UNews - Innovation Speaker

Management draws Dragon for talk

trevor.kenney — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:29:54 +0000

"He has an outstanding track record for both entrepreneurship and philanthropy," says Steve Craig, director, external relations/co-operative education for the Faculty of Management, on why Wilson was chosen for the annual address. "Social responsibility is such a big part of what we do in the Faculty of Management, so couple that with his incredible success in the business field and it was a perfect match."

Wilson made millions but success was not without consequence, and in the process he lost his marriage and nearly lost his life. As a result, he radically shifted his priorities to focus on his three children and sharing the wealth he has accrued.

"People often ask me about the key to my success and what I hope they hear is that success requires a balance – a balance of priorities combined with passion," says Wilson on his website www.wbrettwilson.ca. "Fallout from divorce and a battle with advanced prostate cancer forced me to reprioritize my life – for the better."

Wilson is now incredibly active in the charitable community, having given, and engaged others to give, tens of millions of dollars to non-profit initiatives. He often takes a hands-on approach to philanthropy, including shaving his head to support Kids Cancer Care and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to support Alzheimer's research. He has also made annual trips with Youth With a Mission to Mexico to build homes with his family.

"There is a way for people to be extremely successful financially but also be able to give back to their community, both in dollars and in time," says Craig. "That's one of the great things about Brett, he obviously gives of his time as well as his money."

Craig, who regularly watches Dragons' Den, says the show can serve as a valuable resource for business students.

"With our students, we're always trying to teach them how to be creative, how to be critical thinkers, how to analyze situations and that's one of the things that's great about that program," says Craig. "With any potential entrepreneur that you turn out of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, when approaching a financier you want them to have the ability to ask themselves, 'Is this worth the money I'm asking for and have I done my due diligence?' The show takes you through that process and it's a great learning tool."

Wilson will appear in the Students' Union Ballroom B from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., Wednesday Mar. 31. Tickets for the event are free but seating is limited. To register, e-mail susan.price@uleth.ca or call 403-394-3935. A luncheon for the business community is also being held later that day.

The CMA Alberta Leadership & Innovation Speaker Series is an annual event that the Faculty of Management organizes for the benefit of its students and the local business community. The speakers are selected for their connection with important messages that go beyond typical business issues in ways that reflect the Faculty's new vision.

Wilson combines profit with philanthropy

trevor.kenney — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:23:05 +0000

He's been dubbed the 'Dragon with a heart' and is one of Canada's most successful, and philanthropic, business entrepreneurs. On Wednesday, Mar. 31, Brett Wilson will be on campus as this year's guest speaker for the annual CMA Alberta Leadership & Innovation Speaker Series that is organized and hosted by the Faculty of Management.

"He has an outstanding track record for both entrepreneurship and philanthropy," says Steve Craig, director, external relations/co-operative education for the Faculty of Management, on why Wilson was chosen for the annual address. "Social responsibility is such a big part of what we do in the Faculty of Management, so couple that with his incredible success in the business field and it was a perfect match."

Today, Wilson is best known for his role on the hit CBC television series Dragons' Den, where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business concepts and products to a panel of Canadian business moguls. In the early 1990s, he made his mark as a business maverick, co-founding the investment banking advisory firm, Wilson Mackie & Co., in 1991, and with Rick Grafton, Jim Davidson and Murray Edwards, co-founding FirstEnergy Capital Corp., in 1993, a leading Canadian stock brokerage firm that provides investment-banking services to global participants in the energy sector.

Wilson made millions but success was not without consequence, and in the process he lost his marriage and nearly lost his life. As a result, he radically shifted his priorities to focus on his three children and sharing the wealth he has accrued.

"People often ask me about the key to my success and what I hope they hear is that success requires a balance – a balance of priorities combined with passion," says Wilson on his website www.wbrettwilson.ca. "Fallout from divorce and a battle with advanced prostate cancer forced me to reprioritize my life – for the better."

Wilson is now incredibly active in the charitable community, having given, and engaged others to give, tens of millions of dollars to non-profit initiatives. He often takes a hands-on approach to philanthropy, including shaving his head to support Kids Cancer Care and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to support Alzheimer's research. He has also made annual trips with Youth With a Mission to Mexico to build homes with his family.

"There is a way for people to be extremely successful financially but also be able to give back to their community, both in dollars and in time," says Craig. "That's one of the great things about Brett, he obviously gives of his time as well as his money."

Craig, who regularly watches Dragons' Den, says the show can serve as a valuable resource for business students.

"With our students, we're always trying to teach them how to be creative, how to be critical thinkers, how to analyze situations and that's one of the things that's great about that program," says Craig. "With any potential entrepreneur that you turn out of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, when approaching a financier you want them to have the ability to ask themselves, 'Is this worth the money I'm asking for and have I done my due diligence?' The show takes you through that process and it's a great learning tool."

