To Serve and Connect

Some alumni remain connected with the U of T community long after they’ve doffed their mortarboards. But new University of Toronto Alumni Association (UTAA) president Matt Chapman wants to offer even more opportunities for grads to remain engaged with the university and each other.

Chapman (MBA 2000), a partner at private equity firm TorQuest Partners in Toronto, has served as a UTAA board director for several years. He intends to promote the university’s alumni mentorship programs, which connect students with grads. He’ll also promote community-engagement projects, which offer easy networking opportunities for alumni who want to work together on issues in their own backyard. In terms of U of T’s recently launched fundraising campaign, Chapman intends to keep alumni abreast of its goals and messages.

Chapman started his MBA at the Rotman School of Management in 1998, and served as the academic student representative for the MBA program. In 2000, David Ossip (BA 1988 UTSC) – founder of a new software venture called Workbrain Corporation – recruited MBA students Chapman and Daniel Debow. Together, they helped launch the company. Chapman continued to help steward it after his graduation, and eventually it grew to 500 employees. When the company went public in 2003, Rotman dean Roger Martin became chair of the board.

Not long after graduation, Chapman felt a pull back to the U of T classroom, offering his services as both a mentor and speaker. And so it should be no surprise that he remains immensely committed to the university today. “I am very proud of my alma mater,” says Chapman. “The University of Toronto is one of Canada’s finest institutions, with tremendous local, national and global impact. So, like many alumni, I am always looking for ways to give back.”