Waterloo Engineering co-op alumnus Michael Steele announced as keynote speaker at CEE Employer Impact Conference

By: Namish Modi (he/him)

How will social responsibility and global citizenship impact the evolution of talent?

Michael Steele, a well-known philanthropist and co-op alumnus, plans to address this question during his keynote speech at the inaugural CEE Employer Impact Conference.

Steele (BASc ’81) will speak at the virtual conference hosted by University of Waterloo Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE) on February 15, 2023. As a business leader and a co-founder of The Steele Family Foundation, he is an advocate for supporting access to education, basic humanitarian services and community support for disadvantaged people.

To have Michael on board to address these future-focused topics, that we all need to start planning for, is an exciting opportunity. The Steele Family Foundation helps provide students with opportunities to develop and apply their skills in a non-profit setting — something that students can then apply to various industries.

 

- NORAH MCRAE (SHE/HER), ASSOCIATE PROVOST, CEE

Making a difference for next-gen talent

A former co-op student himself, Steele leveraged his co-op experience and engineering skills to address societal challenges throughout his career. He is a business development leader in sectors ranging from mining to food processing to real estate. Steele is determined to inspire Waterloo students from all disciplines to become change makers in the non-profit sector and beyond.

The Steele Family Foundation supports this vision by helping to eliminate financial barriers to students who play varsity sports or work with non-profits. Steele is a former member of the Waterloo Warriors track and field team. The foundation’s support helps student to thrive as both athletes and as community builders. In 2022, Steele and his spouse Stacey made two major donations to Waterloo, including one that helps fund co-op positions in the global non-profit sector.

Discussing the evolution of talent

As a supporter of Waterloo co-op and a business leader, Steele’s experience and expertise is a valuable addition to CEE’s upcoming Employer Impact Conference. He recognizes how students can evolve with the changing future of work and become better global citizens.

With the transition to hybrid and remote work, the increase in automation/AI and growing social awareness — career paths are fundamentally changing. The theme of the Employer Impact Conference is The Talent Evolution. Steele will speak from his own experience and provide insight into the power of students as agents of change in an evolving work environment.

At the conference, CEE staff, industry experts, and employers will discuss how the workforce is changing. Attendees of the free conference will gain insight on topics such as recruiting emerging talent, creating powerful job postings, equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives and building awareness of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.