Al Ramsay and Ashleigh Montague inducted into Pilon School of Business Hall of Fame

Dr. Anne-Liisa Longmore, Dean, Pilon School of Business, is proud to announce the 2022 inductees for the Pilon School of Business Hall of Fame, Al Ramsay and Ashleigh Montague, who are recognized for their outstanding achievements and the stellar contributions they have made to industry and community.

Ramsay (Business Administration, Marketing ’97), is the Vice-President, 2SLGBTQ+ and Black Customer Segments, TD Bank Group. Montague (Project Management ’16) is a social entrepreneur and co-founder of BLK OWNED Hamilton and BMRKT. She is being inducted into the Hall of Fame’s recent graduate category, which recognizes excellence among Sheridan’s more recent alumni.

“The entire Pilon School of Business community is proud to welcome Al and Ashleigh to the Business Hall of Fame. They are ushering positive change into our communities through innovative business practices and entrepreneurship. They are a true inspiration to our current students,” says Longmore. “Not only have they achieved success for themselves, they are also committed to giving back to the community.”

Ramsay is a leader in advancing inclusiveness in the workplace and community, and has challenged adversity as a Black, gay man to create a space for diversity in the financial sector through innovative initiatives over an 18-year career. He has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2021 Black Professional Business Association’s Decade Leaders Harry Jerome Award for Professional Excellence, and Start Proud Leaders to be Proud of Award for Professional Excellence.

Most recently in 2022, he was honoured by The Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention with the Lifetime Advocacy Award for his contributions in the Black and 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Ramsay is an advocate for promoting health, wellness and creating safe spaces for everyone to feel a sense of belonging. He is committed to mentoring students and young professionals to help them achieve their full potential both personally and professionally.

In accepting the induction, Ramsay says: “I've always had great admiration for the inductees before me and to receive this recognition myself is truly remarkable. I am so pleased to know that excellence within the Black and 2SLGBTQ+ communities is being recognized on the public stage and I hope that this recognition helps others to realize that possibilities are endless."

Montague is promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in the community through her entrepreneurship and commitment to meaningful change. After the 2020 police killing of George Floyd, Montague and her sisters launched BLK OWNED Hamilton to channel the outpouring of support for the Black community into patronage for Black-owned businesses. The online platform showcases Black-owned businesses in the Hamilton, Niagara, Brantford and Halton regions.

Over the past two years, she has grown the initiative with the mentorship of Sheridan’s EDGE: Social Impact Catalyst powered by RBC Future Launch. She recently launched BMRKT, which works with BIPOC business services to help them bring their products to larger markets and connect them with existing retailers to diversify the marketplace.

“Receiving this award truly opens my eyes to the community of support that we have for BLK OWNED and BMRKT. It shows me that there are people who are rooting for us to continue to succeed and have a larger impact,” she says. “I am blessed to be a part of a community that continues to feed into my success.”

Sheridan’s Pilon School of Business Hall of Fame was established in 2006 to honour the accomplishments of outstanding business alumni who are leaders in industry. Election to the Sheridan Business Hall of Fame acknowledges business prominence and distinguished contributions to industry.