CEO Éric Lachance is guiding Énergir toward a greener future
The future of energy needs to be flexible, according to Éric Lachance (BCom’96), the CEO of Énergir. The company is seeking to replace natural gas with renewable energy generated by hydro, solar and wind. But the alternatives need to fit the situation. Quebec’s short winter days could make wind a better option than solar, says Lachance.
Louis Morissette’s career combines business training with comedic instincts
When Louis Morissette (BCom’95) was studying at Desautels, he was also performing in comedy shows. And when he went to the École Nationale de l’humour, he found himself wondering what the business plan for comedy could be.
In the years since then, he’s figured it out. Morissette is the co-founder and President of the production company KOTV and has been an actor and producer for television and film.
Ann-Sophie Bettez inducted into McGill Sports Hall of Fame
The McGill Sports Hall of Fame is honouring Desautels graduate Ann-Sophie Bettez (BCom '11) as part of its Class of 2022. Bettez’s induction follows a decorated university hockey career in which she was named the CIS rookie of the year as a first-year student, and Canadian university hockey player of the year as a senior. That same year, Bettez was also McGill's top female athlete and won the BLG Award as Canada’s top female student-athlete.
After more than forty years with the IOC, Dick Pound is retiring
While he was still a law student, Dick Pound (BCom’62, BCL’67) competed in the 1960 Olympics in Rome. But that was only the beginning of the Desautels alumnus’ decades-long involvement in the Olympic movement. Pound was elected to the International Olympic Committee in 1978, and is now its longest-serving member.
Théadora Sauvé named valedictorian for Spring 2022 Convocation
Théadora Sauvé’s classmates pushed her to become a better student, and Sauvé’s hard work was be recognized at the Spring 2022 Convocation, where she gave the valedictory address. The Bachelor of Commerce grad is preparing to study law at McGill, but when she came to university, this path was not yet clear.
Announcing the 2022 Lionel Pelham Kent Scholarship recipients
Congratulations to Justin McGregor (BCom’21), James Akkaoui (BCom’21), Megan Abellera (BCom’21), Juliette Lapointe (BCom’21), Guillaume Ouimet (BCom’21), and Marie-Ève St-Jacques (BCom’21) who were awarded the Lionel Pelham Kent Scholarship by the Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting (CGPA) program.
Desautels alumnus is accelerating accessibility at Procter & Gamble
Thibault Trancart (BCom'15), Desautels Faculty of Management's first blind graduate, is helping make one of the world’s biggest consumer goods companies more accessible. Trancart is a Manager in Responsible Beauty for Europe Hair Care at Procter & Gamble, and has become one of its Accessibility Champions. “Originally, I didn’t want to be the blind guy working on accessibility,” he says.
Welcoming a new cohort of GCPA students
The second week of May marks the start of the Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting (GCPA) Program for a new cohort of 50 students. Forty-five of the incoming students are McGill University Bachelor of Commerce graduates, while the remaining join the program from other Canadian Universities.
Alumni create digital platform that helps businesses collect unpaid bills
When customers don’t pay their bills, it can be a major drain on a business. To collect unpaid bills, creditors have long relied on credit control specialists who use techniques like outbound phone calls. But that’s 20th-century technology, and Dimitri Raziev (BCom’09) spotted an opportunity to modernize the approach.
Psychological safety in the workplace
In a two-part series in Forbes, Prof. Karl Moore and Lainie Yallen (BCom’18) explore psychological safety in the workplace.
Canadian university champion swimmer to represent France at World Swimming Championships
In March, Clément Secchi earned All-Canadian honours at the Canadian university swim championships. Now, Secchi has qualified to represent France at the FINA World Swimming Championships in Budapest this June. The fourth-year management student won the 100m butterfly at the French Elite Championships with a personal best time, and will swim the butterfly leg of the 4x100 metre for the country’s medley relay team.
Desautels alumna advocates for low carbon energy in Washington, DC
Abigail Hunter (BCom’16) wants to usher in the clean energy revolution. She represents the Government of Quebec as an attachée in Washington, DC, where she works to help lawmakers understand the benefits of working with Québec – like how its hydroelectricity and energy storage can supplement less predictable solar and wind energy generation. While at Desautels, Hunter learned about impact investing, social enterprise and advancing ethical, social and governance standards.
Desautels BCom students win Case Competition
Congratulations to BCom students Idir Hamrioui, Marc-Antoine Millaire, Léo Tousignant and Anthony Ladal, who won the 2022 Van Berkom Small Cap Case Competition hosted by JMSB March 25 and 26. In the final round the team of four was up against 8 other teams including another from Desautels. The team keeps up a winning tradition, as a delegation from Desautels won last year's edition of the competition.
Desautels Commerce student Haris Elezovic named to U Sports All-Rookie team
First-year Bachelor of Commerce Haris Elezovic helped the McGill Redbirds win this year’s Quebec men’s basketball championship, and was named to U Sports All-Rookie team for his efforts. In his first year with the team, Elezovic averaged 11.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, and was the only player from a Quebec university to earn the All-Rookie honour.
Desautels management student Clement Secchi wins four gold medals at U Sports Swimming Championships
Desautels’ Clement Secchi excelled at the 2022 U Sports Swimming Championships, earning four gold medals and two silvers. Secchi led the McGill Redbirds to a third-place overall finish, and set three national swimming records in the process. The fourth-year management student from was named swimmer of the year at the event, and was the most decorated individual male swimmer of 2022.
