Seeing Concordia in a new light
Though he graduated from Concordia more than 30 years ago, Ghislain Arsenault, BComm 85, always knew he wanted to give back to his alma mater. “For me, giving is more than writing a cheque — this is about discovering my university for the second time,” says Arsenault. “Concordia today is so different from when I studied here and I want to be part of it.”
Arsenault is the founder and chief executive officer of Truck N’ Roll, one of North America’s largest truck carriers for the entertainment industry. After graduating from Concordia, he wanted to stay in touch with his alma mater, but wasn’t sure how to go about it.
An avid sports fan, Arsenault found his opportunity when he met the Stingers’ football coach at the time, Gerry McGrath, at a banquet more than 10 years ago. Their conversation triggered Arsenault’s desire to get involved in fundraising for student athletes.
“I always thought that to get people interested in fundraising, you have to do something fun while doing it,” says Arsenault. That conversation led to the creation of Concordia’s Champions Club in 2009, which would become an annual fundraiser banquet for the Stingers football team.
Nearly 10 years later, Arsenault and other dedicated supporters have raised close to $500,000 through the Champions Club for student awards to recruit top football talent and fund Stingers athletic programs.
Win-win for everyone
Arsenault also volunteers his time as a coach for Concordia’s John Molson School of Business (JMSB) case competition teams. The competitions give JMSB students the opportunity to apply classroom learning to real-life business situations.
While he shares his expertise with the next generation of business leaders, Arsenault also takes away a lot from the experience. “If you find something you’re passionate about, it’s win-win for everyone involved,” he says. “Students benefit from my professional experience — and I am surrounded by great people, so I always learn from them, too.”
In 2017, Arsenault received the Humberto Santos Award of Merit from the Concordia University Alumni Association in recognition of his exceptional leadership and service to Concordia and to the community.
“If you’re lucky enough to have some success in life, it’s important to give back — and I can’t think of a better place to do it,” he says. “The more I learn about Concordia, the more I fall in love with it.”
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Your generosity in action
Read more inspiring stories like this one in Momentum, Concordia's Donor and Student Awards newsletter.
