Waterloo's Economics Society hosted its annual three-day conference for 2015 last month from March 10 - 12 in EIT 1015.
Each night featured different professionals from assorted backgrounds and careers including UWaterloo Alumnus Brian Depratto. Alongside these industry experts, Waterloo's very own Economics professors, Emma Pierard, Kathleen Rodenburg, and Dinghai Xu, demonstrated how their course materials can directly benefit students in their career endeavours.
There were a total of twelve speakers that presented throughout the conference:
| Speaker | Position | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| Mr. Tony DiEmanuele | President/CEO | Mohawk Shared Services |
| Ms. Rosanne Li | Research Analyst | Ontario Ministry of Economic Development |
| Dr. Emmanuelle Pierard | Assistant Professor | University of Waterloo |
| Dr. Olaf Weber | Associate Professor/Program Director | University of Waterloo |
| Mr. Varun Shangari | Workforce Analyst | BMO Financial Group |
| Dr. Dinghai Xu | Associate Professor | University of Waterloo |
| Mr. Brian DePratto | Economist | TD Bank Group |
| Mr. Attila Varga | Head of FX IT Porfolio Management | RBC Capital Markets |
| Marc Hurwitz | Author/CIO | FlipSkills |
| Aleena Mazhar | Group Account Director/New Business Lead | BOOM! Marketing |
|
Dr. Kathleen Rodenburg |
Professor | University of Waterloo |
| Markus Grupp | Manager of Apps & Service Design | Telus |
The free-of charge-event was open to all students regardless of faculty or major. Following the presentations, a networking session gave students and presenters an opportunity to connect and discuss "what's next".
Tickets were sold out for the event well in advance, but at-the-door admissions were also accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Dinner and goodies were kindly provided by the Economics Society during the event.
The conference was segmented into three topics; one topic per day. Day one discussed the private sector and service, while day two highlighted banking and finance. Day three concluded the event with a look at marketing and entrepreneurship.
Day one - Private Sector and Service
The first day of the conference opened with a look at the private sector and service industry. The speakers not only gave course suggestions for successful careers in this field, but also provided first-hand insight into what careers are available and what made their individual careers successful.
Day two - Banking and Finance
The second day of the conference, March 11, spotlighted banking and finance including a look at financial econometrics from Professor Dinghai Xu. Speakers including UWaterloo Alumnus, Mr. Brian DePratto, discussed careers in this field as well as tips and tricks on how to succeed.
Day three - Marketing and Entrepreneurship
The third and final day of the event focused on marketing and entrepreneurship. The presenters provided motivational talks as well as a look at marketing and leadership strategies to flourish in this sector. Professor Kathleen Rodenburg, for example, touched on the various marketing strategies used in the past and evaluated their effectiveness during her presentation.
Take a look at some pictures from the event:
All three nights were unique and insightful opportunities for students to learn about the career paths available to them upon graduation. The networking sessions were especially helpful as they encouraged students to build contacts and develop connections with people in their fields of interest.
A huge thanks to all the presenters, event sponsors and to the Economics Society for making this event possible!
