From WEEF to Soap, Software, Supply Chains, Beer and Vodka… What Do SYDE Alums End Up Doing?
John Vellinga is a Systems Design Engineering graduate from 1991. While at Waterloo, he was deeply involved in student activities, including being elected both President and Vice President of UW Engineering Society and later President of the UW Federation of Students.
In fourth year, he founded the Waterloo Engineering Endowment Foundation (WEEF), along with his friend Avi Belisky (Electrical Engineering 1990). John and Avi conceived of WEEF, wrote the original bylaws and constitution, then campaigned for the referendum, which received nearly 95% approval from the engineering student body. John was on the Board for the first five years as WEEF started up.
After 7 years in the corporate world, John and his wife Katherine (SYDE 1992) moved to Kyiv, Ukraine and started EBS, which has grown into the country’s largest management consulting firm. EBS clients are a who’s who of global corporations and investment firms, including Microsoft, IBM, TetraPak, Carlsberg – and Coca-Cola and Pepsi (at the same time!). John and Katherine transformed several companies in Ukraine to become market-driven leaders. John also oversaw the launch of Ukraine’s first pre-paid cellular service for Ukraine’s largest mobile provider.
After moving back to Canada in the early 2000’s, John and Katherine founded Zirkova, a highly awarded ultra-premium vodka that is produced in Ukraine (even while the war rages). Zirkova is now the fourth best-selling ultra premium vodka at the LCBO. They are also selling in western Canada and are expanding into other countries. They “engineered” the vodka from the ground up to be demonstrably superior and innovated two formulations specifically designed for how people drink it.
When the war started in Ukraine, John volunteered his time with the Ukrainian World Congress as Director of Strategic Liaison, working with Canada’s former Chief of Defense Staff General Rick Hillier to help equip Ukrainian defenders. Katherine launched Zirkova Unity – made in Canada – because the war had halted production of their vodka. She went from concept to on the shelf in 16 weeks – which has never been done before in the history of the LCBO. Both he and Katherine have traveled to Ukraine multiple times during the war.
John and Katherine have used their background in Systems Design to solve muti-million-dollar problems for companies, implement large enterprise software projects, launch new products, transform large organizations and to make a difference in the world. Only looking backward can these dots be connected.