Expert Panels

CEO and Management Panel
Hear what local Entrepreneurs have to say about starting and managing your own company.  The panelists include Aubrey Palmeter, CEO of EastPoint Engineering, Kim George. President & Founder of Limelight Communications Group Inc, Patrick O’Regan, President of O’Regans Automotive Group and Colin MacDonald, CEO and Chairman of Clearwater.  These successful individuals share their knowledge and experiences throughout this interactive speaker

 panel by describing their career paths and defining the keys to maintaining a successful business. 

Discussion questions for the CEO and Management Panel.

Social Enterprise for a Day

The Social Enterprise for a Day video is an inspiring video that highlights examples of how businesses can be used to contribute to social change. Guest speakers include Elizabeth Church, Vice President Academic, MSVU, Simon d'Entremont, Economic and Rural Development and Tourism, Ben Barry, Ben Barry Agency Inc., Tim Bissell, SEED and Morgan Whitman, Morgan Marketing.

Careers in Tourism

The Careers in Tourism Panel provides an overview of the many exciting opportunities available in this industry. Panelists include Adam Bower, Manager of the Harbour City Bar & Grill, Delta Halifax, Amy Conrad, Catering Manager, Quality Inn Halifax, Lyndsay Leedham, Tourism Project Coordinator, Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia (TIANS), Tasha Patey, Sightseeing Coordinator, Ambassatours Gray Line, Costa Elles, ela! Greek Taverna.

Accounting and Finance Panel

Panelists on the Accounting and Finance Panel share their experiences of working in the fields of accounting and finance. Experts on this panel represent a variety of businesses and therefore the diversity made possible by these professions. Panelists include Tracey Newman, Manager of Workplace Compliance and Education, Workers Compensation Board, Kathleen Day, Senior Manager, WBLI Chartered Accountants, Kim Day, VP Finance, Newfoundland Capital Corporation Limited, Tanya Fougere, Account Manager, Small Business, Scotia Bank, Doug Clarke, Manager corporate Accounting, Air Canada Jazz, and Andrew Hendrickson, Andrew Hendrickson Certified General Accountant Inc.

Culturally Sensitive Business Conduct

Learn how to conduct business on a global scale in a way that is accommodating to all. This panel is hosted by Paula Barry, Manager of Student Services, International Education Centre at MSVU and Professor Michael Whalen, Department of Business & Tourism at MSVU. 

Careers in Marketing and Management

David Craig, Senior Director of Operations and Engineering at Eastlink, Mike Hayes, Owner of Free Agent Factory, Brad Conrad, Director of Business Planning and Compliance, Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation and Rob Batherson, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Color share their experiences working in the professions of marketing and management.

Branding

Phil Otto, President and CEO of Revolve shares his perspectives on "brand" both in the corporate world and on a personal level.

Leadership

In this panel Rob Steele, President, CEO Newfoundland Capital Corporation, Camaran Pirie, Co-founder Kula Partners, Marie Mullally, President and CEO of Credit Union Atlantic, Michelle Williams, Managing Partner, Grant Thorton, Richard Dyke, Vice Prsident and General Manager of Syspro Business Solutions and Gordon Stevens, President, The Uncommon Group share their experiences as leaders and their ideas about what it means to be a leader.

Working as an Entrepreneur

Local entrepreneurs Mike Hachey, CEO and Executive Producer of Egg Films and Hatch Post, Lynn MacMichael, President of Bconnected, Jerry White, Founder of Rudder Business Advisory and Giles Crouch, President and CEO (co-founder) of MediaBadger share their experiences of being an entrepreneur. Paul Gérin, Outreach Coordinator, Canada Business Nova Scotia shares his perspective of providing opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Tourism Human Resources Manager Panel

In the Tourism Human Resources Manager Panel, HR professionals working at the Casino and various hotels in Halifax share their insight regarding what it is they look for when interviewing potential candidates for positions. Panelists include Melanie Wells McDonald, HR Generalist, Casino Nova Scotia, Susan Malana, HR Director, Westin Nova Scotian, Sharon Rutland, HR Manager, Cambridge Suites Hotel and Kyla Chadwick, Recruitment and Retention Coordinator, Delta Hotels.

Finding a Job Before You Graduate - Get Hired!

