Marc Viola reimagines named Human Resources award to be more inclusive

For Human Resources executive Marc Viola, post-secondary education had a profound impact on his life. To pay it forward, he established a named scholarship at the Ted Rogers School of Management in 2015, which recently evolved to become more inclusive. 

Viola is the Vice-President of Talent and Culture at Definity Financial Corporation and has been working in the Human Resources industry for 20 years. He made a promise to himself when he started his career that when he was fortunate enough to be in a financial position to give back, he would. In 2007, he created the Marc Viola Human Resources Award ($1,000 annually) as a way to help students entering their first-year studies, and brought it to the Ted Rogers School in 2015.  

The award was recently renewed and reimagined. Now called The Marc Viola Future HR Leaders Scholarship, it focuses on students who self-identify as a Black, Indigenous, a Person of Colour, a person with disabilities, or as LGBTQ+ as part of the criteria. Viola also increased the value ($1,500 annually) and number of awards (two). 

“Two years ago I was reviewing how I wanted to evolve the scholarship, and this change was really driven by world events at the time,” Viola explains. “For me, this was about creating action to be more inclusive.”

“I did a scan at the Ted Rogers School and other schools for the criteria associated with scholarships being offered and there was a noticeable opportunity,” he adds. “As someone who is mixed race and a member of the Métis Nation of Ontario, it was a decision that was very easy for me to make and a rather personal one, too. The team at the school have been so helpful in helping me bring this vision to life.”

With post-secondary education being expensive, Viola says it’s an incredible feeling to know that students can offset some of that financial burden from a number of different scholarships, including his. “I am someone who believes that everyone should have opportunity,” he points out. “Perhaps what we’re talking about today will help inspire others to create the kind of change they want to see.”

Viola, who was a member of Ted Rogers School’s HR Advisory Board from 2016-19, says that he always enjoys reading the follow-up messages award recipients send and how amazing it is to see so many students interested in growing a career in Human Resources. He notes that it is a profession that has been very good to him and his family. 

“I’ve had an almost 20-year relationship with the Ted Rogers School and have developed a very strong appreciation for their forward-looking curriculum and strong community they have established in downtown Toronto,” he explains. “I have also been really pleased with how the Student and Alumni Affairs team have rallied around it and played such an integral role in helping to select recipients each year.”

The inaugural recipients of the The Marc Viola Future HR Leaders Scholarship are Humaira Rahman and Ann Thomas.