How did you end up in the Corporate Residency MBA program? Tell us a little about the Mary-Eleanor story.

I was working in marketing/communications for a Crown corporation. I was closing in on my sixth year at Nova Scotia Business Inc. and couldn’t shake the desire to go back to school. I had completed an undergraduate degree in Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University in 2006, and jumped right into a career. I loved my job, but I knew I’d eventually want to get back into the classroom. A fundraising adventure and hike in Nepal led me to finally take the leap and hit the books again. Once I made the decision that I was going to go back to school, I had to make the decision of which program. I met with the faculty and administration at Dalhousie University and appreciated their candid outlook on the program. It’s new and it’s got a lot to offer. You learn a range of subjects and meet many new people with a diverse mix of skills and backgrounds. I also found the residency component appealing; who wouldn’t want to gain more work experience and make new connections?

Where are you working for your Corporate Residency and what is it like so far?

I am working for Scotia Mocatta, the precious and base metals division of Scotiabank in Toronto, Ontario. It has been an exciting and challenging adventure thus far. This is a big departure from marketing/communications, and in some ways, a steep learning curve. I’m being assigned a range of work and have been exposed to many areas of the bank. I’ve learned a lot and I’m only two months in!

Tell us about the first six months of the MBA program? How did it prepare you for what you’re doing now?

The first six months of the program had their ups and downs. It took some time to get used to the student life again. I really enjoyed the orientation where the cohort was taken on a road trip to get to know one another. It was a great way to kick off the program and I appreciated getting to know the others in the cohort.

It certainly helped prepare me for what I’m doing now. I had never been previously exposed to the banking industry, and the first six months certainly set the right foundation for my residency. The best experience I had in the first six months is reflected in the people who are part of my cohort. I’ve learned equal amounts from my fellow students as I have from my professors.

Do you know what you want to do after graduation?

I wish I had an answer to this question, but not just yet. I’m certainly exposing myself to a new industry here in Toronto, but it’s still early and I’m not sure if this is the direction I want to take. I’m also not sure if marketing/communications is an avenue I want to revisit. There a lot of questions yet to be answered, but what I do know is that travel and volunteer work is an ambition of mine. I’ll definitely be adding this into my post-graduation plans.

What would you say to someone who’s thinking of applying today?

I would say to that person, explore it and see if it’s for you. It’s a big decision and not one that you should take lightly. I took time to determine that this program was the right step. I would also say that faculty and administration are more than happy to meet with interested students – take advantage of this opportunity. Meet with as many people as you can and gain different perspectives.

Michelle Ernest (Corporate Residency MBA 2011) is working at her dream job as an Implementation Specialist at lululemon athletica in Vancouver.

For this week’s blog, we sit down for a Q&A with Dex Gittens—a student in the Class of 2012 who worked at RBC Recruitment and Learning in Toronto for his Corporate Residency. Enjoy!

How did you end up in the Corporate Residency MBA program?

In grade 12, I didn’t know where I wanted to go for university. Our [high-school's] counsellor had all of the grade 12s cycle through his office. He looked at my transcript, looked at me, and asked me what I wanted to do. I told him I wanted to do something business-related. He said, “Okay, business-related… have you considered Western?” I looked into it and based on my own research (plus what he said), I applied and I got in. So I went to Western.

At Western, I did economics and management and some finance, and fell in love with economics. In third and fourth year, I started to really think about what I was going to do after graduation. My mom is an accountant, but I wasn’t sure if that was my calling, so I started looking at MBAs and schools where I could potentially go. In the end, I was torn between a couple but I chose Dal because I didn’t feel like just a number when I was applying, I guess you could say. And so I came here. So far it’s been awesome.

Where did you work for your Corporate Residency and what was it like?

I worked for RBC Recruitment and Learning in Toronto. The person who recruited me actually turned out to be my boss for the eight months. Of all the interviews I had, he made me feel the most comfortable. I knew it was the best fit for me. On top of that, I had always wanted to work for RBC. So when I got the role, it was something of a dream come true for me. My manager was so excited about having me on-board and telling me about what I’d be doing, and that got me really excited about it as well.

