The right personality for the job
Ginny credits her curiosity and innate ability to inspire confidence for her success in business development & management. With a natural wonder of people and processes, and desire to improve things, Ginny walks into the business environment without fear, identifies the goal and goes after it. On the job, Ginny uses her creativity and problem solving skills to see past the boundaries and train others to eliminate or move around hurdles, while building relationships of mutual trust and respect. In exiting a business environment, Ginny leaves a legacy of partnering, trust and honour that stick with the company for the long-term.
Biography: A Journey Through Sales & Science
Born & Raised
Ginny was born outside of Toronto and grew up in Fredericton, New Brunswick, where her mother's family had lived for generations. Her mother was a biologist who went back later in life to study analytical chemistry, designing and operating a water & tissue federal forestry laboratory in New Brunswick. Her father was an Eastern North America sales mangager who imparted his good business sense onto Ginny. Hence, Ginny grew up in an environment of chemistry text books and sales & marketing enthusiasm, which would forever reinforce her passion for “Sales & Science.”
High School & Undergraduate Education
Ginny graduated from Fredericton High School and moved on to obtained her Bachelor of Science at the University of New Brunswick in 1980. She continued to augment her BSc with technical and trade courses in industrial process chemistry and operations as well as furthering her French language skills. The continued growth and learning strenghtened her position as she embarked on her career.
Early Career in Technical Sales & Marketing
After several years of working as a Laboratory Manager and Research Assistant for Fisheries/Forestry in Eastern Canada, Ginny returned to New Brunswick to assume a position in Technical Sales & Marketing for Diversey Wyandotte, then a leading specialist in the institutional market of kitchen & laundries. Ginny sold industrial dishwasher equipment and chemicals based on the benefits they would bring to her clients. She was known for providing solutions to her clients including expertise of the product, technical service and maintenance. The experience reinforced the merit of conducting business with honesty and trust, which continue to provide the foundation of Ginny's business philosophy.
Ginny’s career in Sales & Science grew in magnitude and increased responsibility over the next decade. During this time, Ginny worked in the international realm as a Technical Sales Specialist for Calgon Canada Inc. & Hart Chemical Company (Texaco Chemical Company), a Senior Sales Representative for Lion Industries Inc. and an International Technical Sales & Services Representative for Mitsubishi International Corporation in the specialty chemicals division. In all cases, these companies were rewarded with increased sales and strengthened employee, supplier and customer relationships under Ginny’s direction. Ginny was consistently rewarded with raises based on merit, commissions, bonuses or new positions offered at higher pay.
MBA & International Business Development
In 1997, Ginny embarked on her MBA at the Strathclyde Graduate School of Business in the UK, obtaining a major in General Management, Operations and Marketing (International and Domestic). Ginny’s thesis documented aspects of e-commerce in the pulp and paper industry, analyzing how online buying impacted the industry.
Following the completion of her MBA, Ginny focused her career on Business Development and Management. With the coining of the term ‘Business Development’ in the 90s, Ginny’s success in technical sales and marketing naturally led into this field. Ginny’s passion for international travel allowed her to explore and impart business development in many different countries and cultures including, but not limited to, France, Saudi Arabia, Japan, the UK and the US. While living in Saudi Arabia, Ginny was respected among Saudi business men as a technical expert in the pulp and paper industry.
Industrial Plastics Entrepreneur
In the US, Ginny was Vice President of her own entrepreneurial success, CAP Plastics Inc., a company that specialized in compression molded plastic products. Ginny was involved with the hands-on process and project management of a greenfield manufacturing site; everything from land procurement, to process flow design, to resulting equipment negotiations, to procurement, to commissioning the lines. At the same time, she balanced the corporate financial / legal negotiations and internal stakeholder communications, while growing the international business development to direct client contact, manufacturer's representatives and distributors.
MacDonald Management Consulting International Ltd. (MMCI)
Ginny MacDonald returned to Canada in 2002, and now resides in the economic hub of Calgary, in the Province of Alberta. Ginny is president of MacDonald Management & Consulting International Ltd. (MMCI), a corporation that offers expertise in all aspects of business development from corporate growth to international development. MMCI is focused on international assignments and global networking that facilitates business growth through business development strategies, operations, manufacturing and change management. To learn more about MMCI and its services, click on Other Products.
The Next Step
Ginny is always ready for the next adventure in her career and is currently seeking a position or consultants role that leverages her natural leadership ability, business acumen and strategic approach to business development, coupled with her marketing & sales expertise. Ginny will apply her world of business experience to position a company for growth in terms of revenue, international exposure, and strategic relationships.
Continues to Educate
In 2007, Ginny completed the Institute of Corporate Directors - Director's Education Course (ICD.D). This certification is provided in conjunction with the Rothman's School of Business and the Haskayne School of Business in Calgary, Alberta. Ginny continues to enhance her French language skills through the upper levels of the Berlitz Language program.
To view Ginny’s CV, click here.