Faculty of Business Administration - University of New Brunswick

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) recently announced that UNB’s BBA with a major in Human Resource Management degree program offered on the Fredericton campus through the faculty of business administration fully aligns with the recommended requirements for HR degree programs, as outlined in the SHRM HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates.

The SHRM devised the curriculum guidebook and templates in 2005, as a way to provide universities and colleges a resource for tracking HR Curricula against a common, minimum skill set needed by employers who seek to fill HR positions. The template identifies 13 minimum core HR topics that should be required curriculum in every HR degree program, as well as 11 elective HR topics to complement the required core.

An important feature of the HR curriculum template is that it offers professors greater flexibility in devising their HR courses, while providing a minimum level of standardization for HR content being taught.

SHRM has also gained the support of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International in an effort to bring a similar level of commonality to HR degree programs that is required of AACSB accredited Schools of Business.

Representatives from the SHRM met with the faculty of business administration and engaged in talks regarding the current HR curriculum. After thorough discussions and assessment of the topics, courses, business context, and delivery methods used by UNB, it was determined that the HR honours program fully aligns with the standards SHRM laid out in their guidebook and templates.

Affiliations with professional associations, such as SHRM are extremely important for students and the university. This certification distinguishes UNB’s HR program as being taught in accordance with the highest of standards, giving students the skills and training they need for successful careers in human resources management.

Posted at 1:36 PM

Dr. E. Stephen Grant, Professor of Marketing, was recently awarded the 2009 Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award.

The award was created by the faculty many years ago to support faculty excellence in teaching. Each year the faculty honours one professor for his or her outstanding teaching performance.

The choice of the award recipient belongs to the students. At the end of each academic year students in the BBA and MBA programs nominate the professor who they feel is most deserving of the Award. A committee of current BBA and MBA students, plus an alumni representative then selects the winner from among the nominees.

Dr. Grant is a graduate of the UNB BBA program, and he joined the faculty as a lecturer from 1987-1990 and later returned to the faculty in 1993 as a full time professor of marketing. He now teaches courses for the marketing and entrepreneurship areas.

For a number of years Dr. Grant has been involved in the export partnering program, teaching the export market entry course. Dr. Grant has an outstanding record of research and service to the faculty and university, which was recognized in 2005 when he received the UNB Merit Award.

“Steve Grant’s recognition for excellent teaching is long overdue”, commented Dr. Daniel Coleman, dean of the Faculty of Business Administration. “Steve has contributed to teaching in many ways for many years, having helped with the export partnering program, the Activator (entrepreneurship) program, and of course, his outstanding delivery of a wide array of marketing courses. He is one of our very best instructors.”

Posted at 11:22 AM

With the sun shining outside and the temperature in the upper teens the faculty of business administration celebrated UNB’s 180th Encaenia with a reception and awards ceremony to honour the accomplishments of this year’s graduating class.

Of the class of 2009, 178 students graduated with BBA degrees including 71 students earning honours degrees, 114 earning concentrations, and 10 earning co-op designations. Thirty-five students graduated from the MBA program, including the first two ever to graduate with our new concentration in entrepreneurship designation.

On the international front 24 students graduated from the BBA program in Trinidad and Tobago along with 18 students from the BBA program in Singapore. Ten students graduated from the BBA program in Egypt, with many more expected to graduate in October.

During the faculty of business administration’s awards ceremony the following graduates received prizes for their academic achievements.

MBA Encaenia Prizes:

E.D. MAHER GRADUATE STUDENT PRIZE IN ADMINISTRATION: Mr. Colin M. Simpson. Awarded to the graduating MBA student with the highest GPA.

MBA SOCIETY GRADUATION AWARD: Mr. Colin M. Simpson. Prize of $800. Awarded to the graduating MBA student with the highest cumulative GPA.

MBA SOCIETY GRADUATION AWARD: Ms. Vinithra Srinivasan. Awarded to the graduating MBA student with the second highest cumulative GPA.

MBA SOCIETY GRADUATION AWARD: Mr. Edgar Gallibois. Prize of $400. Awarded to the graduating MBA student with the third highest cumulative GPA.

BBA Encaenia Prizes:

LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR OF NEW BRUNSWICK SILVER MEDAL: Ms. Kathryn L. MacKinnon. Awarded to the most outstanding graduating BBA student, based primarily on performance in the last half of the program.

FACULTY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AWARD: Ms. Katie A. Wasson. Prize of $300. Awarded to the graduating BBA student with the second highest cumulative GPA.

FACULTY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AWARD: Mr. Craig T. McLaughlin. Prize of $200. Awarded to the graduating BBA student with the third highest cumulative GPA.

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION SOCIETY OUTSTAND STUDENT AWARD: Ms. Falen McNulty. This award is awarded by the business society to an outstanding fourth-year BBA student in recognition of participation in campus activities, scholastic standing, character and attitude.

MERRITHEW/DEGRANDPRÉ ACTIVATOR AWARD: Mr. Christopher Marhsall. Prize of $1,500. Awarded to a student leader enrolled in the Activator program in the Faculty of Business Administration on the Fredericton campus. Selection is based on scholastic attainment in the Activator courses and leadership abilities.

ACTIVATOR FELLOWSHIP(S): Mr. Christopher Marhsall. Prize of $4,000. Awarded by the International Business and Entrepreneurship Centre to students who demonstrated excellence in their role as Team and Co-Team Leaders while in the Activator Program.

Posted at 10:50 AM

Barbara A. Trenholm was honoured as Professor Emeritus of the University of New Brunswick at the 180th Encaenia Ceremony this past May.

Trenholm retired from the faculty of business administration in 2009 after almost 30 years of excellent service including serving as acting dean from 1995-1996. She joined the faculty in 1980 as a member of the accounting area and taught accounting and financial statement analysis courses. For her years of service to the faculty, the university, and the profession, UNB bestowed upon her the UNB Merit Award in 2001.

Widely regarded as an outstanding professor, the quality of Trenholm’s teaching has been formally recognized by UNB with the Allan B. Stuart Excellence in Teaching Award, and a UNB Teaching Professorship. She has also received numerous awards from outside the university, including the National Post’s Leaders in Management Education Award for Atlantic Canada and the Academy of Business Administration’s Global Teaching Excellence Award.

Trenholm has a record of extensive service for the faculty and the University and has chaired or been a member of numerous committees. She served as an ambassador for the Forging Our Futures campaign and as co-chair of the Board of Trustees of the UNB Pension Plan for Academic Employees Pension Board. In the business community, she is a member of the board of directors for Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. and Plazacorp Retail Properties Ltd. and chairs the audit committee of both organizations.

Trenholm has also been active in several professional organizations such as the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA), the New Brunswick Institute of Chartered Accountants (NBICA), the Canadian Academic Accounting Association (CAAA), and the American Accounting Association (AAA). Her participation included serving on the CICA Board of Directors and serving as acting president of NBICA.

A prolific author of pedagogical and learning materials; Trenholm has co-authored two bestselling accounting textbooks and authored multimedia supplements. Her publications have appeared in several accounting journals, including Accounting Horizons, CA Magazine, and the International Journal of Production Economics.

Posted at 9:58 AM

There have been so many beneficial changes in the business administration program over the past few years, and a lot of these changes can be accredited to two professors, Dr. Martin Wielemaker, and Dr. Abdur Rahim.

Both Dr. Wielemaker and Dr. Rahim are recipients of the 2008-2009 University of New Brunswick Merit Award. They have both distinguished themselves in more than one area, and made notable contributions to the faculty.

The UNB Merit Award is awarded annually by the university to recognize and encourage individuals who make outstanding contributions in the course of their work for the university. It is awarded to members of the faculty who have demonstrated exceptional research, scholarly or creative accomplishments that have resulted in the publication of articles and/or books, and have created for them a national or international reputation as an expert in their field. It is also awarded to faculty who make exceptional contributions to the dissemination of knowledge in their fields through the art of teaching, demonstrated by their significant innovations in teaching methods and publication of articles or books that advance effective teaching.

Dr. Wielemaker is an Associate Professor in the areas of competitive strategy and entrepreneurship, and he has also served as the chairperson of our Graduate Curriculum Committee for the past two years. In his citation, Dr. Daniel Coleman, Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration, noted that Dr. Wielemaker “has by far had the most significant influence on the FBA’s programming of any faculty member over the last several years. Not only is he one of the faculty’s most dedicated instructors, he was also the leader of a process which resulted in the most radical and innovative redesign of the MBA program since its inception at UNB in 1985”.

It is thanks to Dr. Wielemaker that the MBA program now offers the professional development and corporate governance courses. It is also Dr. Wielemaker’s work that led to the formation of the Entrepreneurship Thematic Area group, the Activator program, the International Business and Entrepreneurship Centre’s business plan competition, and the development of Concentrations in Entrepreneurship for both BBA and MBA students.

Dr. Rahim is a professor and a recognized world expert in Total Quality Management. He has delivered numerous invited talks around the world that have dealt with inventory control or quality management issues. In his citation, Dr. Coleman stated that Dr. Rahim “has produced over 70 refereed journal articles or book chapters, 11 of which have been published in the past three years. His scholarship is widely recognized, yielding almost 400 citations of his work—moreover, it is clear that the importance of his work is gaining recognition of late, as over 140 of these citations have occurred since 2006.”

Dr. Rahim teaches many courses at the BBA and MBA levels, and has always been a highly rated professor among students. He is also an active supervisor of graduate students, and has supervised many student projects that have resulted in publications.
Both Dr. Wielemaker and Dr. Rahim have made outstanding contributions to the Faculty of Business Administration. As Dr. Coleman notes, they are both “very deserving of a merit award”.

Posted at 1:33 PM

A group of investment finance students at the University of New Brunswick have achieved impressive returns on their portfolio of nearly $2 million in spite of the turbulent global financial environment. While stories of bank failures, Ponzi schemes and catastrophic financial losses in the financial markets dominated the news in 2008, student investors in the University of New Brunswick’s Student Investment Fund program significantly outperformed professional money managers during the year.

Students in the program began investing real money in the capital markets in 1998 with the allocation of $1 million from program partner the New Brunswick Investment Management Corporation. By October 2006 the Fund had surpassed $2 million solely from investment returns, by mid-2008 $2.5 million with a subsequent return to roughly $2 million by yearend reflecting global market volatility.

The student-managed fund enjoyed its best results ever in 2008 outperforming many professional asset managers including pension plans and endowment funds. Program director Prof. Glenn Cleland is impressed with the portfolio performance over the ten-year period since its inception. “ This is no coincidence. The students have successfully navigated the markets over a ten-year period.”

“We started up the program investing real money in September 1998 during turbulent times in financial markets stemming from the collapse of Long Term Capital Management. Over the subsequent ten years, student investment decisions were made with the backdrop of the technology bubble, the sub-prime mortgage crisis, US$145 oil prices and the current financial meltdown.”

The students’ abilities extend well beyond their impressive portfolio management skills. The students have a long and distinguished record of success at investment competitions. Last year, a team of students from the program placed first in the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute’s North American valuation competition in New York City and, was subsequently ranked second in the world in the Institute’s Global Investment Research competition in May 2008. If there was ever any doubt that SIF students could compete on a global basis it was erased by this achievement.

Nathan Ough, a current student in the Student Investment Fund program, speaks highly of the hands-on investment learning experience. “The record speaks for itself. Over the past ten years students who have been accepted into this demanding program have developed a skillset that is highly sought after by the financial sector. The integration of theory and practice provides a knowledge base which has contributed to our ten years of outperformance.”

The Student Investment Fund was the first student-managed fund in Atlantic Canada, one of a few in Canada, and unique in North America. Its market neutral equity portfolio construction approach combined with an embedded study program for the Chartered Financial Analyst Level I exam making it leading edge.

The SIF is offered through UNB’s Centre for Financial Studies in the faculty of business administration.

- 30 -

Posted at 4:04 PM

Two of Canada’s next top ad executives are students at the University of New Brunswick.

Elizabeth McCleave and Matieu Daigle, students in the master of business administration (MBA) program at UNB Fredericton have won Volkswagon’s national marketing competition, beating out teams from universities across Canada.

The students will each receive a new Volkswagon Golf and will be offered internships with ad agencies for winning the competition, Canada’s Next Top Ad Executive.

A second team of UNB students, Mitchell Bernard and Laura Noseworthy also made it to the top ten contestants in the final round.

The students were selected from among 143 teams, representing 36 different universities from across Canada. All of the top ten finalists will be offered internships with ad agencies.

“Winning this national competition, where so many teams from so many universities across the country participated, directly speaks to the outstanding qualities and skills of Matt and Liz,” said Daniel Coleman, dean of the faculty of business administration. “It also speaks to the quality of our programs.”

