Schulich Celebrates Launch of its new Tech MBA
TORONTO – Thursday, October 5, 2023 – The Schulich School of Business at York University will host a launch event this evening celebrating the start of its new MBA in Technology Leadership program.
The groundbreaking program, also known as the Tech MBA, is the first of its kind in Canada. The program began classes this Fall semester at Schulich and will help develop the next generation of leaders for a business world that is increasingly tech driven. The 16-month, highly experiential professional program is designed to equip students with the leadership and management skills needed to succeed in a business world facing major transformational changes, including the rapid application of artificial intelligence and other technological advances.
Guest speakers at the celebration launch event include:
- Detlev Zwick, Dean & Tanna H. Schulich Chair in Digital Marketing Strategy, Schulich School of Business
- Chris Carder, Executive Director of the Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Schulich and Co-Director of the School’s Entrepreneurial Studies Program
- Claudia Krywiak, President and CEO of the Ontario Centre of Innovation
- Angelo Casanas, Interim Managing Director, OneEleven
- Anna Maria Ewing (MBA ’88), Non-Executive Member of Rimes Technology and former CIO, Nasdaq
- Asma Hassan, Tech MBA student and inaugural recipient of the Anna Maria Ewing (MBA ’88) Women in Tech Leadership Award
Event highlights include the announcement of two new scholarships: The Anna Maria Ewing, MBA ’88 Tech Leadership Award, which will be awarded to a Tech MBA student who has achieved academic excellence and demonstrates financial need, with preference given to a female student, awarding over $15,000 over the next three years, and the HP Canada Excellence Award, with a value of $10,000, will support equitable and inclusive opportunities for an incoming student from underrepresented communities.
“Schulich’s Tech MBA is a groundbreaking new program that will develop leaders who can help businesses deal with technological disruption and navigate the new tech-driven business landscape,” said Schulich Dean Detlev Zwick. “We’re delighted to be celebrating the launch of the program with some of the top leaders in the global tech and digital space, as well as members of our blue-chip Tech MBA Advisory Council, our Dean’s Global Council and our Dean’s Strategic Council.”
Also attending the event, which has more than 120 confirmed guests, are a number of Schulich students, faculty and alumni, as well as some of the leading members of the Toronto tech community and other high-profile executives, including: Fatima Israel (MBA ’06), Chief Marketing Officer, EY; David Markwell (MBA ’08), Chief Technology and Analytics Officer, Loblaw Companies Limited; Claude Le Blanc (MBA ’91), President & CEO, Ambac Financial Group; Nat D’Ercole (BBA ’92), Partner, Deloitte Inc.; Jack Fraser (EMBA ’13), Senior Partner, BDC Capital; John Albright (BBA ’81), Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Relay Ventures; Gail Geddes, Global Head of Digital Transformation, Manulife; Jodi Kovitz, Chief Executive Officer and Acting Registrar, HRPA; Kambiz Vatan-Abadi, President, UDP, CI Direct Investing, CI Financial; and Jenny do Forno, Talent Director, OMERS. The Tech MBA Advisory Council will meet at the venue prior to the celebration launch event.
The event will take place at OneEleven, which is partnering with Schulich to manage a joint Venture Studio as part of the School’s Tech MBA. The Venture Studio matches teams of top students in the Tech MBA with member companies from both OneEleven and the Schulich Startups communities, completing pro bono strategic product and fundraising analysis for select startups.
Mehmet Murat Kristal, Program Director of the MBA in Technology Leadership and Special Advisor, AI & Business Analytics, and Pamela Laycock, Chair of the MBA in Technology Leadership Advisory Board and President of the Schulich Global Alumni Network, will serve as emcees for the event.