Come January, I ended up working on a number of projects and my manager was there coaching me throughout, encouraging me to do more, to take on more—to push myself. I got to work in different areas of the bank, because Recruitment kind of covers all of them, so I was able to learn a lot about all of these different business functions. I also had to deal with a lot of change from day to day—in one department, things would move in third gear and in another they would move in fifth gear. I got to work for different managers as well, and this was one of the most helpful aspects of the whole experience.

What did you take away from your Corporate Residency? How did it contribute to your personal and professional development?

What makes RBC as great as they are is that they invest a lot in their people. Part of that is weekly mentorship, which I had with my managers. What I learned quickly was that in order to add value to your team, you have to speak up. You can’t just sit and take notes and not say anything. In meetings, I would have these thoughts, like “why are we doing it this way?”, and I would have other questions, but I wouldn’t raise them. Then, after the meeting, in a ‘safer’ environment, I would pose the questions to my team. The people I was working closely with would then ask me why I didn’t say anything during the meeting. I would say something like, “I thought everyone else was thinking the same thing.” To that, one of my mentors encouraged me by responding: “Well, I didn’t think of it, so you should have said it!” That was an ongoing challenge for me, having the confidence to speak up. It was a struggle on my own, but the mentoring that RBC provided helped me get past it. Once I did, things sort of opened up for me—a lot of opportunities started coming my way. Soon enough, I was learning about change management and stakeholder engagement and even leading or co-leading certain initiatives.

Everything I was learning was really validated when [Program Director] Dr. Scott Comber and [Corporate Residency Manager] Ally Howard came to see me in early March. They passed on the glowing things that were being said about me and this really affirmed my confidence in speaking up going forward.

What do you want to do after graduation later this year, and more long-term in the future?

Near the end of my residency, I started thinking ahead to what next steps would look like. Coming back to Halifax, I knew I would have to maintain the strong relationships I had built during my 8 months in Toronto—which might lead to a potential job down the line. The best way to do so, I thought, was to work part-time for the bank while I was back in school. I brought the idea to my managers and worked with them to perfect my résumé and cover letter to their standards—each of which took two months (or about 50 iterations)! On one of my last days at the bank, it was sent to some higher-up people in Toronto and then on to RBC’s offices in Halifax. So [beginning this month], I’ll be working part-time for RBC here in Halifax, which keeps me connected to the bank—which is great. After graduation, working for RBC is what I’m pushing for right now, and I’m currently interviewing for a number of opportunities there.

More long-term, I think Commercial Banking is what I want to do. The reason for that—which is one thing I learned while I was at the bank—is the importance of having what’s called a broad base of skills in order to be successful. This is what I’m developing through my MBA, and especially through the Corporate Residency component, and in working part-time for the bank. I’m trying to set myself up for success.

How have you developed since you started the Corporate Residency MBA? What has it done for you?

The Corporate Residency MBA has broadened my perspective, which is what an MBA is supposed to do. In undergrad, I wasn’t sure what a business degree meant, but now I have a good idea. You’re supposed to be good at a variety of things, and I’ve definitely gotten that so far. In your first year, you have mandatory courses, but in your second it’s more about taking classes that are suited for you. I’ve tried my best to push myself outside my comfort zone and take classes and get myself involved in things that I might not have before.

Reflecting on who I am now versus who I was then, it’s more or less a confidence thing. If you’re confident in your ability to do things and what you bring to the table with a team, that’s all that matters. The biggest thing for me has been with presentations. I used to be terrified of them and now I’m doing case competitions. I can deal with stress and a busy schedule better than I could before. In addition to the case competitions, I’m serving on the MBA Society and generally just taking on way too much—but managing it. I’m working with different people in more diverse groups, rather than the same people all the time, and learning different ways of solving problems—because I know now that this is how the real world works.

Cristina Castronovo (class of 2011) was offered a job as an Associate Brand Manager with Johnson & Johnson after her Corporate Residency. Find out how the Corporate Residency MBA program helped her fast-track her career and transition from science to the business world.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is the Michelle Ernest story?

Ahh, the Michelle Ernest story. How much time do you have? A cup of coffee or a bottle of wine?

It was a glorious and sunny summer day in 1987 when…
Not that kind of story? OK, here’s the summarized version of the past few years: I completed my undergraduate degree at Acadia University in Wolfville, NS. I majored in Business with a focus in Marketing and a secondary focus in Music and Spanish. I spent an invigorating summer working for one of Halifax’s top advertising agencies and fell further in love with the wild and wonderful advertising world. I had plans to return to said agency after I graduated from Acadia. Unfortunately, 2009 wasn’t the greatest year to jump into the business world and, as my agency was downsizing, my job became no more. I decided that it was an opportune time to return to the classroom.