The theme of the marketing campaign had to be consistent with Volkswagen Canada’s positioning strategy for the Routan, and the marketing campaign had to stay within a $250,000 budget.

The competition was conceived and hosted by the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University and required the students to deliver a 30-minute marketing pitch to a panel of academics and industry experts.

Liz and Matieu will also see their marketing strategy in action as Volkswagen Canada unfolds it over the next few months.

Elizabeth-Anne, 24, and Matt, 23, as well as Laura, 22, and Mitchell, 21, all traveled to Toronto to compete. The teams of students were picked from 143 applications and made it through the top 25 phase. The winners were announced at an awards dinner on March 31, 2009.

Established in 1785, UNB is one of the oldest public universities in North America. One of the top five comprehensive universities in Canada, according to Maclean’s, UNB has more than 12,000 students from more than 100 countries. As the largest research institution in New Brunswick, UNB conducts 80 per cent of the province’s university research. The university has more than 3,500 faculty and staff, and an annual operating budget of more than $160 million. UNB’s two main campuses are located in Fredericton and Saint John, N.B.

- 30 -

Posted at 10:00 AM

UNB’s Activator team, “KnowCharge," won the silver prize of $60,000 in investment equity and in kind services at the New Brunswick Innovation Fund (NBIF) Breakthru competition held on March 25, 2009.

The company, made up of team leader, Chris Marshall and MBA teammates Rob Morrow and Edgar Gallibois, was formed through the Activator program, which is coordinated by UNB’s International Business and Entrepreneurship Centre (IBEC). KnowCharge produces a special conductive paper that, when used as an alternative to plastic based protective packaging, could save electronics manufacturers millions by eliminating the damage that static can cause during shipping.

In addition to the silver prize, KnowCharge Inc. shared the prize for best university venture with another UNB team, “Smart Skin”.

The Smart Skin team is made of up of MBA and Engineering students (Imran Khan, Irenia Roussel, Sabeer Zaman and Dr. Felipe Chibante), led by Kumaran Thillainadarajah. Using nanotechnology to detect and measure pressure, Smart Skin is an artificial touch-sensitive skin for prosthetic limbs. The super-thin film works with existing myoelectric control systems to provide control of touch, much like the skin of a real hand.

The Smart Skin team also won the $60,000 prize for best young entrepreneur as well as the prize for the most outstanding presentation and the viewer's choice award. They won the viewer's choice award after more than seven thousand people voted on the CBC website; the team will travel to Toronto to pitch their business on the set of CBC's Dragon's Den.

Posted at 1:05 PM

Two teams of UNB Fredericton business administration students have been selected to be among the top ten finalists in Canada’s Next Top Ad Executive “Face the Fear” Competition, taking place in Toronto March 30-April 1.

Volkswagen Canada, the leading sponsor of the competition, is the “client”; the student teams are the ad executives who must develop a marketing plan to promote the new Volkswagen Routan. The best campaign wins.

Mitchell Bernard and Laura Noseworthy, both BBA students in their fourth year, form one of the teams from UNB’s faculty of business administration, while MBA students Elizabeth-Anne McCleave and Matt Daigle make up the second. Both teams, chosen from among 143 teams representing 36 different universities across Canada, were coached by Dr. Kirby Shannahan who teaches marketing courses at UNB.

Operating within a shrinking minivan market and a shrinking minivan segment, students in the competition are tasked with the challenge of creating a marketing campaign to promote awareness of the new Volkswagen Routan. The theme of the marketing campaign students develop has to be consistent with Volkswagen Canada’s positioning strategy for the Routan, and the marketing campaign budget must stay within $250,000.

The top ten finalists will deliver a 30 minute presentation to a panel of academic and industry experts. All of the top ten finalists will be offered internships with advertising agencies; the two members of the winning ream will each receive a new Volkswagen Golf, in addition to an internship.

Organized by engineering management and commerce students, Canada’s Next Top Ad Executive Competition aims to promote learning through active participation in service experiences, provide opportunity for students to apply their knowledge and skills in real-world situations, and extend learning beyond the classroom into the community.

Posted at 10:46 AM

UNB's Marketing Student Association, in partnership with the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, invites students and the public to hear Jody Richards, Director of Product Development with WestJet, speak about the airline industry, the five secrets to WestJet’s success, as well as WestJet’s Guest Experience and Marketing Department.

WestJet is Canada's leading high-value low-cost airline offering scheduled service throughout its 55-city North American and Caribbean network. Named one of Canada's most admired corporate cultures in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, WestJet pioneered low-cost flying in Canada.

Jody Richards is responsible for the development and management of new products including the loyalty program, customer relationship database, in-flight entertainment, onboard sales, fare products and development of new ancillary revenue streams. In addition to product development, she oversees the guest experience team which plays a key role in coordinating and developing programs that drive guest loyalty. Prior to joining WestJet, Jody spent 7 years at SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology) working on the development and implementation of new business systems followed by another 7 years at Nortel Networks in a variety of roles focusing on business process and solutions implementation in many aspects of the business.

The event will be held on January 21st, 2009, at 6:00pm in the Petitcodiac Room at the Crown Plaza.

The cost per ticket:

- Marketing Student Association members: $5
- Non-Members (students): $7
- Public: $10

Appetizers will be served. The dress code for this event is business-casual. To RSVP, please contact Kerrie Bowman at unbmsa@unb.ca. Payment will be at the door, cash only.

Posted at 10:03 AM

The Faculty of Business Administration at the University of New Brunswick held its 21st annual Business Awards Dinner on Wednesday, November 5, at the Delta Fredericton Hotel.

Three hundred guests joined the faculty to celebrate the academic achievements of business students, the professional accomplishments of graduates, and to show appreciation to donors and friends. The audience was made up of students and their families, faculty members, university officials, donors and business partners.

More than $326, 683 in scholarships, bursaries and prizes were awarded this year to business students. These students, as well as those on the BBA and MBA Dean’s Lists were recognized during the awards ceremony.

Glenn Goucher and David W. Stevenson both received 2008 Certificates of Achievement. This certificate is given each year to business graduates who have made significant contributions to their professions and communities. Glenn Goucher, CFA (BSE ’86, MBA ’92) is the senior vice-president, Financial Markets, for The Montreal Exchange. David W. Stevenson, FCA, CAIRP (BBA ’68) is a partner with Stevenson & Partners LLP.

This year, two Certificates of Appreciation were presented to the following: The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), and Kathleen and Terry Malley of Malley Industries Inc. Phillip Filleul, Associate Vice-President, NB, CIBC Retail Distribution, accepted the Certificate on behalf of CIBC. Kathleen Malley is the human resources and communications director for Malley Industries Inc., while Terry Malley is the chief executive officer.

- 30 -

Posted at 3:15 PM

NEW MBA WTIH CONCENTRATION IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP APPROVED FOR UNB FREDERICTON

Students completing an MBA at UNB Fredericton’s Faculty of Business Administration now have an option to complete a concentration in entrepreneurship as part of their degree. The MBA with concentration in entrepreneurship has just received approval from the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission.

Until now, students in the MBA program could take entrepreneurship courses as electives during their second year. The new concentration will allow them to further specialize in this area and receive the designation on their degree when they graduate.

“This concentration in entrepreneurship is a great opportunity for our students, the province and employers”, said Dan Coleman, Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration. “Students completing the concentration will graduate with the knowledge and skills to start their own ventures if they are so driven.”

Even if students do not choose to start their own companies after completing this program, Dean Coleman explained, they will be equipped with the entrepreneurial skills to recognize new viable opportunities for the companies they work for, and the tools to gauge the marketplace and assess risk effectively in uncertain and changing environments. “Either way, the Province will benefit by having more graduates with entrepreneurial skills.”

The concentration in entrepreneurship will entail completing a series of required entrepreneurship courses in the second year of the two-year MBA program. This means that students who entered UNB’s MBA program in fall 2008 will be able to take advantage of this new option. Students graduating in May 2009 will even be able to receive this designation on their degree so long as they have completed the prescribed courses.

- 30 -

Posted at 3:39 PM

UNB’s International Business and Entrepreneurship Centre (IBEC) combined National Small Business Week (October 19 – 24) with its visiting scholar series by bringing Dr. Reg Litz, from the I. H. Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba.

A professor of entrepreneurship with research and teaching interests in small business, family enterprise and business ethics, Dr. Litz facilitated two research sessions for UNB students and faculty. The first session was entitled “Kitty Hawk in the Classroom” and focused on entrepreneurship. 

In his second session, “Two Sides of a One-Sided Phenomenon: Conceptualizing the Family Business and Business Family as a Mobius Strip”, Dr. Litz discussed the his paper of the same title (published in Family Business Review, September 2008) in which he compares the family business and the business family to a one-sided strip known as the “Mobius strip.”

Dr. Litz received his PhD in strategic planning and policy from the University of Pittsburgh in 1997, and focuses his research on small incumbent strategy, family enterprise, and business ethics. The recipient of several awards at the university and faculty level, Dr. Litz teaches courses in new, small and family business.  His work has been published in several leading entrepreneurial and family firm research journals including Theory & Practice, Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of Small Business Management and Family Business Review.

IBEC concluded National Small Business Week with a panel discussion centred on family business. The four panellists were Dr. Litz; Terry Malley, president of his own family business, Malley Industries Ltd.; Doug Motty, Executive Director of Enterprise Fredericton; and Michelle Audas, Senior Business Advisor with CIBC Small Business. The panel addressed the concerns and questions members of the audience had about starting new businesses, obtaining financing for new businesses or new projects, and succession planning. The audience was made of students and faculty members from UNB, and small business owners in the Fredericton area.

For almost 30 years, the Business Development Bank of Canada has organized Small Business Week, which encourages everyone to pay tribute to our Canadian entrepreneurs. The theme of this year’s Small Business Week was a world without boundaries, open to new markets.

“The theme recognizes the efforts and contributions of Canadian entrepreneurs to the national economy and acknowledges the importance of financial and consulting support for innovative and promising ideas,” said the Business Development Bank of Canada.

- 30 -

Posted at 3:19 PM

The Faculty of Business Administration's Centre for Financial Studies (CFS) will host Mr. Robert McKim, former CEO of Halifax-based Seamark Asset Management, as its 2008 Executive-in-Residence. 

As the Centre’s Executive-in-Residence, Mr. McKim will deliver three presentations to students, faculty and the public on October 9-10th, 2008.Mr. McKim’s presentation, “How’s Your Appetite for Investment Risk?” will be held on Thursday, October 9th, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. in the Chancellor’s Room at UNB’s Wu Conference Centre. A reception will follow at 8:15 p.m. 

As part of the Centre’s community outreach initiatives, the public is encouraged to attend this very topical presentation.  There is no charge to attend but attendees must register in advance. 

Students and faculty are also invited to attend Mr. McKim’s presentation that afternoon from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the Centre’s TSX Group boardroom, Tilley 300.  McKim will speak about his career and the lessons he has learned along the way.

Mr. McKim will then speak to students in the Student Investment Fund (SIF) program, where students invest real money in the capital markets.  He will also provide insight into the current market situation.

“The purpose of the Centre’s Executive-in-Residence program is to have successful investment professionals speak to the students, as well as the community, about their personal career experiences  as well as the technical side of investment,” says the Centre’s founding director, professor Glenn Cleland.

Cleland views the Executive-in-Residence as a valuable mentorship opportunity for the SIF’s aspiring financial professionals.

Robert McKim’s experience at Seamark Asset Management spanned 20 years during which the firm grew from a small regional investment management firm with three employees, to a mid-sized national firm, listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), and employing a staff of 45. At its peak, in 2005, Seamark had assets under management of $10.8 billion.

Mr. McKim joined Seabrook in 1984 as a Portfolio Manager; was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer in 1996 and Chief Executive Officer in 2004. He was a key player in the transaction that took Seamark Asset Management through its initial public offering and listing on the TSX in 2000. Mr. McKim retired from Seamark in 2005.

People interested in attending the public presentation (October 9th, 2008, 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. Wu Centre) should RSVP via e-mail, sboyce@unb.ca, or by calling 506.453.4895 by October 8th.

The Centre for Financial Studies hosted its first Executive-in-Residence, Doug Turnbull, Deputy Chairman of TD Securities Inc., in 2007.

Posted at 10:36 AM

Lynn Haley and Candace Morgan, two human resources instructors in UNB’s Faculty of Business Administration, were swamped with requests last year from students wanting to be more ‘networked’ and informed about the HR opportunities available in the region upon graduation.

Looking to fulfill this student need, the pair brainstormed ways in which they could play a larger role in connecting their students with the business community.

