Jim Dennis (BCom) and his wife, Meghan Kennedy, are delighted to announce the arrival of their first child, Alexander, on June 11, 2009. They live in Toronto, where Jim is a Director for Richardson GMP, Canada’s pre-eminent wealth management firm.
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Michelle Dunstan, BCom, was appointed global head of responsible investing for AllianceBernstein LP, a global investment-management firm, in February. Michelle joined the firm in 2004 as a portfolio manager and research analyst. In her new role, Michelle works to integrate responsible investing into all portfolio decisions while building AB’s platform of “Portfolios with Purpose”, which has explicit ESG mandates and goals. Michelle lives in New York City with her husband, Steven Goldbach, BCom’96, and six-year old daughter Grayson.
Published in: Fall 2020
Valerie Gillis, BCom, was named Fellow of CPA Ontario (FCPA). As SVP finance, controller and chief accountant at TD Bank Group, Valerie is responsible for a number of impactful change projects, specialty accounting, the global controls office and Women in Leadership initiatives. Outside of work, one of Valerie’s passions is sailing. Last year, she and her daughter visited Queen’s and Kingston for the Fall CORK Regatta.
Published in: Fall 2020
Blowing Up Best Practices In a new book, Steven Goldbach, BCom’96, offers an explosive way for businesses to survive. As principal and chief strategy officer at Deloitte in New York City, Steven Goldbach often works with companies wishing to transform themselves. One thing he’s noticed, though, is that businesses too often stick with the same old ways of doing things, regardless of the real value these activities provide. In response, Goldbach and fellow Deloitte principal Geoff Tuff have written Detonate: Why—And How—Corporations Must Blow Up Best Practices (and bring a beginner’s mind) To Survive (published May 2018 by Wiley). “There’s a lot of stuff that companies do that, on the surface, doesn’t make sense. ‘Why do we do things this way?’ That’s a question that doesn’t get asked nearly enough,” says Steven, a member of Smith’s Global Council. In Detonate, Steven and Geoff suggest that business leaders think like a beginner — because, as the Zen saying goes, “in the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.” They also recommend drastically rethinking best practices, such as strategic planning, risk management and financial forecasting. A few sacred cows that need to go too: organizational charts and “celebrating failure.” With new technologies rapidly changing the world, companies have little choice but to blow up their old methods, says Steven. “The difference between success and going out of business in the future is the challenging of legacy behaviour.”
Published in: Summer 2018
PJ Gordon (BCom) lives in Toronto with his wife Claire and his daughter Reese (1). He is an investment advisor and financial planner in the Private Client Division at BMO Nesbitt Burns, tailoring financial strategies for clients to take care of their investment, income and asset protection, wills and estate planning, banking, and borrowing needs. Claire is a real estate agent specializing in marketing vibrant neighbourhoods in Central Toronto, the Beaches/Riverdale areas and the communities around High Park. For more details»
Published in: Summer 2009
Ted Graham (MBA) joined Interbrand Canada as Director, Client Services, after traveling the world with McKinsey & Company and Hill & Knowlton.
Published in: Spring 2010
Ken Grewal, BCom’96, has teamed up with three other Smith and Queen’s alumni (Vanessa Hui, BCom’10; Maraika De Groot, MMIE’18, Sc’12; and Alec Kodatsky, Sc’99) to launch Forthlane Partners, a Canadian multi-family office that provides ultra-high-net-worth families access to institutional-grade wealth planning, global investment management, family education and private market opportunities. These offerings reflect Forthlane’s four quadrant approach to wealth, says Ken. “In serving families, we focus equally on four types of wealth: values wealth, physical and mental wealth, relationship wealth and financial wealth.
Published in: Summer 2019
David Gunn, BCom, a principal and leader of financial advisor talent acquisition at Edward Jones in Toronto, became the firm’s Canadian country leader in June.
Published in: Summer 2018
Joanne Badida (BCom, MIR’97) and Richard Hildebrand (BCom) and are happy to announce the arrival of their son Tyler on Jan. 22, 2012. Big brother Evan (4) is thrilled to have a little brother who idolizes him already, Joanne reports.
Published in: Winter 2013
Joanne Badida (BCom) and Richard Hildebrand (BCom) are proud to announce the birth of their son, Evan Badida Hildebrand, on April 19.
Published in: Spring 2009