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Giving to UNB

The Gerry Pond Experiential Learning Fund

 

Gerry Pond's Mission and Legacy

Gerry PondGlobal sales capacity is a challenge in Atlantic Canada. Gerry Pond and Frank McKenna are enhancing our region’s export capabilities. As an innovative leader at NBTel, Gerry Pond drove the digital economy forward, fostering growth in emerging digital industries.

Gerry’s commitment to nurturing talent has led to many new ventures and prosperity for our region. His experience in building and scaling companies has catalyzed the growth of over 50 startups across Atlantic Canada.

Gerry advocates for equipping business students with skills to navigate future sales challenges, including AI. Ensuring Atlantic businesses are prepared to lead in a global sales landscape is his priority.

 

 

The fund's goal

The McKenna Institute and Mariner Partners aim to raise $250,000 to $500,000 to endow the Gerry Pond Professional Sales & Business Development Experiential Learning Fund. This endowment will uphold Gerry’s legacy and create learning opportunities for MBA students.

Would you consider making a leadership gift to help endow this fund? Your investment will help UNB grow our region’s capacity to build and sell globally from Atlantic Canada.

 

What your support will accomplish

The Gerry Pond Professional Sales & Business Development Experiential Learning Fund will provide valuable learning opportunities for students in the UNB Saint John MBA program or senior undergraduate students interested in sales and business development. It will support grants of $8,000 to $10,000 for full-time applied work terms.

Your leadership gift will help build the fund’s endowment to support two student grants per year. Each work term will provide nine to 13 weeks of experience, linked with industry partner-hosted projects, co-op experiences, capstone projects, UNB Saint John-led digital sales research projects or case studies, or UNB Saint John-led business community outreach initiatives with a digital sales component.

 

Join us to build global sales skills

This is an opportunity for businesses to engage in public outreach promoting digital export and global sales culture in New Brunswick.

By working with the McKenna Institute and UNB, your leadership gift will:

  • Incentivize students to pursue or further careers in professional sales and business development.
  • Provide networking opportunities and meaningful work experiences.
  • Bring university and industry partners together to foster digital sales.
  • Support research initiatives exploring effective sales strategies in digital and international contexts.
  • Facilitate student-led problem-solving efforts focused on digital sales.
  • Support students in acquiring skills to sell digital technologies in international markets.

We hope you will join Mariner Partners and The McKenna Institute in making charitable investments to help endow the Gerry Pond Professional Sales & Business Development Experiential Learning Fund. The future of digital export sales education in New Brunswick begins here, with you.

Give now

CRAIG POOLE
Associate Director, Campaigns
UNB Development and Donor Relations
(506) 452-6045
cpoole@unb.ca

ADRIENNE OLDFORD
Executive Director
McKenna Institute
(506) 962-2575
adrienne.oldford@unb.ca