Haley and Morgan invited students, both BBA and MBA, who were honouring, concentrating or simply interested in a career in HR to an information session on forming an HR student group. An impressive influx of approximately 50 students attended the meeting. The student interest was obvious, and Haley and Morgan had the passion and contacts to get a HR student group off the ground.

An informal student group was established for the 2007/2008 academic year, composed of BBA and MBA students, as well as recent alumni.

Morgan, an executive member of the Human Resources Association of New Brunswick (HRANB), Fredericton chapter, organized an information session for the students on the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation, the highest level of qualification in human resources management in Canada. The positive response from students led Morgan to set up a study group for those writing their CHRP examination upon graduation. All three students - Stephanie O'Donnell, Laura Campbell, and David Goodland - made passing grades.

Student interest for a more formal student association was becoming clearer, sothe 2008/2009 academic year marks the inception of the Human Resources Student Association (HRSA) at UNB.

The HRSA’s inaugural meeting will take place in the coming weeks. Students and alumni are welcome to attend. Available positions for the executive (2008/2009 academic year) will include President, Vice President and Treasurer.

Championed by the duo, Haley and Morgan see the HRSA being a successful student-driven group in the years to come.

“It is critical for students to be aware of the different careers within the HR profession,” explains Morgan. “The HRSA will give students the opportunity to be exposed to the business community before graduation through information sessions by HR professionals as well as valuable networking opportunities.”

“Networks are critical,” agrees Haley. “Students need mentorship opportunities with professionals and the HRSA will help make these links.”

Through the events held by the HRSA, students’ connections with the business community may see them acquire HR internships and Co-op placements.

“Connecting students with those working in the industry is a win-win situation,” says Morgan. “It’s also important for students to see the practical side of HR, to complement the theoretical learning done in the classroom,” she adds.

This year, the HRSA will offer study sessions for the CHRP designation as well as information sessions with guest speakers from the business community. On top of this, the HRSA executive will plan other events of interest to its student members.

There will be a general e-mail going out to all students by the end of next week explaining how to join. Interested alumni may contact Lynn Haley or Candace Morgan.

lhaley1@unb.ca
morgan@unb.ca

Posted at 10:10 AM

The Faculty of Business Administration has just launched the newest of their experiential learning initiatives with the creation of the Professional Development program.

Delivered as a required course in the Faculty's MBA program, the Professional Development program aims to complement the knowledge learned inside the classroom and proves that It's Never Business as Usual in the Faculty of Business Administration.

"We believe knowledge is much more than theory," said Candace Morgan, the program's coordinator.

"The students tell us what they need outside the regular curriculum, and then we provide the opportunity for them to participate in seminar-based practical workshops with subject-matter experts. In keeping with the university's and business administration faculty’s vision, we've also opened our door to members of the business community so that our students can network with our business partners. It's a win-win recipe for the students, the university and the province".

Offering seminars ranging from personal financial success and networking to corporate social affairs and building organizational morale, the program will take place in a variety of locations and will include visits to businesses around the city. The program kicked off last week with a seminar at the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival designed to introduce students to the culture and community of Fredericton.

“The Professional Development program serves a number of purposes,” said Daniel Coleman, Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration. “Part of it is to deliver important practical content. Equally important are the networking opportunities, interaction with the business community, and other ‘soft skill’ development that we know are essential for a successful career.”

Posted at 8:35 AM

A team of four students from the Faculty of Business Administration’s Student Investment Fund (SIF) won the North American championship at the second annual Global Investment Research Challenge on April 30th in New York City. The University of Houston placed second, while the University of Pittsburgh placed third.

In the competition, students from universities around the world presented and defended their stock recommendations and were judged on their performance by industry experts. Dustin Besaw, Jason Misener, Jack Ma and Brian Bagnell of Fredericton competed on the team, while Nathan Ough and Ian McAvity of Saint John were observers.

During the competition, the student teams were given 10 minutes to pitch their stock recommendations to panel members from companies such as UBS, Neuberger Berman, Strategas Research partners and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute.

In the Global championship on May 1 the SIF team placed second overall behind The University of Hong Kong. Over 80 countries were represented in the competition.

After placing first in the North American round of the Global Research Challenge in New York City, Student Investment Team members visit the Merrill Lynch trading floor. L-R: Glenn Cleland (Director, Centre for Financial Studies and SIF Instructor), Brian Bagnell, Dustin Besaw, Guofeng (Jack) Ma, and Jason Misener.

Posted at 2:39 PM

One of the Faculty of Business Administration's newest members, Assistant Professor Rachelle Dupuis, was one of four recipients of the $2,500 Direct Selling Education Sales Dissertation Research Grant from the American Marketing Association (AMA). This is the second straight year that a member of the Business Administration faculty has been honoured by the AMA as Assistant Professor Kirby Shannahan was awarded the AMA's Direct Selling Educational Foundation Grant.

Dupuis received her award for her Ph. D dissertation entitled “Customer-Involved Collaborative Selling: The Link from Customer Organizational Citizenship Behavior to Salesperson Behavioral Effectiveness and Salesperson Outcome Productivity.” Dupuis will also be presenting her dissertation at the AMA Winter Educators’ Conference this month in Austin, Texas.

“It is a tremendous honour to be recognized in this way for the work I have been doing,” said Dupuis.

Working together with Professor Shannahan, the two have plans to improve professional selling and sales management education at UNB with a long-term goal of opening up a centre for professional selling and establishing UNB as an Atlantic Canadian leader in sales education.

Posted at 2:42 AM

Third year BBA student Lynn MacKinnon (pictured below) is a 2007-08 recipient of the prestigious Frank H. Sobey Award for Excellence in Business Studies. Lynn is one of six students across the Atlantic Provinces selected to receive this award, worth $10,000.

The Frank H. Sobey Fund for Excellence in Business Studies was established in 1989 in memory of Frank H. Sobey, the late chairperson of Sobey Inc. and Empire Co. Ltd. The Sobey Fund supports as many as six awards each year. To be eligible, candidates must be residents of the Atlantic provinces, have completed one year of business studies, and be enrolled full-time in a faculty of business at a university in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador. After the Deans of business schools recommend recipients, the board of the scholarship fund make the final selections.

“We were really pleased to recommend Lynn for this award,” said Dr. Stephen Grant, Associate Dean of Programs with the Faculty of Business Administration. “She is an excellent ambassador of our program and will be the same for the Frank H. Sobey Foundation.”

A graduate of Hampton High School, Lynn is completing a BBA at UNB Fredericton with honours in human resource management. This term she is in Sweden through the UNB Study Abroad Program studying business from an international perspective at Umea University. As well as maintaining high academic standards, Lynn is involved in volunteer and community activities that make a significant difference in peoples’ lives. She a member of the UNB Dance Club, and volunteers for such groups as UNB’s RedShirt Orientation, UNB’s branch of Best Buddies Canada, Relay for Life and Hampton’s Food Bank.

Fourth year BBA student Ronald Girouard from Renous, NB received an honourary award from the Frank H. Sobey Fund for Excellence in Business Studies worth $500. This is the first year the Sobey Fund has recognized non-winning nominees selected by their respective universities as the Best All-Around business students in Atlantic Canada with a monetary award.

- 30 -

Posted at 1:43 PM

Gathering 15 teams of young student entrepreneurs from across Canada, the 5th annual UNB CIBC Business Plan Competition awarded over $25,000 in prize money amongst the competitors in the two-day competition on November 28th and 29th.

Divided among undergraduate and graduate divisions, the competition saw students compete for prizes for best vodcast (best video presentation) and best elevator pitch (best presentation under 60 seconds) in addition to presenting their full business plans.

The winners of the CIBC Business Plan Competition are as follows:

Undergraduate:
1st Place: Canada SOS - Queen's
- Greg Overholt

2nd Place: DiningOnTheRock.ca -Memorial
- Gregory Pike
- Christine Niederhacke
- Marina Jolly
- Marine Tizorin

3rd Place: Action Flix - UNB
- Beth Nugent
- Kinda Thomas
- Stephanie Neilson
- Danielle Stewart

Graduate:
1st Place: Greenlight Geomatics - UNB
- Brad Pierce
- Khaled Taha
- Anthony Illukwe

2nd Place: Kintel - Dal
- Jessica Wise
- Rasha Alivashar

Posted at 1:07 PM

Peter Mansbridge, the award-winning host of CBC's The National, spoke to the crowd of aspiring student entrepreneurs at the UNB CIBC Business Plan Competition on November 28th and 29th.

After the first morning of competition Mansbridge spoke to the assembled entrepreneurs about his career in the media and how he broke into such a high profile business. Afterwards Mansbridge took questions about everything from his favourite interview subjects to whether or not there is a media bias against Atlantic Canada.

Following the day's competition Mansbridge hosted a seminar where he taught the young entrepreneurs on how to speak with any media they encounter over the course of their careers.

Posted at 12:53 PM

A team from the University of New Brunswick impressed the judges and took top prize at this month’s New Brunswick Innovation Foundation’s (NBIF) BREAKTHRU business plan competition.

Greenlight Geomatics won the platinum prize for its invention of a GPS system that attaches to a railcar and maps and controls herbicide spray without affecting environmentally sensitive areas. Railway companies across North America spend millions of dollars per year to manually get rid of plant growth that threatens track safety. This invention will save the industry money and provide it with a more effective and efficient method of keeping railway tracks clear.
As the platinum winner, Greenlight Geomatics will receive $100,000 in equity investment from NBIF. It will also receive $39,500 in in-kind branding and marketing, legal, accounting, IT consulting, business mentoring, and website and hosting services.

Based in Miramichi, N.B., Greenlight Geomatics is lead by Herman Koops, owner of Miramichi surveying company ABOUND, and is comprised of Brad Pierce second-year MBA student; Khaled Taha, third-year BBA student; Anthony Llukwe, second-year software engineering student; and John Lord, fifth-year mechanical engineering student.

All members of the Greenlight Geomatics team are participants in UNB’s Activator Program, an initiative of the faculty of business administration and International Business and Entrepreneurship Centre (IBEC). The program is designed to help MBA students earn a concentration in entrepreneurship while getting experience working on real-life start up ventures. Students are matched with entrepreneurs looking to transform their ideas into a business reality.

The Activator builds on close partnerships between faculties on at UNB. Currently the faculty of business administration and the Dr. J Herbert Smith Centre work very closely in delivering courses and student teams to the Activator program.

UNB MBA graduate Rivers Corbett and the Trivnet Media System team received the gold prize for their tabletop multimedia device that entertains, informs, and bills customers at their restaurant table. Mr. Corbett is president and co-founder of The Chef Group. The Trivnet Media System team also includes William Trivett, an electrical engineering student at UNB.

BREAKTHRU, New Brunswick’s Business Plan competition, is a unique opportunity for entrepreneurially minded New Brunswickers to transform their innovative business ideas into viable business ventures. It provides participants with everything needed to launch a business successfully including access to expert feedback, mentoring, start-up capital and support.
- 30 -

Posted at 10:10 AM

Andrew Ferrier, Chief Executive Officer of the Fonterra Co-operative Group visited UNB Fredericton’s Faculty of Business Administration this week to speak to an International Marketing class about his company’s international operations as well as give the students some advice about the world of business. To see pictures from his visit click here.

After speaking to the class about his companies operations, Ferrier asked students to speak about the strategies and techniques they are employing in constructing market entry plans for countries including Brazil, China, Japan, and Poland, which, with the exception of Poland, are all areas in which Fonterra is currently operating. After hearing the students’ plans, Ferrier provided the students with some of his experience and practical advise about their projects.

Ferrier is a graduate of the Faculty’s Bachelor of Business Administration program and has served as a chief executive for a number of companies including Tate & Lyle North America Sugars Inc., a large division of Tate & Lyle PLC, and GSW Inc. prior to becoming CEO of Fonterra in September of 2003. He is one of this year’s two recipients of the Faculty of Business Administration’s Certificate of Achievement.

Posted at 12:00 PM

On a brisk November evening a crowd of over 300 people gathered at the Delta Fredericton to celebrate the accomplishments of the students, alumni, and supporters of the Faculty of Business Administration at the 20th Annual Business Awards Dinner.

The centerpiece of the event was the presentation of the 2007 Certificate of Achievement to two alumni: Andrew Ferrier (BBA '80), Chief Executive Officer, Fonterra Co-operative Group; and Adrienne O’Pray (MBA '92), Senior Vice President, Customer Relations and Operations, Atlantic Lottery Corporation.

Another highlight of the evening was the presentation of the 2007 Certificate of Appreciation to TD Securities for their ongoing support of the Faculty's students and Centre for Financial Studies. Greg Young (MA '84), Managing Director, Derivative Products, Debt Capital Markets with TD Securiites in Toronto accepted the award on behalf of the firm.

