Melissa joined the School of Business and Management in 2018 as a full-time faculty member in the Office Administration program. For eight years prior to joining Niagara College, Melissa was a part-time faculty member at various post-secondary institutions in Ontario and held roles in marketing and communications in the private sector.

Melissa holds a B.A. (Hons) and a post-graduate certificate in Corporate Communications. She brings expertise in communications and administration, and she has great passion for learning. As an educator, she works to help her students build their confidence, skills, and readiness for the workplace.

She enjoys hiking, baking, trying DIY projects, and watching her daughter discover the world.

Dr. Kristine Clark joined Niagara College in 2016 as a Professor in the School of Business & Management.

Currently she is the Coordinator of the Honours Bachelor of Business Administration (Human Resources) and Human Resources Management (HRM) programs.

Prior to joining Niagara College, Dr. Clark worked over 25 years in the public sector where she provided leadership and consultation in Organization Development.  Her HR industry experience includes managing province-wide portfolios in strategic human resources planning, learning and development, leadership development, talent and performance management, organization design, change management and employee engagement.

In addition, Kristine is certified in Adult Education, Emotional Intelligence (EQi), the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Personality Dimensions and Change Management.

Dr. Clark is a passionate life-long learner and educator and enjoys being a faculty co-advisor for the HR@NC student association, connecting students with industry and coordinating experiential learning initiatives.

Faculty Education

• PhD in Human and Organizational Development
• Master of Arts in Human and Organizational Development
• Master of Science in Counseling & Human Services
• Bachelor of Arts (Psychology & Sociology)

Research Interests

Trust, Emotional Intelligence, Leadership Development, Change Management

Monique Finley is the Coordinator of the Business-General Diploma Program at Niagara College, Canada and has been a full-time professor for over 11 years at the Niagara on the Lake campus.
Monique started her teaching career at Niagara in 2009 as the Coordinator of the Office Administration Program. Her and her team revamped the curriculum to better align the student’s education and experience with Office Administration roles in today’s workplace. She moved over to the Sales, Marketing and Entrepreneurship team in 2017.

Monique has been the Coordinator of the General Business program for one year and she is passionate about ensuring the Business-General program is one that will prepare graduates to work and advance in both private or public sector businesses. Monique recently worked on a team that revamped the program. The Business-General program now allows students to gain a general overview of business and then if they desire, move into a concentration of one of four areas: Human Resources, Supply Chain, Sales and Marketing or Entrepreneurship.

Prior to teaching, Monique acquired 25 years of private sector Marketing and Sales experience. Monique with her husband John created and grew a franchise system reaching across Canada and the USA. Monique is very involved in the Welland Community. She has coordinated the city-wide Food Drive for over a decade. She leads a team of people who mobilize nearly 500 volunteers to collect food door-to-door in Welland. This annual event collects over 30 tons of food in one day.

Faculty Education

• General Arts Degree: Carleton University
• Masters in Business Administration: Brock University

Stefan began his professional journey with Niagara College in 2015 as a part time faculty member. Since that time, he worked in Saudi Arabia as part of NCKSA, and in 2018 he was hired on as a full time faculty member at Niagara College in the School of Business and Management in the role of Professor of International Business. Rugby is Stefan’s passion – between 2012 and 2014 he had the pleasure of playing in the German Bundesliga. He is a proud alumni of the International Commerce and Global Development program here at Niagara College, and completed his masters in Germany.

Kerri has been a full-time professor since 2011, and currently she is the Coordinator for the Accounting Programs at Niagara College.

As an accountant, Kerri believes that professional development is key to success and she strives to be on top of changes, challenges and patterns in the field. Prior to joining the college, Kerri worked in both the private and public sectors in Accounting and this included organizations such as Shoppers Drug Mart and West Lincoln Hospital.

In addition, Kerri has recently collaborated on the Learning Sage 50 Accounting textbook, and she has also been a book reviewer for other accounting resources. Kerri’s pedagogy is focused on providing an experiential learning experience for her students. She is passionate about her students’ success and thrives to connect them with industry professionals to further continue their growth.

Education

• Master of Business Administration
• Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA)
• Bachelor of Accounting Science
• Business Administration, Accounting Diploma
• Teaching Adults Certificate

Rob has extensive operations and management experience as part of the senior leadership team in a global automotive parts manufacturer. He has also actively participated as a faculty consultant for Niagara College Productivity Improvement Initiative. Recently, Rob was divisional lead for ERP implementation over 4 manufacturing sites. In this capacity, Rob assumed responsibility for configuration, testing, and launch. In addition to Rob’s Operations Management experience, he was also part of the Project Management Team to launch new product lines for BMW, Ford, FCA, and General Motors.

