowering staff,
faculty, and students to thrive.
Barry leaves a remarkable legacy
marked by growth, innovation, and
meaningful impact. His leadership
helped shape the strategic vision
of The Business School while
fostering the supportive and
dynamic culture we value today.
His contributions have made a
lasting difference and will continue
to resonate for years to come.
Thank you, Barry, for all you’ve
done to make The Business
School such a special place to
learn, work, and grow.
Holly Main
Editor, Writer & Designer
Business Connected
“The legacy of The Business
School is etched across the
College—in its graduates, its
programs, its spaces, and above all,
its people. Serving as your Dean has
been the privilege of my career. Thank
you for the opportunity to lead, to
learn, and to help build something
truly meaningful—together.”
Barry O’Brien
Dean, The Business School
Business Connected, June 2025
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 (18)
Editor: Holly Main

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

Winter Edition | January 2015
A word from Barry…
Welcome to the first
edition of the
quarterly newsletter
for Centennial
School of Business –
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.
If you have any ideas for future stories please feel free to share them with our fantastic
newsletter editor, Ariel Lewis.
2014 was a landmark year for our School. We started the fall term with a new Dean, a
small team, and an administrative group that was relatively new to Centennial. In
September, Donna Jansen joined our school as Acting Chair from Georgian College.
Unfortunately, her commute from Owen Sound to Scarborough in the winter months was
just not possible, or safe. However, Donna told me how much she enjoyed working with
the faculty and we arranged for her to stay with us in the new position of Executive-in-
Residence, Legal. She will be working in that advisory capacity with the OA Legal, Law
Clerk and Paralegal programs.
Replacing Donna as Acting Chair was never going to be an easy task but we found the
right candidate. It is my pleasure to announce that Mary Devine will be joining us as Chair,
Finance, Accounting, Law and Administration, effective January 26, 2015.
Mary began her career at Centennial College in 2007 as a part-time professor in the
School of Business. Following that she moved on to other areas, making positive
contributions to Second Career and, most recently, to the School of Continuing Education.
Mary holds a BA University of Toronto, an MA Ed Central Michigan University, and is a
certified Human Resources Leader. Please join me in welcoming Mary back to our school.
On the faculty side, as of December 31st 2014, Terry Goldthorpe, a full-time member of
the Accounting and Finance faculty for over 39 years, decided to take his retirement.
While Terry did not want any formal acknowledgment of his retirement, I think it is
important that on behalf of the School I take this space to thank Terry for such long and
dedicated service to his students.
On a personal note, I want to thank each member of the School of Business family for
making my first six-months with you an incredible and inspiring experience. It is my
privilege to work with each one of you. Looking ahead, I am sure that winter 2015 will be
our best year ever for Centennial School of Business.

Summer Edition | June 2015
Enactus Plays it Smart (see
page 2)

Dean’s Update
Welcome to the second edition of Business Connected.
As the 2014/2015 year draws to a close I am overwhelmed by the strides we’ve
achieved as a team. Students and faculty alike have made significant
contributions to the school – I am sure you will find their stories both
encouraging and inspiring.
Enactus Centennial has had quite the successful
year. The organization’s two ongoing programs, Pure
Success and Play it Smart, earned them third place at the
Enactus Regional Competition and have had an incredible
impact on the Scarborough community.
The organization’s team started Pure Success as a way to
help aspiring entrepreneurs turn their business dreams into
a reality. This year they paired together two entrepreneurs
who held different skillsets and worked with them to build a
successful business. Nahomey Parades had recently won
$1000 in a GCE competition for her Social Media Strategy
for an aboriginal business – only she had no connection to
an aboriginal business. Enactus partnered her with Roni
Walker, founder of Metis Caravan, a business which focuses
on creating aboriginal crafts and teaching people about the
history of craftwork. Roni had little business knowledge and
no social media plan. After working with both of them to
improve their business skills, Nahomy submitted their
proposal to GCE and was not only able to obtain her $1000
reward but was also awarded an unprecedented extra $400!
The Play it Smart program, which has been in existence for
over a decade, offers basketball lessons and tutoring to
children ages 7-13. While the program aims to help kids
improve in their schoolwork, Enactus also decided to go
beyond the textbook, integrating social and life skills, as
well as empathy into the tutoring process. They started a
“wheelchair basketball” tournament as a way for kids to
understand what it’s like to have a disability. They also
taught the kids financial literacy skills, such as banking,
saving, and how to earn money. At the end of the term the
kids sold their own used items, and earned $100, which was
doubled to $200 by corporate sponsors.
On May 14 the team competed at the Enactus Nationals
Competition. Though they did not place, many individuals
won awards. Club president Hewgi Wong was awarded
“Gold Level Achievement Recognition” for putting in over
1000 hours. Drew Smylie and Nadia Jones were both made
John Dobson Enactus Fellows. “We didn’t win, but we
gained so much more,” Nadia says. “The teams who placed
were so global in their approach – we saw what we need to
do to win next year.”
With the help of our Welcome Team and recruitment team, the School of
Business exceeded its Summer 2015 Domestic Enrollment by 111.1% and
exceeded its target for returning students by 110.5%. With a total student
population of 2050 students, the School of Business leads the College student
enrolment in summer, with the School of Engineering, Technology & Applied
Sciences following at 1098 students.
Our students and faculty have had great success in inter college competitions
this term. The Centennial Enactus team, led by Faculty coaches, Drew Smylie
and Nadia Jones, competed in the Enactus Regional Competition, achieving the
Capital One Financial Education Challenge Regional Second Runner-up; our
Accounting students received the bronze medal in the CPA Case Competition;
and our paralegal students placed in the semi-finals in the Durham County Mock
Trial Competition.
I’m proud to congratulate Holly Main, Kathleen Burton, Shannon Winterstein,
and The School of Business POD Team – Natalie Chinsam, Shannon
Winterstein, Katie Burton, and Scott Tanaka – on receiving Spirit Awards this
year. These individuals have been part of ongoing recruitment initiatives to
increase the school’s engagement with the community.
The POD, along with Mike Sullivan, Linda Traill, and Tricia Miller spent two days
at the Ontario Business Education Association (OBEA), interacting with over 300
high school teachers from around the province, collecting contact information
and establishing genuine interests in our SHSMs, HYPE, and other School of
Business initiatives.
We’ve continued our ongoing initiatives with OJEN, SHSM, and HYPE to
connect with the business and education communities at large. New to the
Spring semester, Linda Traill and Jodi Marrin began a monthly speaker series,
‘Marketing Career Hacks’ and Katie West held a phenomenal Connect and
Mingle event with her OA students to thank companies who have employed our
placement students.
On a staff note, I would like to welcome back Sujata Garud, who will be
resuming her role as Office Manager, and Audrey Le, who is resuming her role
as Student Success Coordinator. On behalf of the School I would like to thank
Tricia Miller for her wonderful work as Student Success Coordinator over the
past 10 months and wish her and her family all the best as Tricia begins her
maternity leave. On the faculty side, I would also like to welcome back Vida
Barker and Veronique Henry.
I wish everyone a great summer and for those of you who are taking time off,
see you in September!
Barry O’Brien
Dean, School of Business

Fall Edition | October 2015
Welcome Back Faculty and Staff!
Looking back at the summer and starting up a great Fall semester ahead!
A photo glimpse of convocation and the Faculty and Staff Welcome Back this September
(page 3)

Welcome to the third edition of Business Connected.
Dean’s Update
As the 2015-16 year gets underway, it’s a good time to reflect on how our strategic plan is progressing and how we are shaping up as a school.
As I reported to you at our school welcome back, our numbers are looking very good and, once again, as we did in the summer term, we are exceeding
our targets for enrollment. If we look at new students this year versus last year, as of Sept 17th, we have enrolled funded 640 domestic students and
861 international versus 626 and 776 the same time last year. That nets out to a 2.2% increase in new domestic enrollment and an 11% increase in
international.
Combined that means that we are seeing a 7% increase in new student enrollment year over year!
With all those new students we need to build the team to deliver on our school pillar of Excellence in the Classroom. I am delighted to report that we
have increased capacity with the attraction of three new full time faculty and one Chair of Business and Management Studies:
KATIE BURTON, B.A. Has been appointed to the role of full-time Professor of Business Fundamentals. Katie started as a contract faculty member
with the School of Business in 2007, and has been the Program Coordinator for both the Pre-Business and Business Foundations programs since May
2014. You can read more about Katie later in the newsletter.
LINA JAGLOWITZ, BComm, MSc. Will wow students in her role as Professor of Marketing. Lina is an energetic and passionate individual, with over
5 years teaching experience in higher education, at George Brown, Seneca, Humber and Centennial College. Lina majored in Marketing in both her
BComm and Master of Science degrees, and is in the process of earning her Doctorate in Education from the University of Western Ontario.
CHADI KANDIL, BBA, MBA is another new and talented Professor of Marketing. Chadi is an industry veteran; a senior executive with over 20 years
of multinational marketing, communications and advertising agency experience and has extensive technical skills in social media, analytics and
marketing research. Chadi holds an MBA from the London Business School with a focus on Strategy and Marketing.
AMANDA STONE, BA, M Ed. was the successful candidate for the permanent position of Chair of Business and Management Studies. Amanda
comes to us with 10 years of progressive post-secondary experience in teaching and learning, program development, academic excellence, and
academic/industry partnerships, all linked to the success of faculty, staff and students.
As we discussed at welcome back, 2015-16 is going to be a year of transformational change in our school. By the end of the year we will have
integrated CE into our school, have recruited more FT faculty, will have a new Chair of the Center for Legal and Administrative Studies (CLAS) and
have opened a new school in Suzhou, China. Phew!
I wish everyone a wonderful Fall 2015 with our incredible students. Kelly and I hope to see you at the 2nd Annual Dean’s BBQ on September 24th.
Barry O’Brien
Dean, School of Business
The Hack is Back and It Brought a Friend!
Building on the successful Marketing Career Hacks Program which showcased
and exposed students to tips and tricks to launch a career in marketing, on
September 29th the school will launch Human Resources Career Hacks.
The first speakers will be Jean Marc Valmonte from Exhibition Place, Lauren
Mark from Robert Half Technology, Shelly Singh from AON and Tari Hendricks
from the Johnston Group. These HR professionals will share their career
stories and provide strategies on how to successfully navigate the transition
from student to professional life.
Marketing Career Hacks will start up another great line up of speakers on
September 30th which will include Katherine Fera from UM Studios, John
Perras from Indie 88.1 and Nicole Casciatto from Kraft Heinz Company.