The other highlights of the evening were the achievements of the Faculty’s current students. Many of the 177 students on the Graduate and Undergraduate Dean’s Lists were in attendance alongside other award recipients. Over $342,000 in scholarships and prizes were recognized at the event.

For more information on the 20th Annual Business Awards Dinner including profiles of the Certificate of Achievement and Appreciation recipients click here and to see pictures from the event click here and here.

Posted at 11:57 AM

Continuing to outperform their competitors, UNB’s Student Investment Fund program will represent Atlantic Canada at the 2008 Global Investment Challenge, held for the first time last year in New York City. The team of four SIF students claimed first place at the Atlantic Canada Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Society Valuation competition held at Saint Mary’s University on the weekend beating out contenders Acadia, Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s universities.

The Atlantic Canada CFA Society (ACFA) held its first valuation competition at Saint Mary’s University’s Sobey School of Business on November 2 and 3. Teams of students representing participating universities were given 20 minutes each to deliver a convincing argument in favour of buying the stock of a Canadian publicly-traded company. The presentation was followed by ten minutes of grueling questioning by the judges, a group of three senior industry professionals. The students’ skill was further put to the test by the requirement to submit a brief report summarizing the reasons for their recommendation.

In the end, the judges would decide which team presented the most persuasive argument and would represent ACFA at the 2008 Global Investment Challenge.

Fourth year business students Brian Bagnell, Dustin Besaw, and Guofeng (Jack) Ma along with Jason Misener, a second year master of business administration student, formed the UNB team. They came away the winners of the regional investment competition with their persuasive “buy” recommendation on TD Bank Financial Group (TSX:TD). Besides earning the opportunity to challenge for the global title they earned $1,000 in prize money. The team will be awarded $2,000 by the CFA Institute to offset their travel costs to the global competition.

"Given the amount of time and effort everyone contributed to the competition I was very pleased with the results. I look forward to competing at the international competition this spring," said Jason Misener.

Glenn Cleland, SIF professor in the faculty of business administration and the team’s coach, commented that “the SIF team put in countless hours to prepare for the challenge. They went there to win.” Mission accomplished.

According to the judges, it was a split decision with UNB narrowly beating out the Saint Mary’s team. The judges were Moncton’s Marc Lalonde, President, Lalonde Investment Consulting; Tom Robinson PhD CFA, head of educational content for the Charlottesville, Virginia based CFA Institute; and Toronto-based John Smolinski CFA, managing director, portfolio management and research, TD Asset Management.

Cleland remarked that UNB’s win “reflected the level of thoroughness that went into their analysis. They knew their stuff. Our students showed that they know how to value a company based on their comprehensive industry and company analysis.”

“And when they were asked tough questions by the judges the students retained their composure under duress.”

The SIF program and its students continue to break new ground. UNB will be the first Canadian university to compete in the CFA Institute’s Global Investment Challenge. As the winner of the Atlantic CFA Society’s competition, UNB will represent ACFA at the international investment contest.

The inaugural Global Investment Challenge was held in New York City in April 2007. Having won their regional CFA Society’s competition, last year’s contenders were Boston-based Babson College, Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management at Rice University in Texas. Babson emerged the victor of the first global competition.

“Consistent with the mission of the CFS, building investment expertise in the Atlantic region, our students continue to make a mark,” Cleland remarks. Last weekend’s victory at the valuation competition marks the fifth business competition won by SIF students in the same number of years ---- three wins at the prestigious, international Redefining Investment Strategy Education symposium in Dayton, Ohio, USA and a first-place outcome at Dalhousie University’s inaugural Credit Risk Competition.

UNB’s Student Investment Fund program is the flagship program of the Centre for Financial Studies in the faculty of business administration. The SIF is a student-managed fund which began with $1 million in 1998 and, through thoughtful decision-making, now surpasses $2 million. The initial funds for students to invest came from SIF program partner, New Brunswick Investment Management Corporation.

Posted at 1:56 PM

The award-winning host of CBC's The National and one of Canada's most respected journalists, Peter Mansbridge, will be attending the upcoming UNB CIBC Business Plan Competition on November 29th and 30th.

Mansbridge will host a seminar for business leaders on how to talk to the media on November 29th. Anyone interested in attending this session should RSVP through Karen Murdock at 453-4557 or kmurdock@unb.ca.

Posted at 11:58 AM

The New Brunswick Investment Management Corporation (NBIMC) has made a financial contribution of $140,000, over the next four years, to the University of New Brunswick’s Centre for Financial Studies. This continues NBIMC’s nearly 10-year partnership with UNB Fredericton’s award winning Student Investment Fund (SIF), a student managed fund and flagship program of the faculty of business administration.

“As a founding partner of the centre’s Student Investment Fund in 1998, NBIMC has been the principal beneficiary of investment professionals developed through the program,” said John A. Sinclair, president and chief executive officer of the provincial crown corporation. “The centre also plays a key role in helping us fulfill our mandate of promoting the development of the financial services industry and capital markets in New Brunswick.”

NBIMC supplied the initial $1 million for students in the program to invest with appropriate oversight. The students, under the guidance and supervision of professors in the faculty of business administration, have grown the initial investment to approximately $2.2 million. NBIMC will also continue to provide investment capital and its related oversight, as well as the ongoing support of their team of investment professionals.

Mr. Sinclair made the announcement at the centre’s annual recruitment and investment education forum, futures Atlantic Symposium, which took place Sept. 13 and 14 at UNB Fredericton. futures Atlantic hosted finance and investment students from universities throughout Atlantic Canada and investment industry thought leaders who presented at the event. Financial professionals from the region also attended the professional development component of the symposium.

Glenn Cleland, director of the Centre for Financial Studies and professor in the faculty of business administration at UNBF, is excited about the continuation of a partnership that spans nearly 10 years and is vital to the ongoing sustainability of the Student Investment Fund program and the centre.

Of the graduates of the SIF program, Prof. Cleland estimates that a dozen or so have been recruited by NBIMC. Students in the program also benefit from NBIMC’s access to industry professionals from major financial centres, some of whom have made presentations to the SIF students. The students’ exposure to seasoned industry practitioners adds value to their theoretical learning experience.

Prof. Cleland says that the announcement has the potential to expand the partnership to a new level.

“The futures Atlantic Symposium is the centre’s most energetic venture to date,” he said. “But, in my world, there’s no time to stand still.”

To learn more about the symposium, visit www.futuresatlantic.com
NBIMC has assets under management of over $8.7 billion as of March 2007. The crown corporation was formed in 1996 to operate at arms’ length from government to manage the pension assets of over 45,000 plan members including teachers, judges and public servants.

For more information, contact Mr. Sinclair at (506) 444-5800 or Prof. Cleland at (506) 458-7510.
- 30 -

Posted at 3:21 PM

The Student Investment Fund (SIF) at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton continues to outperform other student-managed funds, both nationally and internationally.

Students in the SIF program took first place at the international Redefining Investment Strategy Education (RISE) global student investment forum in Dayton, Ohio last month.

“It’s no fluke,” said Glenn Cleland, professor in the faculty of business administration. “This is our third win at the prestigious RISE competition. This time we placed first in the undergraduate equity growth category. UNB was the only Canadian university to win in this year’s competition. ”

RISE attracted 1,700 students, faculty and industry professionals representing 218 colleges and universities from 60 countries.

“Attending the RISE forum in Ohio was a great opportunity for me to hear topical insights from experienced Wall Street professionals,” said Ken Fox, fourth-year business student. “Competing with many other student-managed funds from around the world on the basis of our 2006 investment performance figures was quite exciting also.” Mr. Fox, research analyst and portfolio manager for the SIF, has secured an investment banking job with TD Securities in Toronto following graduation.

Speakers and panelists at the investment forum represented the senior ranks of investment firms, industry service providers and regulatory agencies. They included Fidelity Investments, Merrill Lynch, UBS Investment Bank, Morgan Stanley, Reuters, Bloomberg & Morningstar, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“One of the features that makes the SIF program unique is the enhanced indexation approach to investing which allows the students flexibility in making investment decisions,” said Prof. Cleland.

Prof. Cleland and Mr. Fox made a stop in Chicago on their way to the RISE competition. They visited the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and the Chicago Board of Trade and went on the floor of the Chicago Board Options Exchange amidst a flurry of activity. CME became the first publicly traded financial exchange on Dec. 6, 2002. It is the largest and most diverse financial exchange in the world.

The SIF program was created in 1998 through the collaborative efforts of UNB Fredericton’s faculty of business administration and the New Brunswick Investment Management Corp. The corporation entrusted SIF with investment stewardship over $1 million of its pension assets. Students, under the guidance of faculty advisers, have grown the initial investment to over $2 million through thoughtful investment decision-making.

The Student Investment Fund is the core program within UNBF’s Centre for Financial Studies. The centre’s next event is the futures Atlantic Symposium, a financial recruitment and educational forum, being held Sept. 13 and 14. For further information, visit www.futuresatlantic.com .

For more information, contact Susan Boyce at sboyce@unb.ca or (506) 453-4895.

Dr. Bob Froehlich (centre), Chairman, Investor Strategy Committee, Deutsche Asset Management, and Moderator of the R.I.S.E. Global Student Investment Forum, with UNB student investor, Ken Fox, and Prof. Glenn Cleland on stage at the Forum banquet in Dayton, Ohio following the announcement of UNB Student Investment Fund program’s first place ranking in the undergraduate equity growth category.

Posted at 10:57 AM

Two employees of the Faculty of Business Administration were honoured with 2007 UNB Distinguished Service Awards: Wiktor Askanas, Professor of Strategy; and Assad David, Director of International Partnership Programs. The Distinguished Service Awards honours current employees of the University of New Brunswick for outstanding service to the university in the areas of teaching, research, or administrative contributions.

Nominations for Distinguished Service Awards are submitted each year to the Dean by faculty, and then forwarded to the UNB selection committee. The recipients are recognized at a ceremony hosted by the President. This year, the awards presentation took place on Tuesday April 10, at the Wu Conference Centre.

Wiktor Askanas joined the Faculty in 1983 and is a member of the Strategy and Marketing Area. He teaches courses in Integrative Studies and Strategic Management in the MBA program and Organizational Design in the BBA program. (Click here to read the Dean’s Citation delivered at the time of the award presentation.)

Assad David joined the Faculty in 2000 to manage the international partnership programs, which includes partnerships with University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago and with the Sadat Academy of Management Sciences in Cairo, Egypt to deliver the UNBF BBA degree; and the partnership with the International Institute for Business in Kyiv, Ukraine, to deliver the UNBF MBA degree. (Click here to read the Dean’s Citation delivered at the time of the award presentation.)

Posted at 11:06 AM

A team made up of MBA students from the University of New Brunswick in
Fredericton will compete this month in the IBK Capital - Ivey Business Plan
Competition at the Richard Ivey School of Business in London, Ont. The
competition, taking place March 30 and 31, is Canada's largest MBA business
plan competition

VerifyRx, was selected as one of the top 12 innovative business ideas from
all across Canada. The two-year old New Brunswick company was founded by
UNBF MBA students Rob Morrow, Karen Freeman, and Edgar Gallibois. They are
looking to commercialize their technology which is designed to help
pharmacists quickly verify prescriptions by determining the potential risk
of abuse.

"VerifyRx is proud to represent UNB, the faculty of business administration,
and the province at this national event, and we are very thankful for all
the support it has received," said Edgar Gallibois president and chief
operating officer of VerifyRx. "Prescription drug abuse is a very large
problem that affects not only New Brunswick, but all of North America. We
believe that there is a significant opportunity to help people by reducing
the problem of prescription drug abuse and creating a successful business."

VerifyRx will also compete at the local New Brunswick Innovation Foundation
Student Entrepreneurship competition later this month.

Big Ideas in NB. Government Encourages Innovation and Supports Higher Education


From left Marcel Lebrun, CEO of Radian6 and chief business advisor for
VerifyRx; Edgar Gallibois; Shawn Graham, premier of New Brunswick; Dan
Coleman, dean of the faculty of business administration at UNBF; and
Greg Bryne, minister of Business New Brunswick

Posted at 9:38 AM

At the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Men’s Hockey Awards Gala held March 20th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Moncton, N.B., Colin Sinclair was recognized as the 2006-07 recipient of the Dr. Randy Gregg Award. This award honours the player who best combines outstanding hockey ability, academic achievement and community involvement. Colin is the first UNB hockey player to ever receive this award.

“It’s an unbelievable award for Colin and for the University of New Brunswick. To be the top student-athlete in Canadian University Hockey speaks highly of the character and the outstanding contribution Colin has made to our program and to CIS hockey and we hope that is a real good sign of things to come at this tournament,” commented coach Gardiner MacDougall.