I always knew I would get my MBA one day; what I hadn’t expected was that that day had arrived! I loved Halifax and wanted to spend more time in the city, and had formerly worked on the advertising campaign of Dalhousie’s (then-new) Corporate Residency MBA so I already knew the program intimately. I quickly turned around my application and GMAT and was on my way to starting school, again. I knew early on from my experience with and knowledge of lululemon that my dream job would be to ultimately end up in their head office. However, I also knew that I had a long way to go before that could happen! I had finished my Corporate Residency with Aon and was just about to commit to returning upon graduation! I was excited about starting my career with Aon, knew that it was an excellent company and felt confident with my choice. I looked forward to becoming a strong business leader within Aon, hoping that the role would position me well for a possible opportunity with lululemon later in my professional life. And the stars must have been aligned that week because before I had officially accepted a position with Aon, I received an offer from lululemon athletica (the result of making my goals known, a powerful conversation, and being in a pipeline transparent to lululemon’s leadership team). It was my dream that came true, and the rest will be history.

What are you doing now? Where do you work and what do you do there?

I work for one of the best companies in the world.

I was the first to be hired into lululemon’s new Advanced Management Program, whereby high-potential individuals are brought into the company in a type of an accelerated work environment. This group of peeps has since grown to almost a dozen, and we are still and always looking for greatness (wink wink)!

I work on the Operational Solutions team as a project manager where I get to create, develop and execute special projects to make the stores more efficient and awesome, and thusly to better the company as a whole. Ops Solutions is essentially the funnel between every department at the head office, and our 191 North American stores and showrooms. I get to work one-on-one with the stores’ leadership teams—training them on new projects and initiatives, coaching them on best practices and how to utilize these initiatives, troubleshooting any operational issues that might arise, and establishing rapports and relationships. To complement this, I also get to work with many of our cross-functional departments to bridge the gap between the retail floor and what goes on “behind the scenes”.

So in a nutshell, I get to play and be creative and strategic and work with a ton of outstanding, fun, smart people. Everyday. Hellooo dream job!

Where did you work during your corporate residency? Tell us about it.

I worked for Aon Risk Services. I was a Strategic Business Advisor for Eastern Canada but worked in a unique position as I was based in Halifax, working for a group of individuals in Toronto, traveling all over Eastern Canada! I worked on two projects for Aon—one to help identify new market opportunities and another to further strengthen and enhance Aon’s existing client-relationships and accounts. It was a tremendous opportunity and I thoroughly enjoyed working with our teams across Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Although we were working specifically on projects pertaining to Aon, the skills I developed through establishing rapports with individuals, mostly via phone or email, are transferrable into any role where cross-functional relationship-building is an asset and an advantage.

What was the biggest challenge you faced during your corporate residency?

My biggest challenge actually doubled as the greatest advantage! The nature of my projects at Aon (and the geography between me and the other offices) meant that I would be in a type of a self-managing role. I knew this coming into the position, and was excited about it. I appreciate and thrive in an independent work environment, and this was great for me, but also challenging at times. There was a high level of accountability that came with many of the decisions I made, so I had to be 100% confident and make sure that each choice and decision was calculated, worthwhile and appropriately supported.

Your job at lululemon is a dream job to many people. How did you make it a reality?

And MY dream job, as well!

I’ve never been a big fan of leaving things to chance or taking the proverbial back seat. I wholly believe in myself to accomplish great things, but nothing is going to fall into my lap. I learned a long time ago that I have to make my own good fortune happen. However, despite a commitment to always being in action, I can’t take all the credit for bringing my dream into reality. As I mentioned before, the timing was perfect—a week or two later and we might not be having this conversation. I also had a great mentor who not only knew me well enough to know in which department my skills and personality would be a perfect fit, but who also took a stand for what I am capable of and what I can deliver and change in this world.

Where do you see yourself in one year? Five years?

By this time next year I hope to have become a Operations Manager in my department, in the process of preparing for a 6-month position with the Ops team at the head office in Melbourne to help train and leverage their department to support the growing Australian market.