Winter Edition | January 2016
More Blue to Come in 2016!
Centennial College School of Businesss shows off their School of Business blue in support of
the Toronto Blue Jays and for Dress Like a Blue Jay Day in support of the United Way. The
Blue Jays had a great run and we look forward to cheering them on again this year.

Dean’s Update
Welcome to the fourth edition of Business Connected.
Welcome to our first newsletter of the 2016! Our seme ster began at the MaRS
Discovery District with what I think might have been the best faculty “Winter Welcome
Back” ever. The morning portion was filled with best practice group break outs,
brainstorming, and a fantastic afternoon session lead by MaRS facilitator Ryan
Burell, titled "Practice what you teach".
It was great to see faculty collaborating on ideas, networking with each other and
discovering new ways to bring social enterprise theory to our classrooms. A
wonderful start to the year and semester!
Students in SoB represent Centennial at
NATIONAL Cross-Country
Championships
In November, students in the School of Business
participated at the Canadian Colleges Athletic
Association (CCAA) National Cross-Country Running
Championships in Brockville.
We are very proud of the team, Lugei Juma, Ryan
Linkletter, Gabriel Torres, who are ranked #5 in the
country heading into this championship, and of them
representing Centennial College and the Centennial
Colts at this prestigious event.
As part of my updates to the school I presented published version of our 2015-2020
strategic plan Business Connected. The plan makes a promise to build relationsh -
ips between faculty, students and industry. It establishes a vision where the skills of
engagement are targeted toward dynamic and growing business sectors such as
logistics, financial services, big data, analytics and retail. Business Connected is
where hard skills are nurtured, positive values are embedded, differences are
celebrated and teams are built. I encourage all of you to read the plan and
understand its pillars so that we can work effectively together for the good of the
college and our students.
In order to fulfill the objectives set out in the plan, and in particular the pillar
Excellence in Teaching and Learning, I am pleased to announce three new
members of the faculty team.
Nadia Jones, MBA has accepted a Full Time Professor position in the Business
Administration cluster. Nadia has been an active contract faculty member in the
School of Business since 2006. Academically, Nadia holds an Advance Diploma in
Radio & Television Broadcasting Communications from Centennial College, an
Honors BA in English from the University of Toronto; and, her most recent academic
accomplishment occurred this past summer when she received an MBA specializing
in Entrepreneurship.
Nadira Singh, MBA has accepted a Full Time Professor position in the Human
Resources cluster. Nadira comes with 20 years of teaching excellence at the College
level in both Human Resources and International Business. Academically, Nadira
holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, certificates in HR Management and Training &
Development, and most recently, completed her Masters of Business Administration.
The Economy of Giving: Class Gives
Back for the United Way
In November the ECO 205 class donated over $75 to
the United Way. This is an annual event in Murray
Davidson’s class where the class may voluntaritly
contribute any amount that they individually choose.
Each person who makes a contribution has his/her
name put in a hat , and two names are drawn for a prize
of a collective lunch with the prof and a guest of their
choice. Murray matches their collective donation
personally. This year the class raised over $150 for
United Way. Great work everyone!
Terry Pruner, MBA has accepted a Full Time Faculty position within the
Administrative Studies (Office Administration) program cluster. Terry is a positive and
energetic team player with a passion for influencing respectful and engaging working
and learning environments. Terry has extensive teaching and learning experience
and a strong industry focus. Terry also holds an MBA, with an International Business
and E-Commerce focus.
Lastly, as featured inside the newsletter it is my pleasure to welcome Veronique
Henry to the role of Chair for the Center of Legal and Administrative Studies.
The hiring of Veronique to this position is impactful as it fulfills our long held desire for
a leader and builder for this vibrant cluster of academic programs.
I wish everyone a wonderful and hope you enjoy our first newsletter of 2016.
Barry O’Brien
Dean, School of Business

BUSINESS
CONNECTED
School of Business
SUMMER NEWSLETTER | MAY 2016
Celebrating Connection
Head, Heart and Hand
The School of Business faculty and staff celebrated “connection” with a Head, Heart,
and Hand faculty event on February 11, 2016 by combining the theme of teaching and
learning theory, family day, engagement week, Valentine’s Day, and Heart Month
(through the Heart and Stroke Foundation). The School of Business showed their spirit
by wearing red and pink and raised $225 towards the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Business Connected Newsletter Summer 2016
Dean’s Update
Welcome to the Summer 2016 issue of Business Connected!
What an incredible year we had in 2015/16 and I want to take
this opportunity to update you on the progress of our School,
notably the most recent KPI results.
It is important to note that while our results were not perfect it
is clear that both our School and Centennial College made significant progress in the
most recent report. As our President Ann Buller noted in her most recent update,
Centennial is now top in many areas amongst the GTA colleges.
Centennial Cricket Team Invincible Wins
Championship Title
The Winter 2016 semester was successful as the
“Centennial Colts” cricket team along with 12 other teams
from the college participated in the indoor/outdoor cricket
tournament organized by the Athletic Wellness and
Recreation Centre.
Team “Invincible” kept a winning streak of 8-1 and played
as defending champions for the second consecutive time
and won Championship title.The Invincible team was
successfully led by team lead Manav Kalra.
Cricket team members include: Abhishek Bhatt,
Manavdeep Kalra, Abhinandan Jain, Abhishek Prabhu,
Simrandeep Singh, Sachin Vashist, Parth Pandya, Badal
Shah, Karanjit Bhalla, Ravi Bhatia, Tikiri Wijeratne and
Dishan Nanthakumar.
So, here are our results. There are two capstone questions in the report that we pay
a lot of attention to in schooll: first is Q13 ‘Knowledge and Skills for Future Career’
and second is Q24 ‘Learning Experiences and Program Quality’. These metrics are
tied to the first pillar of our strategic plan, Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
The results show that we have seen good progress in two departments, Accounting
and Financial Services (Q13 +1.7% Q24 +9%) and Marketing and Entrepreneurship
(Q13 +4.1% Q24 +5.4%). We have some mixed results in the Business and
Management cluster (Q13 -1.3% Q24 +0.8%) and some work to do in our newly
formed Center for Legal and Administrative Studies (Q13 -3% Q24 -1.6%).
As they say "Rome was not built in a day" and I know with our fantastic full time
faculty, newly recruited contract faculty, and other changes that are taking place in
these clusters that in 2016-17 we will move from strength to strength.
The last KPI of great importance is the graduate employment rate. We can't be
Business Connected if we are not linking our students to the job market. We have
done lots of work in that area with faculty engaging in initiatives such as Career
Hacks, mentoring, competitions, placements, and other experiential learning that is
so critical to student success.
As a result, I am pleased to report that the School of Business was up by almost 1%
on that graduate employment metric. Suffice to say, we are all working hard and our
efforts are starting to show, but we can do better.I need the ideas and efforts of
everyone to drive our students forward so they can achieve their dreams to live
meaningful lives through meaningful work.
One example of experiential learning that is driving this increase in student
satisfaction is the student social entrepreneur club Enactus. Enactus with the
guidance of Nadia Jones and Drew Smiley has grown and gets better with each
passing year. This year I can report that Enactus Centennial team placed 2nd runner
up in the opening round of the 2016 Enactus Canada National Exposition held May 2
to 4, 2016 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Next year the World Cup of
Enactus is coming to Toronto so stay tuned.
Nipissing University Graduation
On March 4, 2016 students of the Bachelor of Commerce
and Bachelor of Business Administration pathway program
graduated from Nipissing University. Congratulations!
We know that experiences such as these can be the defining moment in the
academic career of a student and the spark that can ignite a lifetime passion for
learning so more to come in 2016.
Enjoy the remainder of semester, and I look forward to seeing many of you at the
Schools first outing to watch the Blue Jays take on the NY Yankees on June 1st.
Let's Go Blue Jays!

BUSINESS
CONNECTED
School of Business
FALL NEWSLETTER 2016
“School of Business ‘Paints the Town Green’ in
celebration of Centennial’s 50th anniversary.”

Welcome to another semester in Centennial School of Business!
Dean’s Update
Fall is a great time to reflect on the year that has past and look forward to a great year ahead.
If I was to choose one word to describe the year that we are heading into is it transformation. In 2016-17 a lot is going
to change in the School – both a physical transformation and in the way we impact the lives of our students.
We have a fantastic new team of advisors.
We are developing an amazing lineup of new programs.
We will continue actively to build our collective vision, Business Connected.
We will hear a lot more about these in the days and weeks ahead, so allow me take this column to focus on one
element of this transformation – the physical - because it presents an immediate challenge to all of us as we move
though the year ahead.
Let’s start with where this all began. In the summer of 2016 the School of Tourism Hospitality and Culinary Arts finally took possession of their new
home and moved out of the space they shared with School of Business. This move left some empty space and presented the opportunity to build three
new classrooms for our students and teachers.
This then precipitated a redesign of the West Wing of the School of Business as we reclaimed some of THCA’s old faculty space. The plan as it is
envisioned creates a wonderful new home for both Accounting and Financial Services and the Centre for Legal and Administrative Studies which will be
co-located in that space. (The plan and layout is currently posted in the mailroom.)
Construction will begin to take place on October 13th and be concluded by January 2017. During that construction period we have to relocate the
faculty from the ‘old’ West Wing. Contract faculty will be provided touchdown spaces, primarily in C3-03. Full time faculty will be relocated primarily
into temporary locations placed between current full-time desks in the East Wing. Current contract faculty that have shared space arrangements with
any full time faculty will be relocated to facilitate this change.
In January of 2017 faculty from the Department of Accounting and Financial Service and CLAS will be relocated to the completed West Wing with seat
assignments allocated by Department and seniority.
Next, in spring of 2017 we will prepare for the East Wing phase of the renovation project which will begin, and be completed, in Summer 2017.
So, that’s the road ahead for our school in 2016-17. Anyone who has gone through a home renovation knows how disruptive and challenging these
things can be. It won’t be easy but I believe that by working together with patience and understanding that we can get through this renovation process.
I think that in the end it will be worth the effort as we will gain a more modern and functional working space for all.
I wish all of you and your students a wonderful and learning filled Fall 2016.
Barry O’Brien
Dean, School of Business
Letter From The Editor
Welcome back to the fall edition of the Business Connected newsletter. This issue brings a lot of excitment as we shift
our newsletter format to focus more on faculty submissions and event coverage highlights surrounding the five pillars
for the School.
I hope after reading this issue that you may feel inspired to contribute your own submissions to be featured in the next
newsletter.
I am very sorry to say this will be my last issue as I have taken on a new role here at Centennial and will be leaving
the School of Business. It has truly been my pleasure and pride to work with all staff and faculty to help with the
marketing and coordination needs of the school.
Thank you all for allowing me to the opportunity to work collectively as part of the team. Goodbye for now!
Dainah Ramsay,
Business Connected Newsletter, Writer and Editor

BUSINESS
CONNECTED
School of Business
WINTER NEWSLETTER 2017
Welcoming a new semester with our highest
enrollment ever!

