Two groups of Commerce students traveled to Toronto recently to visit businesses and organizations, as well as Mount Allison alumni. The Commerce Society organized one trip and the second trip to Bay Street was part of Commerce professor Dr. Nauman Farooqi’s investment management class.

The Commerce Society organizes their annual trip, which has historically included visits to Montreal, Boston, and New York. It is designed to give students the opportunity to meet business leaders in a variety of organizations to learn about their organization and industry.

Alumni played an important role in making both trips possible and also talked with students in their organizations.

“The very personal touch and insight into these organizations was a huge contribution to the student experience,” says Dr. Sandy MacIver, director of the Ron Joyce Centre for Business Studies.

The group had the opportunity to meet people in various areas of business, including marketing, accounting, human resources, law, and communications.

“It was great to be able to use concepts we have learned in the classroom, engage in an active discussion about them, and ask meaningful questions by applying our knowledge," says Jonathan Cormier, fourth-year student and executive on the Commerce Society.

The students visited the headquarters of Scotiabank and Royal Bank of Canada, advertising agencies J. Walter Thompson and Saatchi & Saatchi, and the law firm Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. They also attended a presentation and studio tour at Bell Media, a presentation on the Toronto Blue Jays at accounting firm Grant Thornton, and one on the NHL Players Association at the Hockey Hall of Fame. Another highlight of the trip was a dinner hosted by Mount Allison Toronto alumni.

“The investment management class trip gave Commerce students a unique insight into the investment banking industry by meeting professionals and getting a first-hand account of opportunities and challenges offered by the field,” says Farooqi.

The students asked technical questions about the investment industry, as well as questions related to opportunities available in this sector.

“The trip showed the real diversity of jobs within the investment sector, an area many in the class are considering as a future career,” says third-year Commerce student Kathleen Cowie.

“The students are able to understand in a hands-on way what is involved in the different career options in the industry. In some cases they can see themselves in these roles, but in other cases, they can rule it out,” explains Dr. MacIver.

Each of the following alumni and friends made a significant contribution to arranging the trip: Jane Craighead (’80), Steve Arenburg, Melissa Larson, Mara Nickerson (’78), Perry MacDonald (’86), Greg Gallant, Suzanne Sathaseevan, Lisa Allain (’91), Richard Smit (’97), Karl Flanders (’88), Michael Gibbens (’93), Dan Nowlan (’90), Sam Imbeault (’12), Nicholas Cormier (’12), Robert Ogilvie (’05), and Peter Mann (’92).