Colin is a three-time CIS Academic All Canadian and Dean’s List student who fast tracked his four-year Business Degree at UNB Fredericton and graduated in three years; he is currently enrolled in a two-year Master’s program there. He is the hockey team’s representative to Athletes Council and is also actively involved in the Fredericton community with the ‘Read with the Reds’ and ‘Heads up with the Reds’ volunteer programs at UNB

Sinclair recently received the AUS most prestigious award, the James Bayer Scholarship, which is awarded annually to an outstanding student athlete in Atlantic University Sport for excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, sportsmanship and citizenship.

“It’s overwhelming to receive these awards. It mean’s a lot to me, but I couldn’t have done it without my team-mates and the support of my family. I deeply honoured to receive both of these awards,” commented Sinclair.

Sinclair, from Brooks, Alberta, was the co-captain of Canada’s gold medal winning Winter Universiade 2007 team. He is UNB’s best defensive forward and is an assistant captain on the V-Reds squad.

"Colin is simply an outstanding individual,” stated Dr. Daniel Coleman, Dean of the Business Administration Faculty at UNB Fredericton, when he learned of Colin’s award. “He’s obviously a superb athlete, but he's also a very good student, having graduated with distinction from our BBA program, and doing very well in his MBA studies. He's also a nice guy. We in the FBA have benefited from his presence in our programs, and we congratulate him on receiving these well deserved awards."

Posted at 3:06 PM

At an awards ceremony during the AUS men’s basketball final at the Metro Centre, Halifax, on Saturday night, Atlantic University Sport announced UNB’s men’s hockey player Colin Sinclair as the 2007 recipient of the James Bayer Memorial Scholarship.

The James Bayer Memorial Scholarship Award was established in 1985 and is awarded annually to an outstanding student athlete in Atlantic University Sport for excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, sportsmanship and citizenship. This memorial scholarship is the most prestigious award offered annually by the conference.

“It is a tremendous honour,” said Sinclair. “I am thankful to the Bayer Foundation to be chosen from this prestigious group of student-athletes. Any one of the group deserved to win and I congratulate each and every nominee for their achievements,” continued Sinclair.

Sinclair co-captained the AUS All-Star squad at the World University Games in Turin, Italy, in January and helped lead the team to a gold medal. He is an assistant captain with the Varsity Reds and has scored 15 goals and 22 points in regular season play this year.

Sinclair, of Brooks, Alberta, is a three-time Dean’s List student and Academic all-Canadian. He fast tracked his four-year Business degree and graduated in three years and is currently enrolled in the two-year Master’s program.

He is the hockey team’s representative to Athletes Council and is also actively involved in the Fredericton community with the ‘Read with the Reds’ and ‘Heads up with the Reds’ volunteer programs at UNB.

“Colin is an outstanding individual who reflects the highest qualities of commitment, work ethic and respect, and is an outstanding ambassador for university sport in Canada,” commented Kevin Dickie, UNB’s Director of Athletics, who was on hand to see Colin receive the award.

View image

Posted at 2:50 PM

Kirby Shannahan, the newest member of the faculty of business administration at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, received an award this month from the American Marketing Association at its 2007 winter conference.

Dr. Shannahan, a marketing professor, was awarded the Direct Selling Educational Foundation Grant for his PhD dissertation entitled The Relationship of Salesperson Coachability, Trait Competitiveness, and Leadership Style on Salesperson Performance: An Interactionist Perspective.

"We were delighted to learn that Dr. Shannahan has received this award,” said Dan Coleman, dean of the faulty of business administration at UNB Fredericton. “Not only is it a great personal achievement for Kirby, but it also reflects well on our faculty, clearly demonstrating that we have one of the best young marketing faculty members in North America. Kirby just joined us in September, and he's already added to our strong marketing area and programs."

Dr. Shannahan is one of five people to receive this award from across North America and Europe.

"After working so hard on this dissertation I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was one of five people chosen to receive this award,” said Mr. Shannahan. “Of course, I'm really happy to have the recognition from my peers, but I never expected it."

The $2,000 cash prize associated with the award will further the research he has already been conducting in the southern United States on sales professionals. He is also going to focus on firms in Atlantic Canada that have professional sales staff.

In addition to collecting his award, Dr. Shannahan also presented two papers at the conference -- one on professional selling (his dissertation) and the other on advertising.

Dr. Shannahan is developing a new course on professional selling, which will offered for the first time in Intersession 2007. Within a few years, he would like to help establish a Centre for Professional Selling at UNB Fredericton to help undergraduate and graduate students as well as salespeople to develop their professional selling and sales management skills.

- 30 -

Posted at 11:24 AM

Two business administration faculty members at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton have received national appointments.

Wiktor Askanas has been appointed lay member of the Competition Tribunal and Norman Betts has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Export Development Canada.

"The appointments of professors Askanas and Betts are a significant
personal recognition and reflect well on the faculty of business administration at UNB,” said Dan Coleman, dean of the faculty of business administration at UNB Fredericton. “Both men epitomize the quality of the faculty members in the faculty of business administration and our students greatly benefit from the unique combination of their academic knowledge and practical experience.”

Wiktor Askanas is an internationally recognized expert in the areas of
international business strategy and governance. He joined the faculty of business administration at UNB Fredericton in 1983 and teaches business strategy and marketing. He has been the recipient of many awards over his academic career including the Allan B. Stuart Excellence in Teaching Award, the 3M Teaching Fellowship, and the 2003 National Post Business Educator Award. In 2004-05, he was acting dean of the faculty of business administration.

Prior to coming to UNB, Dr. Askanas worked for a number of business organizations and universities in Poland, the United States, France, Mexico and Canada. He is a member of several boards of directors and is senior adviser to the chairman of the Polish Pension and Insurance Supervisory Commission. In 2003, by the decree of the President of Poland, he became a Knight of the Order of Merit, in recognition of his contribution to the wellness of Polish Society.

Norm Betts is a chartered accountant and a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. He joined the faculty of business administration at UNB Fredericton in 1992. He teaches intermediate accounting in the BBA program and accounting and decision making in the MBA program. He was assistant dean of graduate studies from 1994 to 1997.

Dr. Betts is director of New Brunswick Power Holdings. He is a member of the board of directors of Tembec Inc. and chairs the audit committees for Minacs Worldwide Inc., Slam Exploration Ltd., and Tan Range Exploration Ltd. He is a co-chair of the board of trustees of the UNB Pension Plan for Academic Employees and is a director of the Nature Conservancy for the Atlantic region. Dr. Betts is a former provincial minister of finance and minister of Business New Brunswick.

Export Development Canada provides Canadian exporters with financing, insurance and bonding services, and foreign market expertise.

The Competition Tribunal is a specialized tribunal that hears and decides all applications made under parts VII.1 and VIII of the Competition Act -- these deal with deceptive marketing and restrictive trade practices.

-30-

Posted at 9:21 AM

The University of New Brunswick’s elite Student Investment Fund (SIF) program continues to break new ground.

On Jan. 10, students from the SIF program, along with Frank McKenna, deputy chair of TD Bank Financial, opened the market at the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). TSX Group CEO Richard Nesbitt was also present for the occasion.

The students are in Toronto this week as part of an experiential learning component of the SIF program. The integration of theory and practical learning is a key element of the prestigious program.

The Student Investment Fund program is the core program within the Centre for Financial Studies, housed within the faculty of business administration at UNB Fredericton. TSX has given accolades to the SIF program calling it Canada’s leading university undergraduate financial services education program. In 2006, both the TSX Group and TD Bank offered multi-year financial gifts to support the work of the centre and the SIF.

Students in the SIF program manage real money. The current portfolio is at about $2 million, a considerable increase over the $1 million they began with roughly nine years ago.

The SIF program’s financial learning lab, the TSX Group boardroom, is set up to replicate a small investment firm. Sophisticated, leading-edge, industry-standard equipment, such as the Bloomberg professional dual monitor terminal, allow students access to current information to make informed investment decisions. Students work individually and in groups, learning group dynamics and collaborative team-building. Industry professionals also make guest appearances to the boardroom to enhance students’ learning experience by providing practical insight into relevant subjects and issues.

For the past several years, Glenn Cleland, founder of the centre and the SIF program has made the visit to Canada’s financial heartland a staple of the investment students’ learning experience. Over a three-day period the students put miles on their shoes as they trek around downtown Toronto with Prof. Cleland to meet with investment industry leaders from more than 20 firms.

This year’s tour included a visit to Barclays Global Investors Canada Limited. During this visit, the SIF class presented the firm’s president and CEO Rajiv Silgardo with the 2006 Canadian Money Manager of the Year Award. The recipient of this award is determined each year by an in depth analysis of Canadian money managers undertaken by the students.

With many more miles on the soles of their shoes and significantly greater insight into the investment industry, the students conclude their aggressive road trip on Jan. 12.

“If you can survive this pace for five days, you may have a chance at succeeding in many areas of the investment business,” said Prof. Cleland to his students. “If you can do it for seven days a week you may be able to keep up with the investment bankers.”

For more information, contact Susan Boyce at sboyce@unb.ca or 453-4895.

- 30 -

Posted at 4:16 PM

A third-year business student at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton has received one of the region's top academic prizes. Gordon Margison (shown below) is the recipient of a Frank H. Sobey Business Excellence Award for 2006-07.

Valued at $10,000, the award honours outstanding academic achievement and community involvement. Mr. Margison, is the son of Douglas Margison and Jennifer Griffiths of Fredericton. He is a full-time student studying aviation and operations management. This unique three-year program integrates commercial flight training with essential business and management skills development.

Outside of university, Mr. Margison is a scout leader, volunteers with the ski patrol at Crabbe Mountain, and tutors fellow students in preparation for their pilot’s licensing exams.
"Gordon Margison is clearly an outstanding student," said Dan Coleman, dean of the faculty of business administration at UNBF. "We were very pleased to recommend him for the Sobey Award, pleased that he received it, and thankful to Sobeys for sponsoring this scholarship which recognizes excellence in business studies."

Mr. Margison feels honoured to even be considered for the award. "It was with great surprise and even greater pride that I received the Frank H. Sobey Award for Business Excellence and join a long list of admirable recipients,” said Mr. Margison.

Mr. Margison has his commercial pilot’s license. This award will allow him to continue his aviation career and obtain an instructor rating for his pilot’s license so that he can teach new students how to fly and share in one of his passions.

His future plans also include managing and flying with a corporate flight department or an international MedEvac operation, but for now he plans to continue working in the community and preparing for graduation in May.

The Frank H. Sobey Fund for Excellence in Business Studies was established in 1989 in memory of Frank H. Sobey, the late chairperson of Sobeys Inc. and Empire Co. Ltd. It supports as many as six awards each year. To be eligible, candidates must be residents of the Atlantic provinces, have completed one year of business studies, and be enrolled full-time in a faculty of business at a university in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador.

The academic qualification for these awards is a minimum overall average of 85 per cent or 3.67 grade points with no individual mark below 80 per cent. The recipients are recommended by the deans of their respective faculties of business. Final selections are made by the board of the scholarship fund.

This is the 11th time that a student from the UNBF faculty of business administration has received the Frank H. Sobey Business Excellence Award.

-30-

Posted at 9:06 AM

Aspiring entrepreneurs from across the Atlantic region gathered in UNB Fredericton on November 30 and December 1 to compete for over $20,500 in cash prizes at UNB’s CIBC Business Plan Competition. Over 20 teams from 7 different universities in Atlantic Canada and Maine competed in the 4th annual business plan competition hosted by UNB’s Faculty of Business Administration. The competition concluded on a dramatic and highly entertaining note with a keynote lecture from John Dunsworth, aka “Mr. Lahey” from Showtime’s The Trailer Park Boy’s, who is himself an entrepreneur with interests in over 8 companies.

The competition offered three tracks for would-be entrepreneurs to compete in: undergraduate, graduate, and private sector (for non-university students.) The two-day program also featured “elevator pitches” and “vodcasting”, in which teams pitched their business plans to judges within one-minute segments. Additionally, Robert Austin, with the Harvard School of Business, lectured to participants and coaches on the topic of entrepreneurship and technology.

One of North America’s most prominent financial institutions, CIBC donated $300,000 to the Faculty of Business Administration through UNB’s Forging our Futures campaign; $250,000 of this is supporting the CIBC Business Plan Competition over five years. The purpose of the competition, which has just completed the second year with CIBC as its major sponsor, is to help grow an entrepreneurial culture in the Atlantic Region.

In the graduate division, the UNB team that developed the business plan for VerifyRX. Inc. won the grand prize of $5,000 sponsored by CIBC. The runner up prize of $600, sponsored by UNB’s J. Herbert Smith Centre, went to the Dalhousie team that developed the plan for TROPE. A prize of $500, sponsored by LifeofSports.com, went to VerifyRX. Inc. for the best elevator pitch.