Dean’s Update
Welcome to another semester in Centennial School of Business!
Welcome to the back half of the year. We are over the hump, the days are getting longer, the air a little warmer and if
you look hard enough out of your window you can just see spring on the horizon.
The winter of 2017 has brought a lot of change to the School of Business both physically (new space) and on the
human kind (new faculty and friends).
Globally, 2017 has brought the world some confusing and uncertain times with our friends in the United States
electing a new President that few of us could have anticipated.
We all know of the so-called butterfly effect, where a small change somewhere in the world can have magnified
impacts somewhere else. Well, in some ways the US election has brought changes to our School that few of us
could have thought were possible.
As I am sure you noticed this semester in your classrooms enrollment was up, both domestically (somewhat) and international (a whole lot). There are
many theories on why international enrollment is on the rise so dramatically, but it is my personal belief that students like what they see in Canada, and
specifically in our business school.
Who wouldn’t?
Reading through this edition of Business Connected is easy to see how through collective action we are supporting a progressive global vision.
In the opening article, our newly minted George Wicken Award winner Mike Carter offers us a reprint of his acceptance speech on the topic of
inclusive teaching practices in the classroom. In it, Mike calls upon all of us to “practice teaching strategies that help to resist stereotypes, prejudices,
indifferences and power struggles.
He could teach someone a thing or two about inclusiveness.
Moving on to page three we have a story about our intrepid Operations Manager, Sujata Garud, who in lieu of her 50th birthday celebration this year
raised money for Shreevatsa, an organization catering to the needs of orphans in Puna, India.
She could teach somebody a thing or two about charity and kindness.
Further along there is a story about the efforts made by our very own Corporate Social Responsibility students who through their efforts raised $3,073
for Action Against Hunger, a charity devoted to feeding malnourished children in the developing world.
They could teach somebody something about transforming lives and their communities.
As we move into spring I challenge each of you to find one teachable moment or act where you can demonstrate to your students that in choosing to
come to Centennial that they choose the better way.
Let’s teach somebody.
Barry O’Brien
Dean, School of Business
Stay Connected!
CentennialSB
@Centennial_SB
Centennial_SB
Email: business@centennialcollege.ca

BUSINESS
CONNECTED
School of Business
SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2017
Wow! Grad Employment Jumps 12.3%!

Welcome to another semester in
Centennial School of Business!
Summer Finally. A time to recharge,
reconnect, spend time with family and perhaps
reflect back on the year that has passed.
2016-17 was a transformative year for our
School so allow me a moment to reflect back
on what was accomplished in the Winter of
2017 and look forward to what we need to
accomplish together starting in the Fall.
Let me start by recounting on where we have been and where we are
going with graduate employment. Between 2012 and 2016 the graduate
employment rate for the School of Business ranged between a low of
61.1% and a high on 62.8%. This rate was well below the Centennial
College average by almost 10% and lagged our competitors in the GTA.
In our 5 year strategic plan Business Connected we determined that
‘alignment with industry’ with an increased focus on business connections
and better preparing our students to compete in the job market and
achieve employment success would be a key focus for our School.
Dean’s Update
So what’s next? At welcome back this fall I will be sharing with you more
KPI results including some that reflect on the in-class experience. You
will see at that time that this is an area that can be a focus for us over the
next two years for targeted improvement. We will discuss innovative new
ways to deliver content to students and you will have an opportunity to
reflect on your practice.
This will be a significant effort for all parties, but we must meet this
challenge as the needs and expectations of our students are changing. I
have no question in my mind that the School of Business team is up to
meeting this challenge head on and that in 2020 we will reflect on the
positive impact that our efforts have had.
Enjoy your summer, I look very much to seeing you at welcome back!
Barry O’Brien
Dean, School of Business
Following our launch, faculty and management worked hard to ensure
that this deepening of industry connections took place. To that end we
launched, Marketing Hacks, HR Hacks, Financial Services Forum, and
other student employment events that have been significant new activities
for the School.
Dine with the Dean
Last semester, the School of Business offered students the
opportunity to ‘Dine with the Dean’ joining Dean, Barry O’Brien, for
a speaker series through the Economic Club of Canada. The first
event took place at the National Club featuring speaker Christopher
Lehane, Head of Global Policy and Public Affairs for Airbnb. The
event has been quite a success, with four events held so far. We
look forward to more opportunities to come!
The scale and scope of this effort has been awesome. Since it began with
faculty leadership, Marketing Career Hacks has had thirteen (13) events run
to date. Human Resources Career Hacks has had ten (10) events. We have
also had two (2) Marketing Analytics Club Hacks and a W17 Employer
Networking event.
These alone represent 16 different industry events involving a total of 53
employers touching hundreds of students.
The results of these efforts were not clearly evident at first. Modifications
to either curriculum, programming or career readiness don’t take hold
until students begin to graduate. Only then did we begin to see the results
of these activities. So, in 2016-17 we saw an increase in this KPI moving
from 62.8% to 75.1% a 12.7% increase!
Lunch with Mayor John Tory
On March 27th School of Business students took part in Lunch with
Mayor John Tory at Delta Hotels Toronto East. The mayor’s speech
highlighted his vision for the future of Scarborough, discussing
transit plans and his strategy for promoting business development.
This event brought together business leaders from across the city
and allowed students the opportunity to network with industry
professionals.
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BUSINESS
CONNECTED
The Business School
FALL NEWSLETTER 2017
Welcome to The Business School!

Welcome to The Business School at Centennial!
In business, rebranding is part of doing
business. After heavy use, the brand gets
tired, and it is time for a refresh – a moment to
rejuvenate your brand and put a fresh face in
front of the public.
Google, famously updates its web facing logo
almost daily to give us all a morning smile or an
opportunity to celebrate a moment in history.
Now is our time to change. As of Fall 2017 we are moving from our old
name School of Business to something bold, new and aspirational - The
Business School. There is no question in my mind that this was the right
time for such a change, as our School has undergone a transformation.
• In human resources, we have witnessed significant turnover with
us onboarding 35 new full-time faculty and staff hires to our
School to share their extensive educational and work experience.
Dean’s Update
Why do we think this is? I have certainly noticed in my practice that
students are more and more open to deeper engagement, more
experiential learning, and they light up when I use innovative technologies.
Students with other challenges are hungry for an inclusive learning
environment and the desire to be made to feel inside the tent, not outside
looking in. That is where Universal Design for Learning can play a role in
bringing engaging learning to all of our students.
In fall we started the journey together. At winter welcome back we will take
the next step by sharing innovative practices that we opened ourselves up
to this semester and celebrate progress. I look forward to seeing an
experiencing your practice and hearing about our students feedback. We
can get this done- after all, we are The Business School.
Barry O’Brien
Dean, The Business School
•
•
Our physical space has changed dramatically, from one that was
closed, separate and dated, to modern, bright, transparent and
collaborative. This is the home that we have all built together
over the past few years and it will shine brightly into the future.
In academic programming, we have launched eleven (11) new
and innovative programs that are tailored to meet the
employment needs of our current and future students – with much
more to come.
• In teaching and learning, our current faculty have engaged in PD,
have upgraded their skills and are committing to bringing these
new pedagogies to our students.
To be sure, we still we have a great deal left to accomplish. At our
welcome back for fall we discussed our bigger promise to our students
and our need to raise the bar on our practice in the classroom. We have
delivered a great deal on our promise to increase graduate employment,
raising the bar by 12.3% last year. We have excelled in our engagement
with each other moving to a record 88.8%, a number that any private
sector company would we thrilled to publish. We are surely raising the
bar, and yet our students are telling us that we could still do better.
Welcome Home: Phase 2 Complete
Renovations to the "East Wing" and central area of The Business
School office are now complete. As of August 28, 2017, faculty and
staff moved back into their new areas and have settled into their
spaces. The renovated space features a 24-seat boardroom,
collaborative space for faculty and staff and improved kitchen. The
Business School will be holding an open house for everyone to
come have a look and celebrate this improved space.
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BUSINESS
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WINTER NEWSLETTER 2018
The Business School Welcomes ‘CLIC’!

