fall/winter 05-06 land of the rising sun www.bus.ualberta.ca Risk Equals Opportunity events 2006 this issue Unless otherwise noted, please contact the School’s External Relations elcome to this issue of your alumni magazine, which Office at 492-4083 in Edmonton or toll-free at 1-877-362-3222 in Canada should arrive in your mailbox just before the holidays. & the US. You may also wish to send us an e-mail requesting further Perhaps you’ll have a bit of extra time to be inspired to information: [email protected] or go to www.bus.ualberta.ca Wsend us a note about other amazing story leads showcasing current and future alumni. Our people are so interesting! January 21 Undergraduate Awards Ceremony Stollery Executive Development Centre, Edmonton When we interviewed Matthew Salter for an MBA student profile, he mentioned he had researched a number of business schools while January 28 Golden Bears’ Hockey Night in the Bears’ Den he was still working in England and then decided to travel to Canada (Bears vs Saskatchewan Huskies) to check them out in person. What he was looking for was a sense Edmonton of camaraderie and a cooperative environment. What sold him on January 31 MBA Awards Ceremony our School was meeting people who fit those criteria. Read more Stollery Executive Development Centre, Edmonton about him on page 32. January 31 Deadline for VenturePrize: Our Business Career Services feature focuses on a group of alumni Alberta’s Business Plan Competition helping students find great work experiences (page 18). Our Japan profiles highlight the difference our alumni are making in facilitating February Eric Geddes Breakfast Lecture – Edmonton Dr Rasmus Fatum trade among Japan, Canada, and Alberta in particular (page 11). Royal Glenora Club, Edmonton Our regular alumni profiles show grads from different decades and backgrounds doing what they love – one example is Jim Mitchell on February 9 MBA Alumni Reception the cover (story on page 6). Mayfair Golf and Country Club, Edmonton All in all, this issue (my fourteenth and last as editor before I hand February 15 Eric Geddes Breakfast Lecture – Calgary it over to my colleague Monica Wegner) once again proved to me Dr Mike Percy on “Alberta Labour Market Issues” that the School’s alumni, students, and staff are fascinating. Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Calgary I’d like to thank all of you for the great feedback and story ideas February 20 – 24 Rocky Mountain Business Seminar I’ve received over the last six years. You’ve made the magazine Jasper Park Lodge, Jasper what it is today – an award-winning alumni publication that rivals March Undergraduate Club Executive Event the best in the industry! A special thanks goes to Susan for her Alberta School of Business behind-the-scenes support in proofreading all these issues. Edmonton (She really is the grammar queen!) March 23 Eric Geddes Breakfast Lecture – Edmonton Elke Dr Mike Lounsbury on “The State of Nanotechnology Commercialization” Royal Glenora Club, Edmonton u of a Business is published twice a year by the University of Alberta School March 30 Canadian Business Leader Award Dinner of Business. If you would like an additional free subscription or would like to Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton send in a comment or update your address, please contact us at: Jim Pattison, Chairman, CEO, and Sole Owner External Relations, University of Alberta School of Business, The Jim Pattison Group 4-40 Business Building, Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6G 2R6 e-mail: [email protected] April Eric Geddes Breakfast Lecture – Edmonton web site: www.bus.ualberta.ca Dr Roger Palmer telephone: (780) 492-4083 Royal Glenora Club, Edmonton toll-free in canada and the us: 1-877-362-3222 fax: (780) 492-8748 April Eric Geddes Breakfast Lecture – Calgary Dr Douglas Olsen Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Calgary Dean: Michael Percy Editor and Director, External Relations: April 6 Southern Ontario Alumni Event Elke Christianson Royal York Hotel, Toronto Associate Editor: Monica Wegner June 21 BAA Annual General Meeting and Members’ Layout: Belinda Waeland, U of A Creative Services Reception Printing: McCallum Printing Group Inc. Alberta School of Business, Edmonton Cover Image: Tina Chang richard siemens fall/winter 05-06 www.bus.ualberta.ca 38 contents FEATURES 2 Alumni Profiles Find out what your former classmates are doing now 11 Doing Business in Japan Meet two Canadians who know the ins and outs of doing business in the Land of the Rising Sun by debby waldman 18 Business Career Services 8 An alumni family affair by wanda vivequin DEPARTMENTS 10 Campaign News 24 Business Alumni Association 27 Student News BCom Student News, 28 BCom Student Profile, 29 MBA Student News, 30 MBA Student Profile, 32 11 33 Class Notes richard siemens 40 Business Perspective 28 U OF A BUSINESS • FALL/WINTER 2005-2006 1 alumniprofile I BY DEBBY WALDMAN An Entrepreneur in Government Wilma Haas WHen WILma Haas, ‘82 