In the Undergraduate division of the competition, the team from Memorial University who developed the plan for The Autism Soccer Association won the grand prize of $5,000 sponsored by CIBC. The runner-up prize of $600, sponsored by UNB’s J. Herbert Smith Centre, went to the UNB team that developed the plan for Endurance Sport Camps. The St. Mary’s team that presented their business plan for PetLife Assurance Co. won best financials, a prize of $500 donated by ADI. The prize for best Vodcast, $250 donated by UNB’s MBA Society, went to the UNB team that presented the plan for Goal Detector Limited.

The grand prize in the private sector track, $5,000 donated by CIBC, went to John Bowles, who presented his business plan for Inversa Systems Ltd.; Paul Penderson, who presented his plan for a business called ePort won the runner-up prize of $600, donated by the J. Herbert Smith Centre.

Each of the three grand prize winning teams will receive an additional $1,000 towards travel expenses if they choose to compete in a business plan competition at the national level. The funding for this also comes from CIBC’s contribution to the competition. The schools represented by the 20 teams that participated in UNB’s CIBC Business Plan Competition include St. Mary’s, Dalhousie, Memorial, Atlantic Baptist, St. Francis Xavier, University of Maine at Orono and University of New Brunswick.

The following list provides more details on the participants of the winning teams:

Graduate Track

Grand Prize and Best Elevator Pitch:
University of New Brunswick, Fredericton NB
VerifyRx. Inc.
• Edgar Gallibois
• Robert Morrow
• Karen Freeman
• Steve Knox
• Mike Oliver (Coach)

Runner-Up Prize:
Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
TROPE
• Jeff Temporale
• Tim Schmitt
• David Roach (Coach)

Undergraduate Track

Grand Prize:
Memorial University, St. John’s, NF
The Autism Soccer Association
• Heather Leaman
• Katie Saunders
• Jennifer Button
• Wayne King (Coach)

Runner-Up Prize:
University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB
Endurance Sport Camps
• Bill Walker
• Jordan Lorette
• Martin Wielemaker (Coach)

Best Financials:
St. Mary’s University, Halifax, NS
PetLife Assurance Col
• Karrilyn Wilcox
• Aaron Windsor
• Daniel Curren
• Ellen Farrell (Coach)

Best Vodcast:
University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB
Goal Detector Limited
• David Dion
• Tyler Smith
• Andrew Robertson
• Michael Springer
• Martin Wielemaker (Coach)

Private Sector Track

Grand Prize:
Inversa Systems Ltd.
• John Bowles
• Jake Arsenault (Coach)

Runner-Up Prize:
ePort
• Paul Pederson
• Ellen Farrell (Coach)

Posted at 3:00 PM

A crowd of over 400 people attended the Faculty of Business Administration’s 19th Annual Business Awards Dinner at the Delta Hotel in downtown Fredericton on November 9.

The event was highlighted by the Certificate of Achievement presentations to alumni Andrew L. Steeves (BBA ’78, MBA ’93) and Basil Hargrove (BBA ’73) and the Certificate of Appreciation presentation to the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) for their support of the faculty.

In his acceptance speech Steeves spoke primarily to the students in attendance and told them to have confidence in themselves and their skills and they could go far. Hargrove spoke to his international experience with McCain Foods as proof that UNB grads can go anywhere in the world and excel if they so choose.

Another centerpiece of the evening was the achievements of the faculty’s current and graduating students from both the BBA and MBA programs. Many of the 141 Dean’s List students were in attendance and were recognized for their efforts along with the faculty’s award recipients.

The faculty also presented awards to three of its members for their contributions to business research.

Receiving the Annual Research Award was Issac Otchere, professor in finance, for his work in the areas of privatization and emerging stock markets over the past academic year. Dr. Otchere’s research has allowed him to work with the World Bank and others.

Santosh N. Kabadi and Basu D. Sharma were named recipients of the Faculty’s Excellence in Research award, given to faculty members who have demonstrated outstanding scholarly activities over a six-year period. Prior to this year, the award had not been given out since 2003.

Kabadi, a professor in the Quantitative Methods area, had an outstanding record including publication in many highly regarded journals, presentations at numerous conferences and ten invited talks at conferences and universities, as well as co-authoring a textbook. Dr. Kabadi also supervised doctoral and post-doctoral candidates.

Dr. Sharma, a professor in the Organizational Studies and Management of Technology areas, had, among other things, conference proceedings and an edited book of readings published over the past six years. In addition to his published works, Sharma is the founding editor of the Journal of Comparative International Management and sits on the editorial boards of four others. Dr. Sharma was also part of the research alliance that earned a $2.7 million grant from the Atlantic Innovation Foundation.

Other notable events from the dinner include the announcement of a partnership with the Faculty of Engineering to launch and MBA in Engineering which is planned to open in September; the ongoing accreditation process with the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) which has accredited the top 15 per cent of business schools around the world; and the last major announcement was that John Dunsworth, better known as Mr. Lahey from the Trailer Park Boys, will be the keynote speaker for the annual CIBC Business Plan competition later this month.

In addition to his role on the Trailer Park Boys, Dunsworth is a successful entrepreneur who has opened various types of businesses. His presentation is open to the public with a cost of $20. People interested in tickets should call the main business faculty office at 453-4869.

Pictures from the event are available online at:
http://www.unb.ca/AVS/galleries/1106/business_awards/

Posted at 9:26 AM

The University of New Brunswick’s Student Investment Fund (SIF) is continuing to set records. On Oct. 25, the fund topped $2 million, doubling what it started with eight years ago.

The SIF program was launched in 1998 with a $1-million contribution from the New Brunswick Investment Management Corp. This money allows students in the program to experience real investing, in real-time, in the capital markets.

The fund’s growth is due exclusively to investment performance. No new funding has been acquired.

“The student investment success showcases the high-quality students who are accepted into this rigorous experiential learning program,” said Glenn Cleland, program founder and director of UNBF’s Centre for Financial Studies. “The students are responsible for adding value to the portfolio.”

This financial milestone is the most recent in a series of successes the prestigious program has achieved. In 2003, UNB became the first Canadian university to win an investment category and placed second overall in the Redefining Investment Strategy Education (RISE) symposium, a global competition for student-managed funds. The following year, UNBF, with a new cohort of SIF students, continued to outperform much larger schools with another first-place ranking in the hybrid investment category at RISE.

Prof. Cleland says that another performance measure of the program’s achievements is the pass rate on the industry standard Chartered Financial Analyst Level One exam.

“The SIF program separates itself from most other North American student-managed funds in that it has an embedded study program for the CFA exam,” he added.

SIF students have consistently outperformed global average pass rates on the uniform exam. They excelled at the June 2006 Level One exam recording a 78 per cent pass rate compared to a global success rate of 40 per cent.

Feiber Omana, a 2006 graduate of the business administration program, is the first SIF student and faculty of business administration alumnus to be accepted into Harvard Business School. His deferred admission to Harvard until 2008 will allow him to gain meaningful business experience as an analyst with the investment firm Peters & Co. Ltd. in Calgary, Alta.

He credits the SIF program with getting him started.

“Through my participation in the SIF, I was able to gain valuable skills, knowledge and experience that are the building blocks for a successful career in finance,” said Mr. Omana.

The SIF program’s financial learning lab, the TSX Group boardroom, is set up to replicate a small investment firm. Sophisticated, leading-edge, industry-standard equipment, such as the Bloomberg professional dual monitor terminal, allow students access to current information to make informed investment decisions. Students work individually and in groups, learning group dynamics and collaborative team-building.

For more information on the SIF program, contact Glenn Cleland at 506-458-7510 or Susan Boyce at 506-453-4895.

Posted at 3:07 PM

Fortune magazine Editor-at-Large Bethany McLean was at the Fredericton Delta Hotel October 13th to discuss the Enron scandal, chronicled in her and co-author Peter Elkin’s bestselling book, The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron.

McLean discussed the Enron saga and all of its ups and downs, as well as her personal involvement with the story. Including her origins as an investment analyst at Goldman Sachs and subsequent conversion to journalism to her now famous March 2001 Fortune magazine article “Is Enron overpriced?” and right up until the subsequent executive trials and the death of Ken Lay this past summer.

Saying that Enron isn’t a business story but a story of human nature, McLean used clever analogies and eloquent speech to explain complex business topics in easy to understand terms for all in attendance. The event was sponsored by the MBA Society and the Centre for Financial Studies at UNB Fredericton. Well over 100 people attended, including students, faculty, and members of the local professional and business communities.

Dr. Barry Boothman, the faculty's Associate Dean of Accreditation and Research, has his copy of McLean's book signed by the author.

Posted at 10:46 AM

The Faculty of Business Administration's detailed application to enter the AACSB accreditation process was approved at the meeting of the agency's Pre-Accreditation Committee in Minneapolis on 16 September.

The Faculty accordingly has entered the first formal phase of the process, which must be completed within two years with the submission and approval of an Accreditation Plan. A mentor will be assigned, who will assist the Faculty with the accreditation process and who will provide advice about how to close gaps between the Faculty's existing operations and the conditions necessary to meet the agency's 21 standards. The Faculty will be soliciting input from relevant stakeholders as the accreditation process advances.

Founded in 1916, AACSB International is a not-for-profit organization consisting of more than 900 educational organizations and corporations. Its mission is excellence in management education in colleges and universities. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, AACSB is the premier accreditation agency for business education and represents the top 10 percent of business schools worldwide. As of April, 2006, 527 member institutions hold AACSB business accreditation, of which 168 have additional specialized accreditation for their accounting programs. Eighty-five accredited institutions are outside of the United States.

Posted at 2:20 PM

Despite overwhelming odds, UNB Student Investment Fund (SIF) Students outperform CFA Level 1 industry standard pass rates.

The CFA Level 1 exam results were out last week and seven out of nine of the students from UNB’s award winning Student Investment Fund (SIF) Program in the Faculty of Business Administration passed. This 78% pass rate far exceeded the industry average of 40%.

The six-hour Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam is held every year the first week of June. According to the August Canadian Business Magazine, more than one hundred thousand people around the world are enrolled in one of the three levels of the CFA program this year, a graduate-level, self-study course on investing. There are roughly 69,000 CFA charter holders, in 120 nations and territories. About half of the world’s CFAs hold positions at institutional investment firms, mutual fund firms, banks, insurance companies, pension fund companies, and investment houses or foundations. It’s a difficult exam and usually only a third of candidates pass the first of the three levels that must be completed to attain the CFA charter.

Nine students from the SIF program sat for the six hour exam. Only fourth year BBA or second year MBA students with specific pre-requisites are admitted into the SIF program. Not only do students get to invest close to $2 million dollars of real money in the capital markets, but they also prepare for the CFA level 1 exam. “The attitude is that if the students pass the Level 1 of the CFA, this will separate them from other graduates when they apply for jobs in the investment industry” according to Glenn Cleland, CFA and Director of the Centre for Financial Studies and advisor to the SIF students.

“Ultimately, for every five people who start the process, only one makes it through to receive the designation”, says Jeff Diermeier, CFA, and president of the CFA Institute. Candidates must not only successfully complete the three levels of the exam but have four years of industry experience with more than 50% of their time spent in investment decision-making. With the globalization of the markets, the CFA is becoming the global passport to an investments career.

The seven SIF students who passed the level one exam this year are: Michael Chang Kit,
Carlos Jabbour, Gibran Hameed, Jason Hoyt, Dan Picard, Xiaochun Gu , and Fei Liu

Since the inception of the SIF program, 57% of the students who have written the CFA level 1 exam have passed, versus 45% for the industry average.

Posted at 9:57 AM

The world’s central banks, investment institutions, commercial banks, government offices, corporations and news organizations use it.

With the recent acquisition of the Bloomberg Professional terminal, students taking courses through the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton’s faculty of business administration’s Centre for Financial Studies (CFS) will also benefit from using the world leader in financial information systems.

UNBF is the first university in the Atlantic Canada to acquire the company’s most sophisticated financial database.
Professor Glenn Cleland, the CFS director, joined a group of students from the Student Investment Fund (SIF) program in the TSX Group Boardroom to preview the functionality of the world’s premiere financial database.
The SIF program allows students to invest real money in the capital markets. Founded in 1998 by a partnership between the faculty of business administration and the New Brunswick Investment Management Corporation (NBIMC) - which sponsored the initial $1-million investment - students have grown the fund to approximately $2 million through stock selection. NBIMC has allowed SIF students access to one of their several Bloomberg terminals to conduct research.

