Biography
Peter Widdis is tenured faculty and an academic program coordinator in postgraduate studies at the Centre for Business. He is a full-time professor of marketing whose focus lies in teaching, research & innovation practices.
When Peter enters any educational setting - physically, virtually, or experientially - he does not see chairs, tables, or media fixtures. Instead, he sees a playground to cultivate a yearning for real-world learning with a pedagogical twist.
Timeless achievements from Peter’s career journey include a trip to CBC’s Dragons’ Den with an IT start-up, agency Mentorship L&D programming as well as directing Campbell's® creation of “sipping-soup” product brands by establishing Soup at Hand®; recognized for R&D originality by Nielsen, the Canadian Grand Prix Awards and SIAL International. While at Mondelēz Cadbury® he worked with NBA great Vince Carter to create the "Mr. Big® is VC” CSR and Double-Dunk™ candy bar, an IEG case study and ESPN feature; memorabilia live in the Cadbury® Factory Museum. Today, his Exam-Jam™ assessment model is finding fun ways to utilize the educational power of game dynamics.
A President’s Award-Winning professor, Peter is one of the School of Marketing’s sport & event commerce experts. He is also recognized college wide for his creative versatility and natural propensity for innovation. Peter’s expertise is shared in prominent media including, CTV, BNN Bloomberg, Toronto Star, Globe & Mail and The New York Times. Likewise, his Profpreneur™ philosophy for higher education has been featured in Macleans Magazine's guide to Canada’s universities & colleges.
Being a dual professional, when Peter’s not on campus he creates brand intellectual property (IP) with founders from Toronto to Silicon Valley. Peter works on start-ups, SMEs not to mention with organizations like Disneyland USA, Stratovation, TiE and IEG
Student empathy is at the core of Peter’s teaching philosophy. He steers students towards dream careers everyday while making learning endless in every way.
Academic Credentials
Ph.D. (In progress), Instructional Design & Technology, Liberty University, 2027
M.Ed., Transformational Leadership, Aspen University, 2015
Postgraduate Certificate, Sport & Event Marketing, George Brown College, 1997
B.S., Business Administration, Roberts Wesleyan University, 1994
Areas of Specialization
Fortune 500 Companies
Multinationals
SMEs
Start-ups
Philanthropy
Areas of Expertise
Sport & Event Commerce
Brand Management
Product Development
Advertising Communication
Sponsorship Activation
Experiential & Digital Media
Non-Profit & Social Enterprise
Career Highlights
2009-Present: Full Professor I Academic Program Coordinator, Centre for Business at George Brown College
2007-2009: VP, Director of Strategy & Client Experience @ LAUNCH! - now part of Mosaic North America (N.A.)
2006-2007: Marketing & Creative Director of Marc Anthony True Professional, MAV Beauty Brands
2003-2006: Senior Brand Manager – Team Innovation, Campbell Soup Company
2000-2003: Brand Manager & Experience Strategist, Mondelēz Cadbury
1999-2000: Associate Brand Manager, Mondelēz Cadbury
1996-1999: Associate, LANG Partnerships Network – Boutique Sponsorship Agency
1994-1996: Account Executive, Grey Group – a Division of WPP plc.
Other Activities
Co-Chair: 5 to Watch - Canada’s Sports Business Awards
Partner: Dame Venturus, LLC
Advisor: FlipGive.com
Principal: Name-On Ventures
Judge: Canada’s Product of the Year, Rogers Communications
Board Member: Sheila B. Driscoll Foundation
Awards
5 to Watch: Canada’s Sports Business Awards - Special Recognition Award, George Brown College
President’s Award for Teaching & Learning, George Brown College
Enactus™ Canada Fellowship Inductee, John Dobson Foundation
CBC Dragon’s Den with IT Start-up, Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC)
Ex-Award for Experiential Marketing, Event Marketer, USA
ICA Award for Experiential Marketing, Institute of Communication Agencies
SIAL International Product Innovation Awards, Paris Nord Villepinte, France
Canadian Grand Prix Awards, Retail Council of Canada
Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) Award for Advertising Excellence