Peter Watson

Business Class

When Sheridan opened in 1967, I was in the two-year Business class and was among the Business program’s first graduates two years later. The Sheridan of 1967 began as part of a closed Brampton high school. It was like a small village, where many of the instructors seemed not much older than myself.

I recall being dressed in a tie — as all male, first year business students were required to do — and walking through the Sheridan art studios. I was amazed at the quality of the work my fellow students produced. The instructors were the stewards of the small village. Men like Dave Tinker (my second year Marketing instructor), the late Tony Holland and the late Ray MacAffie were supportive, intelligent professionals. Tony and Dave each took the time to write an introductory letter on my behalf to the Dean at Wilfred Laurier University where I was accepted after graduating from Sheridan.

Perhaps my greatest moment at Sheridan came when I addressed convocation in the early ‘90s. My message was that challenges lay ahead for the young audience and that they would be faced with a decision to act or hold back. I described the cliff divers in Acapulco who stand at the top of the cliff waiting for their moment. They begin their dive only when they see the rocks below fully exposed because by the time they reach them, a watery, deep cushion will cover those jagged rocks. They take charge of the situation with the faith that they will succeed.

After graduating with a Masters of Business Administration degree from the Richard Ivy School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in 1976, I joined A.E. LePage’s investment division where I became a top performer. Three years later, I started my own real estate investment company, with which I was involved for 12 years. During that time, I also worked for a decade at a Toronto investment firm where I left as a Vice-President to found Peter Watson Investments in 1991. Our business model involves our firm acting as the personal chief financial officer for clients in order to help them make smart decisions about their money.

I have a deep and abiding regard for Sheridan. I gained much from my instructors by way of encouragement and knowledge which stands me in good stead today. I invite current students to make the most of all Sheridan offers and to commit to a life of learning and personal growth.

Current Occupation: Owner, Peter Watson Investments