Main Content

Meet Reta Coburn, MBA '07

Reta Coburn (MBA '07) On giving back to Rotman

Reta Coburn, left, at Reunite at Rotman 2017

It is early morning at the Rotman School of Management, and Reta Coburn (MBA ’07, graduate of the Directors Education Program) is doing one of the things she loves most: helping leaders elevate their effectiveness.

While leading a career development workshop for a group of Rotman alumni, Reta took some time to explain why she feels compelled to give back to her alma mater by volunteering.

“I meet so many people who are seeking guidance on expanding their skills and are motivated to grow. With my work experience in leading teams and organizations, I feel I can contribute to helping people develop their competencies. And building those competencies can lead them to experience more productive, impactful and satisfying work.”

Reta — who has held executive positions at a number of large organizations and is the president of Aspiring Leaders, a leadership and professional consulting services firm — brings extensive professional experience to her volunteer work at Rotman. She credits her professional role models and the opportunities she received early in her career with helping her to identify her own aptitudes.

For her, there have been numerous perks to giving back to Rotman and engaging with the alumni community.

“I always find it easier to tell people what they’re good at, rather than talk about myself, says Reta. “This experience helped me to identify my own strengths, as well. And it’s helped me stay connected with Rotman and my fellow alumni.”

Jennifer Hildebrandt, Director of Alumni Relations at Rotman, says that among the many ways alumni can support the school, volunteer engagement is special. It’s a fulfilling experience for everyone involved.

“We often say that one of the School’s strengths is its alumni community,” says Jennifer. “Our alumni are doing incredible work all over Canada and the world. We want to tap into that diversity to expand and improve the programming we offer. By volunteering their time, alumni can actually see the impact of their work firsthand, and gain a deeper connection with other graduates from a wide spectrum of careers.”

Reta will be hosting two upcoming Career Workshops in May and July. Learn more and register.

Written by Colin Gibson