Five years? Still with lululemon, though not necessarily in Vancouver. You might catch me back on the East Coast, south of the border with our US operations, or maybe even opening our first showroom in the Caribbean!

If you were to reflect on your experience in the Corporate Residency MBA program, how have you changed? What do you think sets this program apart? Why would you tell someone to apply?

I remember Dr. Scott Comber said once: “an MBA is about volume and production”.  Regardless of what project you’re working on or what spreadsheet you’re analyzing or case study you’re picking apart, it’s not necessarily about the type of work you are doing but the way you are doing the work. My MBA was, in two words, fast and fun. My job at lululemon is, in two words, fast and fun. Because of the way I learned to work and suceed in my MBA, I am fully prepared to thrive in this role. It’s important to work hard and have fun, but each of those is only most rewarding when complemented by the other. If you’re just looking for a three-letter acronym behind your name, go to the cheapest and easiest business school you can find. If you’re looking for an MBA that focuses on both the professional and personal side of business, open your eyes to Dalhousie’s program. Integrity isn’t a core value, but rather the foundation upon which your values should be built. Dal’s MBA—built on integrity—masters the combination of soft skills and hard skills, creates valuable opportunities to expand your network and work on real-world business cases, and does an exceptional job preparing you for what you will encounter entering the work force.

Of course, it doesn’t end there. There are more presentations today, MBA Society elections this week, reports due this week and next, case and interview competitions this month and a seemingly endless to-do list of other ‘deliverables’ on the Class of 2013′s calendar.

Through it all, maintaining a sense of humour and having some fun occasionally—what you might call ‘the lighter side of the Dal MBA’—has been essential.

After the particularly grueling 72-hour integrative case project on the last weekend of October, most of the class was recovering and getting ready for Dr. Nason’s class the next morning. That usually means putting the finishing touches on that week’s assignment, reading a few newspapers to know what’s going on in the world of finance and perhaps doing some extra problems from the textbook for practice.

But for first-year Corporate Residency MBA student Christie Lang, getting ready for class the next day (which happened to be Halloween) meant doing all of the above, plus a little something… extra. To be specific, it meant fashioning 36 bow ties out of craft-store cloth and 36 sets of eyeglasses out of pipe-cleaners. Now, the perfectly logical question is: why? Many of us know how hard it is to make one Halloween costume—never mind 36 of them!

As most of the class was glumly resigned to not dressing up for the occasion this year, given how much work there was to be done, Christie and a few others had thought of an idea to bring a little bit of the Halloween spirit to Dr. Nason’s finance class.

You see, aside from his brilliant, inspirational lectures and boundless knowledge of all things finance (well, business in general), Dr. Nason is well-known around the Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building for his distinctive attire. He can be counted on, day in and day out, to be sporting one of his trademark bow-ties, cuff-links, and spectacles—as you can see in the photograph above (with Ms. Lang herself).

So the idea, and the reason Christie spent Sunday evening making all those glasses and bow-ties, was to have the whole class dress up as Dr. Nason the next day, both as a bit of Halloween fun and as a tribute to one of the program’s outstanding administrators, professors, staff and supporters—the people who truly make the Corporate Residency MBA program what it is, and who often don’t get all the recognition they deserve.

Thanks to Christie’s efforts that Sunday, and the students who shared the idea in the first place, Dr. Nason arrived in class last Monday morning to a group of eager-to-learn look-alikes, not to mention a customized soundtrack (put together by fellow first-year MBA student Kareem Sobaih) with the words “Richard Nason” blasting over the loudspeakers. To the delight of the class, he was happy to oblige by dancing his way over to the podium to introduce that day’s quote and start his lecture.

Throughout the morning, other faculty such as Marketing professor Dan Shaw and Personal & Professional Effectiveness instructor (and Director of the Corporate Residency MBA program) Dr. Scott Comber came by to see all of the ‘little Nasons’ in their Halloween garb. Laughs were shared, and a few photographs were taken. All in all: thanks to the efforts of students like Christie, it was a much-needed occasion to relax for a moment and enjoy ‘the lighter side of the Dal MBA’.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is the James Ewart story?

