Career success | Co-op student helps GE Capital Canada expand client base

In May 2010, Sauder Co-op student Nigel Hole was hired by GE Capital as an Assistant Account Manager. Working closely with the Branch Manager and Account Management staff, Nigel was tasked with helping GE’s business clients achieve their financial goals through innovative and customized financing.

Like many of his peers, Nigel began his eight-month work term with an academic foundation in finance, but no practical experience in the financial industry. Working for an organization as renowned as GE, Nigel faced a steep learning curve, but he was passionate about finance and determined to get the most out of the opportunity. 

Nigel absorbed everything around him – documenting conversations and meetings, researching unfamiliar terminology and inquiring about company processes. Within weeks, he began to excel in his position, effectively completing various forms of due diligence by creating checklists, searching for incorporation documents, pulling credit scores, searching internal systems, and rectifying different (inconsistent) data found in the systems. 

“Nigel got up to speed very quickly when he arrived at GE Capital, and I could tell from the start he was a very driven and focused individual,” Jeff Roth, Vice President of GE Capital Canada stated. Jeff was extremely impressed with Nigel’s professionalism and work ethic.

Making invaluable career contacts

While working on loans for BC companies, Nigel made a concerted effort to develop his professional network and expand his knowledge of financial institutions and services by communicating with and learning from his colleagues at GE. Some of the most inspiring interactions occurred during lunch hour runs with Vice President Jeff Roth where Nigel gained much unexpected knowledge and insight.

By the end of the eight-month work term, Nigel’s ability to analyze varying financial statements had increased considerably, as had his grasp of credit application and loan processes. Nigel also compiled and updated NRV analyses spreadsheets, worked with price checking tools and software, and increased GE’s prospective clients list by creating a database of sixty-six BC-based food processing companies. 

Notably, Nigel’s greatest achievement was underwriting six credit applications worth over one million dollars collectively, all of which were approved.

Real-world learning experience

Taking advantage of the tremendous resources and guidance available to him during his work term, Nigel gained valuable knowledge and experience and is now evaluating a career in commercial banking upon graduation. 

“My placement at GE Capital has been a tremendous learning experience and I would without a doubt, highly recommend the Co-op Program to any BCom student looking into a career in finance,” Nigel commented.

Not only was the Co-op program invaluable to Nigel’s career development, but it provided ongoing benefits to GE Capital. “The Sauder School of Business and the Co-op program will indefinitely continue to be a valuable talent source for GE Capital,” commented Vice President Jeff Roth. 

Through this partnership, Sauder will continue to provide GE Capital with talented students, and in turn, GE Capital will provide Sauder students an incredible opportunity and learning experience. 

Learn more about the Sauder co-op program or read more business career success stories.

Company profile: GE Capital

GE Capital, a division of General Electric, delivers innovative financial solutions in more than 35 countries worldwide. GE Capital is a proud partner of the Sauder School of Business and has been recruiting top talent from the school since 2006. Through its participation in the Sauder Co-op program, GE Capital is helping students explore their career options and goals, deepen their understanding of the financial industry, and gain work experience in their desired field.