Taking the reins

Coburg Consultants Limited—Wesley Furrow, Kert Michaelson, Ryan Wong and Douglas MacLennan—is a student-run business that changes ownership each year. (Nick Pearce Photo)

Today’s employers want experienced workers. So students must find a way to attain relevant work experience while obtaining an education. Some enroll in co-op programs or seek out summer internships to get them on their desired career path. At Dalhousie, four MBA students are going beyond just work experience.

Wesley Furrow, 23, Douglas MacLennan, 24, Kert Michaelson, 29, and Ryan Wong, 23, are the co-owners of Coburg Consultants Limited, a student-operated consulting firm affiliated with Dalhousie’s School of Business. The firm has existed for more than 25 years and is run by second-year MBA students.

“We offer a wide range of services depending on our backgrounds,” says Mr. Wong, from Moncton, N.B. Services range from financial analysis and market research to human resource management, project coordination and more. 

Each January, the outgoing owners begin the selection process for next year’s owners. Interested students submit proposals and make presentations to attain the business, much like actually buying one. Monsieurs Furrow, MacLennan, Michaelson and Wong were chosen for the 2008/2009 academic year.

“It’s a learning experience for us,” says Mr. Wong. “We’re consultants, but we’re students,” adds Mr. Michaelson, from St. Lazare, Quebec. “We’re MBA students, so you’re going to get quality work at a reasonable price.”

Coburg is open to any organizations that have the need. “There is no set type of organization, we’ll look at anyone out there,” says Mr. MacLennan, a native of Beaver Cove, N.S.

Being partners, the students are equally responsible for the decision-making and workload. “Someone may take the lead, but we’re all equal,” says Mr. Furrow, who hails from Canterbury, N.B. “How much we do is up to us and works with our schedules.”

The guys plan on taking on as much as they can handle. “We want to make a name for ourselves, and we know Coburg Consultants will be passed on to other people,” says Mr. MacLennan. “We want this business to be great for next years owners and we want this experience on our resumes.”

The four are looking forward to the year ahead and the excitement of owning and operating their own firm. “We have the ability to make decisions that you would otherwise not have,” says Mr. Michaelson. “It’s a great feeling.”

For Ryan Wong, the opportunity helped him choose Dalhousie. “It’s a huge marketing tool for Dalhousie,” he says. “I was looking at the brochure and this was one of the main reasons I wanted to come to Dalhousie, to actually be able to run my own company.”

Throughout the fall semester, the partners will educate new MBA students about Coburg and its operations. In January they’ll hold a meeting for those interested in owning it and will accept proposals before deciding on who’ll succeed them in March. Ownership is transferred every April.

For MBA students wondering if the experience is worth the work, Mr. Furrow has only one thing to say: “Absolutely.”

Coburg Consultants is located in Suite 5083 at the Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building at 6100 University Avenue. They can be reached at (902) 429-6555.