Welcome to the Winter 2018 edition of Business Connected
Dean’s Update
As I reflect on the contents of this publication the
words that jump to mind for me revolve around
gratitude and privilege for the work that we do
every day within the School. What we do versus
other business schools is unique, and speaks
powerfully to our school VALUES that we set out
in our first 5 -year strategic plan in 2015.
Values
“We promote in our learners the idea that how we conduct
ourselves in business can better the lives of others.”
Bringing life to those values, on pages 2-4 of our publication you will read
about the work that is being done by our newly launched CLIC
(Centennial Legal Information Center) in The Business School.
CLIC is off to an incredible start right out of the gate and is poised to
make a real difference in our community and around the world. In the
Centennial tradition of having a global conscience, the focus of attention
for CLIC is bring light to a corner that is dark and challenging to discuss -
the issue of Human Trafficking in the modern world.
CLIC was launched on October 4th with an incredible speech by former
Supreme Court of Canada Justice Frank Iacobucci who spoke
passionately about the challenges faced by marginalized communities
and Canada’s indigenous populations. It was an auspicious and inspiring
start to our new Center. Justice Iacobucci spoke of reconciliation but as
well of action to remedy the injustices of the present and past. Faculty,
students and administers left the room energized to take on the road
ahead.
education, meaningful work, and their hopes and dreams through false
promises of work and marriage. SASANE the NGO that our students and
faculty will work with in Nepal, trains formally trafficked women to be
paralegals who work to educate other trafficked women about their legal
rights as well as providing them with education and employment, thus
breaking the cycle of exploitation. We are proud that our Paralegals,
working with CLIC’s supervising lawyer Rebecca Stilberg, will have the
opportunity to travel to Nepal to aid in this incredibly worthy cause.
While I have focused on CLIC for my editorial, there are many stories to
tell that are equally deserving of comment and praise. Professor Kerri
Shields, for example, has done amazing work in the development of her
COMP 106/126 Hybrid course which sailed through external accreditation
with accolades.
There are also wonderful stories from the Globe and Mail and 24 Hours
which highlight the attention our School is garnering across the GTA.
Like the students we teach, our School, The Business School, is truly on
a path to achieving our full potential as the finest in the Ontario College
sector.
I hope you enjoy your read of this issue of Business Connected as my
assistant Holly Main would say, “more fun to come in Summer 2018!”.
Barry O’Brien
Dean, The Business School
On February 13th, myself and dozens of students and faculty from other
schools had the privilege of attending CLIC’s first educational seminar on
Human Trafficking in Canada. This event was moderated by two female
human trafficking survivors who spoke of their experiences and what
trafficking looks like in the Canadian context. It was not, as they said, in
any way like the movies.
While this issue does not contain any photos of the event out of respect
for the privacy of these brave women, I can relate to those who did not
attend that the stories they shared were heartbreaking but at the same
time inspiring. These young women demonstrated, resilience, bravery,
and a fierce determination to break free from exploitation and set
themselves on a path to achieving their full potential. Again, an inspiring
start to the advocacy and education role that CLIC has as its mandate. A
write up with more information about the event will be featured in the next
issue of Business Connected.
Lastly, on pages 3-4 of this issue you will read about the last CLIC
initiative, that of our planned FLIP (Faculty Led International Project) to
Nepal. Nepal, this place of spirituality and beauty, is sadly an epicenter
for human trafficking in the region with over 7500 young girls being
trafficked out of Nepal annually into the sex trade in India. These young
girls, some as young as 11, are robbed of their opportunity for a better
Great Canadian Sales Competition Student
Ambassadors
The Business School would like to offer a big congratulation to
business students Karamjeet Singh and Roman Lukashev
in securing the #1 Ambassador Position for the 2017/2018
Great Canadian Sales Competition - Round 1, with a total of 384
entries from Centennial College students.
Last year, our College had 93 submissions, what a fantastic
achievement as a result of these students’ dedication and
commitment to helping our students recognize this amazing student
competition, but also by reinforcing to the Centennial student
community, the importance of sales as a skill set.
We are all so very proud of Karamjeet and Roman. We look forward
to hearing about how many of those 384 entries, make it through
now to Round 2.
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BUSINESS
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SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2018
Centennial’s Financial Planners deliver gold!

Welcome to Business Connected Summer 2018
Welcome to the Summer 2018 edition of
Business Connected, and what an edition it is!
As you might note by us having to add
additional pages to this newsletter, the number
of events and successes we have had as a
school have been incredible and could not be
limited to our usual 12 pages!
A lot of this newsletter is dedicated to the success of our students and
faculty. Together, they fundraise money for charity, compete using their
skills, contribute to building communities, and in general put themselves
out there to represent Centennial values.
All that being said, I would like to take a little of my space here to reflect
on our collective experience as Canadians and take a moment to say how
proud I am to be leading a School that plays such a key role in the
professional journey of our international students.
On June 11th, I traveled to Halifax Nova Scotia to cheer on three
Centennial international students who earned the right to compete in the
Canadian Institute of Financial Planning case competition, National
Finals.
While the competition itself took place
in a nearby hotel, the awards
ceremony was scheduled at the Pier
21 Canadian Museum of Immigration.
It was a gorgeous and fitting place for
such an event.
As some of you are aware, I am a
native of Halifax Nova Scotia and the
history of my family is tied in many
ways through Pier 21 as many of my
Dean’s Update
relatives entered Canada through the port of Halifax. Indeed, the wedding
dress of my great, great Grandmother is on public display in the Pier 21
museum.
So, when Simon Bernard, Agustro Arreas, and Stanley Emenike were
called to the stage to take the gold medal in the CIFP National
Championship, I reflected on the impact that these potential new
Canadians would make on the future of our country. I was beaming with
pride for our faculty and students.
As if on cue, coming down from
the stage, an attendee from the
conference, a financial planner
herself, ran to one of our
students and said to her that as
a Jamaican Canadian she was
thrilled and took the student into
her arms - she was almost in
tears.
It was a poignant and touching
moment to see these two
generations of professionals
connect and rejoice in their
accomplishments.
In the end, what I want to impart to you is that as teachers and
professionals, Centennial College and The Business School is for many
of our students their own little Pier 21. For some we are their first stop on
their journey as Canadians and as professionals. We have the privilege of
making an impact on the lives of these young people and as well on the
future of our province and country.
Barry O’Brien
Dean, The Business School
Grey Bruce County Strategic Marketing Plan
Charlie Regan, Chair of the Board of Governors requested some
marketing assistance for a Non for Profit organization in Grey
Bruce County called, “Home and Community Support Services”.
Three accomplished marketing students Connie Feng , Trang Nguyen
and Roman Luskashev volunteered for this unique business experience.
The outcome of their efforts was the creation of a strategic marketing
plan which was presented to Charlie and Andy Underwood, Executive
Director of this organization. The proposal recommended a branding
strategy encompassing a brand name, a comprehensive budget and a
fundraising strategy which is estimated to generate $200,000 annually.
Thank you to faculty coaches Professors Michael Sullivan and Kathleen
Leslie and congratulations to Connie, Trang and Roman!
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BUSINESS
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WINTER NEWSLETTER 2019
The Business School Presents Reconciliation on Bay Street

Welcome to Business Connected Winter 2019
On June 11, 2008, the then Prime Minister of
Canada, Stephen Harper, stood in his place in
the House of Commons to offer an apology to
Indigenous peoples for the abuse they suffered
in Indian Residential Schools.
He apologized for the attempted destruction of Indigenous cultures.
He apologized for government policies of assimilation.
He apologized for the removal of children from their families, homes and
traditions.
Phil Fontaine, the then National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations,
remarked at the time that “Our peoples, our history, and our present being
are the essence of Canada. The attempts to erase our identities hurt us
deeply, but it also hurt all Canadians and impoverished the character of
this nation.”
Between 2007 and 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of
Canada set to work documenting the history, impacts and legacy of the
residential school system, and presented to Canadians 94 Calls to
Action to address its findings and provide us with an opportunity to
address the tremendous harm that was inflicted on Indigenous peoples.
The report was received by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, December 15,
2015.
As educators, we have obligations under the TRC.
Section 62 of the TRC calls upon governments to “provide the necessary
funding to post-secondary institutions to educate teachers on how to
integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms.”
Centennial College as an institution is committed to this.
It is incorporated into our new Centennial College Book of Commitments
and for you, your Chairs and myself this will be a focus of our work for
Dean’s Update
years to come as there are Calls to Action that speak to us directly in The
Business School.
As legal educators, we have obligations under the TRC.
Section 27 of the TRC, calls on Law Societies to “ensure that lawyers
receive appropriate cultural competency training, which includes the
history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration
on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights,
Indigenous law, and Aboriginal– Crown relations.”
As business educators, we have unique obligations under the TRC.
Section 92 of the TRC, and specifically Section ii “Ensure that Aboriginal
peoples have equitable access to jobs, training, and education
opportunities in the corporate sector, and that Aboriginal communities
gain long-term sustainable benefits from economic development projects.”
We are called upon to do more and we can do more.
In 2015, we created our first 5-Year strategic plan, and in it we spoke of
Our Values, that: “We promote in our learners the idea that how we
conduct ourselves in business can better the lives of others”.
Already we look globally for business opportunities and know that through
trade and business development higher standards of living can be
achieved for families, communities and nations.
It is time that we take the same approach within Canada.
It is time that the Indigenous peoples in Canada share in the economic
prosperity that comes from the development of our natural resource
sector, while respecting their land and the treaties we made.
I look forward to embarking on this journey with you.
Barry O’Brien
Dean, The Business School
Lions Cup Moot
This past summer Paralegal student Vanessa Johns represented Centennial competing in the
first Lions Cup Moot. Vanessa’s teammate was unable to take part at last minute due to
unforeseen circumstances but despite this, Vanessa attended, taking on the other teams all
on her own. Vanessa was poised, professional, confident, and well spoken. She took complex legal
issues and broke them down with ease. She distilled convoluted questions from the judges, giving
sound and persuasive legal arguments. Vanessa was coached by Professor Modupe Oluyomi who
helped in giving Vanessa the ability to stay focused round after round.
Unfortunately, the algorithm used to determine which teams advance and compete in Day 2 of the
competition is not capable of translating the score for a single team member into a score for two in
a manner that would be fair to all players so Vanessa was unable to advance. While we wish they
could have taken home the Lions Cup, Vanessa made Centennial proud.
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BUSINESS
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BUSINESS
CONNECTED
SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2019
The Business School and Solv. Present The Future of Work

