Desautels places first at Queen's I.C.B.C. Case Competition
Congratulations to the McGill Desautels accounting team for their first-place win at the I.C.B.C. case competition. The team consisting of Thomas Wakeham and Francois Kik was coached and assisted by Julia Scott and Peg Brunelle.
McGill’s Dobson Centre ranks as World Top 5 University Business Incubator
UBI Global announced that Ď㽶ĘÓƵ’s Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship ranked as a World Top 5 University Business Incubator.Â
Weston Family Foundation funds new program at Dobson
The McGill Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship is launching a new hands-on program for entrepreneurs wanting to launch sustainability-driven businesses.
Delve: How Organizations Can Increase Gender Diversity by Rethinking Job Recruitment, with Brian Rubineau
In the past few years of the Covid pandemic, many people have left or lost their jobs and sought out new ones. Who has succeeded and who hasn’t depends not only on merit and ability, but on who you know—word-of-mouth is one of the most common ways that people learn about and are encouraged to apply for jobs. And who you know typically reflects your gender, race, and other influential differences that in policy terms are markers of diversity.
Desautels undergraduates bring home podium finishes at prestigious Jeux du Commerce
Congratulations to Desautels BCom students for their outstanding performance at the Jeux du Commerce (JDC) 2023! Hosted by HEC Montreal on January 6-9, it brought together 1,100 participants from 14 universities, and is the largest student case competition in Eastern Canada.
Cheekbone Beauty founder Jenn Harper incorporates Indigenous teachings into company culture
Many companies have missions and visions, and ours is helping every Indigenous person see and feel their value in the world, said Jenn Harper in an interview with Professor Karl Moore for The Globe and Mail. Harper’s company is called Cheekbone Beauty, and it seeks to make sustainable cosmetics that won’t end up in a landfill.
AI is advancing, but people management still requires a human touch
Data could tell you a lot about your employees’ performance, capabilities, and even mental health. But there are risks associated with using algorithms to process this type of data. Artificial intelligence isn’t yet sophisticated enough to deal with the nuances involved.
National Indigenous Economic Strategy is a road map for building Indigenous economies
There are more than 50,000 Indigenous businesses in Canada. They operate in every sector of the economy, and contribute $32 billion to the country’s GDP. And Indigenous businesses are poised to grow further, said Dr. Marie Delorme in an interview with Prof. Karl Moore for The Globe and Mail. Economic prosperity is critical to achieving reconciliation, says Delorme, who is CEO and founder of the Imagination Group of Companies.
EMBA alum appointed to Order of Canada
On December 29, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, announced the newest Order of Canada appointments and promotions. Among the 99 honourees are seven McGillians, including the current chancellor of Université de Montréal Frantz Saintellemy (EMBA’20).
Employee scheduling system contributed to major Southwest Airlines service disruptions, but company is likely to survive
When things went downhill for Southwest Airlines, they went downhill fast. During the 2022 winter holiday travel period, the Dallas-headquartered airline cancelled 6,500 flights in just three days. Winter weather played a role, but the low-cost carrier was disrupted far more than other airlines. Reports from within Southwest suggest that an outdated employee scheduling system contributed, says Prof. Karl Moore.
Both music and business demand improvisational skills and collective action
Even if executives solicit employee feedback, they don’t necessarily have the skills to enter into a dialogue about it. Being able to think on your feet is an important skill in a leader, and Prof. Saku Mantere says that music is one way to develop it. “Jazz teaches us communication in the moment,” says Mantere, who recently released his debut album, called Upon First Impression.
Air Canada cuts Calgary-Saskatchewan service in profit-motivated move
Air Canada is discontinuing direct flights between Calgary, and Saskatchewan’s two largest cities. The move will leave travellers from Regina and Saskatoon with fewer options, but is a savvy business move, according to Prof. Karl Moore. It is part of the air carrier’s effort to focus on its major hubs in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Maya Azouri and Jonathan Azouri named to 2023 Forbes 30 under 30
Finding available ice time or sports fields to book can be a challenge, but CatchCorner aims to change that. The app, which has been compared to OpenTable for sports facilities by Forbes, allows users to find and reserve fields and facilities that meet their needs. Co-Founders Maya Azouri (BCom’17) and Jonathan Azouri (BCom’16) have recently partnered with Sports Illustrated to become CatchCorner by Sports Illustrated.
McGill Personal Financial Essentials course helps people understand common investing mistakes
Human instinct is not well-suited to making wise investments, says Prof. Benjamin Croitoru in an interview with Global News. Fear of missing out is just one example of this. Following the crowd can lead to bad investments, and the crash of cryptocurrency values in 2022 is only the latest example of this.
High profile Verizon executive Rima Qureshi maintains strong connection to Desautels
Rima Qureshi’s (BCom’87, MBA’96) career has taken her to Stockholm, Dallas and New York, but she retains strong connections to Montreal and McGill. Now the Executive Vice President and Strategy Officer at Verizon in New York, Qureshi began her career with Ericsson, and helped the company integrate thousands of new employees when it acquired parts of Nortel. Qureshi returns regularly to Montreal to spend time with family and mentors MBA students at Desautels.
