Check out the inspiring and successful career paths of people just like you. Find out how George Brown helped these former students achieve their career goals.
Paul Leckey
B408 - Human Resources Management
Graduated 2010
Since graduating with a Post-Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management two years ago, Paul Leckey has rapidly built a career as a corporate headhunter in the financial services sector.
“Making the most of the internships offered by George Brown was integral to my early success,” Paul explains. “I accepted a placement with a generalist staffing firm, and though I knew little about the industry at the time, I felt the topics covered in my George Brown program were transferable to the role.” This intuition proved correct, and within a year Paul was promoted twice. He recently accepted a role as a Specialized Recruitment Consultant at IQ Partners Financial, a highly regarded executive search firm in Toronto’s financial district.
“I thrive on the challenge that comes with connecting top talent with top jobs, and feel like I’m adding value when I help companies hire better quality employees,” says Paul. “I love what I do, and the skills I acquired at George Brown were the perfect leverage into this industry.”
Nadia Finley
B400 - Sport and Event Marketing
Graduated 2005
Learn how a tragic, life-altering experience led George Brown College graduate Nadia Finley from her first career in sports marketing to a new career as a life recovery coach, counselling others through the difficult and traumatic events in their lives. [Read Nadia Finley's story]
Katherine Duffy
B408 - Human Resources Management
Graduated 2009
Showcasing grad success: A career ahead of the curve
Performance reviews don’t have to be a drag! Learn about a George Brown Human Resources Management grad who is changing the workplace as we know it by helping her company create social networking business tools that are so innovative, even Facebook is impressed. [Read Katherine Duffy's story]
Sheldon D’souza
B409 - Strategic Relationship Marketing
Graduated 2010
After 9 years as a flight attendant I was looking for a career change and George Brown made that easy. Strategic Relationship Marketing is a well-rounded program and I found it ideally suited for my goals of a career in loyalty marketing. In addition, the co-op experience at Porter Airlines further enhanced my knowledge gained in class and I was subsequently hired full time. Staff at GBC is ever so helpful to international students and it was this balance of all elements made my transition from student to professional really easy.
Maria Marshakova
B145 - Business Administration
Graduated 2010
GBC gave me a deep knowledge in various aspects of business administration. I”ve developed a high interest towards marketing and had a terrific opportunity to work as an intern in the marketing department of a high-end hotel in Toronto. As an International student I know that my education from George Brown will help me to build a career anywhere I want in the world.
Jerry Jarosinski
B108 - Business Administration – Marketing
Graduated 2000
“It’s become part of most people’s business lives because it makes business easier.” George Brown College grad Jerry Jarosinski has one of the best (and according to him easiest) jobs in marketing – he keeps BlackBerry users loyal. Jarosinski is the Senior Marketing Manager for Loyalty and Retention Programs at Research in Motion (RIM), the company that makes the extraordinarily popular BlackBerry personal communication and organization device. [Read Jerry Jarosinski's story]
Allison Wilton
B400 - Sport and Event Marketing
Graduated 2004
After graduating from Carleton University with an honours degree in journalism, Allison Wilton was having trouble finding work. She sent out countless résumés before it finally hit her. "I realized that I needed more valuable work experience," says the 25-year-old Newmarket, Ontario native. "I had achieved my academic goals at Carleton, however the hands-on work experience, outside of summer jobs and month-long internships, was what was missing from my résumé."
[Read Allison Wilton's story]
Micaela Maxwell
B400 - Sport and Event Marketing
Graduated 2005
Micaela Maxwell believes the most valuable lessons aren't always taught in school. "Hands-on experience in the field can be just has beneficial as classroom education," the 25-year-old Torontonian explains. And she should know - while studying Physical Health and Education at the University of Toronto, she completed two co-op placements in event planning. From those two experiences, she discovered a desire to work and further excel in this field.
[Read Micaela Maxwell's story]
Kelly Lalonde
B408 - Post-Diploma Human Resources Management Program
Graduated 2004
Kelly Lalonde never seems to stray very far from the top.
She earned one of the highest scores across Canada on the Certified Human Resources Knowledge Examination, the first of two tests leading to a Certified Human Resources Professional designation.
And when she graduated from George Brown College's Human Resources Management program (B408), she tied for highest grade point average and as a result, earned a placement in the college's human resources department, which helped to kick-start her career in the field. [Read Kelly's story]
Cindy Fong
B108 - Business Administration - Marketing
Graduated 2002
After graduating from George Brown's Business Administration - Marketing program (B108) in 2002, Cindy Fong went on to Ryerson University, where she completed a business degree. On graduation she was immediately hired by George Brown as a recruitment officer. She has now moved on to a more senior recruiting position at another college located in the former City of North York.
"My education and career began at George Brown. It's been five years at the Brown and it's time for me to move on. I have now moved on to a more senior recruiting position at another college, but the great thing about it is I will still be on the road promoting this fabulous college system that turns graduates into industry leaders." [Read Cindy's story]
Bryan Foster
Sport and Event Marketing - B400
Graduated 2004
After finishing a business administration degree at Laurier University, Bryan decided to enrol in the Sports and Event Marketing program (B400) at George Brown so he could mix his love of sports with a career in marketing.
"Like a lot of people, I love watching all kinds of sports... hockey, baseball, football, basketball," he says, "But I've always been a little more interested than the average guy in the action going on beyond the playing field. "
While finishing up a business administration degree at Laurier University, Bryan decided to incorporate his love for sports into his long-standing plans for a career in marketing. [Read Bryan's story]
Maryam Hamid
B143 - Financial Planning Management
Graduated 2003
"I love the excitement and complexity of the markets; they're always changing and you really have to keep up with world events in order to thrive in them," she says.
Mariam knew she had a number of options, but decided on George Brown's Financial Planning Management program (B143) because of its superior reputation, and because she knew that she would obtain her Canadian Securities Course, Certified Financial Planner, Derivatives, and Options designations in addition to a diploma. [Read Mariam's story]
Kevin King
Marketing student and Student Association president
"George Brown College helped me develop the critical thinking skills that I use everyday in my position as a sales agent with Xerox Butterfly Business Products. With guidance from the faculty, I learned to examine my attitudes toward difficulty. I can't change the people, but I can change how I deal with them, which has made a big difference in working effectively with teams."
A former Marketing student and Student Association president,
Kevin King received the 2002 Premier's Award in the "Recent Graduate" category
Jonathan Chang, NBA Canada
Sport and Event Marketing
Graduate, 2000
" Working in Basketball Development for NBA Canada is a dream job for me. In Basketball Development we run a number of national programs, such as 'NBA Hoop it Up 3-on-3' and 'NBA Jam Session.' Basketball has always been an important part of my life, and in my job, I am driven by my knowledge and love of the game. I was hired as an intern by Dan McKenzie, also a George Brown College Sport and Event Marketing graduate, and this led to a full time position. We, in turn, have hired 3 other George Brown students on intern (co-op) placements. There's no question: the Sport and Event Marketing program at George Brown College helped me carve a path into a profession that is like no other."
Philip Tome
Business Administration Marketing
Graduate, 2001
"During my academic career at George Brown College, I was always free to experiment with new ideas. With guidance and support, I was able to excel in an applied-learning environment. The many wonderful professors and staff at George Brown created a true 'application' environment. I walked away from the School of Business confident in my abilities to meld ideas into sound business decisions."
In my role as Strategic Project Manager with the Northern Group, I have launched functionality-rich online catalogues, innovative multi-user game environments, and Northern's first e-Commerce project. My next project will be to lead our one-to-one (or CRM) marketing initiatives."