Christine Frigault, Coordinator of Career Planning Services at MSVU hosts the Get Hired session. In this video she will provide you with suggestions on how to find a job before you graduate. Topics include the importance of self assessment, highlighting your skills, identifying potential employers, and networking (face-to-face and using social media).

Budding Entrepreneurship Panel – Why Be An Entrepreneur

The Why Be An Entrepreneur video consists of five entrepreneurs from the Halifax Regional Municipality(Michelle Saint Onge, Georgia Lloyd, Rachel Dobbs, Costa Elles and Chris Webb). These panellists come from diverse educational and professional backgrounds and have all developed to be successful entrepreneurs.

Through a series of questions, the panellists discuss their passions, the advantages and disadvantages of being an entrepreneur, funding opportunities and business plans. The panellists reflect on their personal experiences and provide advice and insights based on their successes and challenges.

Biographies and a list of discussion questions for the Why Be an Entrepreneur? video.

The Entrepreneurship Panel video consists of five of Halifax’s most successful entrepreneurs: Jason Rodgers, Kenzie MacDonald, Rob Steele, Mickey MacDonald and Michael Duck. These panellists come from diverse backgrounds and have been in business ranging from five years to several decades.

Through a series of questions, the panellists discuss the everyday challenges entrepreneurs’ face, the importance of having a qualified staff, business plans and the impacts of competition and globalization. The panellists reflect on their personal experiences and provide advice and insights based on their successes and challenges.

Biographies and a list of discussion questions for the Panel of Entrepreneurs.

Bill Black, an engaging leader and motivational speaker, was the keynote speaker at the Leaders and Learners 2010 Business & Tourism Conference at Mount Saint Vincent University.

Through a series of examples and stories, Black shares what he sees as the six most important ideas about modern leadership:
1. Tell the Truth – It is easy to tell people what they want to hear or what you think people want to hear. However, leaders always need to speak the truth.
2. Time Horizons – The higher someone is in the organizational chart, the greater the time horizon they need to plan for. For example, the President of an organization may have to think ahead ten years, the Senior Vice Presidents may have to think ahead five years, the Vice Presidents a bit shorter, etc.
3. Power – Leaders need to seek as much power as they can get.
4. Communication – Leaders must be great communicators.
5. Spotlight Moments – These are moments that leaders usually cannot prepare for. A great deal of stress and visibility is associated with these moments, and how leaders deal with these moments tells a lot about them.
6. Tasks – Leaders need to ensure they are doing the things that only they can do.

Biographies and a list of discussion questions from the Presentation By Bill Black.

CEO Panel – Reflections from Successful Leaders of Today
The CEO Panel video consists of four very successful and visible CEO’s in the Halifax Regional Municipality who presented at the Leaders and Learners 2010 Business & Tourism Conference at Mount Saint Vincent University. The panellists are Chris Power from Capital Health, Paul Kent from Greater Halifax Partnership, Catherine Woodman from United Way of Halifax and Robert Zed from Zed Group.

Through a series of questions, the panellists discuss their definition of the word leadership, what led to their current successes, what they wished they would have known in the past that they now know, finding a mentor and their overall words of advice for students.

Biographies and a list of discussion questions for the CEO Panel.

Jim Reid is an entrepreneur who believes in change and environmental sustainability and he challenges you to be totally unreasonable with yourself and your future colleagues because “reasonable people achieve absolutely nothing”. 

Reid’s keynote speech at the 2009 Mount Saint Vincent University Business and Tourism Conference is a journey through economic and social realities interwoven with the story of how Green Solutions North America Inc. is catching on with companies who want to do the right thing and become leaders in the world of greener business and social responsibility.

Biographies and a list of discussion questions from the Jim Reid from Green Solutions video.

Nova Scotia’s Successful Business Owners 

The Nova Scotia’s Successful Business Owners video consists of four successful business owners from rural and urban Nova Scotia. The panellists, Hans Christian Jost, Rod McCulloch, Janet MacMillan and Colin MacDonald, come from various backgrounds – wine, crystal, public relations and seafood respectively - and share their experiences, tips and stories behind being a successful business owner.

Through a series of questions, the panellists discuss their motivations behind starting a business, initial research completed prior to starting a business, business plans, the struggles when starting a business (financial and others) and what the future holds for their businesses.

