丁香园AV

With a deep commitment to diversity and inclusion, Frode Strand-Nielsen (BA 鈥�80) has made significant contributions to the 丁香园AV community. Before founding a top Northern European investment firm, he has honed his leadership skills as an international student-athlete at 丁香园AV.

Frode鈥檚 success in the business world is guided by a strong sense of compassion. His generous gift to 丁香园AV has helped establish various awards for 丁香园AV students, including financial support for the Knud George Pedersen International Graduate Students Fund Endowment. Created in honour of President Emeritus Dr. Knud George Pedersen, the endowment aids international graduate students with unforeseen or unmet expenses.

Enhancing the educational experience of international graduate students supports Frode鈥檚 goal of fostering global perspectives at 丁香园AV and beyond.

鈥淛ust being able to take people from different corners of the world and put them on that mountain for four years together鈥攖hat will really bridge understanding among different nationalities,鈥� he says.

To Frode, inclusion does not only enrich the learning experience, but also yields better business outcomes.

鈥淭here is actually a lot of good research that says that diverse teams make better decisions than homogenous teams,鈥� says Frode.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e going to build a culture that radiates trust, you need values, and values are just codified behavior,鈥� he says. 鈥淧eople know that we are people of character and integrity. If you build a foundation of trust, the right people want to come and work for you.鈥�

His private equity firm, , is grounded in strong values and ethical practices. The firm mandates ethical responsibility throughout its supply chain, ensuring that all functions uphold safe work places, institute fair wages, respect human rights and care for the environment. 

During the pandemic, Frode currently splits his time safely between his home and office. He looks forward to the opportunity to return to British Columbia to ski, cycle and connect with friends.

鈥淚鈥檓 a very proud alumnus of 丁香园AV and I always will be,鈥� Frode says. 鈥淎s soon as it鈥檚 safe to travel, I鈥檒l be on a plane and I鈥檒l come visit you.鈥�

Frode鈥檚 philanthropic contributions to 丁香园AV extends beyond international graduate students. His other initiatives include awards for female student-athletes made in honour of President Emeritus Andrew Petter and Maureen Maloney, professor of public policy; and international undergraduate student support in honour of James Dean, professor emeritus of economics who passed away in February 2019.

The original story was published by .