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Jonathan Hackett, PhD Mathematical Physics (2011)
Mike Young, MSc Theoretical Physics (2006)
Therese Hayes, MSc Microbiology & Immunology (1992)
Diego Garzon, BSc Biology (2000)
Graduating year: 1993
Program: Science Honours
Minors or specializations: Physics
Co-op program: Yes
Co-op positions: IBM – Technical Writing/Product Support; Pratt & Whitney (engine company) – technical writing; Litton Systems (military contractor) – Tech Support
First Position: (after graduation): Attachmate Inc – Technical Writing and Product Support
Current Position: Senior User Experience Designer, Riot Games Inc.
Favourite Transferrable Skill: Technical writing (clear written communication); Problem solving (methodology applied when solving physics problems is similar to that used when solving problems in game design)
Career Journey:
Hi!
I'm
Alan
Shen,
Applied
Physics
Grad,
Class
of
'93.
I'm
originally
from
Toronto
and
grew
up
in
Etobicoke
on
the
west
side
of
the
city.
After
graduation,
I
spent
a
few
years
working
as
a
tech
writer
before moving
to
Seattle
in
the
late
90s
to
pursue
a
career
with
Microsoft.
The
company
was
the
perfect
place
for
me
to
learn
new
skills,
take
on
new
roles,
and
help
imagine
the
future
of
entertainment
by
helping
lead
design
for
products
like
the
Xbox
360
and Zune.
After
living
in
Seattle
for
15
years,
I
got
tired
of
the
rain
and
moved
to
the
San
Francisco
Bay
Area
where
I
find
myself
today.
Today,
I
work
for
Riot
Games,
the
creator
of
the
popular
game
"League
of
Legends".
I'm
leading
the
UX
design
for
Project
L,
an
amazing
new
fighting
game
I
can't
wait
to
share
with
players
(when
it's
ready!)
Over
my
career,
I've
worked
with
some
amazingly
talented
folks
at
companies
like
Microsoft,
Google,
and
LG.
I
do
believe
my
time
at
Waterloo
opened
doors
for
me
at
companies
like
these
and
certainly
help
shape
how
I
approach
product
design,
which
is
admittedly
non-conventional.
I've
never
asked
for
permission
to
apply
for
a
job
I
thought
I
was
unqualified
for.
Advice
that
has
served
me
well
on
my
career
journey
is
to
always
be
open
to
unexpected
opportunities.
At
the
minimum,
it'll
be
a
chance
to
grow
and
learn.
At
best,
you
could
discover
a
career
path
that
was
previously
hidden
from
you.
Ultimately,
pursuing
endeavours
I
have
passion
for
has
guided
my
career.
I
hope
you
will
have
success
in
discovering
your
passions!
Feel
free
to
follow
me
on
Instagram
and
Twitter @yoyogadget
Graduating year: 2006
Program: Mathematical Physics
Further Education: UW MSc 2007; UW PhD 2011;
First Position: Consultant, Boston Consulting Group
Current Position: Managing Director, Co-head of Energy Transition – BMO Bank of Montreal
Favourite Transferrable Skill: Problem-solving – being able to take in context and design a way to solve a problem has been most applicable
Career Journey:
My career journey has been a winding path, based largely on a combination of luck and finding jobs that valued my background for the training it gave me in critical thinking and problem-solving. Immediately after Waterloo, I was lucky to get a position with the Boston Consulting Group. They viewed my PhD as the equivalent to an MBA and work experience. From there, I have been fortunate enough to use my interests and experiences to craft my subsequent roles, including my current role, which helps companies to acquire financing as they attempt to transition to a net-zero future and create a positive social impact.
Some of the relationships you make during this time will follow you forever – I met my wife during my time at UW. I took the academic approach to university – class, study, research, repeat. At some point during my academic career, I received this advice and it stuck with me - “Feedback is a gift.” I like to joke that it’s often much like an ugly piece of China that no one asked for.
Graduating year: 2006
Program: Physics
Further Education: M. Sc. Theoretical Physics, McMaster University
First Position: Sales Rep, GoodLife Fitness
Current Position: Vice President, Ecosystem & Alliances – Indicodata.ai
Favourite Transferrable Skill: Work ethic and critical thinking
Career Journey:
My career journey has been pretty varied but has always been driven by curiosity and learning to fill my knowledge gaps.
Broadly speaking, my journey has been: in sales -> finance - technology consulting -> finance -> technology strategy.
Leaving grad school, one thing I didn't know was what I could do other than research. So, in hindsight, my first job as a sales rep at Goodlife Fitness was a perfect start. I asked every person I sold a membership to about their academic background, what they did for a living, and what they enjoyed about their job, giving me exposure to a whole world of career paths.
