Kenneth Woods Portfolio Management Program celebrates 25 years
For 25 years, the Kenneth Woods Portfolio Management Program (KWPMP) has provided select Department of Finance undergraduates the opportunity to manage a real investment portfolio in real time.
What began with a $1-million donation from Kenneth (Ken) Woods, MBA 75, LLD 17, has since grown into a student-run fund valued at more than $6.4 million.
This success, says KWPMP director Sukyong Yang, is a testament to cohorts of talented research associates and fund managers, the guidance of esteemed mentors and client committee members, and the continuous involvement of Woods and other supporters.
“The strength of the portfolio management program that Ken Woods created lies not just in the hands-on experience it offers, but in the lifelong community it fosters among students, alumni and industry professionals,” says Yang.
What began with a $1-million donation from Ken Woods — seen above speaking to Concordia students — has since grown into a student-run fund valued at more than $6.4 million.
The KWPMP has cultivated strong ties to industry professionals. Client committee members offer invaluable feedback and mentorship, while KWPMP alumni, known as Calvin Potter Fellows, regularly return to offer guidance, facilitate summer internships and provide career advice.
The program’s commitment to excellence was recently showcased at the inaugural Canadian Student Investment Fund Case Competition, where KWPMP students secured first place, a demonstration of the analytical rigor and teamwork that define the program.
Kenneth Woods — who subsequently built upon his foundational donation with additional major gifts to the Campaign for Concordia: Next-Gen Now — once recalled the initial skepticism that surrounded the notion of students in the role of money managers.
“Some believed the program would fail, that students would quickly lose the donation,” he observed. “But we had faith in their abilities — and they proved us right. Today, the program remains a model for student-managed funds worldwide.”
As the KWPMP marks two-and-half decades of excellence — and continues to garner rave testimonials from graduates — it has become a standout feature of undergraduate finance education at the John Molson School of Business.
"The Kenneth Woods Portfolio Management Program remains a hallmark of experiential learning,” says Dean Anne-Marie Croteau. “Thanks to the generosity of Kenneth Woods and the dedication of our program directors, past and present, as well as mentors and client committee members, the program has consistently produced top-tier investment professionals.
“We are incredibly proud of the impact KWPMP graduates have made in the industry and look forward to the program’s continued success.”
With a $1-million endowment from businessman Kenneth Woods, MBA 75, LLD 17, the Kenneth Woods Portfolio Management Program was established at Concordia’s John Molson School of Business in 2001. A first in Quebec, the program admits a select group of students on an annual basis who, with supervision from finance professors and mentorship from industry professionals, manage an investment portfolio now worth more than $6.4 million.