Acadia Business

The Acadia Finance Society is running their 5th annual Women in Finance Conference THIS Friday, April 1! You won’t want to miss this awesome opportunity to hear from a few very talented and successful women in Finance. Go to for more information.

*note: the Women in Finance Conference and the ABS Career Fair are both happening this Friday, but don’t think you can’t get to both! The WIFC is running until 2:30pm, and the Career Fair is running until 4pm.

The Acadia Business Society is hosting a Career Fair next Friday, April 1!

Some of the attending organizations include
-KPMG
-Killam REIT
-IBM
-Kangaroo
-Engel & Völkers
-BMO
-Deloitte
-Steele Auto Group
-and more!

Check out the page for more info.

Meet our Advisory Board!

Mike Kennedy earned a CPA with Deloitte after graduating from Acadia, working across North America in the firm's assurance & consulting practices. He then worked with the Government of Nova Scotia in Finance, Health, and Policy and Planning, doing everything from investigating health care fraud to assisting in the role of mental health standards. Along the way, he’s been involved in a number of entrepreneurial ventures as an owner and advisor, including a bacon-based sandwich shop, a remote-work surf destination company, and a learning tech startup. He says that he was lucky to teach accounting at Acadia for 5 years. For the last year, he’s been living in Rossland, BC, where he’s the City's CFO. Outside of work, he’s been an active volunteer with Hope Blooms, the East Coast Music Association, and Bicycle Nova Scotia. When he’s not working, he can be found making music, skiing, and cycling (in 2017, he did a cross-Canada bike trip!). 

Mike says that Acadia feels like home, and the people he’s met through the Acadia family have had a lasting impact on his life. From the rainy day he moved into Eaton and was dubbed "Storytime" during Frosh Week, to his time serving as VP Finance with the ASU, to being part of the Board of Directors, Mike says he’s grateful to have shared lots of great learning, laughter, and meaning with the Acadia family. He’s learned so much from the Business Faculty during his time at Acadia and beyond. He says that Dr. Ian Hutchinson instilled a confidence in him that he could do anything he put his mind to; that Dr. Edith Callaghan fundamentally changed the way that he sees the world and the need to put sustainability at the centre of all we do; and that Dr. Conor Vibert taught him the importance of developing bold ideas and not being afraid to share them. His biggest takeaway from his time at Acadia is the importance of giving back to community, regardless of what stage of your career you are in.

Congratulations to the Acadia Investment Council, who has come out with their annual report for 2021!
Created in 2018, this student-led group researches and invests through an investment council structure. This year, they have the most members yet.
For more information or to see the full report, check out their LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/acadia-investment-club/

Meet our Advisory Board!
Martin Suter says that while at Acadia, his eyes were opened by Professor Paul Tom, a teacher, friend, and mentor, who encouraged students to think and dream big. He was a catalyst to thinking globally, facilitating interactions between students from all over the world during dinners that he would host at his house. Martin says he wouldn't have dared to believe that he would begin his career in China in 1989, or that he would return to China 27 years later to launch an Internet business. In between, his journey has taken him all over the world, and he gives all the credit to an Acadia prof who inspired him to dream. He’s now come full circle, returning to Wolfville, where he gets to interact with Acadia students from his house on Main St.!

Simply put, Martin’s favourite thing about Acadia has been the people he’s met (including his wife!) and the enduring friendships that he’s made. He attributes this to Acadia’s relatively small size and location, where it was easy for him to meet people and to bond over their shared Acadia experiences.

Another of Martin’s takeaways from Paul Tom was his description of his life as having 3 phases; one's Formative years (through school), Productive years (one's career), followed by Contributive years (where one gives back). Martin says that this has always stuck with him, and the gravitational pull to giving back is strong for many who remain committed and involved with Acadia. In addition to volunteer positions, such as the Manning Advisory Board, Martin enjoys being sought out for mentoring or just for advice. He says that a well thought-out note on LinkedIn is guaranteed a response!

Happy Hanukkah to all those who are celebrating! ✨

Meet our Advisory Board!
After attending Acadia, Chris Houston joined Bell as a Marketing Analyst. He actually got the job through another Acadia student, who recommended him (go networking!) There, he worked on an experimental project where he met a lot of entrepreneurs. He told me that that landed him a job at his first startup, Boost Mobile in California, where he oversaw their product development. From then on he was hooked! He’s since been involved in over 12 startups as a founder, investor, advisor, or board member. Today, Chris is the CMO at Ritual and a Venture partner at Mantella Venture Partners.  

