Scotiabank: the next generation

Beedie alumna Mari Jensen mentors the rising stars of finance.

Beedie School of Business alumna Mari Jensen has undoubtedly enjoyed a successful career in finance. After starting in a part-time position with Scotiabank while studying at the Beedie School of Business, her Beedie education has since helped her rise through the ranks to her current position as Director of Institutional FX Sales at Global Banking and Markets. Not content to sit back and enjoy the fruits of her labours, however, she has made a conscious decision to help others emulate the success she has had throughout her career.

Jensen mentors a number of students both unofficially and through formal mentorship programs. She has also taken steps to ensure that Beedie School of Business finance students receive greater recognition in Toronto, having worked with her colleagues on a Western Canada recruitment strategy for Scotiabank and volunteering as their SFU liaison.

“I have always enjoyed mentoring,” she says. “I know how important mentors were in my career, and I really do believe that it makes a difference to students in their academic careers to talk to someone established in the industry.”

One Beedie student who has been the beneficiary of Jensen’s mentorship is Tiffany Sun, a current member of the Beedie Endowment Asset Management Fund (BEAM) team. Sun first met Jensen last year on the annual BEAM trip to visit some of Toronto’s largest financial institutions. During a networking event at Scotiabank the pair struck up a conversation that would lead to Jensen taking Sun under her wing – and ultimately helping her land a position with the company as a Global Capital Markets Sales and Trading intern this summer.

“Mari and I really clicked after meeting in Toronto and it was her presentation that convinced me that a role in sales would be a good fit for me,” says Sun. “She gave me a lot of tips about my résumé and cover letter, and was instrumental in helping me prepare for my interview. I was competing against not only other undergraduates but MSc students as well – I am really lucky to have had Mari as a mentor.”

Jensen’s selflessness has not gone unnoticed – just last year she received the Rising Star Award from Women in Capital Markets, a non-profit organization that promotes the entry, advancement and development of women in the Capital Markets industry, in which she participates in the mentorship program. The award honours an individual who is a high-performing role model at work and has made a lasting contribution by providing inspirational leadership and mentorship to young women in the industry.

Jensen has a long history with the Beedie School of Business, first studying part-time for her BBA, and then immediately going on to obtain her MBA in Global Asset and Wealth Management. She balanced her BBA studies with a part-time position at Scotiabank, initially working in collections – a role she describes as “a great university job” – before being offered a full-time management position in the legal department.

“I always knew I wanted to be in business, which is why I chose SFU in the first place – I was particularly attracted by its reputation and strong co-op program,” says Jensen. “When I took (Beedie School of Business Professor) George Blazenko’s Finance 101 class I discovered my love for the subject. Since then I have never looked back.”

After graduating from the BBA program, Jensen was encouraged by Beedie School of Business Professor Peter Klein – who played the role of mentor to Jensen early in her career – to enroll in the recently created MBA in Global Asset and Wealth Management. The program – which later morphed into the MSc in Finance program – gave her career the boost she was looking for, and helped her make the transition to a new position in Toronto.

“It was a great program – academically rigorous and extremely challenging,” says Jensen. “One of the best aspects for me was the hands-on opportunities available, such as managing the SIAS (Student Investment Advisory Service) fund. As the inaugural class, we put together the initial foundation for managing the fund. It was a fantastic experience.”

Jensen’s pride in her SFU education is evident, and having herself achieved success in Canada’s financial hub in Toronto, she now strives to ensure that other Beedie students receive the recognition they deserve.

“The Beedie School of Business is an amazing school and there’s no reason why students can’t be considered as highly out here as some of the east coast schools,” she says. “Geographic proximity is a hurdle to overcome, but the success Beedie students have been having recently when interviewing for positions gives the school great exposure and lets them know that we have top candidates too.”