MBA student finds great value in
Burlington Co-op

DeGroote (Victoria Coates) | Hamilton, ON | July 27, 2011

Since DeGroote's Ron Joyce Centre (RJC) opened in September 2010, integrating with the city of Burlington has been an important goal of the RJC community. For Co-op MBA student Vanessa Hutchinson, being involved in Burlington is a valuable part of her educational experience at DeGroote.

Hutchinson, who is in the marketing stream and plans to minor in management, completed a four month Co-op position in Burlington with Service Inspired Restaurants® in April. The corporation owns and operates 47 restaurants including Jack Astor's Bar and Grill, Alice Fazooli's Italian Grill and Canyon Creek.

Her main duties revolved around marketing. She was involved with Jack Astor's' sponsorship initiative with the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). Hutchinson planned an event during the Toronto Rock game at the Air Canada Centre, organizing the half-time, pre- and post-game activities, as well as the restaurant promotions during the game. She worked with sponsorships and events for local sports teams including the Oakville Soccer Club and the Burlington Youth Soccer Club. Hutchinson's position also allowed her to work in the field of business planning. She created a structured business plan for each Jack Astor's location and established a guide on how to develop a situational analysis.

"It was a great experience having Vanessa on our marketing team for her Co-op term," says Jenn Dey, Business Manager for Service Inspired Restaurants. "She adapted well to the pace of our organization, solidly contributing on various projects and assuming the lead on others."

Having a position in Burlington has allowed Hutchinson to experience the city and has helped ease her transition between work and school. "It has been a great experience. I am getting to know the Burlington community, and learning about what an up and coming city it really is," says Hutchinson. "Now that I am back in school, I am still able to see my colleagues from my work term as they are also in Burlington."

Service Inspired Restaurants has also discovered advantages in working with Burlington students from the Ron Joyce Centre and has hired two new students from the RJC for summer placements. "One of the main benefits to having an MBA Co-op student working for our company is to have him/her assist with managing and executing key business projects for the Service Inspired Restaurants brands. From the idea-vetting sessions through to programs going live, the extra resources are very valuable, as is the fresh perspective coming from an MBA student," says Dey. "The fact that the DeGroote School of Business' Ron Joyce Centre is only 5 minutes away is a convenient and added incentive for both Burlington students and our organization."

Hutchinson agrees that having her work term in Burlington was very beneficial. "Working in Burlington was a fantastic networking opportunity. I was able to make many contacts in the community that will help me find my next Co-op position and future jobs."

Hutchinson has already found value in the local connections she has made. She is running MBA Bound, a transition week event held for students starting their MBA at DeGroote. Through the contacts established during her work term, she is able to use Jack Astor's as a venue for events. "I am using the connections that I made for promotion opportunities, and at the same time I am supporting the economy that we work in," she says.

Hutchinson is taking classes for the summer months at the RJC and will start her next Co-op term in September.