“Surround yourself with people who bring diversity of thought and knowledge to create an opportunity for growth and innovation.”
– Brien K. Convery, Executive in Residence, U of T Scarborough Management
Learn more about Brien’s vision and values below.
Department of Management: Brien, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome you aboard! Let’s get to know a little bit more about you. Where did you grow up, and from what age did you begin to derive your interest in business?
Brien K. Convery: I grew up in a small town—Poughkeepsie, New York, along the Hudson River—and I have lived in three major cities in North America: New York, New York; San Francisco, California; and Toronto, Ontario. My interest in business started at a young age with having a father who worked in World Trade / Procurement for IBM and my mother who owned and operated her own antique business for more than 20 years. I learned from both of my parents the value and impact of having a positive work ethic while not losing one’s curiosity and innovative mindset.
M: What have been your greatest career milestones and/or proudest moments?
B: My greatest career moment was landing my first corporate full-time job with The Dannon Company, Inc. in the corporate headquarters in White Plains, New York. My job as a buyer was to purchase strawberries, flavours, sugar, milk, and all of the natural ingredients that went into the making of yogurt. I had the opportunity to grow my responsibilities to include packaging with a combined $150M budget at just under 25 years of age. I even got the chance to be a member of a cross-functional team to launch the first ever Danimals® product line for the youth market segment. This work experience shaped me for life. I had so much responsibility early on which built my self-confidence and provided me with a framework of transferable skills that I still leverage today.
M: From your perspective, what are the characteristics of a great leader?
B: Someone who has a clear strategic vision with the ability to motivate and inspire others; someone who is an active listener who communicates effectively and someone who operates with transparency, authenticity, vulnerability, and empathy.
M: What is your main message at this time for Management students at U of T Scarborough?
B: Embrace who you are as an individual and reflect on your skills, your values, and your lived experiences as your strengths.
M: What is the best advice you received from a manager or a mentor at any point in your career?
B: Do what you love and love what you do. Life is short and you need to live your own passions and dreams.
M: Describe your pathway to success: did you relentlessly pursue a single career goal, or did you adapt and pivot along the way? What surprises you most about where you ended up?
B: My pathway has been what I like to call an “off-roading” experience. I never took a straight-and-narrow career path in that I have had the opportunity to experience multiple career portfolios across many decades.
M: What podcasts are you currently enjoying?
B: This is an interesting one for me to answer as I am enjoying producing and hosting my own podcast #CoffeeWithConvery on Anchor® by Spotify. I started this passion project during Covid in 2020 to give students a voice. A real student-voices-for-student-voices approach with the hopes that it would help young talent through those pivotal moments from school to post-secondary, from post-secondary to their first job. Since then, the podcast has grown to include different segments including throwback Thursdays, careering talk, and much more. This podcast gives me the opportunity to connect with students and talent to ask questions and to learn from an interactive conversation for all to hear.
M: If you could recommend one book for all business students to read, what would it be and why?
B: I would highly recommend My Best Mistake, Epic Fails and Silver Linings by Terry O'Reilly, host of CBC Radio’s Under the Influence. This book is a great reminder that making mistakes can make us better. If we learn from our mistakes and go on to do great things then those mistakes and failures teach us new lessons in life.
M: When it comes to engaging with U of T Scarborough students, what are you most looking forward to?
B: I can’t wait to meet the students, to understand their obstacles and dreams, and to begin learning together in a mutually beneficial relationship.
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