Colton James

Ivey School of Business, Western University

“A curious lifelong learner who is passionate about helping teammates succeed.”

Hometown: Brights Grove, Ontario

Fun fact about yourself: I am an avid traveler and embarked on a two-month journey in South America before my MBA program where I learned to surf.

Undergraduate School and Degree: University of Western Ontario – Bachelor of Health Sciences, Specializing in Kinesiology.

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Before Ivey, I worked at CBRE in their facility management and operations sector as a Program Manager. My main role was to manage health, safety, security, and environmental (HSSE) compliance on a diverse public-facing real estate portfolio in Ontario. This role required me to advise clients on complex regulatory matters, with my audience ranging from on-site technicians to company vice presidents. My career progression at CBRE and my natural ability to solve urgent issues with a variety of stakeholders led me to pursue an MBA at Ivey to continue growing as a business leader.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2023? N/A – Ivey is a condensed 1-year program without internships.

Where will you be working after graduation? Strategy&; Senior Associate, Corporate and Business Strategy

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• Richard Ivey Excellence Award
• Vice-President of the MBA Consulting Club
• Captain – Ivey MBA Ice Hockey team
• Lead Senator and Organizer of the Ivey Cup Ice Hockey Tournament
• Finalist – Global Goals Jam EDII Case Competition, Smith School of Business
• Selected to participate in Ivey’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator Program to develop a fintech company
• Ivey MBA Ambassador

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am part of an eight-person team leading the organization of the 2024 Ivey Cup Ice Hockey tournament. The Ivey Cup is a long-standing tradition that brings together current Ivey MBA students, Ivey alumni, and students from other MBA programs for a weekend of fun competition amongst peers. Alongside the hockey tournament, there are structured networking events, learn-to-skate opportunities, and social events for the teams participating and current Ivey students.

As the Lead Senator, I worked with our class president and a six-member organizing committee to prioritize student engagement throughout the weekend. I encouraged members of the organizing committee without experience in organizing major events or who were unfamiliar with hockey to lead certain initiatives. It brought me great satisfaction when a student went out of their comfort zone to deliver on a key aspect that is going to make the tournament spectacular.

As the event approaches, I am filled with excitement and pride for the collaborative efforts put forth by my classmates.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? My professional career has been a story of self-reflection and pivots that go back to when I was finishing my undergraduate degree in Kinesiology. When I was in my final year of my undergraduate degree, I was in an athletic therapy class holding someone’s foot in my hands and I thought to myself that this was not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I needed to find a career path where I could apply my Kinesiology degree but also allow myself to pivot into something different.

That’s where I found a role in HSSE at CBRE as a Program Coordinator. Starting green with no professional experience, I had to learn many new working areas with phrases and concepts that I had never heard before. I applied a diligent work ethic and a positive attitude to deliver on projects early in my career and made meaningful connections along the way.  I had fantastic mentors who gave me opportunities to independently lead projects and initiatives to grow as a leader. This led to multiple promotions at CBRE to a Program Manager. My time at CBRE culminated with an internal CBRE award awarded to eight members of a 500-person account division each year who “exceed expectations for producing exceptional client outcomes.” Looking back at my time at CBRE, I am proud of how I grew as a professional leader who can understand client needs and apply my critical thinking skills to deliver positive results

Why did you choose this business school? My main goal in selecting an MBA program was to continue developing into an impactful leader who can make decisions in times of uncertainty. Ivey has a reputation for developing leaders with character and I was familiar with the case teaching methodology. While deciding between different business schools, I attended a class visit for a Corporate Strategy class led by strategy guru Glenn Rowe. I was impressed by how students dissected information from a deep case and were able to articulate their analysis and opinions in a clear and thoughtful manner. I also appreciated Glenn encouraging students to build on their ideas and defend their positions. At first, it can be intimidating, but I learned to appreciate that we were being coached on how to become impactful leaders. This in-class experience and my familiarity with London sealed the deal on my decision to come to Ivey.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? There are so many to choose from, which makes this a difficult question. Coming from a non-finance background like many of my classmates, I was anxious about our core financial class, Managing Financial Resources. The professor, Craig Dunbar, quickly alleviated these concerns with his friendly demeanour and immense finance knowledge. Craig’s teaching style matches Ivey’s case method perfectly, as it encourages students to participate no matter what their incoming finance skill level is. Seeing how there are many qualitative inputs that one can identify through critical thinking was an impactful moment in my learning.

