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McGill University's Desautels Faculty of Management and HEC Montréal launch Québec's first joint EMBA

Published: 25 September 2007

McGill University's Desautels Faculty of Management and HEC Montréal are combining their strengths in leadership development, international experience and award-winning research to create a new joint executive MBA (EMBA) program designed for business managers: the McGill – HEC Montréal Executive MBA. It is the first joint program of its kind in Quebec.

The program uses an innovative and pragmatic format and is taught by leading professors familiar with the latest management practices. The new McGill – HEC Montréal EMBA will be offered by the two institutions, which have outstanding reputations in the field of management education, both locally and internationally. Reflecting the reality of Canadian business, the program is offered in a bilingual format. It also includes two residential modules, one of which will take place in Asia or Latin America.

The McGill – HEC Montréal EMBA focuses on key issues and challenges facing managers and their organizations. It is organized into eight modules. Three modules are devoted to managerial tools, value creation and operational excellence. The other five are structured around Managerial Mindsets, or basic perspectives or aptitudes that relate to the manager's role, and draw on the research of McGill University professor Henry Mintzberg. According to him, managing effectively relies on employing:

  • The Reflective Mindset
  • The Analytical Mindset
  • The Worldly Mindset
  • The Collaborative Mindset
  • The Catalytic Mindset

The program's academic directors are:

  • Louis Hébert, PhD, Professor, Department of Management, HEC Montréal
  • Alain Pinsonneault, PhD, Professor, Imasco Chair of Information Systems and James McGill Professor, Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University.

Innovative professors with international reputations teach the program.

Dr. Heather Munroe-Blum, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University, who was an early and enthusiastic proponent of the program, said: "The synergies that will result from the collaboration between our Desautels Faculty of Management and HEC Montréal will greatly benefit both of our institutions and those we serve. This creative new program, to enhance the skills of individuals with substantial business experience, will also contribute to the broader community in Quebec, Canada and beyond.”

Michel Patry, Director of HEC Montréal, shares this vision. "The McGill – HEC Montréal EMBA is a very forward-looking model when it comes to offering a high-calibre educational program. Every aspect of the program was designed to help business managers excel in their field. Its concrete content and challenging format strive to meet the current expectations of business people by enabling them to learn based on their personal experience. The program will give them a strategic edge in their careers – and it takes only 15 months."

For his part, Dr. Peter Todd, Dean of the Desautels Faculty of Management, said: "The McGill – HEC Montréal EMBA takes a practical approach to management education. It builds on the work and theories of Henry Mintzberg, which we currently use to great success in our leadership programs. This EMBA should become an international benchmark for managers who want to re-examine their attitudes and behaviours to reach their full potential."

Applications are now being accepted to the program, which begins September 25, 2008. Information sessions for interested candidates will take place this fall in Montreal, Quebec City and Ottawa.

About McGill University's Desautels Faculty of Management

McGill's Desautels Faculty of Management is known for its global outlook and the diversity of its faculty and student body. It is featured in surveys conducted by the Financial Times, Forbes, Business Week and Canadian Business. The Desautels Faculty has 80 professors teaching more than 3,200 students enrolled in its undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. The Faculty also offers programs with other professional schools at McGill, as well as seminars and courses for working professionals. The EMBA program with HEC Montréal is the first joint degree offering in the history of McGill University.

About HEC Montréal

HEC Montréal was the first management school in North America to hold the three most prestigious certifications in the world in management teaching: AACSB International (U.S.), EQUIS (Europe) and AMBA (UK). The School has close to 12,000 students in its 35 management study programs leading to certificates, bachelor degrees and doctorates, and it employs approximately 240 professors. HEC Montréal plays a leadership role in research thanks to some 50 research units (including 23 chairs), carries out projects throughout the world and is dedicated to training executives and senior managers. Over 57,000 graduates have received their training at HEC Montréal.

For more information regarding the McGill – HEC Montréal Executive MBA, please visit our website.

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