After Goodlife, I moved into consulting, first as a tangible asset valuation consultant, then into technology. In asset valuations, I filled a gap in my education in basic accounting. In technology (as SAP), I started to learn business strategy and how organizations implement changes. I was never satisfied with just implementing, so I moved into a pre-sales consulting role at Salesforce, where I learned how senior executives ultimately make a buying decision and how to help them along that process.
From here, I moved to Birch Hill Equity Partners to learn how organizations even decided that they needed to do something different in the first place. I wanted to know how boards arrived at a decision, not just an individual line of business, and how to make those choices successful.
From that last stay in private equity, I have moved back into technology - first back to Salesforce and now to Indico Data - in strategy roles where I am currently practicing as an "operator," driving strategic transformation from the inside and owning the success (or failure) of projects. This past phase has been the most rewarding by far.
Look outside of your program early on in your education to familiarize yourself with the opportunities that are available. The skills you build in science are so transferable that you can do basically anything, it's just about having a wide aperture and knowing the possibilities. Try and make a point of networking outside of your program.
Graduating year: 1989
Program: Science Honours
Minors or specializations: Biology
Further Education:
MSc, Microbiology & Immunology (1992)
Masters, Health Administration (1994)
First Position: PR Manager, CHEO
Current Position: Founder, Chief Sustainability and Business Development Officer - The House of LR&C
Favourite Transferrable Skill: Problem-solving. The scientific method teaches us to break down problems into manageable pieces, research and re-test our hypothesis and that’s incredibly transferrable.
Career Journey:
My passion for companies with purpose need to always be learning and desire to surround myself with smart, creative and innovative people all contributed to a career path that spanned a variety of roles across seemingly unrelated industries.
My first ‘real' job after university flowed from a practicum during my business degree as PR Manager at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. After 3 years of learning the ropes, this led to a Communications Director role at the BC Transplant Society where I was introduced to the world of Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals. This was the perfect match for my combined passions of science and business, and I spent the next 13 years in the field both in California and BC.
The skills learned through communication and PR were the perfect basis for a career in Investor Relations essentially connecting the scientists to the money people on Wall St. I then started a strategic consulting firm called THInc, traded the scientists for engineers when I had the opportunity to work in Solar Energy and helped Whistler Blackcomb to navigate being a publicly traded company.
When the CFO of lululemon recruited me in 2011 it offered the opportunity to work at an iconic company with one of the best business models in retail. In addition, then CEO Christine Day was looking for someone to build the company’s sustainability platform giving me the perfect opportunity to put my newfound education in CSR to work. After 3 exciting years at lululemon I joined Christine in a start-up frozen food company. I learned so much in the start-up environment and re-ignited my consulting practice spending the next few years consulting with a variety of companies lending my expertise and gaining experience in different business models including SAAS at Hootsuite, franchising with 02E Brands, more vertical retail with Saje and Aritzia.
Now it has come first circle and I have joined Christine Day once again as a founding member of a company dedicated to 'making sustainable fashion the effortless choice' Today I am the Chief Sustainability and Business Development Officer of The House of LR&C - this is the role I have been working toward my whole career - I am an owner, helping to change an industry and creating a legacy.
Don’t put pressure on yourself too early to choose a career – pursue education to build a foundation, create a life-long love of learning and that will lead you to a career you love rather than a succession of jobs.
Graduating year: 2000
Program: Biology Honours
Further Education:
PhD (McMaster)
MBA (Queens/Cornell)
First Position (after graduation): Data analyst, Decision Resources
Current Position: Vice President, Corporate Development and Strategy, Exicure Inc.
Favourite Transferrable Skill: Understanding how to hunt for information, make connections, and recognize patterns
Career Journey:
I started at UW in 1996 and had no idea of my future. I enjoyed science, specifically biology, and my friends from high school were also going to UW so it seemed like the right choice. The diversified science curriculum at UW was a bonus and in my third year fell in love with molecular biology. That class set me up for a senior thesis project – thanks Dr. Trish Schulte for your infinite patience – and graduate work at McMaster. Life in academia was not for me and I got my first job through a Monster.ca ad. That 8-month analyst job propelled me into the pharmaceutical industry which I have been in ever since. I have had a diverse experience in pharma with roles in sales, R&D, and business development both in Canada and now in the US. After my Ph.D., I knew I did not want to go back to school full-time, so I did my MBA part-time while working and this was only possible because of an amazingly supportive spouse. I did the MBA to learn more about the business basics and to try and understand the business decisions that happen in an industry that can only survive with innovation in science. What has been helpful for me and what I look for in others in the teams I build is a learning mindset. You need to be curious because that is the only way to keep up in a constantly changing world. It’s ok to not know what you want and the key I think to figuring it out is to put yourself in situations and environments that provide a lot of variety, perspectives, and smart people. From that environment, you are in a good place to find a career path that is rewarding.