Jonathan Skirving
President, Blackbriar Consulting Inc.
President, Blackbriar Consulting Inc.
MBA
2010
Jonathan Skirving has built his career in finance, consulting and business operations. Throughout that journey, one thing has remained constant: his focus on people. From developing relationships with clients and colleagues to mentoring entrepreneurs and giving back to McMaster, Skirving makes genuine connection central to his business approach.
“When I was younger, working in finance, I saw the ulterior motives people use to get ahead,” he says. “I learned then that when you’re your true self, you can connect with people authentically, and that’s where the magic is in life. What the MBA program did was help me understand how to work with and lead people better.”
Skirving entered the Co-op MBA with an Honours BA in Economics and several years of finance experience. Although he knew he wanted to go into banking, he remained open to new experiences.
That approach led to three distinct co-op roles: junior credit analyst at an insurance provider, strategy associate at a French food services and facilities management company and project manager (PM) in the dean’s office at the DeGroote School of Business.
“In the PM role, I was involved in the building of the Ron Joyce Centre, securing funding and helping to plan and execute the project,” says Skirving. “I actually ended up taking classes in my last semester at the Centre. Overall, the variety of co-ops benefited me a lot. I learned how a non-profit organization like McMaster operates, what it’s like to work with an international company, and how a large insurer invests.
“I saw how much everything comes down to people: clients, colleagues, stakeholders, people in government.”
Learning to lead people
Outside the classroom, Skirving’s open-mindedness helped him get the most out of his MBA by building community. From coffee chats with DeGroote alumni to connecting with peers from diverse educational, cultural and professional backgrounds, and even running for president of DeGroote’s MBA Association, Skirving cultivated relationships while developing leadership skills.
“When I was president, I had 12 of my fellow students reporting to me and a budget of a couple hundred thousand dollars, so I learned a lot about leading,” he says. “I made mistakes, and the dean, who was one of my mentors, would take me into his office and ask, ‘What do you think about such and such?’ Looking back, I realize he was coaching me to become a better leader.”
Giving back to people
The MBA also gave Skirving a foundation in finance, accounting and HR, which he continues to draw on in his work. After several years in banking and finance, Skirving decided to move to the other side of the table to help entrepreneurs build their businesses.
In 2016, he launched Blackbriar Consulting, advising growing companies on strategy, financing and operations, and sometimes stepping into interim executive roles to help put those plans into action.
Skirving remains closely involved with McMaster, as a current Entrepreneur in Residence for helping start-up companies across the University community and former Investment Committee member of the McMaster Seed Fund.
“You think of university as classes and a degree, but the most unexpected aspect is the strength of the opportunities and the community,” Skirving says. “I want to remain a part of that and give back.”