Prof. Cleland relishes the opportunity to have his students Bloomberg Equity certified as evidence of their competence on one of the many facets of the system. “Without question, Bloomberg certification enhances investment students’ career preparedness,” he said. “The Student Investment Fund program is all about complementing theory with practical application. In addition to their already rigorous program requirements, SIF students will be required to complete 18 modules over two academic terms to obtain Bloomberg Equity certification.”

The tools the students use throughout the program prepare them well to take on the challenges of the knowledge-intensive industry.

“SIF students are known to be job ready,” said Prof. Cleland. “Our latest acquisition ensures that we offer an unparalleled opportunity within a university setting to learn the definitive tool for the investment industry.”
Pete Syroid is a former SIF student whose career path has led him to his current position as an oil and gas portfolio manager at NBIMC.

“Bloomberg is the staple for the investment industry,” he said. “In the industry, it is not a question of if, but when, you will use it.”

The opportunity to become Bloomberg certified as part of the SIF’s experiential learning investment program offers participating students and employers who hire them, considerable advantages. Students are equipped with the skills they need to be employable. Employers have to spend less to train new entrants on the quintessential tool in the investment industry.

The Bloomberg terminal is about more than just data. An intrinsic feature of the Bloomberg Professional service is its analytic ability, helping users understand the markets by means of real-time tools. The Bloomberg Professional is the most comprehensive, timely and accurate financial database available. It integrates data, news, analytics, multimedia reports and e-mail onto a single platform used by market professionals around the world.
Prof. Cleland lauded UNB’s Forging Our Futures fundraising campaign which provided the financial support to the CFS to make the Bloomberg purchase a reality.

“Without the generosity of RBC Foundation, Phillips Hager and North Investment Management and the TSX Group, there would be no Bloomberg,” he said. “Their commitment to first-class investment education has positioned the Student Investment Fund program to make this giant leap forward with the expectation of continued advancements in financial research as a result.”

The next initiative developed by the Centre for Financial Studies is the futures Atlantic Symposium which is being held Sept. 14 to 15 at UNBF. The centre has partnered with TD Securities and the Montreal Exchange bringing together business students from universities in the Atlantic region for recruitment opportunities in the national financial industry, keynote presentations and financial education, and financial services exhibit booths.

Posted at 1:59 PM

The rain clouds looming over college hill did not dampen the smiles of business administration graduates at UNB Fredericton. Graduates, family members, faculty and staff celebrated UNB’s 177th Encaenia on May 17 with a reception and awards ceremony. In addition to celebrating graduates’ completion of the MBA and BBA degree programs, they saluted top achieving business students who received Encaenia prizes. Dean Coleman bid farewell to 24 graduating MBA students and 246 BBA students. The BBA class of 2006 included 75 Honours designations, 128 Concentrations and 15 Co-op designations. Also included in the BBA class, were 41 students who completed the degree through the Faculty’s partnership with RBTT ROYTEC in Trinidad and Tobago, and four students who completed the degree through the partnership with SAMS in Egypt.

During the Awards Ceremony, the following business administration graduates received prizes for their academic achievements:

MBA Encaenia Prizes

E.D. Maher Graduate Student Prize - Vishaal Baulkaran received the E.D. Maher Graduate Student Prize in Administration; this prize is awarded to the graduating MBA student with the highest CPA.

Merrithew-de Grandpré Prize in Entrepreneurship - Jeffrey Barrett, Kara Hachey, Baboloki Kgomotso and Sarah Prosser shared the Merrithew-de Grandpré Prize in Entrepreneurship. This prize of $1,000 is awarded to the group of students who prepare the outstanding business plan in MBA6314 New Venture Creation and Entrepreneurship.

MBA Society Graduation Award – The MBA Society Graduation Awards are presented by the MBA Society to the graduating students with the top three highest marks. Vishaal Baulkaran received the 1st place award, valued at $1,500; Marie Aliaga received the 2nd place award, valued at $1,000; and Feng Feng received the 3rd place award, valued at $500.

BBA Encaenia Prizes

Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick Silver Medal – Feiber Omana Silva is the recipient of the Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick Silver medal. This medal is awarded to the most outstanding graduating student, based primarily on performance in the last half of the program.

Faculty of Business Administration Award – Courtney Griffin received the Faculty of Business Administration Award of $300, awarded to the graduating student with the second highest cumulative GPA.

Faculty of Business Administration Award – Xiao Yu received the Faculty of Business Administration Award of $200 for achieving the third highest cumulative GPA in the graduating class.

Business Administration Society Outstanding Student Award – Victoria Garrett is the recipient of the Business Administration Society Outstand Student Award, presented to an outstanding fourth-year BBA student, as selected by the Business Society.

Merrithew-de Grandpré Undergraduate Prize in Entrepreneurship – Paul Crosby, Kendra Haines, Hailey Matthews and Kathryn McFarland shared the Merrithew-de Grandpré Undergraduate Prize in Entrepreneurship. This prize of $500 is awarded to the group of students who prepare the outstanding business plan in ADM4175 Studies in Small Business.

Arun Datta Prize – Liqin Lu received the Arun Datta Prize. This prize is awarded on the recommendation of the Department of Economics to a student who achieves high standing in the International Economics: Trade.

Posted at 1:15 PM

Kara Hachey, a student at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, is the winner of the inaugural Atlantic Business Magazine’s Top 50 Scholarship. This scholarship program was established this past year as part of Atlantic Business Magazine’s annual Top 50 CEO event. In addition to receiving a $5,000 scholarship, Hachey will receive a year-long mentorship with four of the Top 50 CEO award winners: Steven Burns of Bulletproof Solutions, Eleanor Humphries of Halifax International Airport Authority, Ken LeBlanc of PropertyGuys.com and Colin MacDonald of Clearwater Seafood Limited Partnership.

The mentorship provided by these top CEOs will be of exceptional value to Hachey, a soon-to-be graduate of the Faculty of Business Administration’s MBA program, as she is in the midst of launching her own business, Go Go Gymnastics. Last March, Hachey won $20,000 to go towards the start-up of this venture in the student category of the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation business plan competition.

The Atlantic Canada Business Magazine’s Top 50 CEO Scholarship is offered to students throughout Atlantic Canada who are studying business or management studies at the graduate level. To enter, students had to submit their grades, résumé, a summary of their community involvement and an essay about what they believe makes a smart business leader. The scholarship was awarded to Hachey on May 11 at the Atlantic Business Magazine’s 8th annual Top 50 CEO award ceremony and dinner, which took place at the Westin Nova Scotian in Halifax, NS.

Posted at 10:36 AM

Dr. Donglei Du has just been named a recipient of the 2005-2006 University of New Brunswick Merit Award. This honour is awarded annually by UNB to recognize and encourage individuals who make outstanding contributions in the course of their work for the university. It is awarded to members of the faculty who have demonstrated exceptional research, scholarly or creative accomplishments that have resulted in the publication of articles and/or books, and have created for them a national or international reputation as an expert in their field. It is also awarded to faculty who make exceptional contributions to the dissemination of knowledge in their fields through the art of teaching, demonstrated by their significant innovations in teaching methods and publication of articles or books that advance effective teaching.

Dr. Du is an Associate Professor in the quantitative methods area. Before joining the Faculty of Business Administration in 2003, he held a position at the Institute of Applied Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. In his citation Dr. Daniel Coleman, Dean of Faculty, noted that Dr. Du “has developed an impressive record of research and creative output. His research has appeared in prestigious international journals and other scholarly outlets in his field of study.” In addition to experiencing “significant success in securing funding support for his research endeavors, an indication of the high regard held by his peers,” Dr. Du has also established “strong teaching credentials and engaged in extensive course development”, experimenting with different delivery methods, and developing new teaching materials.

Dr. Du’s main research interests are in combinatorial optimization, online and approximation algorithm (especially on network flows and telecommunication), production and machine scheduling, and supply chain and revenue management. “Given his contributions to research, scholarly or creative activity, his roles in the dissemination of knowledge and program development,” said Dean Coleman, “Donglei Du is a highly deserving recipient of UNB’s Merit Award.”

Recent recipients of the Merit Award in the Faculty of Business Administration are as follows:
• 2004-2005 E. Stephen Grant
• 2003-2004 Robert (Bob) Maher
• 2002-2003 Muhammad Rashid
• 2001-2002 Santosh Kabadi and Barbara Trenholm
• 2000-2001 Devashis Mitra
• 1999-2000 Abdur Rahim

Posted at 10:57 AM

Entrepreneurship and investment - two popular themes in UNB’s business administration degree program are realized in the extra-curricular activities of one UNB business student. Seth Richardson, a second year BBA student with UNB’s Business Administration Faculty might be the Province’s youngest president and CEO, according to an article in the NB Telegraph Journal. At 19 years of age, Seth runs one of the Internet’s top investment message board websites, Investor’s Paradise Inc., ranked number five among other sites of its kind by Alexa.com . Seth's company has also been recently profiled in the Daily Gleaner.

Seth founded Investor’s Paradise Inc. out of his love for trading stock, a love that dates back to when he was 13 years old and first started investing. From his experience he realized good information for investors was not easy to find over the Internet. The investment message boards he visited were not always helpful. This inspired him at the age of 18 to create his own message board for investors.

Currently, his website offers 18 message boards to 1059 members who correspond with each other about more than 1,374 different topics. The information available on the site ranges from advice from experienced investors and analysis from professional investors to explanations of investment terms. Investor’s Paradise Inc. also provides investors a place where they can talk about stocks, politics “and anything else, far away from the problems of the larger Internet.” One of the things that draws so many people to Investor’s Paradise Inc. is the fact that the site is closely monitored to keep it free from spam or false and misleading stock tips.

Seth is a resident of Hanwell, NB; his website can be viewed at www.investorsparadise.com. [See NB Telegraph Journal, March 18, 2006; and Daily Gleaner March 6, 2006.]

Posted at 11:48 AM

A team of UNB business administration students placed second worldwide in the Capstone Business Simulation game. Gary Inman, John MacDonald, Barnaby Riberiro, Tyler Richards and Justin Urquhart formed the “Andrews” team, one of a number of student teams formed in the Competitive Strategy course taught by Dr. Martin Wielemaker.

Students in the BBA program at the Faculty of Business Administration complete the requirements of the degree with the Competitive Strategy course in their fourth year. Participation in the Capstone Business Simulation game is built into Wielemaker’s course requirements because it provides hands-on involvement, teamwork and competition in a realistic simulation setting. Students are divided into teams and compete against each other in the Capstone game. Each team is responsible for running a company in a particular industry; together the students make decisions about their company’s marketing and sales strategies, research and development, production, and finance. One of the neat things about Capstone is that each team’s performance is based on how well the team competes with the other teams in the industry.

Capstone also allows student teams to compare their results with teams in other schools worldwide. This year, out of more than 370 business schools worldwide, (which includes such schools as Harvard Business School and Georgia Tech) the above UNB team placed second in terms of their final profit in the 8th and final round of the game. They achieved fourth place worldwide in terms of their cumulative profit across the game’s eight rounds.

Posted at 3:29 PM

Dr. Basu Sharma of our Organization Studies area is part of a team that has just been awarded $2.5 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund (AIF) program. The project entails collaboration between the University of New Brunswick and several private sector partners including ADI Ltd., Remsoft Inc., xwave and Martec Ltd. Dr. Sharma was asked to join the team because of his expertise in managerial practices.

The Honorable Gregory Thompson, Minister of Veterans Affairs, announced the AIF funding on March 31, 2006, at a news conference held at the Wu Conference Centre. The project, “Advanced Processes for Infrastructure Asset Management Systems,” will combine business, engineering and economic practices to the maintenance, upgrading and operation of roads, bridges, buildings and water or wastewater systems. It will form the basis for new asset management consulting services for the commercial partners and a Centre of Excellence at UNB. The research team will study current asset management processes to determine best practices; develop multi-disciplinary solutions to address practice issues related to operating civil infrastructure; and develop software to facilitate long-term planning for different types of civil infrastructure assets. Dr. Donald Mrawira with UNB’s Department of Civil Engineering, is the team leader.

The objectives of the AIF are to increase activity in and to build capacity for innovation and research and development that leads to technologies, projects, processes or services that contribute to economic growth in Atlantic Canada; increase the capacity for commercialization of R&D outputs; strengthen the region’s innovation capacity by supporting research, development and commercialization partnerships and alliances among private sector firms, universities, research institutions and other organizations in Atlantic Canada; and maximize the region’s ability to access nation R&D funding programs.

Posted at 1:45 PM

Hats off to Kara Hachey and Jeff Barrett! These two UNB students won $20,000 to start their own business in a recent business plan competition sponsored by the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF). Their business plan for Go - Go Gymnastics Inc. won the 2006 Student Entrepreneurship Prize in the university category of the contest. Their award was presented during an award ceremony held on March 29, hosted by Barrie Black, President and CEO of NBIF.

