When Kris Galashan, HBA ’00, started his degree in 1998, it was the first year Ivey students were able to have laptop computers in class, following the invention of Wi-Fi technology the year prior.
The summer before his first semester, Galashan received a letter from the School with a recommendation for a laptop worth $2,000 (equivalent to ~$3,500 today).
“Fat chance of getting that,” he thought to himself. “Who has $2,000 for a computer?”
So, he showed up to the first day of class with the old reliable: pen and paper. When he looked around the room of 71 students, he saw that everyone else had a laptop.
“That was a stressful week,” says Galashan. Half of his classes that year were about computers (and Excel, specifically), so he wouldn’t get very far without one. “I could have gone to the bank and borrowed some money,” he says, “but that wasn't what I was trying to accomplish.”
Determined to graduate university without any debt, he decided to ask his parents for help, with plans to reimburse them when he could.
The power of scholarships
Galashan grew up in Ancaster, Ont., a small town in the Greater Hamilton Area. One of four children, he learned early on that he would need to get serious about saving money for his post-secondary education. “My parents were generous,” he says, “but with four kids, you can only be so generous.”
Starting at the age of 12, he worked at a local golf course during the summers and diligently saved his earnings. When he got to Western University, and eventually Ivey, he was fortunate to receive several scholarships, including a four-year admissions scholarship based on entrance average, and the SC Johnson HBA Award, for high academic standing.
“The awards were very helpful,” he says. “Between the scholarships and the money I saved in the summers, I largely paid for university myself.” Best of all, he graduated from Ivey debt-free.
After launching his career in investment banking at DLJ, where he worked for two years, Galashan transitioned into private equity and joined Leonard Green & Partners in Los Angeles. He has been there now for 23 years and is a Partner at the firm, investing in and helping to grow consumer-facing businesses.
When he graduated, Galashan recognized he would need to set his sights beyond the Hamilton area to achieve his career goals — something he knows is still true for others aspiring to work in his field. “Not many people in those towns do this kind of work, and those who want to don't know where to go for advice,” he says.
Twenty-four years after graduating, Galashan decided he wanted to change that.
From scholarship recipient to scholarship donor
In 2024, he established his own Ivey scholarship — the Galashan Family HBA Award.
Worth $10,000, the award is given to a full-time student entering HBA1 from the Greater Hamilton Area based on academic achievement and an interest in investment banking or private equity. The award is renewed in HBA2 provided recipients maintain a minimum 80% average.
“I want to help people who are in a similar situation to me, whether that's where they grew up, what their financial situation is or was, or what their interests are,” he says.
“If the person is heading down a similar path to mine, I could give them not only some help financially, but also potentially some career advice.”
Impact of the Galashan Family HBA Award
If you ask the inaugural Galashan Family HBA Award recipient, Joshua Hampel, HBA ’26 candidate, that’s exactly what Galashan has done. The two were able to connect by phone earlier this year and the advice Hampel received during that 40-minute call is, he says, “irreplaceable.”
“I really respect Kris so much and I'm just grateful for the relationship I now have with him.”
A transfer student from McMaster University’s Commerce program, Hampel grew up in Waterdown, Ont. — a 17-minute drive from Galashan’s hometown of Ancaster. He didn’t have significant expenditures living at home, but when he decided to apply to Ivey, he knew he’d have to pay rent, and that Ivey’s tuition would be a challenge.
The Galashan Family HBA Award has alleviated a big financial burden for Hampel’s parents, who are simultaneously financing his younger brother’s university education. “Honestly, I don't know how I would afford to go here without it,” says Hampel. “It’s made it so much easier for me and my family.”
When he graduates, Hampel hopes to mimic Galashan’s career path. “I pretty much want to copy and paste exactly what Kris did,” he jokes. “He understands so many different areas of business and business models. I really admire that level of expertise, and I aspire to get to that point.”
He knows, however, how challenging it is to get to that point living in a place with few corporate career paths. “I have really big aspirations and dreams,” he says. “Being at Ivey is one of them. And being an investment banker is one of them. And there just isn't opportunity to do that where Kris and I are from.”
Inspiring students with financial and mentorship support
Moved by Galashan’s generosity and mentorship, Hampel is reflecting on how he can pay it forward one day when he’s an Ivey alum.
“I know how it’s made me feel,” he says, “and if I had the opportunity to make a future Ivey student feel the exact same way, I would be truly grateful. I would love to do something similar for a future me.”
As for Galashan, who celebrates his 25-year class reunion this fall, he’s mindful that tuition is now more expensive than ever, which is also why creating a scholarship piqued his interest. “Giving money directly to somebody who deserves it felt like the right thing to do from my seat,” he says.
And while he’s grateful to be able to provide that financial assistance, he believes the mentorship aspect is equally important, since success is often preceded by good advice, luck, timing, and relationships.
“Over the years, I think it will be phenomenal to have folks I can give advice to, if they want it, and be the type of resource that I didn't have,” he says.
“And if I can help them buy that computer, I'd like to do that, too.”
If you’re interested in creating an Ivey scholarship, please contact Nic Miller, Director of Development, at nmiller@ivey.ca.