Remembering a champion of entrepreneurship, Walter Good
Accomplished professor leaves a legacy built on a dream
An entrepreneur does many things; they identify opportunities, navigate risk, create value, and for the late Walter Good, they build dreams.
Good joined the Faculty of Management at the University of Manitoba in 1969, serving the yet-to-be-named Asper School of Business for 40 years before his retirement in 2009. He passed away in July of this year.
During his time in the Faculty of Management, Good served as the Associate Dean and Department Head of Marketing and continued as a Senior Scholar into 2024.
Former colleagues and students remember Good as a champion for entrepreneurship, someone who shared in the vision of the Faculty as a hub for entrepreneurial excellence, insight, experience, and expertise. A dedicated supporter of his home department as well, Good was proud of the teaching and researching productivity that flourished in the marketing department under his leadership and the marketing behavioral lab that blossomed with his support.
Good was a dedicated and prolific academic, authoring more than 40 Harvard-style case studies based on Manitoba and national firms, serving as acting director of the Centre for International Business Studies at UM, and writing five books about venture development including Building a Dream: A Canadian Guide to Starting Your Own Business, which is now in its 12th edition.
Passionate about experiential learning, Good was an advocate for student competitions in both entrepreneurship and marketing. He was a strong supporter of the Manitoba International Marketing Competition, an annual event that ran for over 30 years and brought students to UM from around the world. He also worked closely with faculty to encourage student participation in entrepreneurship competitions at home and away.
Good was a force inside and outside of the classroom; he was recognized for his skill as a teacher, earning the first ever Golden Shovel Award from the Commerce Students’ Association in the 1973-74 academic year. Selected by the graduating class of the Asper School of Business, Golden Shovel recipients are recognized for their teaching impact. As the first-ever recipient, Good set a strong standard for the five-decade tradition that continues to this day.
Good’s impact continues to be felt at the Asper School of Business—today a hub for entrepreneurial excellence and a trailblazing institution in the will will Canadian landscape for fostering entrepreneurial spirit in business education.
In his obituary, a concluding note encourages loved ones to forego flowers and instead consider contributing a gift in his name to the Class of 1972 Scholarship in Management fund. This alumni-led initiative strives to support more students in pursuit of a business degree at the Asper School of Business.
Whether in entrepreneurship, marketing, or business, Walter Good was a champion of giving students what they need—the practical knowledge, unique hands-on learning opportunities, and the encouragement to think big—to build their dreams.
Linda Stewart [BComm(Hons)/72], Stu Breckon [BComm(Hons)/72], and Don Keatch [BComm(Hons)/72]—members of the Class of ’72 Scholarship Committee, shared their thoughts about Good’s impact and the intent of this incredible initiative that supports students in pursuit of their business dreams.
L-R: Larry Steciuk ’72 Fred Starke, Marie Elliott ‘72, Walter Good, Harry Finnigan ‘72, Stu Breckon ‘72, Wes Douglas ‘72, Don Keatch ‘72.
Image provided by Don Keatch.
From the Class of ’72 Scholarship Committee (Linda Stewart, Stu Breckon, Don Keatch)
“Our Class of ’72 scholarship initiative started in 1997 at our 25th anniversary celebrations. Walter joined us together with Dean Emeriti Mundie and Gray and Professor Starke as part of what became a long-standing “support” group for our Class scholarship fund-raising project. It turned into a 25+ year commitment by our class to support Asper school students, continuing to this day, to which many of the Class of 72 grads have contributed.
“Not only that, our Scholarship group became great friends as the years went by, getting together for our annual awards luncheon and presentations. Together, we would mingle with the scholarship winners, hear of their accomplishments and aspirations and, most importantly, provide wisdom and encouragement for their future endeavours.
“Walter was an integral part of this group. As we all got to know one another better, Walter’s wonderful personality – knowledgeable, caring, and kind, tinged with an understated but delightful sense of humour, shone through.
“We will miss Walter’s presence as we continue without him, but will remember him fondly and recall the many good times we had together supporting the Asper School students.”