Wilson will appear in the Students' Union Ballroom B from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., Wednesday Mar. 31. Tickets for the event are free but seating is limited. To register, e-mail susan.price@uleth.ca or call 403-394-3935. A luncheon for the business community is also being held later that day.

The CMA Alberta Leadership & Innovation Speaker Series is an annual event that the Faculty of Management organizes for the benefit of its students and the local business community. The speakers are selected for their connection with important messages that go beyond typical business issues in ways that reflect the Faculty's new vision.

Dragons' Den Wilson coming to campus

trevor.kenney — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:23:05 +0000

Tickets are scarce for Brett Wilson's Mar. 31 appearance in the Students' Union Building.

Today, Wilson is best known for his role on the hit CBC television series Dragons' Den, where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business concepts and products to a panel of Canadian business moguls. In the early 1990s, he made his mark as a business maverick, co-founding the investment banking advisory firm, Wilson Mackie & Co., in 1991, and with Rick Grafton, Jim Davidson and Murray Edwards, co-founding FirstEnergy Capital Corp., in 1993, a leading Canadian stock brokerage firm that provides investment-banking services to global participants in the energy sector.

Wilson made millions but success was not without consequence, and in the process he lost his marriage and nearly lost his life. As a result, he radically shifted his priorities to focus on his three children and sharing the wealth he has accrued.

"People often ask me about the key to my success and what I hope they hear is that success requires a balance – a balance of priorities combined with passion," says Wilson on his website www.wbrettwilson.ca. "Fallout from divorce and a battle with advanced prostate cancer forced me to reprioritize my life – for the better."

Wilson is now incredibly active in the charitable community, having given, and engaged others to give, tens of millions of dollars to non-profit initiatives. He often takes a hands-on approach to philanthropy, including shaving his head to support Kids Cancer Care and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to support Alzheimer's research. He has also made annual trips with Youth With a Mission to Mexico to build homes with his family.

"There is a way for people to be extremely successful financially but also be able to give back to their community, both in dollars and in time," says Craig. "That's one of the great things about Brett, he obviously gives of his time as well as his money."

Craig, who regularly watches Dragons' Den, says the show can serve as a valuable resource for business students.

"With our students, we're always trying to teach them how to be creative, how to be critical thinkers, how to analyze situations and that's one of the things that's great about that program," says Craig. "With any potential entrepreneur that you turn out of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, when approaching a financier you want them to have the ability to ask themselves, 'Is this worth the money I'm asking for and have I done my due diligence?' The show takes you through that process and it's a great learning tool."

Wilson will appear in the Students' Union Ballroom B from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., Wednesday Mar. 31. Tickets for the event are free but seating is limited. To register, e-mail susan.price@uleth.ca or call 403-394-3935. A luncheon for the business community is also being held later that day.

The CMA Alberta Leadership & Innovation Speaker Series is an annual event that the Faculty of Management organizes for the benefit of its students and the local business community. The speakers are selected for their connection with important messages that go beyond typical business issues in ways that reflect the Faculty's new vision.

Dragon's Den Wilson coming to campus

trevor.kenney — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:40:37 +0000

Brett Wilson, entrepreneur, philanthropist and one of the stars of the popular CBC series Dragon's Den will speak to an audience at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge on Wednesday, Mar. 31, in the Students' Union Ballroom as part of the CMA Alberta Leadership and Speaker Series.

Wilson has built a formidable reputation in the world of business, garnering such honours as Canada's Top 40 Under 40, Alberta Venture Magazine's Business Person of the Year and the Management Alumni Excellence Award from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary's Haskayne School of Business.

He co-founded the investment banking advisory firm, Wilson Mackie and Co. in 1991 and in 1993 co-founded FirstEnergy Capital Corp., a leading Canadian stock brokerage firm providing services in the energy sector. He now makes most of his investments through his primary holding company, Prairie Merchant Corporation.

Wilson's charitable endeavours are also noteworthy and include support of research into prostate cancer, Alzheimer's and domestic abuse. He established the Wilson Centre for Entrepreneurial Excellence at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan and journeys annually to Mexico with Youth With a Mission to build homes with his family.

"He has an outstanding track record for both entrepreneurship and philanthropy," says Steve Craig, Director, External Relations/Co-operative Education for the Faculty of Management, on why Wilson was chosen for the annual address. "Social responsibility is such a big part of what we do in the Faculty of Management, so couple that with his incredible success in the business field and it was a perfect match."

Wilson's presentation will take place in Students' Union Ballroom B from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Tickets are free, but seating is limited. Those wishing to attend are asked to register by e-mail at susan.price@uleth.ca or by calling 403-394-3935. An additional presentation will be held for the general public at noon in the Grand Room of the Coast Plaza Hotel. Again, free tickets on limited seating; please register at: http://www.uleth.ca/management/forms/cma-alberta-registration or e-mail janzli@uleth.ca or phone: 403-329-2109.

