SMEI Establishes $500K Research Endowment at UBC

After 40 years of dedication to the education of tomorrow’s leaders in sales management and marketing, Dan Gardiner has retired from the Sauder School. He leaves a twofold legacy: the many students who learned from his expertise and a new PhD research award established in his honour.

Thanks to a generous donation of $500,000 from Sales & Marketing Executives International (SMEI), The Sales & Marketing Executives International Dan Gardiner Research Endowment Fund has been created to support a PhD student who demonstrates a great passion for teaching and who is conducting research in the field of sales and/or marketing.

“SMEI is proud to have partnered with the Sauder School of Business for more than 60 years to help educate generations of sales and marketing professionals,” said Willis Turner, SMEI President and CEO. “Honouring the contributions of educators such as Dan through the establishment of this endowment fund will allow his teaching legacy to continue.”

The gift announcement was made at a reception recognizing the lifelong commitment and enthusiasm Gardiner brought to the classroom. At the time of his retirement, Gardiner was a senior instructor in Sauder’s Marketing Division and Program Director for the UBC Diploma in Marketing and Sales Management Program, which is run in cooperation with the SMEI.

The SMEI Vancouver chapter has partnered with the Sauder School for more than 60 years to train professionals and entrepreneurs through this diploma program. SMEI is a worldwide professional organization devoted to providing knowledge, growth, leadership and connections between peers in both sales and marketing.

SMEI is one of the biggest supporters of the Marketing Department at Sauder through professorships and research awards in the Diploma in Marketing & Sales Management program and scholarships offered to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce.

“Through our collaboration with SMEI, we have the opportunity to foster new talent and prepare business leaders to meet the sales management and marketing needs of numerous organizations that are making a difference in our communities,” said Robert Helsley, Dean of the Sauder School. “Now, through this generous gift, we also have the opportunity to further inspire our students, and generate new knowledge in the field of sales and marketing.”