[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/convocation_2007.jpg” caption=”DeGroote student Melissa Coulson receives her MBA at convocation today.”]The DeGroote School of Business will confer degrees upon more than 500 students on June 4 in the Great Hall of Hamilton Place.

DeGroote will present 516 degrees, including doctor of philosophy, master of business administration, honours bachelor of commerce and bachelor of commerce.

The ceremony begins at 3 p.m. and is followed by a reception for students and their families on the third floor of the Hamilton Convention Centre.

The school will present Wayne Fox '73 with an honorary degree.

“It is with a sense of great pride that we have watched these students develop over their years at DeGroote, and we eagerly anticipate the contributions they will make to the business community and to their own communities,” says Paul Bates, dean of the DeGroote School of Business. “As a donor, an advocate, an alumnus, Wayne Fox represents the best of McMaster's alumni. He is actively committed to his alma mater, and we are very proud to recognize him with this honorary degree.”

Wayne C. Fox, Doctor of Laws (LLD)

A career banker, Wayne Fox spent more than 30 years working in the finance sector. He joined Wood Gundy Inc. in 1973, following his graduation from McMaster with an MBA. He rose through the ranks first at Wood Gundy and later at CIBC following the merger of the two companies. He held a number of high-profile positions within the bank, retiring as vice-chair and chief risk officer in September 2005.

Throughout his career, Fox gained a reputation for high ethical standards and strong leadership. He devotes much of his time to giving back, and many organizations, including McMaster University, have been recipients of his generosity.

One of Fox's most notable contributions to McMaster is his $1 million donation to the Wayne C. Fox Chair in Business Innovation at the DeGroote School of Business. Thanks to Fox's gift, McMaster has been able to enhance and expand its strengths in the e-commerce business management and innovation field.

In March 2000, the DeGroote Alumni Association presented Fox with its Distinguished Alumni Award. The highest form of recognition presented by the DeGroote Alumni Association, this award recognizes alumni whose personal accomplishments, reputation and character enhance the reputation of McMaster University. Since 2000, the award has been known as the Wayne C. Fox Distinguished Alumni Award. A community of eminent alumni has joined Fox as recipient of this award, and they strive to live up to his model.