Additional information about the CMA Alberta Leadership and Innovation Speaker Series is available at: http://www.uleth.ca/man/community/liss/index.shtml

Cooper tells WorldCom fraud story

trevor.kenney — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:37:25 +0000

Cynthia Cooper brought a corporate giant to its knees and now she's filling seats by telling her story.

Known internationally as the WorldCom whistleblower, Cooper and her team of internal auditors launched a 2002 investigation that uncovered $3.8 billion in fraud — the largest corporate fraud in history at that time. The journey she took in first finding the fraud, and then getting it out in the open is part of Cooper's presentation today (12 p.m. to 1 p.m.) in the Students' Union A & B ballrooms.

"It's an absolutely fascinating story about how she and her team became aware of the issue and the effort she had to go through to get anybody to pay attention," U of L Assistant Professor of Management Dr. Carla Carnaghan says. "She initially couldn't get the board of directors to pay attention, couldn't get more senior people in the hierarchy to pay attention and several people tried to tell her to stop looking. She really had to fight to bring this to light."

Carnaghan has seen Cooper speak in the past and says her story and its presentation is riveting.

"I think this appeals to anybody who's interested in ethics, who's interested in corporate-social responsibility or the issue of how one person can make a difference," Carnaghan says. "I think she's just a fantastic example of someone who worked hard to make a difference and worked hard to correct a wrong that she saw."

It was 2002 when World-Com, an American telecommunications behemoth was caught painting a false picture of financial growth and profitability to prop up the price of its stock. Cooper and her team of internal auditors brought the fraud (the company's total assets had been inflated by an approximate $11 billion) to light, resulting in a host of firings and resignations, the company filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the eventual conviction of WorldCom co-founder and chief executive officer Bernard Ebbers on fraud and conspiracy charges.

As Cooper speaks today, the world's financial picture is grim and business ethics are a key topic of conversation.

"There may well be other people who have to do similar things and step forward," Carnaghan says. "What she did took a lot of courage, and I think it's a wonderful human interest story."

Cooper, along with fellow corporate whistleblowers Sherron Watkins (Enron) and Coleen Rowley (FBI), was named one of Time's 2002 Persons of the Year.

"I've definitely encouraged all my students in accounting theory to go to this presentation," Carnaghan says. "I've mentioned it to all the faculty too because I just think it's an absolutely fascinating story."

Tickets for the Cynthia Cooper event, part of the CMA Alberta Leadership and Innovation Speaker Series, are free and available at the Career Resources Centre (B610).

GET THE FACTS

• Cooper currently serves as the Chairperson of the Louisiana State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Center for Internal Auditing Advisory Board and the Mississippi State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Executive Advisory Board

• A mother of two, Cooper was featured as one of 25 influential working mothers in the November 2004 issue of Working Mother

• Ebbers, the WorldCom co-founder and CEO, was born in Edmonton. He is currently serving a 25-year prison term for his role in the fraud and conspiracy

• WorldCom is now identified as MCI, Inc. Formerly known as LDDS and then LDDS WorldCom, it merged with MCI to form MCI WorldCom and then just WorldCom prior to filing for bankruptcy protection in 2002. It emerged from bankruptcy as MCI, Inc. and was purchased by Verizon Communications in 2006Dr

Cooper to tell WorldCom fraud story

trevor.kenney — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:38:19 +0000

Cynthia Cooper brought a corporate giant to its knees and now she's filling seats by telling her story.

Known internationally as the WorldCom whistleblower, Cooper and her team of internal auditors launched a 2002 investigation that uncovered $3.8 billion in fraud — the largest corporate fraud in history at that time. The journey she took in first finding the fraud, and then getting it out in the open is part of Cooper's Jan. 29 presentation (12 p.m. to 1 p.m.) in the Students' Union A & B ballrooms.

Carnaghan has seen Cooper speak in the past and says her story and its presentation is riveting.

As Cooper speaks today, the world's financial picture is grim and business ethics are a key topic of conversation.

"There may well be other people who have to do similar things and step forward," Carnaghan says. "What she did took a lot of courage, and I think it's a wonderful human interest story."

Cooper, along with fellow corporate whistleblowers Sherron Watkins (Enron) and Coleen Rowley (FBI), was named one of Time's 2002 Persons of the Year.

Tickets for the Cynthia Cooper event, part of the CMA Alberta Leadership and Innovation Speaker Series, are free and available at the Career Resources Centre (B610).

GET THE FACTS

• A mother of two, Cooper was featured as one of 25 influential working mothers in the November 2004 issue of Working Mother

• Ebbers, the WorldCom co-founder and CEO, was born in Edmonton. He is currently serving a 25-year prison term for his role in the fraud and conspiracy

UNews - Innovation Speaker

Management draws Dragon for talk

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