Building a culture where learning and community can thrive

Earlier this year, we asked our faculty and staff to tell us who among them were leading the way in generating positive change at the university. This is part two in a five-part series recognizing their efforts.

Over the course of her career and particularly the last eight years at the UBC Sauder School of Business, Ani Hosepyan, Assistant Dean of People and Organizational Development, has been an ardent advocate of continuous learning and professional development. Despite this, a persistent disconnect gnawed at her, which inspired her to envision something innovative, daring and different. With the growing prevalence of artificial intelligence and automation, Ani recognized it was necessary to invest in people more than ever. According to her, it is essential to continue to grow and strengthen their skills in the areas of innovation and creativity, which contributes to building a culture that is resilient, solutions-focused and embraces change to drive UBC forward.   

“At UBC Sauder, we pride ourselves in providing high-quality education and training programs to students, organizations, and leaders across Canada and globally,” says Ani. “And although we were sharing our expertise and knowledge with a largely external audience and creating impactful experiences for them, I realized that there were so many untapped opportunities for our employees to gain from the knowledge and expertise available from our outstanding faculty members, alumni and partners.”  

“Our first event was a tremendous success, and that’s when we knew we had to make this an annual initiative. A dedicated day of learning proved to be an excellent way to bring everyone together under one roof, something which is extremely relevant in times of hybrid work,” says Ani. 

The inaugural session provided Ani and her People and Organizational Development team with valuable insights, revealing how much they enjoyed the event, their eagerness to attend similar conferences, and a strong interest in exploring something new for the following year. According to Ani, one of the aspects her colleagues appreciated the most was the chance to interact with each other – people that they otherwise wouldn’t have had a chance to collaborate with and meet. For instance, participating in a breakout group activity with UBC Sauder’s Dean, Darren Dahl, and other senior leaders and colleagues in different departments was a fresh experience.  

While organizing the event, Ani and her team wanted to support causes that deeply matter to UBC Sauder. For example, participants were encouraged to use environmentally friendly transportation, such as carpooling, walking, transit and biking, to get to the venue. Of the 230 attendees, 180 chose eco-friendly transit. This demonstrated UBC Sauder's strong commitment to sustainability while supporting the professional development of those involved.