I’ve moved around a lot in my life. I grew up in England, living there from 1993 to 2000 before coming back to Canada. Since I’ve been back, I have lived in Oakville, Ontario, where I went to high school. Since I was always strong in science I decided to go into Engineering. I attended Queen’s University where I completed a degree in Chemical Engineering and majored in the biomedical aspect of this field. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in original research in the field of biomaterials, by completing a senior thesis project centred on a specific polymer used in controlled-release devices.

Originally my intention was to try to become a doctor or get a Master’s in Engineering, but I found as I progressed through my undergrad and various summer jobs that my skills were better suited to the business world. Hence, I now find myself at Dalhousie in the Corporate Residency MBA program.

What are your personal strengths? What sets James Ewart apart?

I would say that my world experience and my technical background give me very solid grounding. I think my Engineering education gave me a very good tool set to learn and integrate new information, not only of a technical nature but also in the world of business. I also think that growing up in Europe allowed me to better understand divergent cultures and viewpoints.

Those who know me have heard me speak at great length about my experiences as a SCUBA diver. Apart from being a very enjoyable hobby, it has taught me some very useful skills. Being able to remain calm and level-headed in stressful situations is truly invaluable, not only in the world of academia but also in the workforce. Also, on a personal level, I would consider myself very persistent, patient and driven. I always want to try and be better; I don’t believe there is a cap to a skill and one should always be striving to improve. At the same time, I understand not rushing into things and would consider the ability to not make snap decisions very valuable.

You’re the only engineer in the Class of 2013. Tell us how this background has prepared you for your MBA, as well as any advantages or disadvantages it’s had.

I think the strong grounding in mathematics gives me an edge because it allows me to concentrate more on the concepts rather than getting the mechanics right. Certain areas in the business world can be very technical and I think that coming from a technical background allows me to excel in these areas. The one disadvantage is that by spending the last several years thinking primarily about science, I did not have a strong grasp of some purely business-related subject matter. Engineering at Queen’s did include business in the curriculum but the level of detail was nowhere near a pure undergrad in business.

Tell us about your work experience. What do you want to do in your career?

My experience has been limited to summer jobs. I worked for two summers at the Molson/Coors brewery in Toronto in their fermentation department and spent last summer at a contract manufacturer for the cosmetics industry called Cosmetica.

For a career I want to leverage my engineering skills in the business world and combine those with the new skills I am learning from my MBA.

Where will you be for your corporate residency? What will you be doing there, as far as you know?

For my corporate residency I will be working at Aon Reed Stenhouse in Toronto in their risk management division.

What are your thoughts about the curriculum so far? What has been your favourite class?

So far the curriculum has been great. It has been very refreshing to start learning subjects that are 100% new to me and so far have been very interesting. My favourite class has definitely been finance. The reason: I get to utilize my mathematical and Excel skills as well as learn concepts I find to be very interesting and useful.

What extra-curricular activities have you gotten involved with? How has this contributed to your MBA experience so far?

My main extra-curricular activity has been my part-ownership in Coburg Consultants. I have found this to be a great experience because I get to apply what I learn in class. I think the ability to put concepts into practice while learning them has helped solidify my knowledge in these areas.

What would you say to an engineer who might be thinking of applying to the Corporate Residency MBA program?

I would say: go for it! Coming to business school adds a whole new range of skills that sometimes Engineering graduates lack. I think that regardless of whether you decide to go down a purely science route or a purely business route, the skills learned through both engineering and an MBA complement each other. A person who decides on a pure science route could definitely benefit from knowing how to be a more effective manager and how the science fits into the strategic plans of their corporation. I also think that someone purely in the business route can benefit from understanding the more technical nuts-and-bolts of how some companies design and manufacture products.

In this space, he’s told the stories of so many people in the program, including those of nearly all his classmates in the Class of 2011. This was the inaugural class of the Corporate Residency MBA, which was launched in 2009, and the first to graduate from the program this past spring—which makes Jordy the first-ever Corporate Residency MBA alumnus to be featured here. And the first time anyone other than Jordy has told his story. So here it is.

Jordy Fujiwara grew up in Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia. He was quiet growing up—a surprise to anyone who knows him as the fun-loving, outgoing guy he is today—and considered himself a bit of a “nerd” as a youngster. He did well in high school, then went off to Dal to study Computer Science, which, even as a self-styled “nerd”, he eventually decided wasn’t for him and switched to Psychology. This became his major and he stuck with it for the next four years.

