The University of Winnipeg’s (U of W) Dr. Sylvie Albert took a winding and eventful road to get to where she is today as the dean of the university’s business and economics faculty.

Albert only became an academic 13 years ago, before which she ran a management consulting firm. Originally from New Brunswick, Albert has travelled to over 40 countries and lived in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario and even Africa.

“This was my first foray west in terms of living somewhere,” Albert says. “What the future holds, who knows? You can’t predict it, but I’m very happy here.”

However, Albert does know that things will change for her next year as she steps down from her position as dean and heads back into the classroom. She says teaching has been a highlight for her during her time at the school.

“Right now my course is on Friday afternoon, so I find when I leave for the weekend, I’m so pumped up and I love working with the students,” Albert says. She adds that she also enjoyed the community aspect of being the dean of business
– it’s been a way for her to stay connected and current with what associations and businesses are currently working on.

“My role is to keep in touch and look at what we might do with them,” Albert says. Bursaries, internships and job placements with Winnipeg companies are a key component for students in business, she says.

What was the last book you read?: I have about six books on the go on innovation. I’m very interested in that area, and how that process gets implemented. But I also read for fun. I’ll read things that I call mind candy, like Da Vinci Code.

Do you have any pets?: An old English sheepdog named Pepper … I love those dogs. Very loving, non-shedding, big babies.

What was your worst grade?: Worst would have been in undergrad, because I didn’t learn English until I was 18, and I chose to go to a Western pure English university … My first language was French.

Published in Volume 71, Number 18 of The Uniter (February 2, 2017)