My name is Heather McDougall, and I am an Ivey Honours Business Administration student and Ivey Women in Asset Management alumna. I was born in Canada but grew up in Singapore and North Carolina before returning to Ontario. My global perspectives and diverse cultural exposure have fueled my passion for making a meaningful impact on society. This has driven me to participate in non-profit work and research on urban agriculture. Furthermore, I will intern at Great Circle Solar, a renewable energy investment firm, this summer, and am eager to potentially participate in Ivey’s HBA Sustainability Certificate program in the fall. 

What is your personal definition of sustainability? 

In addition to my upbringing in Singapore, North Carolina, and Ontario, I have had the privilege of exploring numerous beautiful places across Asia, Europe, and North America which has provided me with a profound love and appreciation for people and the environment. To me, sustainability means taking action to protect the environment, ensuring that the beauty I have witnessed remains for future generations to enjoy.

What role do you see sustainability playing in your professional career?

As someone who is passionate about making a positive impact, I believe sustainability will play a critical role in my professional journey. I will begin my career path this summer with an internship at Great Circle Solar which focuses on investing in the renewable energy sector.

After graduation, I hope to pursue a career in sustainable finance. As a financial analyst or portfolio manager, I hope to have the opportunity to fund environmentally sustainable projects such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture, and conservations efforts. By directing capital towards environmentally friendly initiatives, I hope to contribute positively to environmental and social solutions on a large scale. Given Canada’s standing as a world leader in renewable energy sources, I see ample opportunities to create meaningful change to society.

Looking more long-term, I hope to transition to a non-profit or charity that focuses on addressing issues of food insecurity and food waste. In a leadership or management capacity, I can evoke positive social, environmental, and economic change and intentionally inspire the next generation of business professionals. 

What sustainability projects have you been engaged in?

My first experience in the world of sustainability occurred during the BUS2257 feasibility project. My team proposed GreenEra, a company in London, ON that would collect organic waste from large institutions, turn it into compost, and resell it to local garden centers and farms. Through this research, I learned shocking facts about food waste, greenhouse gas emissions, industrial agricultural pollution, and overflowing landfills. These unnerving statistics motivated me to learn more about sustainability and environmental solutions.

This past fall, I began working as a research assistant for Richard Bloomfield, a Western professor studying urban agriculture. Urban agriculture, such as community gardens, green housing, and indoor farming, offers social, economic, and environmental benefits. Examples of these benefits include reduced economic and environmental costs of food transportation, diminished packaging waste, improved physical and mental health, and eliminated food injustices. It is rewarding to know that this research has positive implications on food security at a local community level, and I am honoured to play a part in developing this research.

Please list any sustainability-related interests you want to explore during the certificate. 

I am interested in learning about agriculture and renewable resources (solar, gas, wind).