Inaugural MScM alumni networking event a night to forge bonds, build connections

The Master of Science in Management (MScM) program held its first alumni networking event May 31, 2023. The event, presented by Graduate Careers and Engagement, hosted more than 30 alumni, graduate students, and faculty at The Ted Rogers School of Management. 

Andre Laplume, graduate program director of the Master of Science in Management & PhD in Management, said MScM alumni have diverse paths, but share a common thread of research methods. “MScM students have all been trained to conduct research and evaluate research critically and therefore become subject matter experts, which unites them,” he said. 

The real value of having a strong Master of Science in Management network is for students to find more opportunities through their connections and learn lessons from each other, but also for alumni to connect with people with whom they have common interests, Laplume said. 

This event was an opportunity for alumni to connect with each other and with current MScM students, and learn how alumni used their MScM graduate degree to help them get to where they are now. 

A range of alumni from various fields shared their insights and advice in a panel discussion, including analysts and researchers, strategists and consultants, specialists and academics. Panelists discussed how they got from the MScM to where they were now, and included strategists Shanghavy Karunakaran, Saman Feroze and Ryan Kennedy, specialist John Odame, and academics Megan Herrewynen, Steven Kavaratzis and Michael Mihalicz, among others. 

Tahoor I. Qureshi (external link) , MScM ‘19, who currently works as a strategic planner with BAM Strategy, explained that his Masters supervisor gave him advice that carried him through to where he is today. 

“I got here based on what they said about having a research mindset, of researching and the importance of data validation,” he explained. “I am where I am today because I have that skill set. The skills I learned in the MScM are something that I carry on any project or framework that comes my way.”

Megan Herrewynen (external link) , MScM ’21, is currently serving as the interim MScM Alumni Association president while working on her PhD at the Ted Rogers School. She wanted to get involved with the alumni association to give back to the academic community, to make a positive difference and make strong connections. 

Herrewynen said the alumni networking event highlighted the versatility of an MScM degree and showed students there were many opportunities and pathways available. 

“This degree is so fascinating because people take such diverse pathways with it,” she said. “At our event we heard from consultants, researchers, analysts and others about how they found success after the program. I think it's great to see what's available. It’s motivating and inspiring for students that are working on the degree to see where they can end up.”

The MScM alumni association aims to hold networking events and events where alumni can come together to meet, socialize and connect. They have set up a LinkedIn group (external link)  to share news about the program, what current students are doing, and to connect all of the current and past MScM cohorts with one another, Herrewynen explained.

She also wants to set up a mentorship program, to match up incoming or even current students with people who have graduated from the program, to create a sense of community.

“Something that I've been doing personally is meeting with some incoming students if they have questions about the program,” Herrewynen said. “A lot of them have questions about writing a thesis or finding a supervisor or the workload, so, it's nice to connect them with somebody that's gone through the degree and can speak to their own experience and really connect with them.”

The event finished with roundtable networking, where attendees had the opportunity to speak one on one with the panelists and dive deeper into their career paths. 

Student & Community Engagement Coordinator Faith Pember, who helped organize the event, said she was pleased with the turnout, the engaging discussions, and was surprised by how quickly attendees connected with each other. 

"I think it was successful and would definitely encourage more students and alumni to come out next year," she said. "I was concerned that people would feel awkward returning to face to face interactions, but I was pleasantly surprised to see old friends renewing bonds and new friends being welcomed into the alumni community."