With the “real world” beckoning after convocation, and unsure of what to do next, he decided to apply for the Corporate Residency MBA program (which was just starting at the time). And the rest, as they say, is history.

Before we get into that, though, I asked Jordy to update us on what he’s doing now.

“I am working on full-time contract with the full-service communications company Colour Creative Persuasion. In short, the ad agency Colour. We do everything from PR to TV spots to social media training to radio and print. It’s a great gig. I’ve had like four titles since starting there… I’ve basically been put on an unofficial rotation term, filling spots where voids occur.”

He started off as Digital Community Liaison (read: Community Manager), handling Nova Scotia Tourism’s Facebook page and other social media platforms. More recently, he’s been working as an Account Coordinator on their Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC) business. As an aside: the agency has just revamped their website (www.colour.ca)—check it out (and scroll down) to see Jordy’s photo along with his new title!

The work that Jordy is doing now for Colour is thanks in large part to what he chose to do for his residency in the MBA program. Rather than taking the well-worn path of working for a big, established company, he chose to blaze his own trail. He and classmate Randel Madell purchased a student-owned consulting firm called Coburg Consultants Ltd., and Jordy ran the business full-time for his 8-month residency. In short, he got to work for himself for 8 months!

“It was an interesting work term, different and arguably riskier than other folks’ because I wasn’t directly establishing myself with a company.

Our main contract was the Corporate Residence MBA social media campaign, which is the contract that kicked off this blog, incidentally. We also sold advertising spots on our reusable calendar product, called the Informer. And there were some market research gigs and fairly big business plan creation deals.

I used a lot of my time on the work term polishing my social media and digital marketing skills so I could emerge with a degree and a specific skill-set. I also met my primary contact at Colour during my work term.”

This kind of entrepreneurial residency proved to be “an amazing differentiator,” he says, but it was not without its challenges.

“At times, it was tough living with an irregular paycheque and knowing that it was all down to me and my business partner to make it a success.”

One of the best parts of the experience, he says, was writing this blog.

“Because of the blog, I was able to touch base with 90% of my classmates (100% of the “away” ones) during their residency. And not just a “hey, what’s up” touching-base, but a highly personal event—writing their Corporate Residency MBA story. This kept me connected to them in a subtle but ultimately very meaningful way. I had some insight into everyone’s residency, and they into mine. I grew closer to the whole class in a sense, which was very rewarding.

To describe it in more concrete terms, a lot of us are friends for life now. We felt like we’d all known each other for years and years just three months in. I would feel comfortable ringing up 90% of the class 10 years from now out of the blue and seeing if I could crash on their couch. I would go out of my way to help any of them, without question, ever. Through the fire and brimstone that the program throws at you, we all stuck it out and supported each other. We shared the bad times and we sure as hell shared the good ones, too. Not once did anyone really burn out or abandon anyone (at least, not in my experience). If you do this for 22 months straight, then you get a very strong bond.”

Reflecting on his own personal growth over those 22 months, Jordy likens it to a personal 180°:

“I came from a nerdy, quiet background. I entered the program as a passive kind of dude, and came out as this guy eager and hungry to network and start making changes happen. I was hugely, indescribably energized by my incredible peers.”

As for what else makes this program special, and why he would encourage someone to apply, he says:

“This program is set apart by simply being aware that the old MBA model is dusty and becoming obsolete. It was built on asking business leaders what they really wanted from an MBA program… and then actually implementing a program that delivers it. This attracts faculty and students who share that view, and breeds a curriculum that embraces self-awareness and corporate social responsibility.

I usually start my recommendation for this program by telling people that it changed my life. That’s usually a good hook.”

Michele Brown is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, where she studied Health Science and Biology. After graduation, she worked at the Middlesex–London Health Unit (dealing with vector-borne diseases) before deciding to start her MBA here at Dalhousie University. And for her Corporate Residency, she accepted a role as an Assistant Brand Manager at Johnson & Johnson. Michele lists a number of reasons that made this particular opportunity so appealing: “It’s a global, values-based company with well-established brands and a major employer in my hometown of Markham, Ontario—and it also allowed me to leverage my health science background.”

For her Corporate Residency, Michele was responsible for helping to develop and implement both long-term strategic brand marketing plans and annual business plans for Johnson & Johnson. She also provided analysis and recommendations on in-market results to senior management, and worked with cross-functional teams on launches of new products and claims including, in one instance, the development and launch of a social media campaign!

