How mentorship and co-op launched Alexa Tremblay on a career in management consulting
By Ivan Watson, Connections Manager
When Alexa Tremblay (BCom ‘24) sat down for her first mentorship meeting over coffee as a second-year UVic business student, she expected to get some friendly advice on how to achieve her professional goals as she then envisioned them. Instead, she began a journey on a career path that evolved into a new, exciting—and ultimately unexpected—direction.
“Both my mother and grandfather have commerce degrees and worked in Human Resources. They were very influential in my decision to study business,” she recalls. “Plus, having grown up on Vancouver Island, I got to know about UVic from university fairs and was really drawn to its strong sense of community. I thought that would be a perfect fit for me, and it was.”
At UVic, she found a wide range of exciting experiential learning opportunities, locally, nationally, and even internationally, that combined to perfectly complement her classroom learning.
Discovering new opportunities through exchange and mentorship
“One of the highlights of my time at UVic was joining the Commerce Students’ Society. It opened the door to attending business student conferences across the country,” she says. “From a learning perspective, it was inspiring to see what other student associations were doing and what ideas we could bring back to improve the student experience at Gustavson. I got to meet some incredible people along the way. I also spent a term on exchange at Copenhagen Business School, which was the most incredible four months. The program here is really designed to help you take advantage of those kinds of real-world opportunities.”
That first mentorship meeting through Gustavson’s mentorship program—which matches both undergraduate and graduate students with an established business professional— was a turning point. She matched with Ashka Wirk, Principal of Wirk Consulting. The experience opened her eyes to the exciting possibility of a career in management consulting for the first time.
“I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for the mentorship program,” she says. “I was paired with Ashka, and we connected right away. She had just launched Wirk Consulting, and her guidance really helped shape my career path.”
Experimenting with career possibilities through co-op work placements
Building on that mentorship connection, Alexa’s three co-ops gave her the hands-on experience to refine her new direction.
“I think the integration of co-ops in the Gustavson program is so amazing,” she says. “My first co-op was in marketing, and while it was a great experience, it helped me realize that it wasn’t the right long-term fit for me. That insight was incredibly valuable – it allowed me to explore and reflect without the pressure of a full-time commitment. It ultimately helped me focus into an area that turned out to be right for me.”
Her second co-op was with Wirk Consulting, after having made a strong connection through the mentorship program.
“It’s really amazing how the mentorship program connected everything so nicely for me,” she says. “Mentorship led to a co-op, and then to being hired as Wirk Consulting’s first full-time employee, which is now my career in management consulting!”
New paths, new rewards
In 2024, Tremblay was recognized with the Canadian Association of Management Consultant’s B.C. (CMC-BC) Student of the Year Award.
“It was an honour to be recognized among a community of inspiring professionals,” she says. “I’m very grateful for the support of the CMC-BC community and the opportunity to learn and be mentored by such a talented community.”
Looking ahead she is working towards her Certified Management Consultant designation with many possibilities for future career successes. Her many accomplishments academically and professionally connect in so many ways to her fortuitous choice to join to join the Gustavson mentorship program during her second year.
Her advice to prospective students?
“I loved my time at UVic, and I don’t know if there is another business school that integrates in-class learning, co-ops, mentorship, and international exchange the way Gustavson does,” she says. “Your education is not about checking boxes, it is about creating actual relationships with real people who have your best interests in mind. There are so many exciting ways you can get involved at Gustavson and I really recommend people to go for it because the more you do, the more it helps you grow personally and professionally and launch a career in an area that makes sense for you.”