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ImpactWINTER 2018 ISSUE NUMBER 29 Western Transforming the future Linamar supports women in engineering and business Photos by Frank Neufeld ImpactWestern Looking ahead, 01 President’s message remembering 02 Transforming the future 05 Addressing global challenges, one data point at a time the past 07 Libro, StarTech.com gift drives Western Accelerator 09 Much (deserved) ado about something 11 Time in a bottle 13 Making it marketable 15 Thank you to our donors 25 Campaign progress inda Hasenfratz, BSc’89, of Science will help teachers and MBA’97, combined a passion for researchers translate raw data (more Lscience with a world-class of which was created in 2017 than in business education to achieve the past 5,000 years combined) into amazing results. As CEO of Linamar solutions to some of the world’s most Corporation, she wanted to ensure pressing problems. IMPACT WESTERN other women could do the same. You’ll meet Robert Luton, a family WINTER 2018 ISSUE NUMBER 29 So, Linamar, and the Hasenfratz medicine physician who’s donated a Editor: Cory Habermehl, MA’05 and Newton families, invested 1685 edition of Shakespeare’s Fourth Executive Editor: Jason Winders, MES’10, PhD’16 $5 million to create the Linamar Folio to Western Libraries’ Archive. Publisher: Helen Connell, MBA’96 Scholarships for Women in The treasured collection of plays is an Contributors: Heather Bishop, BA’90, Engineering and Business. incredible addition to the rare books Keri Ferguson, Kathryn E Kinahan, BA’86, The scholarships support up collection and of huge importance to MLIS’93, Adela Talbot, BA’08, MA’11, Veronica to 10 female students per year students and researchers alike. Stoiber and Debora Van Brenk, BA’86, MA’87. Design: Scott Woods in the Western Engineering and And you’ll get a glimpse into Ivey Business School dual-degree Canada’s past through the Labatt program, offering recipients tuition Brewing Company’s gift-in-kind On the cover: support, co-op placements and an donation of their corporate archives— Linda Hasenfratz, BSc’89, MBA’97 offer of full-time employment. one of the top three corporate archival Photo by Frank Neufeld Linda’s forward-thinking collections in the world. investment enables Western to This extraordinary generosity support its best female students today, is a big part of what helps Western so they can become the engineering maintain and strengthen its reputation and business leaders of tomorrow. as a world-class institution. Thank you You will see this generous gift featured for your continued support. Impact Western is published by the Department of Communications & Public Affairs, in partnership with in this issue of Impact Western and the Department of Alumni Relations & Development, many more. to inform alumni, corporations, foundations and other For example, Kate Taylor, BFA’87, Amit Chakma friends of Western about the donations, priorities and President & progress of the University’s current fundraising initiatives started the Kate and Robert Taylor as well as the impact of gifts already in action. You are Scholarship in Visual Arts to support Vice-Chancellor receiving this publication because of your generous budding artists to build successful Western University support of Western University. Thank you. careers by helping them learn more If you would like to receive this publication electronically, about marketing their work. and/or you would like more information, please email You’ll learn how a $1-million gift [email protected] from TD Bank Group to the Faculty 01 | IMPACT WESTERN Photos by Frank Neufeld Transforming the future Linamar scholarships support women in engineering and business by Debora Van Brenk, BA’86, MA’87 et’s say your job is to cast a line for tonight’s supper, and you’ve found a pond teeming with fish: 100 blue ones and 100 red ones. L “If you decide you’re only going to fish for the blue fish, you have only half a chance of dinner tonight,” explained Linda Hasenfratz, BSc’89, MBA’97, President and CEO of auto-parts giant Linamar Corp. This, she said, is the challenge and opportunity of finding and developing the best engineers who are also business leaders. “Pulling from a diverse pool will always ensure you have the very best performers.” That challenge prompted the company, and the Hasenfratz family, to cultivate opportunities for women at Western. Linamar, Hasenfratz and her husband Ed Newton, and Linamar founder Frank Hasenfratz, have invested $5 million to create the Linamar Scholarships for Women in Engineering and Business. The scholarships support up to 10 female students in the Western Engineering and Ivey Business School dual-degree program each year. They provide half the cost of tuition in the five-year program. Significantly, the scholarships also guarantee paid co-op placement and full-time job offers with Linamar to graduating scholarship- holders. “This is a great way to bring together