Rob has been a professor for Niagara College School of Business and Niagara College Canadian Food and Wine Institute since 2008 and has joined Niagara College in a full capacity. Rob continues to teach a broad spectrum of business courses, process engineering, and project management. He has also updated and developed new curriculum.

Rob received his Master’s in Business Administration from Baker College in Michigan USA, holds an Engineering Technology Diploma from Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario, and Certified Supply Chain Training from Fox Valley Technical College in Wisconsin USA. Additionally, Rob has completed extensive training in Lean, Lean Six-Sigma, and various Continuous Improvement programs.

Rob lives in the Niagara Area. In his spare time, Rob enjoys golfing, travelling, and spending time with family and friends.

Scholarly Interests:

Rob continues his studies to support the Supply Chain and Operations Management at Niagara College. Interests include Project Management, Data Analytics, RPA and Quality Management Systems.

Dr. Rami Sam has been a full-time professor at Niagara College since 2019. He teaches predominately in the Honours Bachelor of Business Administration (Human Resources) but makes academic contributes to other programs as well. His areas of expertise include human resources management, small and medium enterprises, and business strategy.

He is a scholarly and resourceful professional with an outstanding academic background, good publication record and over 17 years’ multinational experience in the service industry, specializing in Education, Corporate Training and Business Consulting. His multicultural approach is drawn from a blend of experiences in North America, in Europe, and in the Middle East. Dr. Rami is renowned for playing key roles in the development, and evaluation of several academic and vocational programs. Successfully had several programs accredited by international bodies courtesy of high-quality standards such as AACSB and CMI. Well-versed in coaching and training business persons, employees and corporate leaders in management disciplines and in leadership development.

Dr. Rami is a small business expert who is passionate about helping small business entrepreneurs with starting up their ventures and grow.

Dr. Carmen Dima is a professor with teaching responsibilities in the Accounting and  International Trade Programs at diploma, undergraduate and post-graduate levels. Significant teaching assignments are conducted in Canada (CGA, Brock University, Niagara College, Seneca College), South Africa (Walter Sisilu University ) and Denmark (Roskilde College).

Her teaching competence is complemented by 18 years of a wide practical experience at a managerial level. Dr. Dima’s practical experience ranges from managing daily financial operations to handling a large portfolio  of forward contracts and options; from managing and developing foreign subsidiaries to recording and implementing mergers and private acquisitions; from private  firms to not-for-profit organizations; from European to North American Accounting Information Systems.

Dr. Dima is published and presents at international conferences on subjects related to managerial cognition and decision making.

In addition, Dr Carmen Dima, enjoys to travel and learn about the wonders of the world and teaches mindfulness and spiritual practices.

Monica Draayer is a professor at Niagara College, ON, Business and Management Division with teaching responsibilities in the Business and Accounting programs. She worked as an Analyst and Manager for companies including Procter & Gamble, Vincor Canada, Canadian Tire Financial Services and Wyeth-Ayerst Canada.

Her practical experience includes developing annual financial and strategic plans, proposing and evaluating new initiatives, assessing operational and financial performance, developing product costing and pricing for profitability, analyzing business acquisitions, designing financial software tools and consulting on audits.

Monica holds an honors undergraduate degree in accounting, a CPA CMA designation and a Master of Business Administration. She is a Niagara region native who enjoys running, cycling and chasing after her three children.

Originally from Quebec, Rachel proudly calls Ontario her home since relocating to study economics and to learn English at York University.

Rachel has several years of experience in the financial services industry. She started her career in the mortgage department of bank and then decided to focus on investment research. Rachel worked as financial analyst for several years and eventually became director of research of an investment firm. She started a financial consulting firm in 2001 that provides research and training to financial advisors. She prepared several hundreds of financial professionals for their licensing exams such as the CSC, CFP and CFA designations. She realized that she loved teaching. Rachel decided to combine her two passions finance and teaching and accepted a full-time teaching position at a private college where she became head of her department. Rachel also taught at many Ontario colleges across the GTA and McMaster University.

Rachel has been with Niagara College since 2019. She relocated to the Niagara region from the GTA with her family of seven which includes two cats and a dog.  Rachel enjoy golfing, canoeing, and dining out at the Benchmark restaurant. Rachel loves teaching and her goal is for students to learn while having fun.

Scholarly Interests:

Several of her studies on the stock market and personal finance have been published in many different business magazines and websites:

• Canadian MoneySaver, three articles from November 2003 to present
• Canadian Foundation for Investor Education, one article in January 2004
• Globe and Mail related websites, two articles from January 2004 to present
• IE: Money, one article in November 2002
• Finance & Investissement, 14 articles from October 2000 to October 2001
• Les Affaires, three articles from October 2000 to October 2001
• The Montreal Gazette, one article in October 1999

Rachel collaborated to the redaction of a book on mutual funds (Transcontinental Editions, Michel Marcoux, Les 100 meilleurs fonds 2001). She also appeared several times on national television to comment on investing and personal finance. Most recent interviews on CBC Newsworld Business News and Capital Action. Rachel studies focus on the stock market and personal finance. She teaches finance and accounting courses in the Accounting program.