Welcome to Business Connected Summer 2019
Reconciliation. It’s a big word with big
meaning. Why is it important to the future of
The Business School and our students?
Why is it important that we begin to think
differently about this word, its meaning, and
how to incorporate it into our teaching
practices and day-to-day thought?
Like anything in education, our learning and understanding shapes us as
individuals but as college educators we look to the practical component
as well. The value for our students in enriching their lives both financially
and culturally.
It is these two sides of reconciliation that I want to explore.
In 2008, the Government of Canada came to a settlement with Canada’s
Indigenous peoples for the harm and injustice brought upon them through
the Residential School system. While part of the settlement was financial
in nature, another aspect of the settlement was the creation of the Truth
and Reconciliation Commission.
This Commission was mandated to document the impacts of the
Residential School System on Canada’s Indigenous peoples and provided
recommendations to ensure that we take meaningful steps towards
reconciliation and the establishment of a just society.
Like I wrote in the Winter Edition of Business Connected, as Canadian
educators we have an obligation to embrace the findings of the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission based on Call to Action #62 which commits
us to incorporate Indigenous teaching methods into classrooms.
The second element of the “why” for us is more practical in nature. As
Dean’s Update
many of you may recall, this year The Business School held a panel
session called Reconciliation on Bay Street. This discussion revolved
around another element of the TRC’s Calls to Action #92 which speaks
to the need of corporate Canada to redefine its relationship and with
Indigenous peoples with a view towards mutual benefit.
This framework will be the new reality for our students. Business projects
that follow this model are already in progress and our students need to be
equipped to learn about the structure of these new ventures.
For example, there are at least two Indigenous led projects that are vying
for a stake in the Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMX), Project Reconciliation
founded by Delbert Wapass, a former Chief of the Thunderchild First
Nation in Saskatchewan and The Iron Coalition led by Chief Tony Alexis
of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation. Both are multi-billion-dollar ventures,
and both see real opportunity for employment and prosperity for their
peoples.
As Chief Alexis said in a recent interview,
“This is a game changer. First Nations and Metis communities
participating in an opportunity such as this, it is going to provide real
wealth.”
Through this lens, reconciliation, both economic and social with Canada’s
Indigenous people, is an opportunity for all. This fall, starting with our
Faculty and Staff Kick Off on August 26th, let’s ensure that each of us
takes a positive step towards realizing this goal in our classrooms, school,
college, and in our communities.
Barry O’Brien
Dean, The Business School
Acting Dean of The Business School
As you are aware, Dean Barry O’Brien has been selected as a candidate to run in the fall 2019 federal election
for his local community of Etobicoke-Lakeshore. A competition was held for the role of Acting Dean, who will be
responsible for leading The Business School during the time of Barry’s absence in the run-up to the election,
and we are delighted to confirm Véronique Henry as the successful candidate. Véronique will start in her new role as
Centennial’s Acting Dean of The Business School on August 19, 2019. In October, if Barry’s candidacy is unsuccessful,
he will return to his role as Dean immediately following the federal election. In the event that he is successful,
Véronique will continue in her Acting role and a formal recruitment process (a national search) will immediately
commence. The usual time frame to recruit and hire into a senior academic position is approximately six months.
Véronique is a criminal defence lawyer who had a burgeoning practice and a curiosity for teaching when she joined The Business School as parttime
faculty in 2013. Her passion for student success and a calling for leadership led her to leave practice and take up teaching full time in The
Business School, eventually becoming a Program Coordinator for the Paralegal and Court Support Programs, and then the Chair of Legal and
Administrative Studies. In her latter role, Véronique and her team launched the Centennial Legal Information Centre, raised awareness of
domestic and international human trafficking, and established a successful partnership with Native Child and Family Services of Toronto among
other accomplishments. Véronique has demonstrated her strong commitment to The Business School throughout her career at Centennial.
Please join us in congratulating Véronique and welcoming her to her new role in August. The search for an Acting Chair to provide leadership for
the Centre for Legal and Administrative Studies during this time has commenced and the successful candidate will be announced soon.
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BUSINESS
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WINTER NEWSLETTER 2020
Student shines at the Microsoft Office
Specialist World Championship!

Welcome to Business Connected Winter 2020
Colleagues. Welcome to 2020, a new term and a new decade! This
Winter, I am pleased to share with you the School results from the
recent Employee Engagement survey. (See infographic on page 15)
At the School level and College level I can share with you that the
results were very encouraging. Many of us come from the private or
broader public sector where results similar to what I am sharing with
you would be greeted with universal applause.
Recently, our President shared with us our College results. As a
reminder of overall results:
“When we look at how each employee feels about their personal
experience, our overall engagement score is 64.8 per cent, a
decrease from 69.5 per cent in 2017. This score measures what each
individual derives from the College by responding to affirming
statements such as “I am very proud of the work I do.” Despite the
decrease, we are still high performing in all statements except for one:
Q: “In the last year, I have made recommendations for
organizational improvement.”
This tells me that as a College we all want a voice in how we can
make changes and improvements and, in keeping with President
Stephenson’s emphasis on Empowerment as part of his “Triple E”
approach, this is exactly what we want to provide through a number of
engagement initiatives.”
When we breakout our Business School, our overall engagement
score is 64.2 per cent, a decrease from 71.8 per cent in 2017. That
being said, our overall Employee Experience Score has increased
from 13.6 to 26.3 as we have had a substantial drop in the indifferent
and disengaged categories and a shift in some respondents from
engaged to almost engaged.
Dean’s Update
In total, fully 86 per cent of our employees in The Business School are
either engaged or almost engaged.
Getting into the details, there is much to reflect on in the Driver
Scores. Positively, our Working Environment, Customer Focus,
Culture and Employee Empowerment all show stellar scores and are
something to be celebrated.
On the side of continuous improvement, we have work to do on
rewards, recognition, benefits, and your relationship with myself and
your relationships with your Managers. I know that myself and our
team are dedicated to doing our best to make sure our School is the
best it can be in 2020 and beyond.
Over the Winter Semester, your Academic Chairs will go over the
results for your department that will provide you with a deeper insight
at your local level. I would encourage you to provide your Managers
with constructive feedback so that we can work towards continual
improvement in 2021.
In closing, what is most encouraging to us is that most of you agree
that The Business School is a great place to work and better than
many other organizations that McLean & Co. surveyed. It’s a
reflection of what you bring to this team and I am very proud of our
results.
I want to express by gratitude for participating in this year’s survey
and sharing your views with us - but mostly I want to thank you for
continuing to deliver your best to our students
as we ring in a new year and a new decade.
Barry O’Brien
Dean, The Business School
Office Administration student represents Canada at Certiport’s Microsoft Office Specialist
World Championship
This Summer, Business School student Allyanna Cruz travelled to New
York City to represent Canada at Certiport’s Microsoft Office Specialist
World Championship. Allyanna is Canada's most skilled in Microsoft
Word 2016. There were a total of 150 finalists invited to compete out of 1.5
million entries from 119 countries. Candidates competed for a chance to win a
$7,000 scholarship and the title of World Champion in their respective
categories.
Centennial is a Certiport powerhouse: Office Administration student Nidushi
Sivabalan placed second in Canada this year for Microsoft Word 2016, and
student Bihn Tran competed in the World Championship last year in Orlando,
Florida. Congratulations Allyanna, Nidushi and Bihn!
Read more at https://www.centennialcollege.ca/news/two-centennial-students-are-officially-the-best-microsoft-word-users-in-the-country/
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BUSINESS
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SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2020
Business Connected… At a Distance!

Welcome to Business Connected (at a Distance) Summer 2020
Dean’s Update
Friday, March 13th, 2020. It seems like such a long time ago and in
many ways another world. It’s worth reflecting on the timeline that led
up to the events of that day.
• On December 31, 2019, in Wuhan Province, China the Health
Commission reported a cluster of pneumonia cases in Hubei
Province.
• On March 11th, the WHO declared the existence of a Global
Pandemic.
• On March 12th, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau announced that she
had contracted the novel coronavirus while attending a
conference in London.
• On March 13th the Parliament of Canada agreed unanimously to
shut its doors for five weeks and Centennial College announced
that would be moving online starting March 23rd.
At the time, if anyone had told us that we would be out through the
Fall semester working and teaching from home, I am sure it would
have been greeted with some skepticism - and yet here we are - and
like business people, we have adapted to changes in our
environment. How have we met the challenge?
As a community, we have stayed safe, washed our hands raw, and
stayed home when ordered to. As time has progressed, and more has
been learned, we have donned masks and learned a universe of
distancing teleconferencing apps.
Google Hangouts. Zoom. GoToMeeting. Microsoft Teams. Cisco
WebEx. The list is long and growing. As this newsletter shows, as a
community in The Business School, we have got together, held virtual
Tiki Parties, Trivia Contests and staff meetups.
But it has not been all play. Covid-19 has challenged us to retain our
learners and generate new enrollment like no other business
disruption that I can recall short of the Great Depression.
TBS has responded with determination and hard work.
As you are aware, our collective efforts have resulted in significant
progress in the development and delivery of our online programming.
By Fall 2020, we will have initiated the development of 17 programs
across The Business School. We have made and continue to make
significant investments in the development of quality online courses
and provided faculty with the additional training and resources needed
to teach in the online learning environment.
Through your efforts, our students will continue to receive the rich
academic content and high-quality teaching to ensure academic and
future career success.
Because of your work, we are getting noticed.
While it is too soon to tell, we have made significant progress in
attracting students to take a look at our program offerings. Evidence
of this can be seen, for example, in our international confirmations
which, as of July 9th, stand at 3,322 up from 2,879 last year, a 15.7%
increase! We hope that this will translate into a solid intake for TBS in
Fall 2020.
But we can’t stop here.
The process is ongoing as we plan to fully develop our 17 fully online
programs which means for most programs, we have 2 semesters left
to develop. Should you wish further details regarding planned
development for Fall 2020 – Winter 2021, please feel free to contact
your respective Chair – we are looking for developers.
Enjoy this Summer safely and enjoy hopefully
unique (one-off) edition of Business Connected.
Cheers!
Barry O’Brien
Dean, The Business School
Launch of 2018-2019 Scholarly Activity Report
The Business School is proud to present you with the 2018-2019 Scholarly Activity Report, the
second edition within our School. This report highlights the great work that we have accomplished
over the past year and exemplifies our dedication to excellence both in and out of the classroom.
Centennial College has adopted the four functions of Boyer’s Model of Scholarship featured in
Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate. The report is divided into these four functions:
Discovery, Integration, Application, and Teaching.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the report and special thanks to Leticia Rocha and Holly
Main who helped bring together all the information.
Take a look via flipbook using the link below:
https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/63414238/the-business-school-scholarly-activity-report-2019
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BUSINESS
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WINTER NEWSLETTER 2021
The Business School earns
Humanitarian Champion Award!

