Alumni Spotlight
 | LU Grad Ross McWilliam Has It All, Except for His Soulmate; And the Search is On!By Maureen Arges Nadin
Ross Mc William, Owner and CEO of “Simply Events” Event Coordination Company in Britain, was looking for a cross cultural experience and perhaps a bit of adventure when he made the decision to cross the Atlantic and travel from the UK to Canada for his post graduate education. How he selected Thunder Bay and Lakehead University in particular, has a little to do with coincidence and in Ross’s mind, and a whole lot to do with destiny. Ross completed his undergraduate degree, a BA in Human Movement, at Leeds Carnegie, just north of London and in 1984 was perusing University prospectus’s when he was drawn to the listing for Lakehead University. He had already decided that he wanted to travel and was interested in Canada, and so he followed up with a phone call to the contact listed for the Science Masters program, Dr. J. Widdop. The synchronicity became even more palpable when he learned that Dr Widdop had, ironically, also attended Ross’s alma mater, Leeds Carnegie. That conversation lead to a scholarship which enabled Ross to study in Canada and a career decision that changed his life forever. Ross came to Canada, a country that he perceived to be “a nice fresh country, more peaceful and tranquil “ than his native land, in 1984 and remained till he graduated in 1986. As he had a background in sports, soccer and rugby in particular, and an interest in coaching, he was drawn to the Kinesiology program and the coaching Specialty.
Like most people who have been successful in creating and managing their own business, Ross understands and is able to capitalize on his strengths and assets. Therefore, he has gravitated towards a niche that he knows he does well, working with people, whether it is in the sports or entertainment field. Although he subcontracts a portion of his work, his company has three employees who assist him in arranging, coordinating and managing such diverse events as corporate activity days, award evenings, formal dinners, fashion and beauty shows in his native England. When asked about his memories of Canada and LU, Ross becomes philosophical as he appreciates the depth of the impact that his experience in Thunder Bay had on his life. Besides having a positive experience with his mentor and thesis advisor, Tony Bauer, Ross readily acknowledges that his future career path as well as his self identity was changed forever when a knee injury he experienced while playing indoor soccer at LU put an end to his active participation in a game that he loved. “It changes who you are, how you operate in life and what you do with your life “ says Ross who evidently rose to the challenge with the support of a strong social network that he formed in Thunder Bay among classmates and other friendships that he formed in the community, particularly with local football club United FC. Ross, who was recently in Thunder Bay to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of his graduation, maintains fond memories of Canada and Canadians. Coming from a country noted for frequent rain and dismal skies, he especially appreciated the amount of sunshine in Thunder Bay. Because the seasons in Britain tend to merge together, Ross also enjoyed the changing of the seasons and the gusto with which Canadians greet the fleeting summer weather and the return of outdoor activities. In fact, Ross would love to return to Canada one day and there are a couple of paths that could potentially lead him back here, not the least of which would be a good Canadian woman. Still single at 45, Ross is in search of his soul mate and has employed the World Wide Web to widen his search range for that elusive mate. His motivation is genuine and although his methods are unconventional, he remains hopeful for a positive outcome. Interested Northern ladies can check out his website I wanttogetmarriedinayear.co.uk and “meet” the gentleman himself in his introductory video. When asked for a quote that best reflects his personal philosophy, Ross offers “ Live with mediocrity; die with regret”, author unknown or at least to Ross , although given his capacity to constantly expand his horizons and think outside the box, he could have written it himself. Ross can also be contacted via his company email address thesimplyeventscompany%23co%23uk|Ross |
After leaving Canada he decided to put what he learned into practice and coached various sports in the Middle East for the Royal Saudi Air Force. Following his return to the UK, he continued to coach local soccer and opened a fast food shop! However after a few years he decided that he wanted to pursue a teaching career and traveled to Southampton University in 1993 to undertake a one year Post Graduate Certificate in Education. From there, he worked as a Physical Education teacher at a local high school and then on to the College level before working as the Community and Commercial Manager of Preston North End Football Club for the next few years. Through his work there, he had an opportunity to make contacts with key figures in the sports world and also in the entertainment field. This network gave him the background and foundation that he needed to set up the “Simply Events” Company in 2003.
