Q: What drew you to the Bachelor of Management program at UBCO?
A:I began my academic journey in Sciences with the goal of entering the Engineering program. However, over the first two years, I found myself less and less connected to the material I was studying. By the start of my third year, after reflecting on what truly interested me, I realized my passion lay in Finance. This discovery led me to the Faculty of Management—and the decision changed the course of my future.
Q: What were some of your biggest takeaways from the program?
A:When I joined the program, I initially expected a traditional commerce-focused experience. What I discovered, however, was a balanced blend of technical skills paired with an emphasis on soft skills and qualitative components. This unique approach helped shape me into a well-rounded, curious individual—attributes that have been invaluable in my current profession.
Q: What was the most rewarding part of the program?
A: Encouraged by an environment and faculty that actively motivated students to explore new opportunities, I eagerly participated in several extracurricular activities during my time in the Management program. During my time, I was involved with JDC West and the Management Student Association. We did a few neat things under those umbrella organizations, like start the Portfolio Management Club, the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, and brought the first FROSH evening event to UBC-O.
Q: What advice or insight would you give to a prospective student considering this program?
A: If you are looking at this program and want to get the most out of it, there are so many unique benefits inside and outside of the classroom. While I was in the program, the faculty invested a lot of time and effort into students who showed up, asked questions, and pushed themselves outside of their comfort zones. We had substantial support for the initiatives outside of the classroom that we started or participated in (with the appropriate level of give and take) because our views on the future of the program aligned. In the classroom, our professors were invested in our success and tailored our learnings to be immediately relevant.
Q: What is your current occupation and how did you get there?
A: I am a Portfolio Manager at Odlum Brown. My path there stemmed from my involvement in the Portfolio Management Club in my fourth year of study. The idea behind the club was to give students the opportunity to make real-time investment decisions on a hypothetical portfolio and bring local industry professionals on campus to speak with our club members and provide insights into their business and how they thought about investments. Naturally, this led to being introduced to key decision makers in the industry that liked what we were doing, and I got a job offer out of it. When I first started at the firm, I started as a general administrative assistant and threw myself at whatever extracurricular project was offered to learn as much as I could. Through this, and after many years, I attained the necessary credentials and skill set to become a Portfolio Manager and start managing money for high-net-worth families.
Q: Do you have any career advice you’d like to share?
A: I have had success in trying my hand at many opportunities that fell outside of my role as they came up (emphasis on the “trying” bit). While I am not an advocate for working for free, there is a benefit to thinking of the experience and skillset you develop by trying things outside of your role/comfort zone as an investment in your future. This could be volunteer work, or mentorship opportunities at your local post-secondary institution. Whatever the opportunity, there is always something to be learned from doing.
Q: What are your future career goals?
A: In terms of my current role, I am still very much at the “beginning” phase of the business. The immediate future will revolve around continuing to build up my practice and serving clients to the best of my abilities.
Q: Can you share a bit about your experience as an Adjunct Professor with the Faculty of Management? What have been some of the highlights of this position?
A: I have been teaching on campus since 2019 as an Adjunct Professor and have found the experience extremely rewarding. I taught Risk Management (Derivatives) first and transitioned into teaching the Investments course in recent years, bringing some of my experience from my work into the classroom. Teaching has given me the chance to master many concepts in the finance space that, before teaching the content, I was just proficient in. Teaching alongside some of my professors that taught me back when I was in the program has been a surreal experience. The feedback I have received from my students throughout the years has been very complimentary, which is flattering. Even more rewarding has been witnessing the tangible success of my students as they transition from my class into careers in finance, with some even joining our firm and thriving in their roles. The entire experience has been extremely rewarding for me, and I’d recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity.