Welcome to Business Connected Winter 2021
Welcome to 2021!
There has been a lot said about 2020, and many of us have said to
ourselves that we will be so happy to see the end of that year, and will
welcome a fresh start in 2021.
Well, 2021 is not off to a great start. We have seen political turmoil in
the United States, the start of the unwelcome second wave,
Lockdown Part II, and a holiday season that looked very different for
all of us.
Still, through all of this, peaking out over the horizon is hope.
The greatest purveyor of this hope is gift from the scientific community
with two (and more to come) approved vaccines. By the time you
read this, many of you that have elderly parents in retirement
communities that will have received the gift of the vaccine.
What a relief that will be to all of us to know that our loved ones are
now protected and that the possibly hugging them will be just around
the corner.
Another sign of hope is our mission of education goes on. As some of
you know, I have two young adults that are currently in the higher
education system. They chose to go to university so over the holidays
I heard from them about their online higher education experience. I
can’t say that I was impressed with what they told me, knowing what I
know about the work that our faculty teams in The Business School
are doing to create dynamic online learning environments for our
students.
Have a read though this newsletter. You will be amazed at the
innovation, dedication and accomplishments of our TBS Faculty,
Support Staff and Administrators.
Dean’s Message
For example, in the opening pages you will see reference to two new
programs being launched, Business Analytics and Insights and
Paralegal 2-year undergrad. Both these programs represent further
steps in the ongoing transformation of our School and will be key in
delivering new essential stills to our students moving forward. The list
goes on from there, page after page of engagement, innovation and
commitment to learning.
While this opening editorial is insufficient to celebrate all you have
done, I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to recognize our
School winning the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the NGO
Action Against Hunger. Since establishing beginning the partnership
2015, The Business School led by Professor Natalie Chinsam, raised
tens of thousands of dollars for those in need overseas, making real
on their commitment to international justice and ending food
insecurity.
I am sure all of you join me in celebrating this prestigious
accomplishment.
I close by saying thanks to all of you who teach, for your commitment
during this difficult time. I know that many of you are experiencing
some of the difficulties that our students have, including loneliness
and isolation. I want to let you know that I have heard from many of
our students that your efforts have provided them with a sense of
purpose, and that the educational communities that you create have
made this time better than it might otherwise been.
As your Dean and as a parent, thank you for
all you do as educators and leaders.
.
Barry O’Brien
Dean, The Business School
Land Acknowledgement
Centennial College is proud to be a part of a rich history of education in this province
and in this city. We acknowledge that we are on the treaty lands and territory of the
Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and pay tribute to their legacy and the legacy
of all First Peoples of Canada, as we strengthen ties with the communities we serve
and build the future through learning and through our graduates. Today the traditional
meeting place of Toronto is still home to many Indigenous People from across Turtle
Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work in the communities that
have grown in the treaty lands of the Mississaugas. We acknowledge that we are all
treaty people and accept our responsibility to honour all our relations.
1

The
Business
School
BUSINESS
CONNECTED
SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2021
Centennial Business Students
Win Big at Nationals

Welcome to Business Connected Summer 2021
Dean’s Message
The Great Reopening.
The Roaring 20’s
The Great Reset.
Call it what you like, for myself, my family and I am sure many of you I
will settle with a quietly whispered “school’s back”. After all, it was on
Monday March 16, 2020 that we first heard that our College was
closing. I am sure for many of us it seemed at the time that this would
be a short hiatus from college. It proved more extended than any of
us would have imagined.
As of the first day of fall classes, September 7, 2021 our School will
have been in online teaching mode for a total of 540 days.
But by no means has this been calm and reflective, as an incredible
amount of work has been accomplished during that space. As this
editorial is morphing into a series of lists, I might as well keep going to
reflect what has changed during those 540 days and the impact it will
have on us moving forward.
• 17 Business Programs developed in a fully online Modality
• 169 Courses Developed
• 4660 Students Graduated (W20, S20, F20, W21, S21)
• 584 TBS Students made The Dean’s List and received their
letters
• 17,169 Students Registered in our programs (W20, S20, F20,
W21, S21)
• 277 Growth in Domestic Enrolment (Between 2019-20 and
2020-21)
• 4000 Predicted Fall 2021 Enrolment
On top of all of this, The Business School is now The Largest School
at Centennial College.
So, assuming the success of the Ontario vaccine roll out and the
falling away of the pandemic tide from our shores, what is our plan for
the Fall 2021? Over the past months we have listened to our students
and heard how many feel burned out from screen time and are ready
and wanting to be on campus to connect face-to-face with classmates
and our faculty.
So, here’s the good news; The Business School is planning to make it
happen for them – however – as you know from your Chairs, things
will be different in the Fall.
As you read this, I am certain that many of you have mixed feelings.
Some of you can’t wait to get back in the classroom. Others are more
nervous about what fall might look like. No matter what camp you fall
into, rest assured that your health and safety are our top priority. Our
return plan will be guided by public health directives and advice, and
contingency plans are in place, should another threat emerge from
COVID-19.
So, have an amazing summer TBS. The clouds are lifting, and the
sun is coming out. Find a patio with someone you have not seen in
540 days and reflect of all you have done and what you have been
though.
For my part, I can’t wait to see all of you in-person and on-campus
soon at Centennial Scarborough (aka at 80%+ Toronto’s most
vaccinated neighborhood).
Cheers!
Barry O’Brien
Dean, The Business School
TBS Students Recognized for Academic Performance
In April 2021 and June 2021, almost 600 Business School students received a formal letter signed
by Dean Barry O’Brien to recognize their academic performance. 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.
The first round of letters was sent to over 200 students, recognizing the Summer 2020 and Fall 2020
semesters, and the second round was sent to close to 400 students, for Fall 2020 and Winter 2021.
This year has been particularly challenging, balancing the demands of studies and the obstacles
presented by the global pandemic. This academic achievement reflects an outstanding commitment
to learning. Congratulations, Everyone!
1

The
Business
School
BUSINESS
CONNECTED
WINTER NEWSLETTER 2022
After 581 Days,
It’s Back to Business…

Dean’s Message
Welcome to Business Connected Winter 2022
Back to Business.
To me, like many of you, these words mean
quite a lot. 2020-21 has been an inflection
point in our modern society that has
changed the way we work, think, relate and
reflect on simple things that we once took
for granted - and one of those things is the
value we now put on being together.
Of all the things during the early days of the
pandemic what really struck home for me
was the sights of the elderly being unable to
see family for long periods of time. It was
heartbreaking to watch and I know that
many of you experienced this personally.
None of us will ever take for granted again
the value of being together and what we all
collectively thought could not change.
For The Business School and our College in
general, things in Fall 2021 have not
returned to normal but there are rays of
hope. Over the past number of months
faculty, admin and support staff have
returned to our space and once again
started to reconnect.
It has been like a spring day after a long
winter. While perhaps we have not all had
our usual quiet space like at home, the
return to the bustle of the workplace has
been a wonderful experience. Things I
missed and are back:
- Going to lunch at The Local.
- Having a coffee and chat with a colleague.
- Talking about what happened today ‘in a
real classroom’
…and you know me, planning enrollment
numbers on a whiteboard!
Prior to March 2020 these were all
moments that we took for granted and were
taken away from us. Thanks to science and
our collective efforts to keep each other
safe, we can once more think about a return
to our Centennial community.
On this I want to reflect on the value of
community because Progress Campus has
missed you. I think it is true that the
lifeblood of any community is its people
and, as a School, we have been particularly
blessed with an amazing team spirit. Our
School loves its community events.
Retirements. Baby Showers. Holiday Gift
Exchanges. BBQ’s. These are a hallmark of
the TBS family and are a unique brand to
our community and work culture.
(I can say in all honesty that Zoom Trivia
just does not cut it).
So, as we head into Winter I look forward to
seeing many new faces. We are a fully
vaccinated community, and by Winter 2022
many of you will have even been boosted
(I have already!) I can’t wait to see more of
you, and I know that your students are
going to be thrilled to see you and their
fellow classmates.
It’s been a long time to them and we all
have been waiting for this special moment -
together.
Barry O’Brien
Dean, The Business School
Enactus Centennial students awarded two project accelerator grants
The Business School would like to congratulate this year’s Enactus Centennial students for successfully obtaining two project
accelerator grants. The first, the Northbridge Reducing Inequality Project Accelerator Grant of $2500, has been awarded for
their venture, Project Reset, to further the work they are doing to raise awareness of the stigma of mental health facing
youth. The second, the RBC Future Launch Project Accelerator Grant of $3000, has been awarded to Enactus Centennial’s new
project Fuego Eatery, a Tapas catering company. This social entrepreneurial venture has two powerful goals: to create an inclusive
workplace that hires those experiencing barriers to employment, and establish an upcycle food model by collecting viable
ingredients from grocery stores to be used in the menus. The Business School is very proud of our student leaders who have
worked together with faculty advisors Nadia Pereira and Byron Tobar to make this happen.
Enactus Centennial is a chapter of Enactus Canada, part of a global organization rooted in social entrepreneurship, involving
colleges and universities across the country. Supported by faculty of The Business School, along with our community and industry
partners, it is led by a team of students who are learning to create a community of awareness while building businesses.
BUSINESS CONNECTED | 4

The
Business
School
BUSINESS
CONNECTED
SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2022
Excited to be back together
again for Summer 2022!

