George Brown Polytechnic is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.
Bill Ross,
CPA, MBA
Professor
Biography
Based on his qualifications and experience, Bill is able to bring a unique multidisciplinary approach to the business discussion (finance & accounting, sales & marketing, international, entrepreneurial)
The first part of his career was in Finance & Accounting. He is a CPA (Ernst & Young), and he has his Bachelor of Commence degree from U of T where he majored in finance and accounting. He also has an MBA from U of T where he majored in Sales & Marketing. In addition, he worked for IBM as a sales & marketing executive both in Toronto and New York.
Bill has an extensive background in management with IBM both in Canada and the U.S. and three start up businesses (Janus Conferences, BorrowLend Match, Surgery in Paris).
He has the ability to combine disciplines to arrive at unique win-win solutions.
Academic Credentials
- B. Comm, Accounting & Finance, U of T, 1972
- CPA, Audit & Tax, Ernst & Young, 1975
- MBA, Marketing, U of T, 1975
- CEDP, Adult Learning, Ontario College Consortium, 2018
- Adult Learning Certificate (5 courses), Adult Education, Seneca College, 2019
Areas of Specialization
Bill has taught several courses in the business curriculum at George Brown including International Management, Global Leadership, International Trade Management, International Trade Finance, Entrepreneurship, Professional Selling, Presentation Skills, Human Skills, Negotiations, Communication Skills, Financial Accounting and Management Accounting.
Bill and his team at Janus Conferences developed and presented the Compliance Transformation symposium conference at George Brown, and Bill has acted as an advisor on symposia development.
Areas of Expertise
Bill has both teaching and course development experience. He developed and taught the Professional Selling courses at U of T and for OBIO, and has developed several programs for IBM and Janus Conferences. He has developed and taught several business courses at the college level.
Bill is an entrepreneur who started and runs a successful conference business and consulting firm. He also operates a Peer-to-Peer lending platform, “BorrowLend Match.com”, and a medical tourism business, “SurgeryInParis.com”. He understands what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.
Bill has the ability to bring an international view to the discussion. He was responsible for IBM’s relationship with four major global clients, CGI (Montreal), Deloitte (New York), Capgemini (Paris), TATA Consultancy Services (Chennai, India). He has lived in both New York (1999-2008) and Toulouse, France (2009-2017). And he has made 15 extensive trips to India doing business in Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Pune Goa and Pondicherry.
Career Highlights
Bill was Manager, Plans & Controls with IBM Canada managing a team responsible for preparing and monitoring performance against the annual budget.
He was a top sales executive with IBM for over 25 years. He had international business experience in France, India, China and the U.S..
He has a proven track record of training, coaching and mentoring both students and employees, and he was Manager of Sales training for IBM.
After retiring from IBM, Bill started up Janus Conferences running conferences for managers and executives on topics such as Impact of Generative AI, Big Data Analytics, Cybersecurity & Data Privacy, ESG Compliance and Talent Strategies.
Other Activities
Bill has served on the Boards of several organizations including,
- President, Toronto Lung Association, President, Toronto Don Valley Rotary Club, Fundraising Chm, Humber Valley United Church, Waldorf Academy board
- AICPA (New York) Consulting Services Executive Committee
Bill is current serving on the following Boards,
- Chair, Ministry & Personnel, Rosedale United Church, Theta Delta Chi (U of T) fraternity board, Opera in Concert board