Learn from the best here at SAIT

Students graduating from SAIT’s School of Business and School of Hospitality and Tourism this spring will be able to say they’ve convocated from two of the top business schools in the world, and expert instructors helped earn those bragging rights.

The prestigious CEOWORLD Magazine released its lists of Best Business Schools in the World and SAIT is one of only three Canadian schools on the list. The School of Hospitality and Tourism remains the only Canadian school to rank on the list of Best Hospitality and Hotel Management Schools in the World.

“Rising to 18 in the global rankings is an accomplishment at the best of times,” says James Overall, Dean, School of Hospitality and Tourism. “Doing so during a pandemic and immense change to the hospitality industry is a testament to the instructors and team — always leading with a student-first approach.”

That student-first approach is evident in the school’s program evolution. Students have considerable choice in specializations for the two-year diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Management, and can then choose to extend their learning an additional two years to complete a Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Intakes have also expanded to reflect the needs of today’s learners — with year-round start dates for both the culinary arts, and hospitality and tourism management diploma programs.

In the School of Business, one of the largest business schools in Western Canada, student experience is also the guiding principle, with opportunities to connect with industry and make a real-world difference from the beginning of programs to graduation. The Bachelor of Business Administration offers six majors to prepare students to fill future skill gaps.

“Maintaining our ranking on this list for 2022 is a tremendous achievement and I am proud of the work our team does every day to contribute to this ranking and ultimately, student success,” says Janet Segato, Dean of the School of Business. “Outstanding applied learning experiences, inclusive and engaging classrooms, connection with industry and a community of care for our students and employees is what sets us apart.”

Underpinning the success of both schools is the faculty. Committed instructors shape the student experience, and their industry connections and expertise puts SAIT students a step ahead when they transition into their careers.

Meet just a few of the instructors who bring their best to the classroom, and explore the Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management, the Bachelor of Business Administration and other programs with our world-ranked schools.

School of Hospitality and Tourism

Madeleine MacDonald | Hospitality and Tourism

MacDonald graduated in 2014 from SAIT’s Hospitality Management program and leveraged an internship at Calgary’s award-winning Model Milk restaurant into a role as beverage director. In 2018, she returned to the School of Hospitality and Tourism, bringing her mentorship skills from behind the bar into the classroom.

 

 

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📷 #SAITFaces: https://www.instagram.com/p/CR7KW8XB0R4/

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Alita Brown | Hospitality and Tourism

A SAIT graduate who earned a diploma in hotel and restaurant administration from the School of Business and Tourism — as it was then known — in 1982, Alita Brown returned in September 1999, bringing two decades’ worth of experience working for hotels to the classroom. Among the highlights of her time at SAIT is working with fellow instructor Patricia Koyich to teach WestJet staff the art of service when the airline was launching its business class options on flights to Europe.

📖 Read more about the school: Service in the sky

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📷 #SAITFaces: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRCVCRrB1GG/

Mona James | Hospitality and Tourism

Mona James has spent more than 17 years preparing students for a future in the travel and tourism industry as an instructor and internship coordinator for the School of Hospitality and Tourism. James bolstered her SAIT diploma with a degree in Leisure, Tourism and Society from the University of Calgary and later earned a Master of Arts, Tourism Management from Royal Roads University. Teaching all levels — from fresh, first-year students to seasoned, bachelor degree pupils — James shares her passion and expertise in areas such as global tourism, hotel front office operations marketing and revenue management.

📖 Read more about the school: SAIT partners with leading Calgary hotels to embed students in industry

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School of Business

Gerry Duffy | Supply Chain and Logistics, Business Administration

Gerry Duffy brings his real-world — and around-the-world — experience and expertise in the field of supply chain and logistics to SAIT. His career has spanned the globe, from the U.K. to across Europe, Hong Kong, Norway and the United Arab Emirates. He’s done everything from manage critical supply chains for short-supply aerospace parts to overseeing site services for an oil and gas construction project in Alberta’s oilsands. Now he’s paying it forward, teaching students in the School of Business.

📖 Read more about the school: Supply chain experts create solutions with strategic thinking

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📷 #SAITFaces: https://www.instagram.com/p/CYZi5R9Pbgt/

Harry Vadalkar | Blockchain, Fintech, Finance, Artificial Intelligence, Business Administration

Harry Vadalkar, financial literacy expert and StockTalk podcaster, has added Cisco e-learning Chair and instructor to his bio, bringing a wealth of knowledge to the School of Business. As a Cisco e-learning Chair, Vadalkar is blending two business finance courses and connecting them to external licensing exams, while exploring the development of a new course that covers the impacts information technology, artificial intelligence and blockchain are having on financial services. Given the rapid shifts in the finance industry, he’s ensuring students are prepared for disruption and evolution.

📷 #SAITFaces: https://www.instagram.com/p/CNGv_4rBHZ9/

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Olayemi Olabiyi | Economic Development

With a background in economics and a keen interest in issues around food insecurity in developing countries, Olayemi Olabiyi brings a wealth of expertise to his work as an instructor at SAIT. In 2010, he graduated with the University of Texas in Dallas with a PhD in Public Policy and Political Economy. Olabiyi teaches micro and macroeconomics for the Bachelor of Business Administration Along with presenting at numerous conferences and publication in the Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition, Olabiyi is working on additional papers focused on food insecurity and political economy.

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