This year, ten valedictorians from across the university shared their reflections and insights with McGill’s Class of 2025--with an eye cast toward the future. Desautels Grace Singer will be among them. The graduating Bachelor of Commerce student hopes to make a difference by advocating for decarbonization from within the business world. “In the long-term I hope to work directly with the adoption and acceleration of sustainable solutions, such as what I did within the cleantech company I interned at during my degree,” Singer says.

Classified as: Desautels Faculty of Management, BCom Alumni, Bachelor of Commerce (BCom)
Published on: 5 Jun 2025

This winter, three of the ten McGill offices awarded new Sustainability Workplace Certifications for their sustainable practices were from the Desautels Faculty of Management. Notably, a collaborative Desautels office, formed by the Laidley Centre for Business Ethics and Equity, EDI, the Lewtas Office of Experiential Learning, and TLS Management teams, earned a Platinum certification, the highest possible rating. The Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI) advanced to a Gold certification, and Desautels IT achieved Silver.

Classified as: Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI)
Published on: 5 Jun 2025

Congratulations to Harley Belfer (BCom’23), Isabelle Erb (BCom’24), Veronica Hall (BCom'24), Raphael Lafleur (BCom’24), Andrea Peck (BCom’24), and Dylan Winick (BCom’24) who were awarded the Lionel Pelham Kent Scholarship by the Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting (GCPA) program.

Classified as: Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting (GCPA)
Published on: 2 Jun 2025

In Canada, investment in infrastructure has lagged, but infrastructure banks are one way to provide financing for large-scale infrastructure projects that could take decades to pay off. “Canada needs new infrastructure – housing, energy, ports – it’s all critical to our future,” says Prof. Sebastien Betermier. “But there’s a catch-22: developers can’t move forward without financing, and investors are wary of early-stage risk.

Classified as: Sebastien Betermier
Published on: 28 May 2025

The imposition of tariffs on an ever changing array of products is disrupting global supply chains. Businesses are scrambling to reroute shipments to avoid the hefty fees they could incur as tariffs exceeding 100% are imposed, delayed, or removed entirely—all seemingly at whim. “In the short term, this will be almost like COVID 2.0,” said Saibal Ray, Professor of Operations Management at McGill Desautels.

Classified as: Saibal Ray
Published on: 28 May 2025

In April 2025, MBA students from McGill's Desautels Faculty of Management embarked on a ten-day international study trip to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Istanbul. The experience blended corporate visits with cultural immersion, offering insights into real-world business challenges in diverse contexts. Students engaged with global firms like Strategy&, Majid Al Futtaim, and Digiturk, while also exploring local heritage sites and community initiatives.

Classified as: Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Published on: 28 May 2025

2024 was a rough year for retail in Canada, and 2025 doesn’t look much better, writes Charles de Brabant in Retail Insider. The Executive Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management noted that the combination of high interest rates and high inflation has taken a toll on consumer pocketbooks, and they are expected to focus on the basics this year. That plays well for mid-market brands.

Classified as: Bensadoun School of Retail Management, Charles de Brabant
Published on: 21 May 2025

After four years studying in Montreal, Sam Greene (BCOM’20, MMA’21) moved on to Toronto, where he caught on with Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays. Greene started in a role in an analytics role, but has since been named assistant pitching coach. As a junior member of the coashing staff, Greene is observing senior coaches like pitching coach Pete Walker and bullpen coach Graeme Johnson. “I’m specialized in using the advanced statistics we receive each match,” says Greene. “I contribute by guiding pitch choice and suggesting ways of approaching individual hitters.

Classified as: BCom Alumni, Master of Management in Analytics (MMA), MMA Alumni, Bachelor of Commerce (BCom)
Published on: 21 May 2025

A Canadian clothing company has recently come under fire for using provocative slogans on some of its clothing. The company claims its target demo is now a confident shopper in their mid-twenties, but Professor of Marketing Vivek Astvansh argues that a company might use controversy to sell, even if their customers aren’t of age.

Classified as: Vivek Astvansh
Published on: 15 May 2025

Luxembourg is best known as a wealthy tax haven--if people know it at all. The tiny and wealthy country is a significant financial centre, but it also has the reputation of being a little dull. But Professor of Finance Patrick Augustin begs to differ. “Of course, it is not comparable to major metropolitan cities like London or New York, but for its size, I think the country punches above its weight in terms of cultural and social activities,” says Augustin, a Luxembourger.

Classified as: Patrick Augustin
Published on: 15 May 2025

A stereotypical extrovert loves to engage with people, and derives energy from it. For stereotypical introverts, the reverse is true: they prefer to keep to themselves, and too much interaction with others saps their energy. But ambiverts display traits of both personality types, Professor Karl Moore told CBC Radio’s The Weekender with Jared Monkman. The word dates back to the 1920s, but Moore has revived it after interviewing many senior leaders as part of his research program.

Classified as: Karl Moore
Published on: 15 May 2025

Just six months ago, researchers at McGill launched SUSANHub.com, a platform for sustainability researchers to share their work. The platform has grown quickly and now counts more than 39,000 visitors each week. As changes in U.S. government policy raise concerns about the stability of support for climate research, SUSANHub is emerging as a vital resource. The platform is becoming a haven for this work. “We want to protect scientific research from the U.S.

Classified as: Juan Serpa
Published on: 15 May 2025

The Laidley Centre for Business Ethics and Equity and the McGill Desautels EDI Initiative recently hosted a panel for Women's History Month to honour the past, present, and future of women of the Faculty. The women featured included the granddaughter of the first McGill Commerce graduate (past), current BCom students (present) and accomplished Desautels alumnae (future).

Classified as: Laidley Centre for Business Ethics and Equity, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), alumni
Published on: 14 May 2025

The fourth edition of the Spring Finance Workshop took place from April 27 to 29, 2025, bringing together top scholars in the field of finance to explore emerging themes across banking, investor expectations, climate finance, asset pricing, and corporate decision-making. Co-organized by Professors Laurent Barras (University of Luxembourg), Mark Podolskij (University of Luxembourg), and Patrick Augustin (McGill University), the workshop continues to grow as a vibrant forum for academic exchange and collaboration.

Classified as: Desmarais Global Finance Research Centre, David Schumacher, Patrick Augustin
Published on: 12 May 2025

Explore the insights from the second Sustainable Transportation Roundtable hosted by McGill University's Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI). This year's event, sponsored by Alstom, focused on road safety and reimagining urban streets. Keynote speaker Tom Flood highlighted the impact of media on street design and the need to shift narratives towards safer, more inclusive transportation. Panels discussed reclaiming streets for diverse users and overcoming barriers to public transportation.

Classified as: Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI)
Published on: 9 May 2025

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