Encouraging the Next Canadian Leaders

Over the course of his 30-year career as an entrepreneur and consultant, David Scrymgeour (BCom 1979) has advised a wide range of corporate and community organizations. In 2013, he created the Scrymgeour Scholarship in Entrepreneurial Management, and earlier this year he endowed the Building Canadian Leaders Matching Scholarship Program.

David: “I’ve always been motivated by a good organization with a good cause, and in my experience there is no more effective cause than a university scholarship. One hundred cents on the dollar goes to talented young students every year in perpetuity – and you can’t say that about many donations.

“I think most entrepreneurs are mavericks. They want to build. They are not looking to fit in to any of society’s boxes. They are contrarian. They run with ideas, despite people telling them it’s not possible. And I don’t think you can be a successful entrepreneur without the leadership skills to build a talented team, and then chase a vision together. Rotman Commerce facilitates this.

“Entrepreneurship and leadership require so much more than good marks. That’s why these scholarships consider contributions to sports, music, culture and community. I want to encourage students who are making a difference in their community, however that is defined.”