Aubrey believes, “If you look at the management and organization of business, relationship management is critical. People are the foundation of the whole thing. If you understand how people work, it doesn’t matter what your specialty is, that is the common denominator.”

Aubrey graduated from Western University and has always felt a close connection to his alma mater. The Aubrey Dan Program in Management and Organizational Studies funded with $5-million in 2006 drove enrollment that, by 2013 turned the program into a department. It is now the DAN Department of Management & Organizational studies.

In 2017, Aubrey and Marla made a second donation of $5-million to enable the department to develop and grow research and teaching in key areas of business: understanding consumer behaviour, improving governance and managing organizational change. This second installment is to be used to create three endowed research chairs in Consumer Behaviour, Change and Innovation and Corporate Governance (to be jointly appointed by the DAN department and Faculty of Law). The new module of Management and Legal Studies will operate under the Corporate Governance chair.

The combination of social sciences and business into a department has provided students with a well-rounded practical and humanistic approach. Innovative research and corporate teaching by forging unique connections positions the department as a leader in Canada. This approach helps students gain a leg up in a highly competitive market.