There was a lot to celebrate at the Faculty of Business Administration’s annual Partners celebration recently, but the highlight was hearing how much winning the Alumni Honour Award and the Entrepreneur of the Year Award meant to the recipients.

Earl Ludlow, president and chief executive officer of Newfoundland Power Inc. and a graduate of the master's of business administration program, was the recipient of the Alumni Honour Award in recognition of his career success and contribution to the community. Glenn Hickey, owner and president of Hickey Group of Companies, was the recipient of the Gardiner Centre’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Both recipients praised the other in their respective acceptance speeches and expressed humble surprise at being selected. As Mr. Hickey expressed: “I was shocked upon learning I had been selected.”

Mr. Ludlow also commented on the honour of winning and said he “did not envision standing before such a distinguished group of people accepting this award.”

Dr. Wilfred Zerbe, dean of the Faculty of Business Administration, spoke about Mr. Ludlow’s commitment to the business community and to the wider community.

“Mr. Ludlow possesses vision, business acumen and in-depth understanding of our community,” Dr. Zerbe noted. “He offers the kind of insight and perspective unique to a man who has rich business and community involvement.”

Mr. Ludlow credited Memorial University for his success.

“I view my Memorial University education as the solid foundation on which I have built my career,” he said. “All around the world, Memorial graduates are proving that the calibre of individuals that come from this university are among the very best the country has to offer.”

Ms. Susan Gardiner, who presented the Entrepreneur of the Year Award, felt Glenn Hickey embodied the spirit of the award.

“The Gardiner Centre’s Entrepreneur of the Year award is for people who possess an entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to business excellence,” she said. “But most of all, it’s for people with the courage and ingenuity to turn a dream into reality. Glenn Hickey has this and more.”

Both recipients had words of inspiration and advice to offer to the audience. Mr. Hickey declared that any dream can be achieved with belief and perseverance.

“Long before we located the space for Collision Clinic, I envisioned how it would look like. Then, I set out to make it happen. If you can envision it, you can achieve it,” he said.

Mr. Ludlow advised not to underestimate the value of hard work.

“All my life, I’ve strived for excellence in everything I do,” he said. “Demand excellence from yourself and you will achieve success.”  

Both award recipient's families were in the audience, including Mr. Hickey’s 89-year-old father who proudly stood for photos after the ceremony.

Also recognized that evening was Grant Thornton of the provincial Department of Finance for reaching a milestone in the co-operative education program and for their commitment to hiring co-op students. 

The event was attended by two high-profile special guests: Premier Kathy Dunderdale and Mr. Gary Kachanoski, president and vice-chancellor of Memorial University. Both praised the Faculty of Business Administration for its student groups and record of excellence.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Zerbe thanked members of the faculty’s advisory board and the associates program for their support of the faculty.

“Partnerships have played a central role in the past success of the faculty; in fact, one could argue that there is little that a business school does that is not in some way a partnership,” he said. “This event is our way of recognizing and appreciating these partnerships – in short, it’s how we say thank you.”