Go – Go Gymnastics Inc. has been a winner for Kara and Jeff since they first developed the business plan last fall as a class project in their New Venture and Entrepreneurship class and won the Merritthew de Grandpre prize in Entrepreneurship (this $1000 prize is awarded to the student(s) who write the business plan in the class). Two other students were involved in the business plan as well, Baboloki Kgomostos and Sarah Prosser. Kara and Jeff next entered the plan for Go – Go Gymnastics Inc. in the CIBC Business Plan competition, hosted by the Faculty of Business Administration last December, where they won the “pitch” contest, bringing in cash prize worth $250. After Dr. Wielemaker suggested they enter this idea for a new business into the NBIF contest, the two students worked for hours to refine the business plan. Their work paid off in March, when they won the top prize of $20,000 to go towards starting their business. They will also benefit from free mentorship provided by seasoned business people involved with NBIF.

The NBIF contest was open to New Brunswick students attending university and community college and who expect to graduate in 2006. Applicants were invited to enter the contest by submitting business plans for innovative products, services and technology. Kara Hachey is just completing the MBA program at UNB Fredericton, while Jeff is completing a degree in Engineering; both students expect to graduate in May 2006. Already incorporated with a pilot project in the works for School District 18 next fall, Go – Go Gymnastics Inc. will be the only mobile gymnastics center that offers recreational gymnastics programs to school aged children in the greater Fredericton area, primarily in the after school hours. In addition to its recreational programs, gymnastics classes will be offered at various events such as school fairs, community days, birthday parties, etc. Mobility is one of the defining features of this company, as it will reach communities where gymnastic services do not exist. Members of the UNB community are looking forward to hearing more about this innovative company.

Posted at 3:27 PM

Students of the 2006 MBA graduating class presented the MBA Society Professor Recognition Award to Professor Elin Maher, CA, of the accounting area. The award was presented on March 17 at the annual MBA dinner, held at the Beaverbrook Inn, Fredericton.

Elin Maher joined the Faculty of Business Administration in 1988. She teaches administration and managerial accounting in the BBA program and accounting for managers in the MBA program. This is not the first time she has been recognized by her students: in 1998 she received the Faculty of Business Administration Excellence in Teaching Award. In 2004 she was designated a UNB Teaching Scholar, a three year appointment. Professor Maher’s teaching and research interests are in the areas of financial, international and managerial accounting. She has co-authored texts and learning materials in accounting, as well as professional education materials. She also develops examinations of the Certified General Accountants’ Association of Canada, a process subject to intensive peer-review.

Each year students in the graduating class present the MBA Society Professor Recognition award to a professor who has contributed significantly to students’ overall learning and success. Previous recipients of this award follow:

2005 Dr. Luis Zuluaga (Quantitative Methods)
2004 Dr. Daniel Coleman (Organization Studies)
2003 Dr. Norbert Schaefer (Management)
2002 Dr. Santosh Kabadi (Quantitative Methods)
2001 Dr. Joseph Abekah (Accounting)
2000 Dr. Harvir Bansal (Marketing)
1999 Dr. Gopalan Srinivasan (Finance)

Posted at 8:25 PM

The UNB Faculty of Business Administration played host to the CIBC Business Plan Competition on December 1st and 2nd at the Fredericton Inn and the Wu Centre on the UNB campus. This is the competition’s third year of existence, and first with CIBC involvement.

Teams from all over the Atlantic Provinces competed in the competition, with teams from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Also competing in the competition was a team from the University of Maine at Orono and a team from UNB's RBTT-ROYTEC program in Trinidad and Tobago. Overall 19 teams competed in the event in the BBA, MBA, and Private Sector divisions.

The Halifax Art House team from Dalhousie University, represented by Jeff Livingston and Michael Stricker and Coach David Roach earned the CIBC Grand Prize in the MBA division while the J. Herbert Smith 2nd place prize went to TJK team also from Dalhousie, represented by Todd Shaver, Kevin Buchan, and Jim Gray with David Roach as the team’s coach. Other award winners from the MBA division included the RxAtlantic team of Keith Bailey, Kevin Kelly, and Coach Denis Hanlon from Memorial University of Newfoundland for the ADI Best Financials prize and Zero Gravity of Kara Hachey, Jeff Barrett, and Coach Martin Wielemaker from the University of New Brunswick received the LifeofSports.com prize Best Elevator Pitch.

The CIBC Grand Prize in the BBA division went to IFM Kids from Memorial represented by Maria Edwards, Sheri Gillingham, Melissa Smallwood, Stephanie Smith, and coach Wayne King. The J. Herbert Smith 2nd place prize went to Needle Knowz from Cape Breton University, represented by Steve Latimer, Ryan McGillivary, Sunil Rebelo, Mark Sparrow, and Doug Lionais.

First place in the Private Sector division was awarded to the Consumer Energy Research Corporation from the University of Maine at Orono, represented by Brigham McNaughton, Matthew Rodrique, and Coach Richard Grant. Second place went to Messiah Mailboxes represented by Rick, Matt, and Mark Hunter.

Aside from the competition itself, entrants were treated to speeches from Terry Malley, President of Malley Industries Inc. and from keynote speaker Pete Luckett.

Posted at 2:36 PM

Elizabeth Anne McCleave, a 2nd year Business Administration student from Rexton, New Brunswick, was awarded a $4,000 Millennium Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded based on recognition of a student’s work in academics and the community.

McCleave volunteers with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets Band Drill Team, and previously had a radio show entitled French Toast while enrolled in Sciences (Math and Kinesiology) at Mount Allison University. The program promoted French culture and was enjoyed by both French and English listeners in Sackville.

One of the reasons that McCleave volunteers is her love of working with children. She says that you can’t choose whose kid you’re going to be and that she likes making a difference in their lives.

Another of McCleave’s great passions is music. She plays the violin, piano, clarinet, and trombone, and also spent the summer as the New Brunswick sales rep for Sony BMG Music Canada.

Working three straight summers with Enterprise Kent, a business development agency that aids small businesses to start up, in their research department she discovered that she loved business and decided to transfer in to the BBA program at UNB Fredericton.

“Best decision I ever made,” said McCleave. She went on to say that what she likes about UNB is that everyone helps her to do her best here and that everyone cares and works together to help you.

She noted that she particularly enjoys the accounting and finance aspects of business and wants to do an MBA degree when she is finished her BBA.

Posted at 2:02 PM

BMO Financial Group is donating $750,000 to UNB’s International Business and Entrepreneurship Centre (IBEC) in the Faculty of Business Administration. A major contribution to the University’s Forging Our Futures Campaign, the gift will provide UNB business students with real-world experience while, at the same time, giving small businesses access to planning and export expertise.

“The University of New Brunswick’s relationship with BMO dates back more than a century. We’re pleased to have them as a leading partner for this one-of-a-kind program which benefits both students and entrepreneurs in Atlantic Canada,” said John McLaughlin, UNB President and Vice-Chancellor.

The $750,000 gift will support IBEC’s two main programs. The Export Partnering Program (EPP) assists companies in developing export plans for foreign markets, and is delivered in partnership with UNB Saint John’s Faculty of Business and Atlantic Baptist University in Moncton. The MBA Student Consulting Group (SCG) provides consulting services to private sector companies in New Brunswick, offering advice in marketing, accounting, human resources management, finance, and strategic planning.

“At BMO Bank of Montreal, we are committed to small business and are proud of our performance in helping small businesses grow. Our partnership with IBEC is further proof of that commitment, as we want to help the Centre develop and support entrepreneurial leadership and international competitiveness among the university community and growth oriented small businesses in New Brunswick,” said Rob Pearce, President and CEO, Personal and Commercial Client Group, BMO Bank of Montreal.

Mr. Pearce also noted that New Brunswick is Canada’s most export-oriented economy, pointing to the success of local entrepreneurs and the quality and competitiveness of their products.

The Export Partnering Program is unique to Atlantic Canada. To date, 69 companies and 390 UNB students have participated in the EPP program, while the SCG program partners with three-to-five small businesses per year. A number of business graduates have been hired to implement the recommendations developed in their projects.

The Bank of Montreal has been UNB's banker for more than 100 years. This strong partnership was further strengthened in 1997 when BMO Bank of Montreal became a founding partner of the Centre for Entrepreneurial Leadership, a forerunner of IBEC.

Since 1817, BMO Financial Group has supported the principles of community reinvestment and corporate and social responsibility to the communities it serves. BMO Financial Group contributed more than $29 million in corporate donations, sponsorships and events in 2004, supporting thousands of communities, charities and not-for-profit organizations in Canada.

Forging Our Futures is the most important development campaign in UNB’s more-than-200-year history. It will make strategic investments in students, faculty, facilities and programs. The campaign will strengthen UNB’s position as a national university that is fundamentally important to the economic, social and cultural well-being of the province, the region and the country. Officially launched in June, Forging Our Futures is the largest fundraising campaign in New Brunswick history. More information on the campaign can be found online at www.unbfutures.ca.

Posted at 11:38 AM

Her Excellency Shyamala Balasubramanian Cowsik, High Commissioner of India to Canada, addressed a forum comprised of 40 members from the university community on October 24. The presentation, which took place on October 24, was hosted by the Faculty of Business Administration, was entitled “Why India Matters.”

The High Commissioner said that while India has, indeed “mattered” throughout history for its spiritual treasures. Alexander the Great and other conquerors, as well as traders, have coveted India’s wealth and treasures. India matters even more today as experts predict it will be the world’s third largest economy by 2035 with a 100 per cent literacy rate and a population of 1.5 billion.

Being seen by foreign partners as a source for advanced research and development and an innovator in technology, India has a direct impact on corporations around the world. One of the main advantages that India possesses is an immense population, of which 54 per cent is under 25 years old. With the majority of the world getting older, India matters because it is the future.

Posted at 3:06 PM

Mclean Budden Ltd. is the recipient of the fourth annual Canadian Money Manager Award™, as chosen by the students in the Faculty of Business Administration’s Student Investment Fund (SIF). The award ceremony took place on October 12, 2005, at UNB’s Wu Conference Centre.

Using various criteria the SIF chose Mclean Budden Ltd. as the company they would hire to manage their Canadian equities portfolio. Accepting on behalf of Mclean Budden Ltd. was Vice President Hans van Monsjou, who delivered a presentation on the background of income trusts to close the ceremony.

The Canadian Money Manager Award™ was established in 2002 by students in UNB’s Student Investment Fund course. Students use industry standard software provided by Morningstar Canada to determine the best Canadian equity money managers based on statistical skills. A short list of three firms is determined then students send out a questionnaire to determine if the company has the four P’s of successful money management firms: people, philosophy, process and performance. The SIF’s Canadian Money Manager Award™ is the only award of its kind in Canada that we know of. Previous recipients of this award are:

2004 Phillip, Hager and North Investment Management Ltd.
2003 Jarislowsky Fraser Limited
2002 Jarislowsky Fraser Limite

Posted at 1:47 PM

Faculty of Business Administration Dean Daniel F. Coleman was elected to the University of New Brunswick’s Board of Governors for a three-year term commencing the current academic year (2006-06).

Coleman, who was elected as a faculty member-at-large, serves on the Properties and SUB Board Committees as well as serving on the main board itself. He is also a member of the board of directors for the River Valley Health Authority.

Having been with the faculty since 1986, Dean Coleman has held many positions in his tenure having served as Assistant Dean (Undergraduate Programs) from 1989-1992 and Associate Dean from 1992-1995 before becoming Dean of the Business Administration faculty in 1999. He received the faculty’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 1996 and the UNBF MBA Society’s Professor Recognition Award in 2004.

Posted at 3:04 PM

The RBC Foundation is giving $350,000 to the Centre for Financial Studies (CFS) at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. The gift will secure the future of the Centre’s award-winning Student Investment Fund (SIF) program which gives UNB business students real investment experience in Canada’s growing financial services industry.

Begun in September 1998, the SIF combines a student-managed investment program with a study course for the industry standard Chartered Financial Analyst Level One examination. With seed money from the New Brunswick Investment Management Corporation, the Faculty of Administration students in the SIF program have grown pension fund assets from $1 million to approximately $1.6 million.

The donation will help consolidate the SIF program by adding new software, expanding existing facilities and supporting faculty. It will give the Centre a secure base from which to establish a new Master of Finance program in the next few years.

In 2003 and 2004, SIF students placed first in their category at the annual Redefining Investment Strategy Education Symposium and Competition in Dayton, Ohio. Over 100 schools from four countries participated in the prestigious competition, which is sponsored by the New York Stock Exchange and the Wall Street Journal.

Posted at 2:02 PM