Ted Rogers Leadership Centre launches innovative Sales Leadership Program

Ted Rogers, the founder of the Canadian telecom and media giant and namesake of the Ted Rogers School of Management, believed that there is no business without sales, and he even carried a business card that read simply “Chief Salesperson.”

While Ted Rogers recognized the critical importance of sales, most major business schools in Canada do not focus on teaching sales as a core element of their program. Sales and marketing professionals have been among the top five specializations in highest demand over the past decade in Canada, but there has been a shortage in qualified people able to fill these roles.  TRSM hopes to change that with the launch of the new Ted Rogers Sales Leadership Program at the Ted Rogers Leadership Centre (TRLC) this fall. 

Universities globally are teaching and researching sales, and the number of schools with top sales programs has grown significantly over the past decade, however Canadian universities have not addressed this opportunity.  TRSM will therefore become a leader in this field in our country with the introduction of the Ted Rogers Sales Leadership Program. 

“Ryerson will be one of the early English-speaking Canadian universities to offer a Sales Leadership Centre Program,” says Dr. Karen Peesker, Director of the Ted Rogers Sales Leadership Program and Assistant Professor in the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

“An undergraduate degree in business provides a great starting point,” explains Peesker, “but once you get into an organization, you quickly realize that the essence of every organization involves engagement with customers of some form, both internal and external.  It is then that you understand the importance and impact of sales to every single business.” 

TRLC’s unique Ted Rogers Sales Leadership Program will provide sales leadership experiential opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, including international sales case competitions, role-playing and “improv” learning opportunities, company audits, stimulations, live sales projects and social selling opportunities. It will also engage industry sales leaders to help provide co-op and job placements for students and will help create additional research opportunities in sales.

“Through the development of training and educational programs, it is our intention to develop exceptional ethical sales leaders who will make a positive contribution to business growth in Canada,” says Dr. Brian Segal, founder and chair of the TRLC. 

“The mission of the TRLC is to support TRSM in being a leading business school in Canada, and the addition of The Ted Rogers Sales Leadership Program to the Centre will meet a real need in Canadian business and expand student, faculty research, and co-op and industry engagement opportunities for TRSM”, explains Dr. Segal.

A Sales Leadership Advisory Committee will be created, made up of marketing and sales faculty, alumni, and corporate sales leaders, to provide direction, shape and priorities to the program. In the future, our ultimate goal is to be accepted as an Associate Member of the University Sales Centre Alliance to provide global recognition for the sales leadership efforts and receive assistance in growing TRSM sales offerings. 

The program will additionally give students the opportunity to participate in a number of sales case competitions in both Canada and the US, create Sales Leadership Cases, and introduce an Ethical Sales Leadership business case into TRLC’s National Case Competition. 

This unique program was launched at a reception hosted by TRSM and the Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA) at the Ted Rogers School of Management where they announced their plans to address the sales talent shortage in Canada.