Careers

Written by Daniel Mulcahy, Marketing Coordinator

Prior to entering the Scotiabank sponsored “Hack Western”, Jason Brown had never attended a hackathon in his life. Yet, with a great idea, and guidance from Scotiabankers, Jason was able to win Best Startup Idea in one of Canada’s largest student-run hackathons. Fast forward almost a year later: Jason has graduated from Western University and has started his career at Scotiabank in the Associate Product Owner (APO) Program. We had the opportunity to chat with Jason about his Hack Western experience, what it took to win this competition, and why he chose Scotiabank to start his career.

Scotiabank (SB): Tell us a bit about yourself, your role, and your journey to joining Scotiabank.

Jason Brown (JB): My name is Jason Brown and I joined Scotiabank this past September as part of the APO Program. The APO program is designed to develop recent graduates into Digital Product Owners through three 6-month rotations in the Bank.

I graduated from Western University in April with a dual degree in Mechatronic Systems Engineering and Honors Business Administration. I initially learned about the APO program while at Hack Western 2017 and applied for the role a few months later.

SB: What is Hack Western and what was your experience like at this hackathon?

JB: Hack Western is one of Canada’s largest student-run hackathons. The event brings post-secondary students from all over Canada to Western University, where they work in small teams to bring a project idea to life in 36 hours.

Interestingly, Hack Western 2017 was the first and only hackathon I have ever attended – and it was a blast! The event gave me the motivation I needed to develop an idea that I had been toying with for over a year. I also had the opportunity to work with mentors from Scotiabank’s Digital Factory who spent their entire weekend teaching me how to code for the Ethereum blockchain. Overall, my favourite part of Hack Western was seeing the amazing projects that teams were able to build in only 36 hours.

SB: What do you believe enabled you/your group to win this hackathon?

JB: Our winning hack was BloxOffice: a blockchain-based ticketing platform that combats scalping and sky-high prices in the online box-office industry. From a technical standpoint, our hack was far from the best. Neither myself nor my partner had much previous coding experience; however, we did have a very interesting business case and a solution that was elegant and customer-focused. With our product, the process of purchasing an event ticket is easier and cheaper for an attendee, and more profitable for a venue/artist.

SB: Can you explain how you went from winning this hackathon to becoming a Scotiabanker?

JB: During my time at Hack Western, I never thought of this event as a recruitment opportunity. Working with the Scotiabank mentors did, however, give me a great introduction to the Bank’s culture and talent. The developers and recruiters that I met encouraged me to reach out to them if I was interested in applying for a job. I ultimately ended up leveraging those connections as I applied to the APO Program. 

SB: What ultimately made you decide to join Scotiabank?

JB: Meeting the awesome Scotiabank employees at Hack Western got me in the door, but what I learned throughout the interview process is what convinced me to stay. During the various networking sessions, office visits, and interviews that I completed prior to getting an offer, I was able to gain an in-depth perspective of the Bank’s digital strategy. I met designers, product owners, developers, and business representatives that were intelligent and interesting. The APO Program promised a supercharged learning experience where I would gain the knowledge and skills necessary to become a product owner. Overall, it was this experience that convinced me to work for Scotiabank.

SB: Before this hackathon had you ever considered working at Scotiabank?

JB: Before Hack Western, if you were to tell me that one day I would work for a bank, I would have laughed at you. As someone who is interested in the fast pace of start-ups, I thought of the Bank as the antithesis of my ideal workplace. Banks represented bureaucracy, old-school thinking, and legacy systems. At Hack Western, and throughout my interview process, I gained an appreciation for the monumental shift that Scotiabank is undergoing, and its potential moving forward. I am excited to be a part of Scotiabank’s future.

SB: What are some of the interesting projects you have worked on at Scotiabank so far?

JB: In my first rotation as an APO, I am working in the Branch Rapid Lab. Our Customer Onboarding Portal is a multi-product onboarding tool for customers in the branches. Compared to previous systems, our tool makes onboarding faster and more engaging for the customer. For financial advisors, the flow makes it easier to learn about the client’s needs and give good advice.

SB: What has really stood out to you during your time here at the Bank?

JB: My perception of working for a bank drastically changed while I was being interviewed. I was nervous that once I started working here, the experience would be more along the lines of the old-school, bureaucratic environment that I wanted to avoid. I am happy to say this is not the case – Scotiabank is truly an interesting place to work. My co-workers are smart and forward-thinking, and they share an inspiring vision for the future of the Bank.

Interested in helping us build the Bank of the future? Learn more about the Associate Product Owner program click here!