Haskayne Master of Management Students Complete Capstone Course alongside ATB Financial

Last month, Haskayne’s Master of Management students completed their capstone course that concluded their academic journey at the Haskayne School of Business. Dr. David Dick, Associate Professor and Fellow with the Canadian Centre for Advanced Leadership, partnered with ATB Financial to deliver one of the capstone course options. The course, called Integrated Decision Making, focused on investigating the practical, strategic, and ethical issues in the modern banking and financial services industry.

ATB Financial is an Alberta-based financial institution that has been operating in the province for more than 80 years. With a strong focus on supporting Albertans, the presentations oriented the students to the financial services industry in our province. This background gave students valuable insight into the local and provincial business community.

During the intensive one-week course, students listened in on presentations from five senior leaders from ATB Financial, who highlighted their own area of professional focus. Students engaged with the topics were relevant, pressing, and long-term concerns in the banking and financial services sector. Presentation topics included Banking 101, Measuring and Designing Key Performance Indicators, Experience Design, Social Economics and Data in Banking.

These presentations were supplemented with lectures, videos, and group discussions led by Dr. Dick that helped students to explore the ethical underpinnings of each of the selected topics. These discussions encouraged students to reflect on the course through the lens of strategy, management, and philosophical ethics.

Students worked in small groups to prepare presentations that evaluated the company’s current position and strategic direction. They integrated information learned throughout the course to propose opportunities for the bank, considering their focus on the triple bottom line, enhancing user experience, evaluating the societal role of business and integrating artificial intelligence.

To wrap up the course, students participated in a group assignment that required them to incorporate their learning from the week and prepare a final presentation delivered to ATB Financial. Little did they know they would also be presenting for Curtis Stange, CEO of ATB Financial.

The leaders from ATB Financial took copious notes, posed challenging questions and provided helpful feedback to each of the student groups following their presentations. Much of the feedback focused on how students’ had inspired the industry representatives to bring ideas back to their own teams.

The Master of Management program offered through the Haskayne School of Business is a 10-month program, providing students with non-business educational backgrounds a foundation in business.

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