Dean’s Message
Welcome to Business Connected Summer 2022
Welcome to the summer edition of Business
Connected. As I write this, we are coming
off one of the best times in our academic
calendar, that is, the convocation of our
students. This is a special time for faculty,
support staff, and administrators as we
celebrate the end of the academic journey
for our amazing students.
It is also a time for reflection. What went
well during the last semester with our
students? What did they learn? What did
they struggle with, and what new
techniques did we utilize help them
succeed? It’s also a time to think about
what did not work and what we can improve
on as we prepare for the fall semester.
In our last edition of Business Connected, I
talked about my excitement, and those of
the administrative team, about getting
together after 581 days of being separated,
owing to the global pandemic. As it turns
out, we might have been done with the
pandemic but the pandemic was not done
with us. We pivoted back to online classes
and being distanced from each other and
our students. Now it seems, finally, that our
College, and our society in general, is
opening up and things may be returning to
normal - whatever that new normal looks
like.
All this being said, the road ahead looks like
it will be fraught with further bumps, shocks,
and disruptions to our lives, our society, and
our business communities. Inflation, that
scourge of the 1970s and early 1980s, is
back with a vengeance. Interest rates are
on the rise at the fastest rate since Paul
Volcker was Chair of the Federal Reserve
during the Reagan administration. The
stock market is in full retreat. Covid-19 it is
not over and may hold for us further
unwelcome surprises in the fall semester.
So, this is the time to reflect and to think of
preparing our students for a very different
world than those that graduated today from
The Business School. Our new students
may be facing unprecedented challenges in
the workforce, as well as their personal
lives. As academic leaders and teachers,
many of us have valuable lessons from the
economic downturns of the past and are
well prepared to guide our students as they
navigate uncharted waters.
For our School, we need to prepare as well.
At the Fall Kickoff event, I will be presenting
you with the framework for a new five-year
strategic plan to guide us and act as our
north star. This plan will determine what
new programs we need to develop, what
new learning strategies we should deploy,
and the ways and means of providing
excellent experiential learning in and out of
the classroom. Your Academic Chairs and
Program Coordinators will be looking for
your help in ensuring that we get it right in
its application to the classroom
enviornment. Your expertise will help shape
the next five years and what Business
Connected looks like for our students.
Have a great summer – on behalf of your
administrative and support staff team –
congratulations on a fantastic winter
semester. Can’t wait to see you in Fall.
Barry O’Brien
Dean, The Business School
The Business School Record Setting Enrolment - Winter and Summer 2022
We had a historic registration period as we prepared for the Winter 2022 semester. Our team was busy providing student
assistance to ensure our students were supported. The Business School Registration Team processed over 4700 student
requests throughout this period! This momentum continued into the Summer Semester as well, with a total of 4192
students enrolled. A big thank you goes out to all staff for your continued efforts and support during the registration period.
BUSINESS CONNECTED | 4

The
Business
School
BUSINESS
CONNECTED
SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2023
Celebrating the entrepreneurial
success of our students as they
launch careers to better all lives

Dean’s Message
Welcome to Business Connected Summer 2023
Summer: A Time for Rest and Reflection
As Summer 2023 arrives, it brings a welldeserved
break after a year of dedication in
the office and classroom. As we wrap up the
academic year, it's time to shift our focus
towards enjoying quality time with loved
ones.
The past two years have presented
extraordinary challenges, but your
commitment and professionalism have
allowed you to face them head-on. The
recent convocation ceremonies were truly
inspiring, witnessing our students crossing
the stage in six ceremonies, surrounded by
friends, families, and partners.
These ceremonies serve as a powerful
reminder of our impact and the resilience
our students possess.
While the Business School remains active
with over 6,700 students registered this
semester, the warmer weather opens doors
to new ways of working and taking time for
ourselves. The whiteboard in our school
kitchen has generated a lot of ideas for you!
Explore our community by taking leisurely
afternoon walks to Bluffer's Park, where you
can admire the cliffs and soak in the sun's
warmth. Marvel at the stunning lake vistas
while strolling along the trails of the
Scarborough Bluffs or embark on a hike
with friends and family in Rouge National
Urban Park.
For downtown adventures, I recommend
visiting Kensington Market—a vibrant mix of
boutiques, cafes, and vintage shops
creating a unique and lively atmosphere.
Immerse yourself in the Art Gallery of
Ontario, where the works of the Group of
Seven might inspire you to plan a canoe trip
to Ontario's picturesque north. Discover the
rich history and culinary delights of the
Distillery District as you walk along its
charming cobblestone streets, indulging in
fresh coffee and local pastries. Don't miss
the opportunity to attend outdoor concerts
at Yonge-Dundas Square or the Budweiser
Stage on the waterfront.
As you embark on your well-deserved
holidays, I encourage you to prioritize selfcare
and reflection. Take time to disconnect
from Zoom and Teams, reconnecting with
loved ones in meaningful ways. Whether
you immerse yourself in captivating novels,
savor moments on the beach, or simply
enjoy leisurely outdoor meals, let this
summer be a season of restoration.
On an administrative note, I look forward to
seeing all of you at the School’s Fall Kick-
Off event on August 28th.
Our focus for this meeting will be on themes
including engaging our international
students, faculty scholarship, and
Indigenous entrepreneurship. It's a jampacked
schedule that I believe you all will
enjoy!
On behalf of the entire community, I extend
my deepest gratitude for your unwavering
commitment and exceptional
professionalism. May this summer be a
cherished time of relaxation, rejuvenation,
and personal fulfillment.
Cheers!
Barry O’Brien
Dean, The Business School
TBS Students Recognized for Academic Performance
We are proud of our 774 Business School students who received a formal letter
signed by Dean Barry O’Brien to recognize their academic performance, through
Fall 2022 and Winter 2023 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, Everyone!
BUSINESS CONNECTED | 2

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!

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

Dean’s Message
Welcome to Business Connected Winter 2024
Brrrrr. With the end of the winter solstice, two
things are certain: first, with each passing day,
we will gain 3 more minutes of most welcome
daylight in southern Ontario. Second, our
amazing TBS team will continue to deliver
incredible industry-relevant experiences to our
students, as they did in the Fall of 2023.
This edition of Business Connected looks back
on the fall term, reflecting on the richness of
learning that took place, new arrivals to our
school, faculty awards and recognitions, and
sadly, the passing of some familiar faces around
our school.
It bears repeating that indigenization, particularly
our collective response in TBS, aligns with
Section 92(ii) of the TRC: "Ensure that Aboriginal
peoples have equitable access to jobs, training,
and education opportunities in the corporate
sector, and that Aboriginal communities gain
long-term sustainable benefits from economic
development projects." As such, it is fitting that
the cover of this issue highlights staff and student
attendance at the 2023 Indigenomics Conference
in downtown Toronto. This conference celebrated
milestones of Indigenous economic success and
opened a dialogue on strategies to promote
economic growth and new business development
in Indigenous communities. A big shout-out to the
students and professors who demonstrated their
commitment to reconciliation and learning by
attending this 2-day event.
Inside this issue, you will also find highlights of
an outing led by myself to the LCBO main
logistics facility in Whitby. On this trip, I was
accompanied by a logistics college partner from
China (LNCC) and our very own Supply Chain
and Logistics Students and Faculty. This
opportunity to visit one of the world's largest
automated beverage alcohol warehousing
facilities was amazing and a rare opportunity (the
warehouse is usually closed to visitors).
I want to close on a note of recognition and
celebration. The Business School has been on a
bit of a roll in terms of our successes lately. We
are stacking them up left and right! Not only are
we now the largest School, but we have, of late,
been regularly recognized as having some of the
best professors in the business (Shhh… we
always knew that). In 2021, Professor Scott
Tanaka won the prestigious Wicken Award, and
now, on his heels, we offer congratulations to
Rathika Sitsabaiesan, who received the 2023
Wicken Award for Teaching Excellence.
Thank you all for what you do. This publication is
packed with smiling faces, positive data
supporting student success, and best of all, our
team having fun together along the way. It's a
pleasure and an honor to be along for the ride.
Barry O’Brien
Dean, The Business School
BUSINESS CONNECTED WINTER 2024 | 4

The
Business School
BUSINESS
CONNECTED
SUMMER 2024
Taking learning to the next level, with
experiential opportunities to Panama,
Lithuania and France!

The
Business School
BUSINESS
CONNECTED
WINTER 2025
Paralegal mooting competition winners
collect inaugural Centennial Cup

Dean’s Message
Welcome to the Winter 2025 edition of
Business Connected
As we reflect on this past year, it’s
clear that 2025 has brought
significant challenges, many
stemming from external factors
beyond our college’s control.
Immigration, Refugees, and
Citizenship Canada (IRCC) policy
changes have had a profound
impact on our financial stability and
our ability to serve our communities.
As you know from my previous
communications, our school has
faced the reduction of 16 programs,
a substantial decline in international
enrollment, and fewer available
course sections for faculty.
It’s been a lot. I want you to know
that your management team, in
collaboration with faculty, is doing its
best to navigate these challenges. I
even traveled to Parliament Hill to
advocate with politicians concerning
the value of business education and
to highlight the real damage these
policy changes will cause.
The passion and commitment you
bring to the classroom are evident in
every edition of Business
Connected. It serves as a record of
the remarkable accomplishments of
our faculty and students—proof of
your resilience, adaptability, and
dedication to teaching excellence.
The passion that The Business
School team brings to our students
each day continues to shape the
future of our institution.
As we move forward, developing
new programs to attract future
students, I am confident that our
faculty’s industry-driven knowledge
and expertise will uphold the highest
standards of teaching and learning.
This edition of Business Connected
is a testament to that. Across all
disciplines, faculty and students
have engaged in industry networking
and experiential learning
opportunities that enrich our
academic environment.
In this issue, you will read about our
paralegal students making history by
winning the inaugural Centennial
Mooting Competition Cup. Our
Fashion Business and Management
students once again delivered an
outstanding sourcing and logistics
project. Our commitment to equity
and inclusion is exemplified by
student journalist Sabihya Subedi’s
powerful essay on financial inclusion
and gender equality.
On the support staff side, we
celebrate our editor and my
assistant, Holly Main, who was
honoured with the Board of
Governors Award of Excellence for
Distinguished Support Staff—
Congratulations, Holly!
Additionally, this issue features a
Business School update on our
program strategy, including the
launch of exciting new programs in
Agribusiness Management,
Accounting and Computer Systems,
International Transportation,
Cybersecurity - Leadership and
Management, Knowledge Systems
and Governance, and Healthcare
Unit Management—all designed to
meet emerging industry needs and
future job market demands. These
programs represent key areas of
growth for our college. As
demonstrated by the success of our
new Occupational Health and Safety
program—which saw an
unprecedented enrollment of over
200 students in Winter 2025—
aligning our offerings with federal
CIP codes is critical to attracting
students.
Lastly, we say goodbye to a dear
colleague, Dr. Edward Perry, who
tragically passed away in the fall of
2024. He will be deeply missed by
everyone in The Business School.
We are a community. We are strong.
And together, we will forge an
exciting path forward.
Barry O’Brien
Dean, The Business School
BUSINESS CONNECTED WINTER 2025 | 4

