Seneca RED Fall 2021 Alumni Magazine - 40

GIVING
BACK
4,865
Number of donor-funded
awards disbursed
CPOS supporting IT students
Award named after
Seneca grad
WHEN YOU THINK about some of
the ways a company may
express gratitude to an employee
leaving for his next career
opportunity, you may picture a
card signed by colleagues or
perhaps a group collection to
buy a gift card to his favourite
coffee shop.
You probably don't expect a
scholarship to be created,
named and funded for five years
in his honour. But that's exactly
what CPOS Inc., a payment systems
supplier for small-medium
size businesses, did.
When Seneca Project Management
- Information Technology
graduate Subash Ramalingam
decided to leave the
company to pursue other entrepreneurial
avenues, CPOS
established an award at his
alma mater to thank him for his
outstanding contributions.
" We don't look at our
employees as employees, they
are partners. Subash really
embraced our culture, and he
put a lot of time, effort and
ingenuity in helping us develop
the products, " said CPOS Director
John Sbrolla.
The Subash Ramalingam
CPOS Scholarship is awarded to
a full-time Project Management
40 RED 2021
- Information Technology student
who is excelling in the
program and demonstrates one
or more of the following qualities:
motivation, innovation,
entrepreneurialism, passion for
the subject and hardworking;
all qualities Mr. Sbrolla credits
to Mr. Ramalingam.
Mr. Ramalingam first met
Mr. Sbrolla in 2014 when he
was a still a student and participating
in a work placement
program. Mr. Ramalingam
joined the company as a contractor
in 2016, soon becoming
a full-time employee.
" We also supply technology
to help the small guys compete
with the big guys. A big part of
our growth was in Subash
developing this side of the business, "
said Mr. Sbrolla.
A scholarship is the latest
addition to the continuing partnership
CPOS has with Seneca.
For the past five years, the
company has partnered with
the Project Management -
Information Technology program
as a hack-a-thon event
sponsor, a work placement provider
and, of course, hiring
graduates; all in the hopes of
making the payment and banking
industry more robust.
Mr. Sbrolla believes big
changes in the sector are coming
and it's important for competition
to stay healthy. " COVID-19
accelerated the timeline and it's
going to be a big challenge for
smaller shops to compete, but
there is also a huge opportunity
to make gains with the right
partnerships, " said Mr. Sbrolla.
CPOS is facilitating those
connections between industry
and Seneca talent.
" We're working toward
bridging the gap and asking
ourselves how we can link up
the small-medium size operation
with the student who can
assist in their business growth, "
said Mr. Sbrolla.
Mr. Ramalingam was
one such student who did
exactly that for the company
now funding the award that
bears his name.
To learn more about supporting Seneca
students by creating your own award,
bursary or scholarship, please contact Katie
Colvin at katie.colvin@senecacollege.ca
Picture above from left to right
John Sbrolla and Subash Ramalingam
PHOTO: IAN PATTERSON
Seneca RED Fall 2021 Alumni Magazine

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