Chris says that he loved his time at Acadia and he often jokes to friends that when he retires he’s going to come back as a mature student just for fun (is tower still open?) He says that his fondest memories are of the people he met and the amazing campus community. He said that he thinks that the fact that pretty much everyone lives on or around campus makes it such a special community. Chris was active in Student Government, DJ’d at the Axe, and never missed a Business School bash or pub crawl! Now, he wants to come back and visit!

Chris can help any student or recent grads who are interested in a career in early stage tech company startups. He has a lot of great experience in the area and would love to help with introductions, advice, chat about ideas, or anything else. He’s mentored a few students who started companies out of Acadia, too.

To connect with Chris, send him a message on LinkedIn!

Congratulations Busi Dodge Cup players and coaches on a 7-3 win over Kine! BBA all the way! 🅰️🏒

Our open house for prospective Acadia students was a huge success today! Welcome to all new students and thanks to everyone who helped out!

Exciting initiative happening this Friday, Nov. 5th! Our Accounting Society and our Finance Society have teamed up to offer an info session targeted at students interested in earning either their CPA or their CFA designation. We're welcoming 4 guest speakers to share their experiences and help answer the student's questions.

The Business Society’s first event of their Speaker Series was a great success! Check out their page for details on their next speaker

The Business Society’s very first speaker of their Speaker Series is coming to Patterson this Thursday, Oct 21. If you’re interested in learning more about Real Estate, this is a great opportunity to hear from 2 speakers in the industry! Sign up online using the link in our bio.

Meet our Advisory Board! Anne Robinson graduated from our BBA program in ‘99 and began working as a CA (now CPA designation). Anne told me that she had a “quarter life crisis” and went back to school for 2 years, then re-entered the workforce. She’s now been working at CPA Nova Scotia as the Senior Director of Regulations and Registrar for the past 5 years. Anne married her Acadia sweetheart and they’re now raising 3 kids together in Halifax!
Anne told me that Acadia provided her with the opportunity to really find herself and her people. Some very important growth and struggles occurred for her during ‘96-‘99 while she was a student. Those people she met are now her biggest supporters and she says she’s so grateful to have met them. The structure of the core year in the BBA program was really good for her personal growth and educational experience, she says. It really forced her to identify what her skillsets were, which directly impacted the direction she eventually chose in her career.
Anne’s background is best suited to help the Accounting Society, and she really looks forward to being of assistance! She spent a great deal of time on professions ethics & the CPA Code of Conduct. If there was a use for “real life” examples of ethical conflicts or quasi-judicial proceedings, she’s got that in spades! Her experience has provided her with a lot of insight as to where the accounting profession is headed.
To connect with Anne, send her a message on LinkedIn!

Join us in congratulating BBA Alumnus Daniel James McFadyen on all of his hard work in releasing a new album!

Come see Riley in the Patterson lobby during the next few weeks to sign up for the Business Society as a General Member!
Swipe to see some of the great benefits of joining, including a free professional headshot!

Check out some of these awesome opportunities if you’re a recent or soon-to-be grad looking for work!

Meet our Advisory Board! First up is Ross Munro, who is a graduate of our BBA program and who’s eager to have students reach out with any questions.

Since leaving Acadia, Ross has been in the hospitality industry. His path took him through an entry-level Operations Management position to a Divisional Presidential role. Following early retirement in 2013, he determined that work was still important to him, so he took on project work. Then, in 2015, he began his current role as EVP procurement, marketing and sales at Dana Hospitality, a mid size Canadian company.

Ross told me that he “experienced great personal growth in my years on campus. Additionally, my involvement with the Manning School Advisory Board has provided me with an up-close and personal look at the curriculum, students, and faculty. I have been blown away by the maturity, knowledge, and social concern of the students, as well as the willingness of faculty to continually enhance the student experience. These 2 factors make Acadia and student development very important to me”.

Ross’s experiences with small and large companies have lent to his strong understanding of cultural differences and nuances between large and smaller organizations. Students looking to determine where to focus their search may find this type of practical experience helpful.