Dean’s Message
Business Connected - Farewell Reflection
June 2025
It’s convocation season—a time of celebration,
reflection, and anticipation for the future. This
year, it carries particular resonance for me, as it
marks the close of an extraordinary chapter. In
June 2014, I joined Centennial College as Dean
of the School of Business—a role that
represented a shift from my previous
experience, but one that, from the outset, felt
remarkably like coming home.
Now, as The Business School transitions into a
new faculty structure under the leadership of
Damian Goulbourne, I hope you’ll indulge me in
a few reflections on the past eleven years—and
on the remarkable community we’ve built, as
chronicled in the pages of Business Connected.
Back in 2014, our School looked and felt very
different. We had just emerged from a Voluntary
Exit Program, with a modest team of about 30
full-time faculty and a dedicated group of
contract educators. Our administrative structure
was lean: Amanda Stone served as our sole
Operations Manager, and there was just one
Chair. Holly Main—who would become not only
my executive assistant but also my most trusted
colleague and partner—joined me in the work of
growing the School into something larger, more
agile, and more ambitious: The Business
School.
And grow we did. We expanded our leadership
team, faculty, and support staff. Along the way,
we welcomed extraordinary individuals—Amy
Morrell, Donna Jansen, Mary Devine, and
Véronique Henry, who transitioned from faculty
into leadership. With them came a new wave of
full-time faculty—Natalie Chinsam, Scott
Tanaka, Shannon Winterstein, and Katie
Burton—each bringing energy, commitment, and
innovation that helped propel us forward.
Program development soon became central to
our vision. With strong support from our
Curriculum Committee, we launched a suite of
programs aligned with both market needs and
student interests: Fashion Business
Management, Marketing Management, Digital
Engagement Strategy, and Business Analytics
and Insights, among others. Enrolment surged,
anchored by flagship offerings like Global
Business Management, Project Management,
and Human Resources.
One of our proudest academic milestones began
in 2017 under Associate Dean Amanda Stone
and faculty champions Trevor Preston, Jim
McVittie, and Melissa Jimeno: the development
of our first four-year degree, the BBA in
International Business Management. After years
of tireless work, the program received approval
in 2024 and—at the time of writing—awaits only
the Minister’s signature. This is more than a
degree; it is a symbol of our School’s evolution
and future.
BUSINESS CONNECTED SUMMER 2025 | 4

Dean’s Message
In 2023, The Business School reached new
heights of growth and achievement. Guided by
our strategic plan, Business Connected, we
welcomed new Associate Deans—Brian
Atkinson, Jennifer Northcote, and Steven
Khan—along with Nicole Koss as Operations
Manager. Innovative new programs such as
Occupational Health and Safety and Court and
Tribunal Agent drove enrolment to an all-time
high, reaching 7559 students total in Winter
2024.
This level of growth brought challenges, but
through it all, our support staff rose to meet the
moment. Their professionalism, adaptability, and
unwavering dedication created a welcoming,
responsive, and student-centered learning
environment. They were the heartbeat of our
School, greeting new learners and sustaining a
vibrant academic community in a time of rapid
change. I cannot thank them enough for their
contribution.
One of my proudest moments as Dean came in
finally settling a friendly rivalry: for years at
every Senior Academic Leadership Team (SALT)
and public meeting, I was reminded—often with
good humour—by Dean Kelly of the School of
Engineering Technology and Applied Science
(SETAS) that their School was “the largest” at
the College. In those moments, I often recalled a
paraphrase of the great winemaker and
innovator, Baron Philippe de Rothschild:
As I prepare to leave The Business School—and
I know I speak for my fellow departing leaders,
Mary Devine and Jennifer Northcote—we do so
with immense gratitude and pride. Together, we
built the largest school at Centennial College.
We generated significant revenue that enabled
transformative projects like A Block, the Event
Centre, and our expansion to Downsview
Campus.
The legacy of The Business School is etched
across the College—in its graduates, its
programs, its spaces, and above all, its people.
Serving as your Dean has been the privilege of
my career. Thank you for the opportunity to lead,
to learn, and to help build something truly
meaningful—together.
Warmly,
Barry O’Brien
Dean
The Business School
First, we are.
Second, we were.
We never changed.
5 | BUSINESS CONNECTED SUMMER 2025

Connected
Farewell Event
A moment of recognition and thanks On June 5,
2025, The Business hosted a farewell event to recognize the
contributions of our staff and faculty who will be leaving us as a
part of the Voluntary Exit Program (VEP). We appreciate everything
they have each done for The Business School. They will be
greatly missed.
and a final goodbye to TBS
Forever in our hearts On June
23, 2025, we hosted a final farewell
event to share stories and raise a glass
to The Business School and say
goodbye to our amazing School as it
transitions to something new ahead.
37 | BUSINESS CONNECTED SUMMER 2025

Special words and tributes
During the farewell event, we also took a
moment to recognize the contributions of
members of our team who will be leaving
the College. Thank you for all that you
brought to TBS to make it such a great
place to be!
BUSINESS CONNECTED SUMMER 2025 | 38

Connected
11 Years of Business Connected
As we reflect on the past 11 years, countless moments come to mind that capture the spirit and memories of The Business School.
To mark the final issue of Business Connected, we’ve looked back through the archives and selected 11 standout highlights that
have been featured in its pages over the years. We hope you enjoy this walk down memory lane!
01
02 03
01 Our first issue of Business Connected launched in
January 2015. Since then, we have published 25 publications, sharing
stories and celebrating the accomplishments and milestones of our School.
02 Speaker series, ‘Marketing Career Hacks’
Spearheaded by Linda Traill and Jodi Marrin, the event launched in Spring
2015 offering students and alumni an opportunity to speak with industry
professionals who present on in-demand market skills, industry trends, and
career paths. The Career Hacks model has since expanded across The
Business School, with over 30 events these past 11 years.
04
03 Paint the Town Green In celebration of Centennial College’s
50th Anniversary, the college cancelled classes on September 27, 2016, to
release students, faculty and staff to "Paint the Town Green." Thousands of
volunteers fanned out across the city to lend a hand in 11 major Toronto
parks with a variety of "green" initiatives, like planting trees, removing trash,
and beautifying public areas.
04 School rebrand: The Business School In Fall 2017,
we moved from our old name School of Business to something bold, new and
aspirational – The Business School. This was at a time when our School had
undergone a transformation in our team: onboarding 35 new full-time faculty
and staff hires, as well as transforming our physical space, with renovations
that dramatically changed our School to modern, bright, and collaborative.
05
05 Record employee engagement In 2017, we have
excelled in our engagement with each other moving to a record 88.8% in
2017, a number that any private sector company would we thrilled to publish.
06 Commitment to Reconciliation On December 5, 2018,
The Business School hosted a screening of Reconciliation on Bay Street,
introduced by Director Andrée Cazabon and followed by a panel of
Indigenous business leaders. The event highlighted Call to Action #92,
urging Corporate Canada to embrace reconciliation. Faculty and staff also
engaged with the 4 Seasons Professional Development Unit—reinforcing our
ongoing commitment to advancing reconciliation within The Business School.
06
07
39 | BUSINESS CONNECTED SUMMER 2025

Connected
07 Online Program development When the College closed
on March 16, 2020, The Business School quickly pivoted to online learning,
developing 17 fully online programs and 169 courses. It was a remarkable
achievement during a time of uncertainty. After 581 days of remote work, we
safely returned—masked but together—proud of how we adapted, innovated,
and supported our community through the challenges of the pandemic.
08
09
08 Humanitarian Champion Award On December 10, 2020,
The Business School received the Humanitarian Champion Award from Action
Against Hunger Canada for its innovative International Development program.
Since 2015, students—led by Professor Natalie Chinsam—have partnered
with the organization, raising over $33,200 through annual fundraising and
communication campaigns. This impactful initiative highlights the power of
education, social responsibility, and community partnership.
09 Record high enrolment numbers In Fall 2023, The
Business School surpassed projected enrolment by 10%, reaching 7,087
students. Winter 2024 began just as strong with 7,559 students—closely
mirroring our record-breaking Winter 2023 enrolment of 7,571. For
perspective, Winter 2015 saw just 3,346 students. This remarkable growth
reflects the School’s continued momentum and impact.
10 Global Experiences Our students took their learning all
around the world, taking part in global experiences including Faculty-Led
International Programs (FLIP) and Applied Research Abroad Projects
(ARAP), travelling to places including Panama, Nepal, the United Kingdom,
Paris, Nunavut, Lithuania, and Chile (pictured here)
11 Experiences closest to home Dean Barry O’Brien opened
his home to everyone, inviting the School to a Dean’s BBQ in his backyard.
This was Connected at its best, with many in attendance enjoying drinks and
food (even a deep-fried turkey or two!). Thank you for everything you did to
bring togetherness and connection.
10 11
Special mention to the events below, included in this issue of Business Connected:
Native Child and Family Services Graduation (page 8), The Shop (page 19), our
Wicken Award winners (page 31), International Development Week (page 15)
Our Final Issue of Business Connected
Since our first issue in January
2015, Business Connected has
been a space to share stories
and celebrate the milestones
that define The Business
School. With each edition,
we’ve grown—adding more
pages, more achievements, and
more reasons to be proud. It’s
been a reflection of who we are
and what we stand for.
Now, with this 25th and final
issue, we mark a bittersweet
milestone. This edition is a
tribute to all you’ve
accomplished—a celebration of
our shared journey. As we turn
the page and look ahead, I’m
confident we’ll continue to
thrive, just as we always have.
Over the past eight years, it’s
been an honour to serve as
editor, capturing the incredible
moments created by our faculty,
staff, students, and alumni.
Here’s to all that’s ahead as we
embrace a new beginning with
the same unwavering spirit that
has always defined us.
Holly Main
Editor, Writer & Designer
Business Connected

Cheers to all that we have achieved during this chapter of
our School and thank you for all the stories, memories, and
fun times along the way.
Published by
Centennial College
The Business School
P.O. Box 631, Station A
Toronto, ON M1K 5E9
Special Edition
Editor and Designer
Holly Main
"A Story told through
Dean's Messages" June
2025