Denise Pickett, a Schulich alumna and American Express executive, shared career advice with graduands during a June 17 convocation ceremony, where she received an honorary doctor of laws from 91ɫ.
Pickett, an alumna of Schulich, is president of enterprise shared services at American Express, where she has worked for more than three decades. She was introduced as one of Canada’s most accomplished executives in the financial services industry and a global business leader recognized for her advocacy for women, commitment to mentorship and ability to balance ambition with family.
“Denise Pickett’s contributions to business and society make her a role model worthy of emulation, a visionary business leader and an outstanding example of values-based leadership,” said Ashwin Joshi, associate dean of programs at Schulich, as he introduced her.
Pickett began her address by recalling how, 36 years earlier, she had sat at a 91ɫ convocation awaiting her own MBA degree. “I sat where you are now – excited, ambitious, uncertain and wondering what the future might hold,” she said.
She recounted how she joined American Express in 1992, drawn to the service industry and its potential for meaningful human interaction. “I really enjoyed the human aspect of working with customers, listening to them and helping them solve a problem,” she said.
This became a consistent theme throughout her career. In her leadership roles at American Express, she maintained a focus on connection with employees through practices such as handwritten notes of praise and prioritizing regular calls to colleagues during the COVID-19 pandemic to check in on them and their families.
That focus, she noted, has become even more important amid rapid technological change. She acknowledged concerns about the impact of advancing technologies, including AI, while reminding the audience about the enduring importance of human qualities.
“Technology changes constantly, human nature does not,” she said. “Your greatest competitive advantage may be the human qualities that you possess: empathy, judgment, curiosity, integrity and the ability to connect with another person.”
Pickett went on to share leadership lessons with graduands, encouraging them to acknowledge and celebrate meaningful moments in the workplace, such as major milestones and everyday achievements. “Recognize the moments that matter to the people around you. I promise they will not forget it,” she said.
Pickett advised graduands to prioritize learning and skill-building over titles early in their careers, urging them to remain lifelong learners and to seek out opportunities – including lateral ones – that would expand their capabilities and experience. “Success is rarely built by doing the easy, comfortable work,” she said.
She also told graduands to remain open to opportunities, noting that while there can be reasons to say no, it is important to begin by asking what it would take to say yes. Pickett shared a moment in her life when she was offered a role that would require relocating her family to New 91ɫ City – a decision that came with significant challenges. Ultimately, she said her decision to accept the opportunity was shaped by family support and a willingness to embrace growth.
At the same time, Pickett stressed defining non-negotiables when making career decisions, noting that while openness to opportunity is important, there are moments when it is necessary to hold firm and not compromise on priorities such as family time and quality of life.
She highlighted the importance of building strong networks, encouraging graduands to seek out relationships with people they can trust, learn from and rely on. Those connections, she added, require mutual investment. “Remember your network is two-sided. It will give back to you as much as you give to it,” she said.
Pickett reassured graduating students that uncertainty and self-doubt are a natural part of building a meaningful career.
“You're going to experience uncertainty, you'll make mistakes, you will have moments when you question yourself. Every person in this room who has built a meaningful career has had those moments too,” she said.
She invited the graduating class to consider that they are more prepared than they may think, having already built a foundation of knowledge that will be strengthened through experience.
Reflecting on how that foundation has shaped her own path, Pickett recalled returning to Schulich several years ago, when she toured the then-new building and walked down a hallway displaying photos of graduating classes over the years.
Though she joked it took some time to find her own class photo from more than three decades earlier, the moment became a meaningful opportunity to look back.
“Walking through the years, I thought about my career, my personal life, what stayed the same and what changed,” she said.
The experience, she said, prompted her to reflect on the people and moments that had shaped her journey. The hallway became a metaphor for the paths graduates will go on after convocation.
“Every photo of a graduating class represented people who once sat where you are today, full of ambition, ideas and dreams that you cannot fully imagine yet,” she said. “One day, I hope you come back and you take that same walk down the hallway.”