Biographies and discussion questions for  the Nova Scotia's Successful Business Owners video.

Our Economy – Is the Recession Over?

“The seeds for our next recession have already been planted,” says Fred Bergman.  Is this current recession over?  In The Economy, five panellists (Fred Bergman, Charles Cirtwell, Nancy Conrad, Harvey Doane and Peter Hogan) engage in dialogue about the economy, recessions, political environment, the stock market and what this ultimately means for our future.

Biographies and a list of discussion questions for The Economy video.

Becoming a Successful Leader       

Becoming a Successful Leader is an engaging panel discussion with six of Atlantic Canada’s finest leaders (Bill Black, Jane Smith, Alexa McDonough, Bert Frizzell, Jamie Reid, and Shannon MacDonald).

Through a series of short and long answer questions, the panellists provide their views, opinions, and personal reflections on topics including what makes a successful leader, various management styles, strategic planning, importance of various stakeholder groups, performance appraisals, and the significance of having a formal education.

Biographies and a list of discussion questions for Becoming a Successful Leader.

Wondering how to get that job you’ve always wanted?  Hear what marketing and management business professionals have to say about applying for your dream job through this interactive speaker panel.  Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of working for these companies, their hiring processes and the characteristics they look for in prospective applicants.  The successful human resources and business representatives on the panel are Steve Jones, VP Programming for NewCap Radio, Erin Mullaly, Talent Acquisition Manager for Enterprise Holdings, Greg Brennan, Manager of Recruitment & Learning at RBC, Lydia Adisenu-Doe, Program Coordinator for the Diversity Employment Initiatives with the Nova Scotia Public Service Commission and Ryan MacNeil who is a Freelance Sustainable Business Consultant.The Human Resource Panel discusses areas to focus on in getting a job.

Discussion questions for the Marketing and Management Human Resource Panel.  

What To Do With An Accounting/Finance Degree

The Accounting and Finance Experts video features an engaging discussion with six business leaders who represent multiple accounting backgrounds. Panellists include Andrew Henrikso, Sarah Veinot, Cathy Doig, Rhonda Dwyer, Mary Kate Archibald, and Jeff Dawson.

Panellists share their ideas as they are asked to reflect on topics such as the benefits of working in accounting, important characteristics their companies are looking for when hiring employees, ways students can continue to grow within their careers, and reasons why their companies are great places to work. 

Discussion questions for the What To Do With An Accounting/Finance Degree.

Jobs in Accounting and Finance

The Jobs in Accounting and Finance video features a lively discussion from five industry leaders who work in various facets of the accounting and finance sectors. Panellists include Joelle Dollard, WBLI Chartered Accountants, Heather Langley, Audit Service Canada, Mike Hurley, QE II Foundation, Darrin Talbot, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Kate Wall, Halifax Regional Municipality.

Panellists present their perspectives on what it is like to work in their positions and respective companies. They highlight desirable characteristics and experiences employers look for when hiring and provide suggestions regarding how students might advance in their careers once in a position.

Discussion questions for the Jobs in Accounting and Finance video.

Working in Tourism

The Working in Tourism video offers an informative discussion with six Tourism leaders working in the Halifax area (Meaghan Woodhead, Pacrim Hospitality Services Inc., Scott Travis, Cambridge Suites Hotel Halifax, Gary Powell, Ambassatours Gray Line, Alexander Deschenes, Future Inns Hotel & Conference Centres Halifax, Craig Flinn, Chives Canadian Bistro, Aly Rehemtulla, Atlantica Hotel Halifax).

Panellists provide an overview of their career paths and insight into questions addressing why tourism is a good industry to work in. They also discuss how their respective companies attract potential employees, provide advice on how to find the job you are looking for, and what you should to advance within a career in tourism once you are hired.

Discussion questions for the Working in Tourism video.

Leaders in Marketing and Management 

The Leaders in Marketing and Management video features a panel of distinguished speakers who identify and reflect on some of the challenges and opportunities they face working in marketing and management.  Panellists discuss current hiring practices and the role social media plays within their organizations. Panellists in this video include Janet MacMillan, Erin Mullaly, Sandy Norman, Matt Proctor and Steve Nicolle.

Discussion questions for Leaders in Marketing and Management.