Alumni Stories
When people ask us, "What can you do with a business degree?", we like to say the possibilities are endless.
BBA and MBA graduates from the UNB Fredericton campus go on to experience careers in a variety of businesses, professions, industries and locations. Some of them know exactly what kind of career they want while they're still at UNB; others find themselves following a path that that they never dreamed of. No matter where they end up, their stories are interesting.
What follows are stories about some of the graduates we recently linked up with.
Andy Buyting (BBA '95), President, Green Village Services
Andy Buyting earned his BBA degree in 1995, and has now taken over his family's business, Green Village. He also wrote a detailed and insightful book entitled The Retailer's Roadmap to Success - 33 Secrets for Driving Your Business to the Next Level.
Andy is currently the President of Green Village Services, which owns and operates Green Village Home & Garden as well as Green Village Landscape & Design, both in Fredericton and in Moncton.
Andy is involved in several organizations, including the Toronto chapter of Entrepreneur's Organization. He is also a graduate of the Birthing of Giants at M.I.T. in Boston as well as a member of the Gathering of Titans at M.I.T., a continuation of Birthing of Giants. In his spare time, Andy also blogs on small business and retailing in a joint effort with Moneris Solutions at www.myretailer.ca.
Andy remarks, "The best part about what I've done is being an entrepreneur. Working for myself has been very rewarding. Going to UNB Fredericton and obtaining my BBA allowed me to learn many different aspects about business and business theory. It gave me a good solid base to be able to grow from. With a solid base of knowledge, I was able to think at a higher level and articulate much more clearly. Someone once told me that university teaches you how to think, and I think they're right. Without it, I don't think I would have been able to do what I do. From writing business and marketing plans, to presenting to investors, to managing staff, I really don't think I'd be as effective without my degree."
Calvin Milbury (MBA '02), President & CEO, New Brunswick Innovation Foundation
Calvin earned his MBA degree in May, 2002. A year later he joined the newly launched New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF) to help set up and manage a venture capital fund. Since then, Calvin has helped NBIF complete venture capital investments in over twenty innovative, growth companies in New Brunswick.
Calvin was appointed to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer for NBIF. on April 1st, 2009. Prior to being named CEO, he spent five years acting as vice-president.
"What makes my work interesting and exciting is that there is no set routine per se. Each day brings a new adventure, be it an investment opportunity to analyze, a business challenge to overcome, or a deal to negotiate. My MBA not only provided me with the business knowledge and skills that I require to carry out my work, but it also enhanced my problem solving capabilities and overall discipline. The MBA experience helped ready me for the reality of business and challenges ahead.
'For me, the part of the UNB Fredericton MBA that I valued most was the opportunity to apply what I had learned in the classroom to real life business situations. Many of my courses included a practical component where students worked together on real projects for real companies. Those projects allowed me to gain hands-on experience working with organizations within the business community. I not only discovered the true nature of business, but I also learned how to interact and work with business professionals. These opportunities for experiential learning greatly enriched my overall experience at UNB."
Andrew Ferrier (BBA '80), CEO, Fonterra Co-operative Group
Graduating from the BBA program in 1980, Andrew Ferrier has since gone on to enjoy a fascinating career, including more than 20 years at the senior executive level. His career has taken him around the world from Canada and the United States to Mexico and the United Kingdom.
Currently Ferrier is the Chief Executive Officer for the Fonterra Co-operative Group, based in Auckland, New Zealand, a position he has held since 2003. Fonterra is New Zealand's largest company and the largest exporter of Dairy Products in the world with annual revenues of about $17 billion New Zealand dollars.
Ferrier was also recently awarded the Faculty's highest honour, the Certificate of Achievement, at the 20th Annual Business Awards Dinner. Andrew was profiled in our Spring/Summer 2009 faculty newsletter, FBA Connections; to read more about his story, click here.
Jeff Brown (BBA '82), President, Pratt Lambert & Brown Insurance
For BBA Class of 1982 graduate Jeff Brown, life is about more then simply finding a job, doing a little travel, and maybe settling down and starting a family and a career somewhere. Brown is helping countless people in Africa by promoting a simple and low-cost water purification system.
Brown is currently the president of Pratt Lambert & Brown Insurance, but he is also working with the Kenmar Foundation that supports Canadian based charities wanting to carry out solar water disinfection work in developing nations.
Brown's first attempt to help people in Africa involved plans for a water bottling facility in Nigeria. They raised over $40,000 for the project, but once the money was transferred to Africa every penny was lost to corruption. Brown then turned to the simplest and most efficient process he could find, that would not be susceptible to corruption. And that is solar water disinfection.
Jeff was profiled in our Spring/Summer 2009 faculty newsletter, FBA Connections; to read more about his story, click here.
Tom Liston (BBA '96), Director of Research, Versant Partners
Tom Liston earned his BBA degree with a concentration in finance in 1996, and he has since become one of the brightest stars on Bay Street. StarMine, one of the world's most trusted sources for analyst performance measurement, ranked Liston as the top stock analyst in the software sector in 2007.
Liston is currently the Director of Research as well as an Equity and Research Analyst for Software and IT Services. He works with Versant Partners, an investment bank based in Toronto that serves institutional money managers and Canadian growth companies with equity research, stock trading, M&A advisory and equity underwriting services.
Tom was profiled in the Fall/Winter 2008 issue of our faculty newsletter, FBA Connections; to read more about his story, click here.
Peter Weldon (BBA '96), Executive Director, Fixed Income and Currencies Department, CIBC World Markets
Peter Weldon graduated from UNB with a BBA and BA in Economics (1996), and has since gone on to a long and exciting international career. After graduation, Weldon went to Bay Street and began as a cold-caller and worked his way up to a Corporate Debt Analyst with what company?
In 2006, Weldon was transferred from the Toronto office to London, England, where he currently works as the Executive Director in the Fixed Income and Currencies Department with CIBC World Markets.
"My current job has really allowed me to see the business from a global perspective, which is what you need when you work in a bond business," stated Weldon. "Working in London forces you to have a completely global view at all times."
Peter was profiled in the Fall/Winter 2008 faculty newsletter, FBA Connections; to read more about his story, click here.
