As Ivey’s centennial, 2023 was a chance to reflect on the School’s legacy over the past 100 years, which sets the stage for a brilliant second century. Here’s a look back at 10 highlights of the year.
Ivey kicked-off its centennial with a launch event where Dean Sharon Hodgson revealed the 100th-anniversary campaign, The Future We See. The campaign featured Ivey faculty, staff, students, and alumni reflecting on the future and appeared online and at prominent locations in various large cities. Hodgson also announced additional centennial activities throughout the year, including an open house, a gala, and a Symposium.
In honour of its centennial, Ivey launched a series of history articles showcasing how the School has grown in various key areas throughout the years. In the first article, Celebrating 100 years of business leadership, readers learned about the birth and growth of Ivey’s programs, how the School got its name, and what’s ahead for the future.
In a ranking in the Financial Times for the Responsible Business Education report, Ivey placed third in the world for the degree that its faculty’s research connects with one or multiple of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The ranking was based on peer-reviewed papers published in globally prestigious FT50 journals from 2018 to 2021.
To recognize International Women's Day in March, Ivey shared the story of the efforts made to increase the representation of women and other equity-deserving groups at Ivey. Entitled Women at Ivey: A century of learning and leadership, the story chronicles the rise of women at Ivey, from the first woman graduate through to new resources, mentorship programs, and recruiting initiatives that are breaking down barriers for women.
Ivey recognized a landmark $30-million gift from Donald K. Johnson, O.C., MBA ’63, LLD ’07, to expand its Toronto campus. The gift will support a new 36,000-square-foot facility located in First Canadian Place (77 Adelaide Street W.) that will double Ivey’s classroom and study room capacity and incorporate innovative classroom learning technology.
In conjunction with National Volunteer Week, a story in Ivey’s history series detailed the many ways the people of Ivey have given back to the community this past century. Entitled Community Impact: The heart of the Ivey experience for 100 years, the article discusses initiatives such as LEADER, the 39 Country Initiative, the Ubuntu Management Education Initiative, and Social Impact Day.
Ivey celebrated a $3.5-million gift from BMO to create a new cross-campus Leadership certificate program. BMO’s gift will also strengthen the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership’s Leadership Under Fire course for HBA students and enhance its outreach to small- and medium-sized businesses through a free leadership playbook.
More than 100 members of the Ivey community who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ or allies showed their pride at the 2023 Toronto Pride Parade. Ivey’s HBA Association collaborated with the Ivey Pride Club to organize the group, with support from Ivey’s Program Services and Career Management, as well as the MBA Association and MSc Association.
Ivey’s researchers demonstrated their ability to produce bold and impactful research on the critical issues facing business and society. Whether it was examining how women of colour experience invisibility in the workplace, recommending ways to tackle corporate greenwashing, or mapping out a path towards net zero for firms, Ivey led the way in confronting important business challenges of today.
Ivey wrapped up its centennial with The Future We See Symposium. The event brought together more than 200 senior executives, change-makers, and thought leaders for a day of inspiring discussion on the critical issues facing leaders. The event included the announcement of a $3-million gift from Sylvia Chrominska, HBA ’75, LLD ’14, to establish a new Evolution of Work Chair position, which will be held by Ivey’s Rob Austin.