As a “non financial executive focused on general management”, Ross’s broad-based experience can help students clarify some of the skills and attributes they require to become well-rounded and successful managers. He said that “through ten thousand coffees, I have connected with a number of students and been able to provide some networking opportunities. The idea of focusing on a F.C. Manning-specific networking program would be of great interest to me”.

To connect with Ross, send him a message on LinkedIn!

Huge congratulations to the "Kicking Assets" and their team members, Danielle Campbell, Lucas Roessel, and Tanis Schwartzentruber on WINNING the 2021 Shaw Group Case Competition!

Thank you to all the teams that participated in the competition. We are extremely proud of the young business leaders developing within our business school.

The Shaw Group Case Competition analyzes "real world" business cases in a team-based, deadline driven environment that provides a tremendous learning opportunity for students. Thank you to the Shaw Group for supporting the Acadia Business School and allowing for us to run this competition twice a year.

We have NEWS! Congratulations to our very own Guy Harrison-Murray for being a recipient of the Frank H. Sobey Award for Excellence in Business.

On behalf of everyone in the Acadia Business family, we are ecstatic for you and are proud of you and your accomplishments.

Congratulations!

Recent Acadia graduate Lily Nottage’s first-ever film “Farrin” will premiere on Tuesday, Feb 23rd at the Halifax Black Film Festival. See her interviewed recently on Global https://globalnews.ca/video/rd/aa618c36-711e-11eb-8fc3-0242ac110003/?jwsource=cl

Filmmaker Makes Her Debut at Halifax Black Film Festival | Watch News Videos Online Watch Filmmaker Makes Her Debut at Halifax Black Film Festival Video Online, on GlobalNews.ca

We can't wait to welcome you (back) to whether in-person or online!

We're so proud of your accomplishment, Geoff Gates!

Acadia University alumnus Geoff Gates ('13) was recently recognized for his work with the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers.
He's the Associate Director, Social & Content with the team. Their Twitter was named the best in the .
Congrats Geoff! Los Angeles Lakers

https://www.complex.com/sports/all-30-nba-twitter-accounts-ranked-for-2020/la-lakers?utm_campaign=social_widget_share&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR1T6mcA_6lPHE8gZJvDnUgpCzK98p3PchHOctCcmRDs7_jmLTawuGCCNvA

Nova Scotian BBA students! Have you received your postcards yet? Share them with us! 📬 ICYMI: “Last week, my colleagues and I sent heartfelt, mostly legible, handwritten postcards to all students. You can question our penmanship, but it’s tough to question our commitment to student. is a special place. More than ever, the personal touch matters. The future of business is personal. The past few weeks, I’ve connected with dozens of students and recent grads across the globe to share ideas, talk about the challenges and opportunities associated with COVID and to keep relationships going strong for when we are next able to connect in person. ”

Your profs have sent out personalized postcards to Nova Scotian incoming and returning students. They can’t wait to see you all in the fall! When you receive yours, share it with us on social media! 📬

Can't wait to see everyone in the Fall!

Fall classes are now set to begin on September 21. Further details on changes to operational services, academic programming, and campus life are expected later in June so that students and their families can plan for Fall 2020.

Learn more by here: https://covid-19-information.acadiau.ca/home.html

Congratulations to 2020 Grad Tim Conrad on the launch of his Halifax-based pressure washing business! Give them a like on FB or reach out directly: https://www.precisionpropertypartners.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Precision-Pressure-Washing-NS-103475984740347

Precision Pressure Washing | Free Quotes In Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, HRM Let Precision Pressure Washing in Halifax N.S restore the beauty of your home. We pay attention to the details. Now serving Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, Cole Harbour, Sackville - Free Quotes in HRM.

"Acadia University intends to WELCOME STUDENTS BACK TO CAMPUS for a COVID-19-ready Fall 2020 term with a hybrid approach to teaching and learning that includes a mix of in-person, online, and remote course delivery."

Home - COVID-19 Acadia continues to monitor developments of COVID-19 (coronavirus). We rely on the expertise of Public Health for guidance in dealing with infectious diseases, and we take our lead from them regarding protocols and procedures. Learn more about our policies and recent developments.

Have you been keeping up with our Instagram? We’ve been asking profs at the F.C. Manning school what has sparked joy for them during this pandemic. Here are some of the responses we’ve shared so far! Keep up to date with future posts by following us at https://www.instagram.com/acadia_business/?hl=en.