There were some twists and turns along the way. After receiving her Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in chemistry from the U of R, Revet worked at what was then the Kalium potash mine at Belle Plaine, intending to return to school for a Master of Science degree. “I found that I enjoyed the business world – more than I expected – and so when I couldn’t fit in the science program, I started taking courses toward a certificate in administration,” she says. With her certificate in hand, her timing was right to enter the MBA program offered by the newly established Kenneth Levene Graduate School of Business, emerging as one of its first graduates in 1996. “The MBA opened up my world,” Revet states. “It gave me exposure to more than one industry and showed me new ways of learning and thinking through issues. I learned new approaches to research and how to look for and find connections between things that I might have missed before. At their core,” she adds, “chemists seek to understand structures and processes. My MBA built on that, while introducing me to new networks in a much wider business world.” As Executive Vice-President of Governance and Strategy with Conexus, Revet leads a team that works with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate the development and delivery of the Credit Union’s chosen strategy in an everchanging environment marked by disruptive new technologies, low interest rates, changing membership demographics and continual regulatory changes. “We are seeking to align our strategy to turn those challenges into opportunities,” she adds. “This is where the MBA has helped me a lot; not accepting the status quo and being open to new ideas – even from other industries – to come up with business solutions that benefit the organization.” Revet regards her volunteer activities as another professional learning opportunity. Volunteering in settings outside the workplace, she learns from other’s experiences while also being given an opportunity to explore and test skills that can be applied in work situations, similar to taking the MBA classroom experience and applying lessons learned back in the workplace. She has served on several boards, and is currently on the board of Athol Murray College of Notre Dame at Wilcox and Ranch Ehrlo Society. “Education is obviously important to me,” she states. “Both organizations align with my values in that they support communities through education, and work to ensure that our youth are supported and guided into becoming adults who may also give back and support their communities in the future.”
ANNETTE REVET: LEVENE ALUMNA
