Propel Your Career with the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics
Graduate of MBA/CPA in 2005
Maureen Tomlinson wanted to enrol in an MBA program, but couldn’t find one to meet her needs as a busy business analyst. When she found the MBACMA program (the predecessor to the MBA-CPA program) offered by the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University, it was the perfect match.“I couldn’t afford to take a year off work so the part-time format really worked for me,” she says.
Tomlinson, who graduated in 2005, recalls many rewarding experiences in the program, including a research project on no-fault insurance that she completed with a professor. “The study was wellreceived and was published in a big industry journal,” she remembers.
“The program teaches practical information about many aspects of business. You learn how to assess a problem and deal with it.” Tomlinson also benefitted from working in small groups alongside other students. “The dynamic was great," she says. "We learned from each other and pushed each other.”
NowVice President of Products and Operations at a major property data aggregator,Tomlinson credits the program with much of her career success.“Once I put that degree on my resumé— doors opened. I ended up in a more senior position with a much higher salary. The degree is a differentiator.”
Graduate of EMTM in 2017
Joe AbiDaoud was leaving a restaurant in Toronto when he passed a poster advertising the Executive Master’s in Technology Management (EMTM) program offered by the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics. “I did research and contacted the school to get more information,” he recalls. “I enrolled soon after.”
At the time, AbiDaoud was Chief Information Officer at a Canadian mining company. He was interested in completing an MBA but hadn’t taken the plunge— the EMTM’s emphasis on technology spurred him to action.“As someone who works in technology,I know howimportant it is and howquickly it changes,” he explains.
He notes his experience at EMTM was rewarding, particularly the time spent working on real-life case studies. “When Amazon took over Whole Foods, we studied it in class the next day," he says. "We learned how to adapt to disruptive situations in various industries. The program teaches you to think in a different way.”
AbiDaoud, who is now Vice President of Information Technology for a Canadian-based gold producer, was pleased with the rich industry experience shared by students and faculty.“You spend the year with smart people and you grow from that. It’s fantastic. I was disappointed when the program ended.” After working in the finance sector for almost two decades, Erin Ackles-Pennington took stock of her career at TD and realized that understanding technological change was essential. “When a company invests in technology as heavily as TD Bank does,it wants their employees to be proficient in that area," she says.
Ackles-Pennington enrolled in the Executive Master’s in Technology Management (EMTM) program offered by Wilfrid Laurier University’s business school, the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics. The EMTM and another Lazaridis master program, the MBA-CPA, give students unique skills that help them advance their careers as executives and managers.
EMTM prepares business professionals for challenges of today and tomorrow
The EMTM is designed for senior decision-makers like Ackles-Pennington who face a complex, competitive global marketplace marked by everchanging technology.
To learn how to approach and solve problems creatively, students are immersed in real-life case studies in which technological challenges are central. “The goal is to make every graduate uniquely qualified to deal with business challenges of today and tomorrow,” notes Executive Director HamidNoori.Theprogramisofferedinan11-month, alternating weekend format so that students can pursue their degrees while maintaining their professional commitments. “The current trend in education is to offer focused programs," explains Noori, "ours focuses on innovation, which is what makes it unique among business programs.”
The focus-based model was one that appealed to Ackles-Pennington. “I was accepted into another master business program, but I chose this one because it covers many of the same topics but with a focus on tech,” she explains. “EMTM gives you the skills you need to make key decisions regarding technology.”
In her current position as a Vice President of TD Bank’s Infrastructure Technology team, Ackles-Pennington oversees strategic delivery management of technology projects. “My experience in the EMTM program has really helped bridge my thinking between business problems and technology solutions,” she says, adding that she expects to continue to leverage these skills in future roles.
A big EMTM attribute is that it promotes diversity of thought. “My class includes students from various backgrounds ranging from engineering to finance,” she explains. Having exposure to classmates with varying experiences and outlooks is invaluable.
Ackles-Pennington says she has been particularly impressed with the professors. “Every member of the faculty has had real-world business experience. Their classes involve a lot of discussion and exchange of ideas. They're not simply lecturing to students.”
Modern workplace demands employees have multiple competencies
Another groundbreaking master program at Lazaridis School of Business & Economics is the MBA-CPA. It's the only combination program in Canada that offers an MBA degree and fully prepares students to take the Common Final Examination (CFE), through which they earn their Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation.
Like the EMTM, this program emphasizes practical application rather than theory. In the first stage of the program, students apply knowledge from each of the core fundamental business areas to analyze real-life case studies. They compete in international case competitions and refine presentation skills through workshops.
During the second stage, students take specific courses to work toward attaining the CPA designation. Students graduate from the program readyto complete the Capstone II exam preparation course and take the CFE.
The program format is ideal for working professionals— students attend classes on alternating weekends over a four-year period with a break during July and August.
Adding the CPA designation to an MBA degree helps individuals stand out from their competitors. “A lawyer understands the law but, in a meeting, he might not understand the subtle analysis of financial data or insights that an accountant would. This program would offer him invaluable knowledge and skills,” says Program Director Ling Chu. “The modern world requires individuals to have multiple competencies.
“In addition to preparing students to get their CPA designation, our program places a heavy emphasis on management and finance,” she adds. “This builds on their existing experience, enabling them to ask critical questions and provide insights into areas that are crucial in the business world. It opens doors.”
Kenny Leung, a lawyer and graduate of the program, echoes that sentiment. “I’m more comfortable now having to attend business meetings that touch on subject matters that go beyond my primary discipline and can provide insight, and raise pertinent questions on other areas that are valued in an organization,” says Leung, who is in-house counsel with Manulife. “Beyond achieving the technical competencies, the CPA designation itself will likely open doors to other areas in the business that I may not have otherwise been qualified for.”