Craig is also extremely committed to his students’ learning and well-being, as he always makes himself available to students in one-on-one office hours or through group review sessions. With unique idiosyncrasies and phrases, Craig makes class humorous and enjoyable. I will never forget Craig’s “Taylor Swift rule” to never, ever, ever, use the book value of equity when performing financial analysis.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? Negotiations is an elective class led by Fernando Olivera. Each class is structured in such a way that the first third of the class is an overview of the assigned readings and theory, the second third is a one-on-one negotiation for an assigned topic with a classmate, and the last third is an engaged discussion of how negotiations went with individual recaps from negotiating parties.

What makes the recap portion so interesting is that everyone’s negotiation results are projected in front of the entire class, where people can compare their negotiation results with their peers. This leads to enlightening, humorous, and sometimes contentious class discussions where Fernando masterfully manages the mood and direction of the class. Taught over five weeks, my walks home from class were consumed by self-reflection and discussions with my classmates on what I learned and what I could have done differently in the negotiation. I still reflect on many of Fernando’s teachings and I am grateful for this experience.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? Leadership Under Fire (LUF) is a four-day elective course that entails bringing forty students to an undisclosed location to participate in a leadership-building boot camp. LUF is led by a team of current and ex-military professionals with the goal of developing leadership character. During the four days, we were assigned to teams of ten to complete leadership-oriented tasks. We were pushed to our physical, mental, and emotional limits, but all came out as better leaders with a deeper appreciation of our leadership styles and how we can continue improving as leaders. When the boot camp was completed and we were in more comfortable confines, classmates shared their experiences with their peers and celebrated each other’s success. It was a remarkable experience seeing my classmates complete a challenging course and come out as better leaders.

Ivey offering this one-of-a-kind leadership opportunity demonstrates the school’s commitment to developing world-class leaders. I would recommend any prospective MBA student considering Ivey to ask about LUF when contemplating their decision.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? There are numerous professional and cultural clubs at Ivey that, looking back, I would have liked to be more involved with. There is a breadth of clubs through Ivey’s MBA Student Association that include the Technology Club, the Wine and Culinary Club, and the Women in Management Club. If I had been more involved in clubs that were outside of my own experiences, I may have had an opportunity to better connect with peers with different cultural and professional backgrounds than mine. This would have helped me continue growing into an impactful leader with an increased appreciation of diverse perspectives.

What surprised you the most about business school? The willingness of my peers to help and uplift their classmates. Ivey uses a “learning team” method, where we are assigned to a team of six to seven classmates for the first six months of the program, with learning teams changing every two months. Learning teams are intended to foster learning and professional growth within each team. The first learning team tends to be the most influential on the Ivey experience. I was fortunate to be with a group of exceptional individuals with diverse cultural and professional backgrounds. Two members of my first learning team, Patrick Graham and Nihal Nishadul, spent many hours helping me understand concepts in accounting, finance, and quantitative analytics, which allowed me to make it through the first few months of the program. I would not have made it through those classes without them and the rest of my learning team’s help.

I also attended countless exam review and interview preparation sessions led by my classmates without anyone asking them to do so. Early in the program, faculty heads instill Ivey’s culture of giving back to each other, which is evident in alumni outreach. There is no shortage of people reaching out if you ask for help at Ivey.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? There are so many to choose from, but I have been fortunate to work closely with Grant Sparling over the last eight months on a new venture project. We are working with two other Ivey MBA students to develop LiquidAsset, a fintech platform that provides investors with an opportunity to directly invest in maturing whiskey barrels. A serial entrepreneur, Grant has experience building and scaling multiple businesses and brings a wealth of knowledge to our venture. When he approached me and shared his idea for this business, I was immediately drawn to join the team.

Developing a fintech platform has had many challenges, ranging from securities regulation to legal hurdles. I am continually impressed by Grant’s ability to calmly take in information during frantic times and suggest a clear path forward. Grant also participated in the LUF elective course where he was recognized along with three other classmates by the course leaders as having exceptional leadership potential. I look to Grant as a leader with a strong sense of integrity and determination to create something huge.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

Start and scale a company with some friends: something already in the works thanks to Ivey’s new venture project and the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship.

Begin a board of director journey by volunteering with a minor hockey association.

What made Colton such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“Colton’s contributions to the MBA Class of 2024 have been significant. He is regarded by both his faculty and peers as a valuable contributor to case discussions, and is always willing to raise his hand and share his insights with his cohort in a respectful manner. He exhibits curiosity in each course and readily engages in the learnings.

Aside from juggling a heavy course load at Ivey, Colton has immersed himself in numerous extracurricular and co-curricular activities during his time at Ivey. He is co-President of the MBA Consulting Club and an Ivey MBA Ambassador. He is also largely responsible for organizing the Ivey Cup, an ice hockey tournament that pits other business schools against one another.

Colton is the epitome of a well rounded student, and is most deserving of this nomination.”

Kate Palmer-Gryp
Director, Full-Time Programs
Ivey Business School

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2024