Michele has a great story about her Corporate Residency that speaks to the importance of differentiating yourself—or ‘branding’ yourself, in other words:

“The first day on the job, the group brand director sat me down and said, ‘There are two things you will need to be able to do to be successful here:

1) You need to be able to think strategically. This is much harder to teach, so we hope you have it in you. However, having great ideas isn’t good enough, you need to also be able to…

2) … demonstrate leadership. Without that ability, you’ll never be able to convince/gain alignment of cross-functional partners or the executives to your great ideas, in which case they will never be executed and will therefore be useless to us.’

This is something I worked hard at over the course of the eight months and am still working to improve. As I wrap my mind around the idea of ‘selling my ideas’, I find myself participating a lot more in class this year, and taking more risks with the suggestions I make.”

Michele has just accepted an offer from J&J and will be returning full-time as an Assistant Brand Manager in their Marketing Department after graduation. Five years from now, she hopes to be a Brand Manager or Senior Brand Manager with Johnson & Johnson.

Congratulations, Michele!

Looking back on her experience with the Corporate Residency MBA program to date, she says:

“I can say with absolute certainty that I have changed ten-fold since I’ve been in the program—particularly since I’ve returned from my Corporate Residency. I was definitely shy when I entered the program in July 2010. I looked at my fellow classmates and the ‘second-years’ with an unbelievable sense of awe and admiration.

However, I’ve since realized that my experiences are worth sharing, too! My time at J&J has given me a huge confidence boost. One of the most important things I learned there was that strategic thinking does not equal strategic contribution. You can’t just be thinking great ideas, you have to share them and sell people on them! You have to get other people as excited about your ideas as you are if you want them to be implemented, and that takes leadership and charisma.

Not only did I learn how to manage a consumer brand when I worked at J&J, but I learned that I have to manage the Michele Brown brand, too.”

In that long-ago edition, our former editor (and noted social media guru) Jordy Fujiwara thought it would be cool to make a bit of a splash with the weekly interview format by taking it into the previously uncharted waters of social media: namely, Twitter. And rather than interviewing a then-current student, he decided to exchange 140-character questions and answers with me, a fourth-year student at Queen’s University at the time, who had recently been accepted to the Corporate Residency MBA program.

I, too, had taken an interest in social media, particularly by starting the Facebook group for the Class of 2012. And that interest continues. In fact, I’ve taken a leading role, along with my partners at Coburg Consultants Ltd. (fellow Corporate Residency MBA students James Ewart, Blake Jeffrey and Sean A. Sinclair), in managing the Class of 2013’s presence on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, as well as in this very blog!

But wait a minute! I was the founder of the Facebook group for the Class of 2012, not 2013! How is it that I’m now so involved with the Class of 2013?

The short answer is that I’m now part of the Class of 2013! I chose to defer my acceptance for one year in order to gain some work experience before starting the program. I landed a job at an advertising agency in Toronto, where I worked primarily on the company’s TELUS and Scotiabank International accounts, and even got to do some in-house consulting on social media, of all things, and where it may be headed in the future!

What’s most fascinating about looking back at our “Twitterview” nearly a year and a half later is how few of my answers I would change. Even today, when people ask me the moment, or the reason, that I knew I wanted to be part of this program, I tell them the same thing I told Jordy then: it was Dean Peggy Cunningham’s interview with the Globe and Mail in March 2009. It’s also interesting to reflect on the potential employers I had in mind 17 months ago—especially since, just last month, I accepted an offer from one of them, American Express, and will be starting my corporate residency there (in Ottawa, specifically) in January!

Most of all, though, the words that resonate are these (if you’ll allow me the indulgence of quoting myself, for the first and last time ever):

“I would say: if you think this MBA program is for you, it probably is. The people are first-class every step of the way. Apply!”

If I could ‘re-tweet’ anything from our “Twitterview” that day, that would certainly be it.

So there you have it: my unique perspective on the Corporate Residency MBA program here at Dalhousie University. Since I’m inheriting this blog from the recently graduated Jordy Fujiwara, I thank him for his pioneering efforts writing about the program and the wonderful people in it over the past two years. He will continue to be a friend of the blog, and I look forward to telling the stories of our students, alumni, professors, administrators and partners in the way that he did so well.