Marvin Romanow
Chief Financial Officer, Nexen Inc.
Edwards MBA 1980

Marvin was chosen as Canada’s CFO of the Year for 2007. Canada’s CFO of the Year Award is presented annually by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Financial Executives International Canada (FEI Canada), and The Caldwell Partners International.  The award honours and recognizes the quality, insight, direction and leadership of Canada’s senior financial leaders.

“Now in its fifth year, Canada’s CFO of the Year Award is awarded annually to an outstanding professional who, operating in a complex and demanding environment, makes a significant contribution to Canadian business,” says Chris Clark, FCA, CEO and Canadian Senior Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Selection for the 2007 award was made by an independent committee composed of some of Canada’s most prominent business leaders.  The criteria by which nominees were judged centered around five key attributes: vision and leadership, corporate reporting and performance, social responsibility, innovation, and business complexity.

A native of Canora, Saskatchewan, Mr. Romanow explained when asked how his experience at the University of Saskatchewan has directly impacted his career.  Mr. Romanow considers the U of S MBA program “highly valuable and practical.” He now has more than 25 years experience in the oil and gas industry and is the director of the Canadian Energy Research Institute and Private Sector Sponsors of CERI and is Nexen’s representative on the Board of Directors of Canexus Income Trust and the Syncrude oil sands venture.

Mr. Romanow is active in his community and was Calgary Co-chair of the University of Saskatchewan’s capital campaign.

Sean McAlpine
Principal, Abonar Business Consultants Ltd.
Edwards MBA 2007

Sean attained his Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Saskatchewan in 1990.  After graduating, he spent 16 years in the pulp and paper industry, working on environmental engineering, process engineering, customer service and general management. When the mill he was working at was shut down, Sean decided to upgrade his skill set to minimize his dependency on a single industry.  

“I chose the Edwards School of Business MBA program (International Business Management) because of the curriculum and duration of the program.  In addition to getting a first rate education, I was able to make a number of valuable contacts with faculty and classmates.”  

In fact, McAlpine has begun a consulting company in partnership with two of his former MBA classmates after graduation. The company, Abonar Business Consultants, offers innovative and customized solutions to enhance organizational and business performance.  According to Sean, “We are using the full breadth of our education as we grow this company.” 

“I would rate the experience at the Edwards School of Business MBA program as transformational and lots of fun and I highly recommend it to people wanting to jump start their careers.”

Monica Goulet
Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Coordinator, City of Saskatoon
Edwards MBA 2007

Once a high school dropout, now a university graduate with a Bachelor of Education, a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction in English, and now an MBA alumnus, this mother of two is an inspiring example of living your dream.

In pursuit of her English and Education degrees, Monica had a very positive experience at the University of Saskatchewan. She is a strong advocate of lifelong learning and loves to learn in a university setting.  In 2006, Monica chose to pursue her Master of Business Administration degree at the U of S.  Monica feels that the Edwards MBA offers the opportunity to be exposed to higher learning and directed her studies toward a holistic approach to leadership.

Monica is accustomed to working with many different people and personalities.  She appreciated her classmates’ mature approach to learning.  The cultural diversity of her classmates and their vast range of experiences provided a rich working and studying environment. 

Monica is currently working for the City of Saskatoon.