Business leaders Jocelyn Perry and Peter Woodward will be honoured by Memorial University’s Faculty of Business Administration at its 38th annual Partners Celebration on Wednesday, April 9, at the Emera Innovation Exchange, Signal Hill Campus, in St. John's.

Business students Stephanie O’Quinn and Aman Gangani will also receive awards for their contributions to student and university life through volunteerism and their demonstrated ability to apply academic experience in a real-world context.

Jocelyn Perry

Ms. Perry (B.Comm.(Co-op.)(Hons.)’93), executive vice-president and chief financial officer of Fortis Inc., will receive the 2025 Alumni Honour Award. Fortis is a leader in the North American energy delivery business.

Ms. Perry has nearly 30 years of financial and utility leadership experience. Prior to her current role at Fortis, she spent 13 years at Newfoundland Power in roles that included being the company’s first woman president and chief executive officer.

She’s a fellow chartered professional accountant and a member of the Association of Chartered Professional Accountants of Newfoundland and Labrador.   

She has significant board experience and currently serves on the boards of Solace Power and Fortis utilities UNS Energy and ITC Holdings. She is also chair of Advantage St. John’s.

An active supporter of many community causes, Ms. Perry is a board member of Shorefast and has previously served as chair of the Health Care Foundation.

Peter Woodward

Mr. Woodward (B.Comm.(Co-op.)’81) is president and CEO of the Woodward Group of Companies, a diversified, family-owned business based in Happy Valley-Goose Bay that has served northern and remote areas for over 60 years.

He’ll receive the P.J. Gardiner 2025 Newfoundland and Labrador Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

The Woodward company has significant interests in oil distribution, automotive, marine ferries, coastal supply tankers, military contracting and real estate, and employs more than 800 people.

Mr. Woodward also serves as director of The Shaw Group and Emera. He’s previously served as chair of the Labrador Health Corporation, Labrador College and the Premier’s Advisory Council.

In 2024 he was inducted into the Junior Achievement Newfoundland and Labrador Business Hall of Fame.

Stephanie O’Quinn

Graduate student Stephanie O’Quinn of Stephenville will receive the 2025 Dr. Victor Young Graduate Student Citizenship Award.

Ms. O’Quinn holds a bachelor of kinesiology degree from Memorial and is in her final semester of the Master of Business Administration Program. Throughout her programs, she has balanced part-time studies with full-time work in operations and business development.

She’s an avid volunteer and currently serves as an ambassador with the St. John’s Board of Trade. Previous volunteer engagements include organizations such as Caring Cards N.L., Spin4Kids and the Women’s Resource Centre (now known as Intersections on Memorial’s St. John’s campus).

Ms. O’Quinn has been an active student, seeking opportunities to strengthen her skills in strategy and business development through an internship with Creative Destruction Labs Atlantic, case competitions, mentoring and other events offered by the business faculty.

Aman Gangani

Fourth-year commerce student Aman Gangani will take home the 2025 Dr. Robert Crosbie Undergraduate Student Citizenship Award.

Originally from India, Mr. Gangani has been an active student and volunteer during his time at Memorial.

His volunteerism spans Memorial University – from the Queen Elizabeth II Library to the School of Graduate Studies – and the community, including helping community members file income tax returns for the Canada Revenue Agency.

He’s currently a vendor management intern with N.L. Health Services and a research assistant at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

In 2023 Mr. Gangani won the David Curran Award from Memorial’s Harris Centre, the N.L. Regional Economic Development Association and Municipalities N.L. for his efforts to empower rural communities and foster the connection between Memorial students and researchers focused on the socioeconomic prosperity of the province.

Celebrating excellence in business

“There is an integral link between Memorial’s business faculty and the success of the broader community,” said Dr. Travor Brown, business faculty dean. “It takes all of us working together to develop leaders who are prepared to guide our province into the future.”

 Partners is the business faculty’s annual celebration that brings together members of the faculty with students, donors, alumni and the business community to pay tribute to those who have achieved excellence in business while using their skills and expertise to contribute to their peers and communities.

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For more information, please contact Susan White, communications advisor, Faculty of Business Administration, at 709-689-7988 or susanwhite@mun.ca.