History

In November 1998, nine college and university students attended a Vancouver Board of Trade Board Directors luncheon to learn first hand the workings of business. It became apparent at that meeting that students could greatly benefit from interactions with members of the business community through The Vancouver Board of Trade as they built the foundations for their future business careers. In turn, members of The Vancouver Board of Trade could interact with the city’s leaders of tomorrow.

As a result of this meeting, The Vancouver Board of Trade’s chairman, Rick Turner, along with Pauline O’Malley, President of Pauline O’Malley Enterprises, personally committed to launch the Post Secondary Student Task Force (now Leaders of Tomorrow) with the objective to sponsor student Board of Trade members each year.

Leading members of the business community were invited to become mentors, bringing together students and business leaders to shape the future of Vancouver’s business community. Past LOT Chairs have included: Pauline O’Malley, Glen Young, Jill Bodkin, Maureen McKinnon, and current chair is Yvonne De Valone.

The Leaders of Tomorrow Mentorship Program® (LOT) assists students during the experience of transition from the classroom to the workplace and offers businesses a way to contribute to community development.

By providing a comfortable forum for discussion with a business member who has years of experience, our students face their fears and hesitancies to develop confidence and a greater understanding of their own value in today’s business community. We assist them in developing networks of individuals, groups, and businesses to expand opportunities in future career objectives.

Since establishing the program LOT has had over 1400 students and 600 Mentors participate making it one of the most recognized student mentorship programs in British Columbia.