Career success: Business Co-op Student of the Year 2012
The "Outstanding Co-op Student" of 2012, Kelly Hanson, attributes her participation in the Co-op Program as the key to her educational and professional growth at Sauder.
"The hands-on experience was by far the most valuable part of my Sauder experience," says Kelly. "It accelerated my career, enhanced my learning, and created an opportunity to establish myself in a Fortune 500 company. I cannot imagine trying to break into the corporate world without it.”
In 2011, Kelly launched her Co-op career with PepsiCo Beverages Canada in Delta BC. Three work terms and countless experiences later, Kelly has now established herself as an essential part of the PepsiCo Beverages Canada HR team, lending her talents to the organization's payroll system in 21 locations across 4 provinces. Her outstanding contributions to the company’s staffing and payroll systems have resulted in a permanent role post-graduation and earned her the “Outstanding Co-op Student of the Year” award for 2012.
A UBC Bachelor of Commerce student specializing in HR and International Business, Kelly began her first two work terms (8 consecutive months) at Pepsi Bottling Group as an HR Co-op student. Her hard work and commitment to the role was quickly noticed by managers and colleagues alike, and Kelly returned to PepsiCo for her final work term where she was promoted to the role of Human Resources Coordinator for PBC's Canada West Market Unit.
She speaks fondly of her experience, saying, “PepsiCo is a perfect place to grow. I experienced ownership and accountability (balanced with support), was able to leverage industry software applications, all the while learning from an energetic team of experts. When I was invited back, I jumped at the opportunity and the momentum has carried over to my career.”
Kelly is known for digging into problems, finding cost savings and applying her impressive analytical and reporting skills to support upper-management. Her many triumphs with PepsiCo Beverages Canada included the creation and implementation of new payroll training tools; these helped build capability within the group of 50+ payroll users, drastically improving the payroll metrics for Western Canada. Kelly also identified over $6,000 in cost savings for the company, which she uncovered by analyzing and correcting subtle errors in payroll data.
Overall, her contribution to the organization involved a great deal of dedication and hard work. Her supervisor, Dana Stabler, praised her for “setting new bars of excellence for this role,” stating that “Kelly's drive and passion have set her apart, earning her a reputation as a trusted source of support on the team.”
For Dana and her PBC colleagues, the sentiment is unanimous – Kelly is truly deserving of this year’s “Outstanding Co-op Student” award.
As for Kelly, she is looking forward to her future career with confidence: “Thanks to Sauder’s Business Co-op program, I’m in a field that I absolutely love, doing a job that I really enjoy and I have incredible prospects in front of me.”