From People to Property: Rosa Corsini (MBA’ 03) Models Impressive Career Growth

Rosa (Gigliotti) Corsini expected to use her talent for language as a French teacher. But, while she was still a student at the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada, a program designed to explore other professions encouraged her to consider alternative careers.

When a mentor associated with the program asked Corsini to create a vision of her life five years down the road, she considered the options: “I wanted to have an office, I wanted to talk to people, I wanted to know what they needed, and I wanted to know how I could help them.” That’s when Corsini realized the field of human resources might be more suitable for her lively personality, especially after learning about specialties like labor law and negotiations. “Everything just kind of clicked; it all sounded really interesting,” Corsini said.

So instead of pursuing a career in teaching French, she studied human resource management in a post-diploma program at Sheridan College in Toronto after earning her bachelor’s degree from the University of Windsor in 1993. She also joined the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario, where she became professionally certified— an important designation for those working in the field.

Just prior to graduating from the post-diploma program, she was scooped up by an automotive company in Leamington, Ontario.

Learning by Doing

“I had no clue what I was getting into,” explained Corsini, who was thrown into a “full-blown” HR role, negotiating with a union, creating policies and procedures, learning employment labor laws, and more. “I loved it, and my brain loved it.” And even though she was in her early 20s, “I was able to have a huge impact on organizing this small automotive company.”

Corsini also mastered the art of give and take. “When you’re negotiating with a union, not only are you concerned about the profitability of the company; you are also making sure your employees are being heard and not walking out the door.” In fact, labor negotiations became a specialty; when she crossed paths with George King, a prominent labor lawyer in the City of Windsor (home to a significant number of unions), she was guaranteed work in the auto industry as a top HR representative for years to come.

“If George was obtained as the labor lawyer and went to a company that didn’t have a strong negotiator, I would either get a call to assist him, or I would be hired directly by the company to be on the negotiating team to do the background work,” Corsini shared.

Risk-Taking Pays Off

Corsini also knew to excel in her field, she needed more knowledge about daily operations in union and non-union facilities. Schukra of North America offered that opportunity in the late ‘90s when she transitioned from human resources management to operations management. It was a time of quick expansion for the non-union facility, and the company wanted to keep employees happy and engaged. One tactic was to create a union-like “collective agreement” negotiated by an elected group of employees. It worked, “with sound employee relations and continued growth for years to come,” Corsini said.

By the time she enrolled in Lawrence Technological University’s MBA program—which she graduated from in ‘03—Corsini was a seasoned veteran and primed to take risks. “I’ve never been one to do one thing at a time. I have to load my plate up with a thousand things.”

In 2001, she was recruited by King to take a leading role in merging four utility companies into one after Canada deregulated the utility industry. By the time that project wrapped up a few years later, she had already forged new paths by acquiring real estate properties and launching Suntrition Inc., which specialized in the small-batch production of nutritional supplements and bars.

Fiercely Independent

Growing up, such fearlessness was almost a requirement for Corsini, the oldest of four children with parents who emigrated from Italy to Canada. “My parents didn’t speak English very well, and I had to learn how to be the negotiator.”

By age 10, she was “already acting like an adult,” taking care of her younger siblings, cleaning the house, and preparing meals. “My mom taught all four of us, ‘If you want something, you’ll have to learn how to get it yourself.’” It was something Corsini took to heart, working in a hair salon for five dollars a day as a preteen to save up for the braces she would need by the time she was 13 years old. “I didn’t want to burden my parents,” said Corsini, who asked her dentist to recommend an orthodontist within biking distance of her house; her mom didn’t know about the appointment with the orthodontist or that she had negotiated a $100 monthly payment plan to cover the cost of braces.

Likewise, the orthodontist was understandably surprised that she planned to pay for them herself. Following the example of her hard-working parents, “I made sure I was never late with my payments,” said Corsini.

“I watched them struggle doing whatever they needed to do to pay our bills while having enough left over to do a few extra things for the family.”

Conquering Real Estate

Five years after launching Suntrition Inc., Corsini sold the successful business, which now operates under new ownership and has been renamed to Acenzia.

In 2020, Corsini became a partner in Casilco Corporation, a real estate investment, development, and property management company, which has been privately owned by her husband, Carlo Corsini, since the late 1980s. “When I did my master’s at LTU,
I specialized in international business, never really knowing how I was going to use that knowledge,” she chuckled. “Now, all of my Casilco partners are European.”

She’s also undaunted by daily challenges. “No problem is a problem for me. I can pretty much do anything. When I make mistakes along the way, I know I can correct them,” said Corsini, who oversees nearly $300 million in real estate assets—either owned by Casilco or co-owned with other partners—under Casilco’s management portfolio.

She said the MBA program at LTU was life-affirming. “Starting my master’s at LTU while getting the nutrition company established really gave me that extra confidence when I needed it,” Corsini said. “It’s always worth it to go the extra mile.”

Rosa and Carlo Corsini’s Hospitality Shines Through

Last August, LTU president Tarek Sobh, along with Kevin Finn and Cyndi Spotts from LTU’s philanthropy and alumni engagement team, visited Mud Creek Club in Southwestern Ontario. The property was purchased from Henry Ford II over 50 years ago by the family of Carlo Corsini.

Today, Carlo and Rosa Corsini use the property as a private luxury retreat, especially in October, November, and December, when they offer professionally guided hunts (for fowl), overnight lodging, and gourmet meals to guests seeking a tranquil getaway.

They also use the property—and their hospitality—to highlight their charitable interests. The Rosa G. Corsini Fund provides funding for services designed to improve the mental health and nutrition of families in the community. Carlo’s fund supports the Children’s Treatment Center of Chatham-Kent.

After the LTU team explored the property’s marshland by boat with the Corsinis, they were treated to a homemade Italian meal, served in the club’s historic lodge.

“We were so impressed with their hospitality,” said Finn. “Rosa and Carlo have a way of creating an experience that makes you forget all your troubles and savor the moment. They are very skilled when it comes to anticipating the needs of others and are just all-around great people.”