MBA, enROLed in THe aLbeRTa SCHooL of Business as a paRT-Time sTudenT in 1978, SHE’d been woRKing aT ALbeRTa SociaL SERVices and CommuniTY HeaLTH foR THRee YeaRS. eTh School of Business had just introduced a Master of Public Management course, but Haas opted for the MBA program: as the daughter of an entrepreneur, she assumed she too would wind up in the private sector some day. et 30 years after she was hired for with colleagues in other ministries to responsible for two major program her first Government of Alberta develop solutions to shared business areas. At Alberta Registries, she Y job, Haas is still working for the problems. “What I really enjoy about is the Registrar for the provincial same employer, most recently, as an interdepartmental policy work is the Corporate, Personal Property, Assistant Deputy Minister in Alberta big picture, the ability to put pieces Vital Statistics, and Motor Vehicles Government Services. together, and to apply a variety of skills registries, the latter of which is “I did intend to go back to the and my knowledge base to find solutions shared with Alberta Infrastructure private sector after my MBA, but I was to problems in a way that is sustainable and Transportation. having too much fun doing extremely over the longer term,” she says. Haas oversees the 224 private interesting work and I never looked Her School of Business background contractors who provide Albertans back,” she says. has proved useful every step of the way. with licensing and registry services At Social Services and Community “The fundamental business principles throughout the province. She also Health, Haas held a variety of jobs translate quite seamlessly to the public manages seven direct reports, over including social worker and child care sector,” she says. “The MBA teaches one hundred staff members, and a instructor. Over the years, she’s also you the principles of labour relations, multimillion dollar operating budget. been at Alberta Culture and Alberta economics, organizational behaviour, If you really want to see Haas display Recreation and Parks, which gave financial management, and policy enthusiasm though, get her talking about her the management experience that her second program responsibility, led to her promotion in 1988 to her Service Alberta. first executive level position with the Service Alberta is a cross-government Alberta Personnel Administration “The fundamental initiative designed to make it easier for Office, the central human resources business principles Albertans to access information about arm of the provincial government. translate quite provincial services and programs. Haas During the 13 years she was there, has been involved with the initiative the Government went through seamlessly to the since its inception: first as the Personnel significant transformation including public sector.” Administration Office’s representative major restructuring and downsizing. and, eventually, as the driving force Her organization’s role was to assist behind getting it off the ground. departments through this transition Leading this initiative gave her period by developing and implementing development. And public sector the opportunity to bring together various initiatives including the award- employment provides you tremendous representatives from all 24 provincial winning Alberta Corporate Human opportunities to put those principles ministries as well as private-sector Resource Development Strategy. into practice.” consultants who helped organize focus Haas embraces the challenge of At Alberta Government Services, groups across the province to testdrive horizontal management: working where Haas has been since 2001, she is the program. 2 F U O A BUSINESS • FALL/WINTER 2005-2006 tina chang Wilma Haas, ‘82 MBA, (centre) seen here with colleagues Cathy Kiss, James Krekotin (left) and Richard Kracher “I love startups,” she says. “Give me a “I love start ups... to four times before retirement. problem – a really natty problem in a big “I’ve made those four career changes organization, something I can sink my Give me a problem – with one employer,” she says, which is teeth into – and let me loose.” a really natty problem why, as part of the alumni mentorship One of Haas’ fondest memories of in a big organization, program in the Alberta School of Business, the MBA program is of a policy course something I can sink she eagerly promotes the Alberta she took with former Dean, Dr. Rodney Government as a top-notch employer. Schneck. “He would put a controversial my teeth into – and let “You can have a very successive issue on the table and get you going,” me loose.” and progressive career in the same she says, recalling how the class taught organization,” she says. “Yes, it’s not her to hone her thinking process and profit driven; but, at the end of the day, analytical skills. the MBA? Possibly. But I think it was in our business, we do very important She’s used those lessons countless extremely valuable.” things for every Albertan.