Leedana is bringing agriculture to the desert--and it got its start at Desautels

Egypt’s Nile River Valley has some of the most fertile land in the world. But most of the country is a barren desert where few plants can grow. Hassan Elrakhawy (BCom’24) wants to change that. The Egyptian-born entrepreneur founded Leedana, a startup that uses a technique called sandponics, which can reduce the amount of water needed to cultivate crops by up to 90%. The company already has farms in Egypt that grow cherry tomatoes, peppers, kale, lettuce and more.

Desautels’ valedictorian Grace Singer hopes for carbon-free future

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.

Sam Greene putting analytics skills to use with Toronto Blue Jays

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.

Women of Desautels: past, present and future

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).

Julius Alessandro Xanthoudakis (BCom'20, MMF’25) wins 2024 Peter Christoffersen Award

AI startup with roots at McGill Desautels raises €9M in venture capital funding

There’s a lot that AI can do—and quite a bit that it can’t. And the mix of numbers and letters on a spreadsheet is one thing that AI has struggled to make sense of. Prior Labs wants to change that by developing machine learning models optimized to understand spreadsheets, which host an enormous amount of critical information in many firms.

McGill Desautels BCom student wins Government of Canada’s 2024 Building Better Financial Futures Challenge

In a display of academic excellence and innovative thinking, Khushi Toprani (BCom’25) has clinched the top paper award in the 2024 Building Better Financial Futures student competition. The Challenge is a post-secondary student paper competition designed to promote the creation of actionable, evidence-based solutions to current financial challenges faced by vulnerable communities.

MIPC 2024: Students tackle global finance challenges with innovation and leadership

The McGill International Portfolio Challenge (MIPC) 2024 was held in November and drew a record 99 teams from 47 universities across 17 countries, cementing its reputation as a premier global finance competition. This year’s focus on building inclusive retirement systems for gig workers and those facing income uncertainty sparked innovative solutions from participants. A standout addition was the inaugural Women in Buy-Side Panel, addressing gender disparities in finance.

BCom alum to oversee operations and drive growth at Insurity

Jonathan Victor (BCom’99) has been appointed COO of Insurity, a leading provider of cloud-based software solutions for insurance carriers, brokers, and managing general agents. He undertakes this new role with extensive experience at Insurity, where he has previously held roles such as CIO and EVP of Customer Success.

MBA alumna to lead Ottawa International Airport Authority

Susan Margles (BA’88, MBA’91) has been appointed President and CEO of the Ottawa International Airport Authority. Like other airports, Ottawa’s suffered during the pandemic, but it’s bouncing back with major infrastructure projects, like a new hotel and a connection to the city’s light rail transit system.

Undergraduate alum named Deputy Chancellor of McGill University

Cynthia Price Verreault (BCom’82) has been appointed McGill’s first Deputy Chancellor. In this new role, she will support the Chancellor, President, and Board of Governors. Throughout her two-year term, Price Verreault will offer counsel and play a key role in representing the University at events and high-level meetings.“We are delighted that someone with as deep a knowledge of the institution as Ms.

BCom graduate named Rising Star 2024 by The Bermudian

For Ashley Farrington (BCom’21), short-term sacrifices are worth it if they pay out as long-term gains. The 24-year-old auditor with KPMG in Bermuda has earned some early career returns for her efforts and was recently named a Rising Star by The Bermudian. She aims to become an empathetic leader who is both approachable and decisive. “I want to be someone who has wedged her foot in the door to bring other women up with her,” says Farrington.

BCom alum is advocating for work-life balance from the C-suite

When working for a Big Four accounting firm early in her career, Sheila Vokey (BCom’84)—now President and CEO of the responsible investing firm Central 1—saw senior managers struggle to balance work and family life and decided on a different approach.

Three McGill Desautels alumni celebrated at 2024 MAA Honours & Awards

Each year the McGill Alumni Association (MAA) recognizes alumni, friends, students, faculty, and staff whose commitment has had a significant impact on alumni life, the University and/or the community. This year, three McGill Desautels alumni were among those honoured for their contributions to the McGill community.