For the week of November 28th, we’re revisiting the entrepreneurial alums with which we’ve had the pleasure of sharing their stories. In this round-up are stories of a beer mogul, a start-up instigator, a tech start-up magnate, visionaries of education, and a Dragon’s Den pitch winner.
As a Mathematics/Chartered Professional Accountancy student, Nitish Sharma (BMath '14) was part of the second team that led the development of the hEDGE Financial Services Conference. Hosted annually in the heart of Toronto's financial district, hEDGE offers University of Waterloo students a comprehensive look into both sell-side and buy-side finance through six pillars of capital markets: asset management, equity and debt research, investment banking, private equity, sales and trading, and venture capital. The brainchild of School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) students, the conference’s goal is to showcase the impressive finance talent that is present at SAF and to inform students about recruitment and networking opportunities. What is particularly inspiring about the large and successful conference is that it continues to be completely student-run to this day.
The hEDGE Financial Services Conference is a one-day event hosted annually at the heart of Toronto's financial district, offering keynote speakers, exclusive workshops and productive networking for aspiring finance professionals. It is one of Canada's leading student-organized undergraduate finance conferences.
Dr. Steve Fortin, (PhD '99, CPA, CA, ICD.D) took the helm in leading the School of Accounting and Finance on September 1st, 2018. Steve is an active researcher in the areas of financial instruments, hedge accounting, fair value measurement, related party disclosures, and audit quality. Steve's goal is to continue SAF's trajectory of success in leading the transformation of the professions through world-class research and experiential education.
Hear from Steve what he feels future accounting and finance professionals will need to be successful.
Adnan Khan (BAFM, MAcc '17), attributes his accounting and finance education in providing him with the foundation and confidence to launch a social endeavour, EduGate. A social start-up that is close to Adnan's heart, is one step in fulfilling his goal to improve the quality and accessibility of education around the world.
Hear how Adnan was able to use his accounting and finance foundation to launch his social endeavour.
Arthur Wang (BAFM, MAcc '16), attributes the pressure of his accounting and finance studies, coupled with co-op in helping him succeed academically but also paving the way for him in creating a career in finance that's challenging and rewarding.
Hear how Arthur moved his career focus from accounting to finance.
Shubham Datta (BMath, MAcc '13) discovered his love for entrepreneurship while still going through the Mathematics/CPA program at Waterloo. Waterloo's innovative eco-system and entrepreneurial spirit encouraged Shubham to explore a career path that worked with start-ups and entrepreneurs. This interest morphed into a career in finance, working for Shopify.
Hear how Shubham navigated his career in accounting to finance through a love of entrepreneurship.
José R. Hernandez (MAcc '98), author of Broken Business, is an internationally recognized expert on crisis management, business integrity, and corporate misconduct.
It's all relative. What may seem like the most important decision of your life today, may not be once you look back and examine the series of decisions you make over a lifetime. So please don’t stress and miss out on the exciting stuff that each day has to offer!
Work hard, play hard, and get involved in your community. SAF has allowed me to combine my passion for not-for-profit work with a strong foundational skill set to do what I love.
Tracy was nominated for the 2013 Alumni Award, and went on a trip of a lifetime with her family.