Opa Vandenboom

Mary's Dad moved in a retirement home where he has his own apartment with a small living room (see photo above), a bedroom, washroom and kitchenette. The meals are provided to all 50 residents and the staff also takes care of the daily medications (mostly taken during the meals). The building is just five minutes walking from where we live (and where Susan & Ralph live). We can all stop by a lot which will be nice for him. It was not so easy for us to stop by frequently where he lived in the city of St Thomas which is a good two hours by car from where we live. It will take some getting used to for Opa Vandenboom but he will turn 90 in February 2020 so it is probably good timing.

Seneca promotion activities

During the periods of January to April + September to December, our team has 10-12 international business development managers on the road whose primary task is to market the "Study at Seneca" options to interested prospective students around the world - from Ukraine to Lebanon, from China to Indonesia, from Russia to India and all over the Americas and the African continent. This week I am doing some travel with our new student recruiter for Spanish speaking Latin America. Here is what he did today in Bogota with representatives of a few agencies with whom we have business relations in this city to market our programs and who then guide prospective students making the right choices for their overseas study interest as well as assisting with the student visa applications.

With old SENA friends

Such a privilege to be able to get together again with Colombian colleagues I worked with for a full year during 2013 (see my posts from that year). Juan Guillermo (on the left) has been an incredible leader in the SENA organization; now retired and living the life of a (hobby) farmer. He really should write a book about his years with SENA! Anyhow, he came to join us for lunch which was great! Before we "earned" that lunch together we did some forward looking work with some of the folks who continue the amazing work of the SENA organization at the regional HQ in Medellin. I really love working with these community developers offering training programs to 7 million Colombians each year both in their big cities as well as in some of their smallest communities...

I almost got away with one of their trophies but they frisked me at the exit..... In the evening Alfredo did another good job promoting the "Study at Seneca" options at one of the study abroad agencies with whom we work. Tomorrow we will make our way back to Bogota....

Education Fairs

Today Team Seneca is promoting the programs at an education fair in the city of Medellin, Colombia. One of the many such fairs that takes place around the world throughout the year. It is a Sunday and at this fair probably close to 3,000 people come to see what is available in Canada, the USA, the UK, Australia and New Zealand (and at some of the these fairs you will also other countries promote their programs such as for example The Netherlands).

Alfredo, our new student recruiter (or as we call the job of these team members: "International Business Development Managers") for the Spanish speaking Latin America region, is earning his pay check at these events! He also gave an excellent presentation about "Studying in Canada" during this event with of course some special attention for "Study at Seneca"...

After the fair the work for Alfredo is to follow up with the more interested prospects and also with the agencies we work with in this city. The next two days we will be visiting a few of these agencies for further updates and training for their staff members.. This specific fair today is organized in a location near a huge modern shopping mall with a spectacular view over the city of Medellin....

Juan Valdez again

Oh this wonderful Colombian Coffee from my best friend here: Juan Valdez. After the week in Brazil now a week in Colombia. After a meeting with my former Bogota colleagues of SENA (see my posts of all of 2013) today on the way to Medellin. At the airport enjoying another good cuppa....

Great views of the city from my room on the 16th floor of the Novotel. This will be my office for the next few days with an agency fair tomorrow (Sunday) from 2-7 PM here in the hotel, then a few agency visits on Monday & Tuesday + another few meetings with SENA folks on Wednesday. Then back to Bogota for a few more days of fairs and agency training sessions.

Promotional work in Brazil

This week I am in two cities of Brazil (Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte) with one of our new staff members in Seneca International. Tiago came to Seneca three years ago after a career with General Motors Brazil (in Sales and Marketing positions); he joined our team of student recruiters in January and he will focus purely on the marketing and promotion in Brazil for "Study at Seneca".

People who know me will understand that I made this photo with a big smile on my face. The team of Niagara which I helped build between 1995 and 2013 brotherly next to the table of Seneca....

Few days Holland

My sister Ger and her husband Bert are 50 years married this year. Last Saturday they organized a little party at their house with a few old friends and their three kids and spouses. In April they have another party with their kids and grand-children (3 x 3). I was fortunate to be able to attend the party this weekend and we were all treated to a big Dutch Chinese meal catered at their home. My date at the party was my other sister Hanneke....

Yesterday 11 of the 15 old gang of friends of the 1974-1981 period at Delft University of Technology came together for dinner in Amsterdam. Always fun to catch up a bit with everybody!