Despite an unusually cool September, Ivey alumni from around the world brought sunshine and school spirit home with them for Homecoming 2014.
More than 1,100 alumni and family members returned to London to celebrate Ivey Homecoming. And at a beautiful and balmy 27 degrees Celsius, the party was certainly worth the trip to London.
On Friday, Homecoming kicked off for students with the Richard G. Ivey Speaker Series. David Kassie, MBA ’79, Chairman of Canaccord Genuity Corp, was the key note speaker and spoke to students about the importance of vision in building a strong leadership portfolio.
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For alumni with graduation years ending in ’4 and ’9, this weekend was an opportunity to catch up with former classmates and faculty members. On Friday and Saturday night, private reunion events were planned at various venues around the city – from formal cocktail receptions to casual house parties. These groups also raised an incredible $2.3 million to commemorate their milestone reunions.
At Saturday’s open house, many alumni were introduced to the Richard Ivey Building for the first time. Student volunteers welcomed alumni, offering their time, expertise and personal Ivey experiences to help reconnect alumni with the new space. For those craving an academic experience, guests could join Professor Andreas Schotter, EMBA ’04, PhD ’09, for a lecture on his research on international business.
In the BMO Financial Group Auditorium, Dean Bob Kennedy and Western President Amit Chakma welcomed guests and honoured this year’s Ivey Distinguished Service Award recipients for their contributions to the School: Laurie Campbell, MBA ’89, Patrick Crowley, HBA ’74, and David Kassie, MBA ’79; and the Alumni Faculty Service Award recipient: Professor Jim Erskine, MBA ’67. You can learn more about these four incredible individuals in the video below:
Saturday’s activities also included an afternoon option to either join a case discussion led by Professor David Sparling, for old times’ sake, or head over to watch the Western Mustangs football team take down the University of Toronto Varsity Blues 63-15.
On Sunday, 120 alumni and guests attended the time-honoured Golden Alumni Lunch in the Grand Hall of the Richard Ivey Building, recognizing the 50th anniversary of the class of 1964.
Next year, Homecoming will fall on the weekend of September 25-27 – and we can’t wait to see what another year brings for our incredible 23,000+ Ivey alumni.
