MBA alumnus steps up to serve victims of domestic violence

Kamran Shojaei (MBA’13) spends his weekends volunteering with Transit Secours, a Montreal-based organization that provides moving and storage services for women and children fleeing domestic violence. In addition to providing logistical support in high-risk, time-sensitive contexts, Shojaei and his fellow volunteers work to build trust with clients by providing a safe space for them to share their stories.

From professional soccer player to management consultant

After a career-ending injury left Gabriel Gervais, MBA’09, unable to continue playing professional soccer, his McGill MBA landed him a permanent role at Deloitte. Since 2009, he has leveraged his expertise to help companies improve their supply chain management and manufacturing operations. The former defender, who had his sights set on playing in the World Cup, still makes time to follow the sport and maintain friendships with former teammates.

Graduate spotlight: Ugo Umeano, MBA ’21

Ugo Umeano (MBA’21) is one of Poets&Quants’ “2021 MBAs to Watch” as he graduates from Desautels and launches his career as an associate in CIBC’s Technology Leadership Advancement Program.

With a vast array of experiences in business, music, athletics, technology, and community outreach, Umeano has amassed skills that he can transfer to any industry.

C. Douglas Mellor Prize for academic excellence awarded to GCPA student

Elizabeth Roy (BCom'20, GCPA'21), student of the Graduate Certificate in the Professional Accounting (GCPA) program, has been selected among her graduating class as this year’s recipient of the C. Douglas Mellor Prize for academic excellence.

Going the distance

Dan Park, BCom’03, is redefining the used car sales industry with his start-up, Clutch Canada, an e-commerce platform for buying and selling cars without the hassle and uncertainty usually associated with the process. Clutch Canada gives customers the option to shop for a car from the comfort of home and have it delivered directly to their driveway.

Sean McNally crowned valedictorian at Desautels

Congratulations to Sean McNally (BCom’21), this year’s valedictorian at the Desautels Faculty of Management, for his academic achievements and contributions to the Desautels community.

Moving the ball forward

Claude Généreux (BEng’85) and his wife, Myriam Legault (BEd’85), announced a donation of $1 million to the McGill Athletics and Recreation. Their gift will support student athletes, both in and out of the stadium, by providing scholarships, funding community service opportunities.

Advancing financial markets across the globe

Seven years ago, Olivier Babin (BCom’18) won the Bourstadt Stock Market Simulation. Now, at age 25, he has his sights set on launching his own startup in the financial technology sector while continuing to build Mkono, a non-profit he co-founded to provide microcredit without interest to entrepreneurs in Kenya.

From the corporate office to live television 

Right out of university, Dick Irvin (BCom’53) enjoyed a stable career in Montreal’s finance sector.

Embracing the journey

Samer Saab (BEng'93, MBA'96) fled a civil war in Lebanon to pursue a degree in engineering at McGill in 1990. He realized early in his career that he was best suited to launching his own company. Since returning to his alma mater for an MBA, he has leveraged his business school experience to launch what has become one of Canada’s most desirable employers. 

Building the right foundation

After graduating from McGill, Michael Pesner (BCom’63) took over his father’s accounting and insolvency practice before joining a KPMG predecessor firm as a chairman and managing partner. Over the next 26 years, he navigated challenges in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and insolvency so adeptly that he was invited to serve on the KPMG board of directors.

Stand for Something 

Inez Jabalpurwala (BA’89, MA’91, MBA’01) credits her years at McGill with inspiring her to take a stand for the causes she supports. As a member of the McGill Debating Union, she learned to express herself clearly and persuasively, a skill that served her well as the Global Director of VineX and former CEO of Brain Canada.

EMBA alumnus leads Longueuil police department to receive top municipal honours  

Under the directorship of Fady Dagher (EMBA’12), the police department for the urban agglomeration of Longueil (SPAL), along with the City of Longueuil, recently received a top municipal prize from the Union Des Municipalités Du Québec (UMQ).

BCom alumnus publishes first novel

Daniel Aleman (BCom’16) landed a role at a marketing services firm immediately after earning his degree at the Desautels Faculty of Management, but it wasn’t long before he pursued a different calling as a full-time author. Now, as he promotes his first novel, he expresses gratitude for the marketing and communications skills he honed as a BCom student.

Announcing the 2021 Lionel Pelham Kent Scholarship recipients

Congratulations to Laurent Brière-Dulude (BCom'20), Paige Doyle (BCom'20), François-Xavier Lord (BCom'20), David Masella (BCom'20), Étienne Poulin-Leblanc (BCom'20) and Sara Shin (BCom'20) who were awarded the Lionel Pelham Kent Scholarship by the Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting (GCPA)