Wendy Brookes joined Niagara College as a full-time Accounting Professor in 2019.

She is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Certified General Accountant, with a Master’s in Accountancy. She holds several professional certificates including a G4 Sustainability Reporting Certificate, a Management Development Certificate and Project Management Certificates.

She has authored and coauthored journal articles and contributed to the United Nations Global Compact Working Group for the Environment.

Wendy Brookes is experienced in engaging, consulting and presenting to a diverse set of stakeholders regarding financial reporting, accounting for human rights and environmental protection, resource allocation and the United Nations Sustainability Goals to various levels of government, industry, not for profits, Indigenous groups, students, residents, and academia.

Her scholarly presentations include presentations to the National Association of College and University Business Officers, the Administrative Sciences Association Canada, the Canadian Academic Accounting Association, the Ted Rogers School of Management, Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Brock Research Celebration.

Wendy Brookes is passionate to inspire social and environmental change through the discipline of accounting.

Scholarly Interests:

Accounting for human rights and environmental protection, Stakeholder engagement and consultation, project management, resource allocation, United Nations Sustainability Goals.

Professor Perry has been a full time professor at Niagara College since 2008.  He teaches predominantly in the Accounting program, specializing in Canadian taxation.  Before joining the college, he had worked in both audit and taxation for Deloitte, the tax department of IBM Canada, and in finance leadership roles in smaller Canadian technology companies.  He was also a co-founder of Wellness Foods Inc, the company that launched The Simply Bar.

Education:

Professor Perry holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business, a Diploma in accounting from Wilfrid Laurier University, and an Honors B.A. in Economics from the University of Western Ontario.

Bernardo Pontes developed a career in multinational consumer electronics and food industries for over 25 years, occupying positions such as marketing manager, marketing director and general manager.   Prior to moving to Canada, he lived, worked and studied in Austria, France, Spain, Peru and Brazil.

He has been a full-time professor at Niagara College since 2019.

Scholarly Interests:

His research and studies are focused on branding strategies, cross-cultural management and consumer behavior.

Education:

BBA – Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro

MBA – HEC Paris

He started his academic career as a lecturer in Accounting and Information Systems at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa and progressed to become Divisional Head of Information Systems and Managerial Accounting before immigrating to Canada where he joined Niagara College as a full-time professor in 2012.

He has been actively involved in the hospitality industry by owning and managing several restaurants and guest houses as well as consulting for various business on financial management,
information systems and strategic planning.

Scholarly Interests:

Dr. Philip has authored and coauthored numerous journal articles about Information Systems, Accounting Education and Managerial Accounting as well as being the principal author for a textbook on Information Systems widely prescribed at Universities in South Africa.  His main areas for research revolve around accounting education, data analytics and using technology in education.

Education:

Dr. Philip holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting, a Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree in Managerial Accounting, a Master of Commerce in Financial Accounting and a Doctorate in Accounting (PhD Accounting) from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. He also is an Associate Chartered Management Accountant (CIMA, UK) since 1994 and a Chartered Global
Management Accountant (AICPA & CIMA) since 2011.

Maria Brigantino joined the School of Business and Management as a full-time Professor of Human Resources in 2022. She brings nearly two decades of industry experience to this position as a human resources and operations leader in health care management as the Director of Patient Care for the Local Health Integrated Network, the municipal government acting in the capacity of Director of Community Services for The Town of Lincoln, Business Consultant and Manager at Niagara Region. In addition, she operates her business in the private industry, M-PATH, where she coaches executives and provides human resources services and programs.

Maria has brought her industry experience into the classroom by teaching as a part-time and partial-load faculty member at Niagara College. Maria has developed courses for our learners and has successfully collaborated with industry partners to bring experiential learning opportunities to the classroom.

Maria obtained a Bachelor of Health Sciences from the University of Western Ontario, London, and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Medaille College, Buffalo. She also holds several coaching designations and certifications in facilitation, performance management, innovation, and communication.

Maria has a unique blend of private and public sector experience in organizational leadership and development, human resources management, labour and union relations, executive and individual coaching, health administration, and staff and stakeholder engagement. Maria is dedicated to giving back to the Niagara community and has volunteered with several not for profit organizations including the Hospice Niagara.

Reach out at www.linkedin.com/in/mbrigantino