Concordia Journal Home >

Greene business acumen: Annaleigh Greene 

You could almost call Annaleigh Greene the accidental corporate social responsibility advocate. The MBA student has applied her considerable business knowledge to sustainable enterprise and community development since coming to Concordia.

“Inevitably, more and more professionals and corporations are moving in the direction of being aware of their actions” said Greene.

She was able to showcase her knowledge as part of the winning team at the TATA Cup Sustainability Case Competition hosted by the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa and presented by TATA Consultancy Services in 2009. She also participated in Concordia’s MBA International Case Competition.

Greene arrived at Concordia with a BComm in Strategy and International Business from McGill University and a desire to find a place within the pharmaceutical industry. Recognizing the importance of sustainable business practices led her to think about how corporations need to take responsibility for their actions, citing the BP oil spill as an obvious example.

Her interest in the pharma industry led her to the Farha Foundation, one of the city’s leading AIDS fundraisers, for a community internship. “I wanted to see how they fit into the picture and ultimately, to share my business acumen with an organization largely comprised of community volunteers.”

Her knowledge was valuable, not least because NGOs often deal with high turnover. The experience enhanced her personal perspective of social responsibility so much so that she continues to volunteer with the group. “I was concentrated on both sharing and improving my business knowledge and was surprised to receive such an eye-opening experience,” Greene said of this unexpected turn of events.

She is proudest of her participation in the Concordia Small Business Consulting Bureau, a project through the MBA program that delivers consulting solutions to businesses and community groups within the Montreal area. Both the Consulting Bureau and her experience at case competitions have enhanced her MBA journey as well as her preparedness to enter the workforce.

“Overall, the MBA was a great experience. I came in very goal-oriented, I wanted to excel in my courses and in extracurricular activities, and I did,” said Greene. She’s already been hired for a management training program at the Bank of Montreal.