Ideas with Impact
UNB Faculty of Management

When Tom Liston was just 10 years old, his father, Timothy, took him somewhere that would quietly shape the rest of his life: an investment dealer’s office.

Timothy Liston was an engineer at NB Power, but investing was a passion he pursued in his spare time and one he was eager to share with his son. On that visit to Richardson Greenshields, Tom made his very first investment, buying stock in BC Telecom (now Telus). Expo 86 was coming to Vancouver, BC that year, and young Tom figured the company might benefit.

He was right.

That early win sparked a lifelong interest in investing, one rooted not just in financial returns, but in curiosity, learning, and the influence of a parent who believed in teaching by doing.

Tom’s passion for investing eventually led him to UNB, where he completed his Bachelor of Business Administration before earning his CFA designation in 2001. Since then, investing has propelled much of his career. He has held senior leadership and board roles with organizations including Versant Partners, Cantor Fitzgerald, and several technology and financial services companies. In 2020, he founded Water Street Capital Corp., and he currently serves as Director and Audit Chair on the Board of Directors of WELL Health Technologies Corp.

Just as importantly, Tom has never lost sight of where that journey began.

For years, he has been a passionate supporter of UNB’s Student Investment Fund (SIF), regularly visiting the classroom to share his experiences, offer career advice, and advocate for experiential learning opportunities that give students a real edge.

This year, Tom took that commitment one step further by establishing a scholarship in honour of his father. The Timothy C. Liston Scholarship is awarded annually to an undergraduate or graduate student involved in UNB’s Student Investment Fund, carrying forward a legacy of curiosity, mentorship, and belief in young investors.

The inaugural recipient is third-year BBA student Ava Fullarton of Fredericton, New Brunswick. Ava is already setting her sights on a career in finance where she can put her analytical skills to work.

“The BBA program has been instrumental in preparing me through unique opportunities such as the Student Investment Fund,” she says. “It’s allowed me to gain real equity research experience early on.”

Receiving the Timothy C. Liston Scholarship was especially meaningful, Ava adds, “It was incredibly motivating and reassuring to know that hard work and dedication are recognized, and that I can continue focusing on my academic and career goals.”

Ava was also part of the SIF team that won third place at the Battle on Bay Investment Competition, hosted by Toronto Metropolitan University’s Ted Rogers School of Management earlier this year. Experiences like these, and support from alumni like Tom, are helping shape the next generation of financial leaders.

From a father’s influence to a student’s future, the Timothy C. Liston Scholarship is a powerful reminder of how inspiration, when passed on, can create lasting impact. UNB is grateful to alumni like Tom Liston who continue to invest in students and the possibilities ahead.

Photo: Ava Fullerton (left) is the inaugural of the Timothy C. Liston Scholarship. She met Tom Liston, the donor, at a recent faculty of management alumni reunion in Toronto.

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Media contact

Liz Lemon-Mitchell
Lizabeth.Lemonmitchell@unb.ca