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alum and business leader Flavio Volpe returned to 91��ɫ to accept an honorary doctor of laws during an Oct. 14 Fall Convocation ceremony. 

Volpe is president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, representing one of Canada’s largest manufacturing sectors. A leading voice on industrial policy, trade and economic competitiveness, he has played a prominent role in advancing Canadian manufacturing interests and strengthening the country’s automotive supply chain.  

Appointed to the Order of Canada in 2023, he serves on both the Prime Minister’s Council on Canada-U.S. Relations and the Ontario Premier’s Council on U.S. Trade and Investment. 

Volpe has built a career at the intersection of industry, public policy and public service, said Siu Ning (Sunny) Leung, vice-dean, faculty and inclusive excellence, Lassonde School of Engineering. 

“Progress takes more than good ideas; it takes people who can bring others together and turn those ideas into action,” said Leung. “Few careers demonstrate that more clearly than that of Flavio Volpe.” 

After accepting an honorary degree before graduands of , Glendon College, and the Faculties of , Education and Science, Volpe reflected on the family and experiences that shaped his journey. 

Returning to 91��ɫ nearly three decades after completing his MBA, he said one lesson had become increasingly clear over time: "Nobody gets here alone.”   

That lesson, he noted, was rooted in his own family's connection to 91��ɫ. Before Volpe earned his degree, his mother, Mirala, returned to school as a mature student while raising four children, becoming the first university graduate in her family.  

“Her effort and her success were both a warning and an inspiration,” he said. “She was showing us, through her own work, what we could and should ask of ourselves.”  

Volpe encouraged graduands to recognize the family members, teachers, friends and mentors who helped them reach this milestone, and reminded them that opportunity comes with responsibility.  

"Your education gives you tools. What you do with those tools gives meaning," he said. “You are graduating in different disciplines. You will help communities understand themselves and the world. Your work will affect people you may never meet.” 

Looking back on his own career, Volpe recalled representing Canada's automotive manufacturing sector and the importance of keeping people at the centre of decision-making. 

"When I visit an office or a factory, I see skill, ingenuity, investment. I also see people paying their mortgages and raising their kids and making plans." 

He pointed to the automotive sector's response during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he led efforts to shift production to ventilators and personal protective equipment, as an example of people coming together to solve urgent challenges. 

"When you have the ability to help, you have a responsibility to try," he said. 

Volpe also shared insights from Project Arrow, the nation's first all-Canadian zero-emission concept vehicle created to showcase Canadian technology, talent and innovation. Drawing on this example, he challenged graduands to think boldly about their futures and ability to make an impact. 

"You do not have to shrink your ambition to fit somebody else's assumptions about you," he said. "Confidence does not require you to have every answer; it requires you to believe that your effort can make a difference, and to be willing to learn from the people who sit beside you. I hope you leave 91��ɫ with that confidence." 

Volpe encouraged the graduating class to carry forward both the opportunities they have received and the responsibility that comes with them. 

"Wherever you go, carry that responsibility with you. Make room for someone else. Share what you know. Stand up when it would be easier to sit down and be quiet." 

He concluded with a reminder about the values that matter most as graduates begin the next chapter of their lives. 

"Keep your kindness. Keep your honesty. Keep your loyalty to the people who trust you, be ambitious about what you can accomplish and thoughtful about who benefits when you do," he said. 

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