Stephan Schenk (MBA’99), President and CEO of TD Group US Holdings, delivered the keynote address at the Palumbo- Donahue School of Business Diploma Ceremony on Saturday, May 12, 2018. Stephan is a member of the School’s Business Advisory Council.

Stephan shared five short stories and the lessons he learned with over 250 undergraduate and 60 graduate business students.

• Competence: Make competence a continuous improvement. “Continue to refine your skills, work on your strengths and build your unique brand of excellence.”
• Change: Do not underestimate the difficulty of change. Great leaders see change as an opportunity. “I encourage you to self-create change on a continuous basis.”
• Adversity: Look for adversity and for things that make you uncomfortable and uncertain in order to gain the tools for success. “We fail in ease and comfort, but we prevail in adversity.”
• Dreams: Dreams are important in that they give you the path forward. However, stay in the moment and recognize the opportunities that present themselves. “I have seen the best leaders take advantage of the moment and connect their vision to what’s going on every day.”
• Integrity: As you embark upon the next chapter of your journey, make a difference in the world and always do the right thing. “Always remember that integrity is key and that competence without character is nothing.”

In closing, Stephan imparted an old Indian saying to the students: “You are what your deepest desire is. As is your desire, so is your intention. As is your intention, so is your will. As is your will, so is your deed. As is your deed, so is your destiny.”