Beedie School of Business pays tribute to Ryan Beedie

Beedie School of Business students, faculty and staff gathered to express their gratitude to the Beedie family for their record-setting $22 million gift at the second annual Beedie Appreciation Night.

The event, held on November 5 at the Segal Graduate School of Business, allowed Beedie students a unique opportunity to network with Ryan Beedie and thank him for the opportunities made available by the gift.

In an engaging speech, Ryan expressed his continued joy at seeing his family name associated with the Beedie School of Business. He announced that he would accelerate the outstanding installments so that the full amount would be paid to the School by the end of 2014, instead of over the next 5 years.

“I would like to thank Ryan once again for his generous gift, and for deciding to accelerate the payments,” said Blaize Horner Reich, Dean of the Beedie School of Business. “This infusion will help us to accelerate our support for student learning, faculty research and overall engagement. I am very pleased and proud that Ryan has such confidence in us.”

Reminiscing about the day the gift was announced in February 2011, Ryan noted that he received a euphoric response from the students as he walked through the SFU Burnaby campus.

“I have such fond memories of that day, and the excitement amongst the students,” said Ryan. “I have said many times that the contribution and naming of the School is the best thing I have done in my 22-year career. It is very touching to hear first hand the impact that our contribution has had on people’s lives.”

Ryan then expressed to students the importance of being flexible in business. Describing a recent business transaction concerning a plot of land he had coveted for some time, he revealed that he had been unsure as to how much to bid for the plot right up until the final seconds.

He was ultimately able to complete the deal due to the way that he structured his offer, which left room for negotiation.

“This story relates to the whole issue of what I call nimbleness,” Ryan said. “Don’t get stuck on a certain train of thought, try to stay open and agile. Mental flexibility is a huge advantage for my company over our competitors and part of the reason why we are so successful.”

The event also featured presentations from PhD candidate Stefanie Beninger and Beedie Ambassador and 2014 JDC West co-captain Natalie Bottesselle, both of whom described how their student experiences had been positively affected by the gift.

As well, the students presented Ryan with a video made by members of BASS FROSH, CaseIT, and AIESEC – all groups who have directly benefited from the gift – thanking him for the opportunities his family’s donation has made possible in the subsequent years.