the three things that mean a lot to me, and to Linamar as a company: manufacturing, business and improved opportunities for women,” said Hasenfratz, who emphasized she hopes this will encourage more women to pursue a dual degree in engineering and business. WINTER 2018 ISSUE 29 | 02 “This is a great way to bring together the three things that mean a lot to me, and to Linamar as a company: manufacturing, business and improved opportunities for women,” Linda Hasenfratz, BSc’89, MBA’97 President and CEO of Linamar Corp. Linamar Corp. is a Canadian success story, with Frank Hasenfratz, LLD’16, having fled his native Hungary after its 1957 revolution, to settle in the Guelph area. He founded the machining business in 1964 with a single lathe, operating from the basement of the family home. Today, Linamar employs more than 25,000 people at 59 plants in 15 countries (about 9,500 of those jobs are in southwestern Ontario). Linamar generates The gift enables Western to support children attend Western, including their annual sales in excess of $6 billion. its best female students to succeed in two oldest daughters who are completing Linda Hasenfratz describes her father school today, and provides them with early the Engineering and business dual-degree as a great mentor and support on her career experience that will help them go program that the newly established path, and someone who insisted she on to be the leaders of tomorrow, Western scholarships support. have deep knowledge of all aspects of the President Amit Chakma said. It was Hasenfratz who contacted company. “My father would say to me, “It provides an unparalleled Western with the idea of creating the ‘The only job where you start at the top is opportunity for academic growth scholarships. digging a hole.’ That’s good guidance.” and offers these future leaders an “It’s unique and exciting when donors She became head of Linamar in 2002, experience that, thanks to Linamar and approach us about supporting something after working at the company for 12 the Hasenfratz and Newton families, will about which they feel passionately,” said years, starting as a machine operator. give them a stepping-stone to rewarding Chakma. “As the parents and grandfather She has experienced and directed all careers,” he said. of two daughters studying Engineering at elements of the business – including In addition to the family’s strong Western, Linda, Ed and Frank are aware of finance, production, human resources, philanthropic connections to Western, the the tremendous benefits and challenges technology – and the company has built Hasenfratz and Newton families have an for Women in Engineering. We are very a leadership program around the same ongoing legacy here. Three of their four pleased to support their vision.” concept. 03 | IMPACT WESTERN Ivey submitted photo The Linamar Scholarships for Women in Engineering and Business provide up to 10 students a year with tuition support, co-op placements and a full-time job offer at graduation. “Our Engineering graduates are sought-after around the world. To know that Linamar is investing in women engineers, not only with scholarships but with guaranteed employment, pays testament to both the family’s generosity and the strengths of our program.” Andy Hrymak, Dean of Western Engineering Today, she is described in a national become the engineering and business to give students a test run. There’s great “power list” of top-25 Canadian leaders of tomorrow.” mutual benefit, and that’s why it works.” movers and shakers as “a crucial voice Hasenfratz said the dual-degree Andy Hrymak, Dean of Western for the auto industry amid (NAFTA) program offered at Western, plus the Engineering, said the scholarships add renegotiations that have put the sector on guaranteed offer of employment, “puts muscle to two top-level programs. “Our centre stage.” graduates that much further ahead and Engineering graduates are sought-after She said the success of all companies gives them the ability to lead within our around the world. To know that Linamar striving to lead technological and industry organization or any other. They’re ready is investing in women engineers not only change depends on making sure there’s to hit the ground running when they come with scholarships but with guaranteed a critical mass of women and men in,” she said. employment pays testament to both the with exceptional technical expertise, A key element to that growth is that family’s generosity and the strengths of innovation and leadership skills. companies provide co-op opportunities, our program. “Linda’s career sets an extraordinary not as a form of charity but as a way to example of leadership,” said Mark create symbiotic relationships. “It gives For more information on the Linamar Vandenbosch, Acting Dean, Ivey Business students the opportunity to take what Scholarships for Women in Engineering School.

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