Deloitte wins Beedie School of Business diversity award

SFU Nancy McKinstry Graduate Scholarship for Leadership recipient Leslie Varley (centre), with Dr. Nancy McKinstry and Beedie School of Business Dean Daniel Shapiro.

Deloitte was today announced as the winner of the Simon Fraser University Nancy McKinstry award for leadership in diversity. The SFU Beedie School of Business corporate award recognizes an organization that exemplifies the values of diversity in the workplace.

One of Canada’s leading professional services firms, Deloitte was recognized for its commitment to diversity, in particular the diverse composition of its staff, management and board. The award was presented to Deloitte’s Karen Keilty at a sold-out breakfast at the university’s Segal Graduate School campus in downtown Vancouver.

“Deloitte should be commended for its commitment to making diversity part of its DNA, which not only benefits society as a whole but also the success of organizations,” said Daniel Shapiro, Dean of the Beedie School of Business. “Deloitte’s outreach activities, workplace culture and vision for the composition of its workforce are shining examples of leading diversity in the community.”

SFU EMBA student Leslie Varley received the 2012 Nancy McKinstry graduate student scholarship for leadership. The $1,500 award is given to a Beedie School of Business graduate student who has been a leader in promoting opportunities for women in business.

Varley is the Director of Aboriginal Health with the Provincial Health Services Authority since 2008. In her leadership role, she has helped develop a provincial strategy for advancing Aboriginal health, including leading cultural competency training for health professionals. She is also part of the first cohort of the Beedie School of Business’ new Executive MBA in Aboriginal Business and Leadership program.

After the awards, the Beedie School of Business hosted the first ever SFU Nancy McKinstry Leadership in Diversity Workshop, with a focus this year on Aboriginal inclusion. The workshop featured several guest speakers, including Lyle Viereck, Director of Aboriginal Relations and Negotiations, BC Hydro; Mark Selman, program director of SFU’s Executive MBA in Aboriginal Business and Leadership; Peggy Berndt, National Director of Communications and Marketing, Aboriginal Human Resource Council; Dirk Brinkman, CEO and founder, Brinkman Reforestation; and 2012 Nancy McKinstry graduate student scholarship for leadership winner Leslie Varley. The speakers took part in several open panel discussions focused on the challenges faced in Aboriginal recruitment.

The Awards for Leadership in Diversity were established in 2009 to honour Dr. McKinstry for her contributions to SFU as Chair of the Board of Governors. The Nancy McKinstry Graduate Scholarship for Leadership is supported by the Nancy McKinstry Endowment, established to honour McKinstry and build on her legacy.

Simon Fraser University is deeply committed to promoting the values of diversity and social equity both in our own employment practices and through our community engagement activities. The university boasts an incredibly diverse student body and has forged strong connections with Vancouver’s multicultural communities. SFU is ranked as one of British Columbia’s Top 55 Employers, and for the fourth year in a row, SFU has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 employers.