James Knowles (BCom) has begun a new life in corporate investor relations, after having spent many years in investment banking, followed by eight years at hedge funds and at an activist fund. In October, he joined Citigate Dewe Rogerson, one of the oldest financial PR firms in London, U.K., to advise clients regarding capital market and investor issues such as IPOs, M&A, activist engagements and financings.
Alumni Notes
Submit your alumni note to Smith Magazine1986
Brian Lenahan (BCom), currently Portfolio Director at TD Bank Group in Toronto, is pursuing a doctorate in Business Administration at Capella University in Minneapolis, Minn. His dissertation topic is ‘The Impact of Innovation Speed on Business Innovation Success’.
Published in: Winter 2014
Nick Petruzzella (MBA) has been elected to the Board of Directors of Ontario One Call (“Call before you dig”) and also appointed its Treasurer. He recently graduated with academic honours from the Certified Sommelier program at Niagara College. Nick is General Manager of Six Nations Natural Gas and lives in Burlington with his wife Lynn and daughter Olivia. Email: npetruz@cogeco.ca
Published in: Winter 2013
Otto Bauer (BCom), after years of toil in the big corporate world, has joined a startup life insurance company, Quantum Life, as Group CFO. Headquartered in Liechtenstein, Quantum sells life insurance of various types via partners in key European markets. Otto continues to live in Zurich, Switzerland.
Published in: Summer 2009
James Knowles, BCom, has become a Partner with the Swiss pension and endowment advisory firm, Novarca. James (lower right in photo) lives with his family in Hampstead in London, England.
Published in: Winter 2018
Michael Bishop, MBA, BSc’81, continues to be a senior-level engineer with Fluor. Since February, he has been working on a project to develop a new refinery complex in Malaysia, and is now based in Manila as a member of one of the project execution teams. Being separated from his family in Calgary is difficult, but a trip home for two weeks at Christmas was being eagerly anticipated when Michael submitted his update.
Published in: Winter 2016
Jeffrey M.W. Brock (BCom) was surrounded by family when he succumbed to pancreatic cancer at his home in Orlando, FL, on Nov. 14, after a three-year battle. After attaining his MBA from IMEDE in Lausanne, Switzerland, he and his wife Margaret (Droumtsekas) moved from Toronto to Orlando, where he launched a diversified real estate services business that became a leading player in the central Florida market. In addition to Margaret, he is survived by their children Caley, Cooper and Megan, and his parents Anne and Bill Brock. Jeff and Margaret were very active volunteers and supporters of education in their community.
Published in: Summer 2012
Rob Hamilton (MBA) (hamilton.co@sympatico.ca) is General Manager of InterMune Canada Inc., a multinational biotechnology company focused on respiratory and fibrotic diseases. Its current major focus is on Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, a severe, life-limiting and ultimately fatal respiratory illness.
Published in: Summer 2012
Rob Hamilton (MBA) recently completed the Corporate Directors Educational Program at U of T’s Rotman School of Business, and has qualified for the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. After stints as General Manager and CEO at two start-up biotech companies, he now heads his own strategic consulting practice and is actively searching out independent corporate director roles.
Published in: Summer 2009
Alvin M.T.K. Hew, BCom, became the group managing director of Southgate Ventures in January. Headquartered in Singapore, Southgate is an education platform with eight schools in Indonesia. It will soon expand to Thailand, India, China, South Korea and other countries in Asia. Alvin currently sits on the board of two publicly listed companies in Malaysia: Maxis and Petronas Trading. His son, Inaki, is a first-year Queen's Commerce student who plays varsity soccer for the Queen’s Gaels.
Published in: Summer 2018