Knowledge and networks: DeGroote event series builds business and community
This year’s DeGroote event series is all about give and take.
The “give” reflects the School’s ongoing outreach to stakeholders in Hamilton, Halton, Toronto, New York, and further afield. The “take” involves insight from local businesses, community leaders, and corporate partners as DeGroote’s public programming continues to expand and evolve.
Knowledge @ DeGroote, as the series is known, showcases research experts alongside industry leaders in conversation on important business topics. Recent themes have included big data and analytics, mental health, gender diversity on boards, and Canadian and global economic outlooks. Industry participants have included Mervyn King, former Governor of The Bank of England; Gino Scapillati, Vice Chair of PwC Canada; and Sherry Cooper, Chief Economist, Dominion Lending Centres.
“Three years ago, DeGroote began to place an emphasis on hosting dynamic events open to all members of the DeGroote Network,” says Mark Stewart, Associate Director, Advancement (Development and Outreach). “This aligns with McMaster President Patrick Deane’s emphasis on research excellence and community engagement in his letter Forward with Integrity. It acknowledges that universities are public thought leaders and community builders, and that there is a responsibility to transfer the knowledge generated by our research to help transform business and society.”
With more than 20 events on the 2016-2017 academic calendar, Dean Leonard Waverman is excited about the program’s role as a focal point for connecting ideas and people. A key part of the School’s 2015-2020 Strategic Plan involves creating and executing events that promote the School’s world-class research to diverse external audiences.
“We want to ensure the exceptional research being done at the School is easy to access, understand, and apply,” Waverman explains. “We have also been pleased by the sense of community fostered by bringing people together. Our students, alumni, and partners continually tell us that the networking and relationship development that comes from being a part of the DeGroote Network has been tremendously valuable to them.”
Associate Professor Aaron Schat has participated in numerous DeGroote events over the years, both as a speaker and a guest. He says the value for faculty lies in being able to share new ideas with the community while hearing feedback that helps shape future research.
“These events represent excellent opportunities for DeGroote faculty to interact with professionals who do the kind of work we study every day,” says Schat. “They provide a forum for sharing and field-testing the knowledge that has emerged from our research. They also ensure that our future research is well-informed. Building relationships with alumni and members of the business community is extremely valuable.”
Sponsors for this year’s event series include Raymond James Ltd., Burlington Economic Development Corporation, Cogeco, and The Directors College.
Please visit the DeGroote Calendar of Events for an up-to-date listing of events. Visit our Facebook page to see photos from previous events. Highlights of the fall term include:
Tuesday, September 20:
The first DeGroote Women’s Professional Network (DWPN) cocktail reception of the season will take place at Burlington’s Ron Joyce Centre. The event is titled Be Discovered: Your Board Position is Waiting, and it will run from 5 to 7 p.m.
Attendees will learn from a panel of industry experts and explore the many benefits, both personal and professional, that come with board membership. Panelists include Beverly Topping, President and CEO, Indelible Inc.; Deborah Rosati, Corporate Director, Women Get On Board; Karen Belaire, Chief Executive Officer, SSW Shared Services West; and Janice Detta-Colli, Founder, Board Flight Paths.
Launched in January 2016, the Network has emerged as one of Halton Region’s premier networking hubs. Participants meet and mingle with new colleagues, take part in professional development experiences, connect with mentors and mentees, and contribute to philanthropic endeavours.
Thursday, September 29:
September will conclude with the second-annual Digital Leadership Summit, taking place this year at Toronto’s One King West Hotel & Residence from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. In partnership with SAS Canada, the Summit will focus on how companies in all sectors – including those on the Fortune 500 list – can survive and thrive in an era of rapid technological innovation. Robert Siegel, Stanford University Lecturer and XSeed Capital Partner, will deliver the keynote address on this very subject.
Other guest speakers at this year’s event include Leerom Segal, CEO and Co-Founder, Klick Health; Adam Felesky, President and Managing Partner, Portag3 Ventures; Ivan Reel, Co-Founder, Avoca Applications Solutions; Tim Trussell, Manager of Data Sciences, SAS Canada; and Barry Libert, Chairman, OpenMatters. Seats are limited.
Wednesday, October 19:
Digital transformation, more than any other single factor, has dramatically changed the media industry as well as marketing and communications practices in business. As such, DeGroote pleased to be partnering with the McMaster-Syracuse Master of Communications Management program to present Conversations and Conversions: The New Relationship of Media and Business. The event will run from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ron Joyce Centre.
This “power panel” will discuss challenges and opportunities for media companies, recent and emerging trends in communications practices, and the evolving relationship between the media industry and the business community. Panelists include Dianne Buckner, Host of Dragons’ Den and Business Correspondent at CBC News; David Estok, VP, Communications, University of Toronto; David Scholz, Managing Partner, Leger and ConsumerVision; and Paul Berton, Editor-in-Chief of the Hamilton Spectator.
Monday, November 7:
DeGroote will host its third-annual networking reception for McMaster alumni in the health, medical and pharma fields. Aligned with the timing of the HealthAchieve conference taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, this event will provide an excellent opportunity for industry professionals to connect within the DeGroote and McMaster alumni networks. The reception will be hosted at Joe Badali’s on Front Street in Toronto, beginning at 6 p.m.
Information on the winter term of programming will be provided in January 2017.
