Honorary doctor of laws recipient Bill Graham shared lessons on leadership, responsible business and giving back during a 91ɫ Fall Convocation ceremony Oct. 16 celebrating graduates of the and .
Graham's career has spanned more than five decades across the financial services, technology and automotive sectors. He was the founding chief executive officer of Proponix Inc., a global financial technology company, and previously held senior leadership positions with Citibank in Canada and Asia.
As a Schulich alum, Graham has been a key contributor to the University. Serving for more than two decades as president of the Schulich Global Alumni Network, Graham has supported generations of students through mentorship, philanthropy and alumni engagement.
Introducing him during convocation, Schulich Associate Professor Emerita Lorna Wright described him as "one of the school's most dedicated and influential alumni" and highlighted his long-standing commitment to creating opportunities for others.
"Bill's legacy can ultimately be measured not only by the distinguished career he built, but by the many people he has helped along the way," she said.
In his address to graduands, Graham reflected on the two lasting gifts Schulich provides its graduates: access to a global alumni network and a foundation in responsible business leadership.
He encouraged graduates to view the school’s network of more than 38,000 alumni as a valuable resource for building relationships, accessing advice and learning from others’ experiences.
“Over the last 40 years, I've used this network extensively, and what I found in almost all the cases were alumni who were willing to connect with me and build a relationship because it was valuable to them as well,” he said.
Graham reminded graduands to support future generations of alumni and students.
"It is important to recognize that this ... is reciprocal," he said. "It comes with a responsibility to give back, support and advise your fellow alumni and future students."
Turning to the lessons he learned throughout his own journey, Graham reflected on his career in global financial services, using the rise and fall of Citibank and Citigroup to illustrate why responsible business practices, ethical leadership and a commitment to society are essential to long-term success.
“It's not just the right thing to do; it is the smart and successful thing to do,” he told graduands, encouraging them to carry the principles of responsible business into their professional and personal lives.
Successful organizations must look beyond financial performance to consider their employees, governance, ethics, the environment and the communities in which they operate, he said. While generating profits remains important to sustaining a business and attracting investment, he cautioned against making shareholder returns an organization's sole priority.
“When that becomes your only focus, that so-called shareholder model drives adverse behaviours as well as negative value and cultural shifts that benefits no one, including the shareholders,” he said.
He recalled the cultural and leadership shifts that contributed to the 2008 financial crisis and said that organizations can lose sight of their purpose when financial performance becomes the sole measure of success.
"It is said that we learn more from our failures than from our successes, and we did learn from the failures of 2008," he said.
Graham noted the crisis accelerated the rise of modern responsible business practices, which seek to strengthen the relationship between business and society while creating sustainable value.
Addressing the next generation of leaders, he emphasized that the principles taught at Schulich and 91ɫ will only matter if they choose to apply them.
In closing, Graham reminded the graduating class to use knowledge and responsibility to shape the future.
"You are now going to be those people. You are now going to be those leaders," he said. "Schulich has given you the tools. Now go out and use them."