Darryl White, HBA ’94, doesn’t recall the speech delivered at his own convocation ceremony almost 30 years ago, but he still vividly remembers the people with him in the room that day. Those family and friends made his time at Ivey a remarkable experience and have continued to guide him throughout the years.
Encouraging the HBA Class of 2023 graduates to hold tight to the people around them – those who made their own experience remarkable – White said collaborating with others is essential for achieving their future goals.
“Purpose gives us direction, but people are how we make progress. Many of society's greatest challenges can be overcome with greater collaboration and cooperation,” he said. “You’re already surrounded by an incredible network of peers – keep them close … And as you meet others with similar purpose and ambition, make the most of it.”
White, who is Chief Executive Officer of BMO Financial Group, spoke to Ivey’s graduates at Western University’s 321st Convocation where he received an honorary Doctor of Laws for his professional accomplishments, community-building initiatives, and longstanding support of the School. The ceremony also marks Ivey’s 100th anniversary as a degree-granting institution.
The pandemic was a catalyst to better leadership
Noting that the past four years at Western and Ivey – part of which were during a pandemic – had helped them to build resilience, perseverance, and dedication to each other, White encouraged the graduates to use those strengths going forward.
“What you fought through to get here today sets you apart – you adapted. And if there is one thing this program teaches you, it's how to be agile through dynamic experiences solving problems together,” he said. “In the real world, strength is born from adversity and it's advanced through teamwork. And now you are among the best-equipped in the world to weather the fiercest of storms that may come.”
White told the graduates they are entering a world that is very different from the one his graduating class entered in 1994. Back then, there were no cell phones and the internet was just beginning to take off. Yet, even as technological advances since have enabled society to be highly connected digitally to information and to have integrated economies, White said recent events during the pandemic have made society more divided and disconnected than ever. As a result, he said the graduates face a lofty challenge as future leaders: to unite people toward a common goal of creating progress in a world of change.
“Fragmentation and trade conflicts, the upheaval of global supply chains, geopolitical tensions, and increasing inequality have fundamentally changed our world order,” he said. “In a world increasingly divided, your role as future leaders is to bridge that divide, to unify, and to guide towards a better future.”
The importance of purpose and people
White shared two tips for leading in an uncertain world:
- Find your purpose – The mission, vision, values, and why you are here that will guide you and help you to adapt; and,
- Find your people – The individuals who will support you because they share your purpose or can offer a different perspective to help you see the big picture.
Seize the power of diversity
He also encouraged the graduates to seek diversity of thought – the kind they’ve experienced in the classroom and in their decision-making.
“With nearly equal gender balance and classmates from over a dozen countries, you benefit from diversity of thought, which is a far cry from the very first graduating class of six men a century ago in 1923, and even in my graduating class where we were 73-per-cent male-weighted,” said White. “This class intuitively knows that the power of diversity makes us stronger, and it's up to you to carry that forward because we need all of us working together to solve these big complex problems, the challenges of our day – the challenges your generation is going to confront.”
