With strong familial ties to Iran, Kathy Fazel (BCom’91) knew she had to act when a plane was shot down in Iran, killing 176 people, including two McGill students. She and her husband donated $24,000 to establish the M.A. Fazel Scholarship in support of Iranian-born students at McGill. The announcement marks the seventh anniversary of the passing of her father, who attended high school in Iran and encouraged his children to pursue the higher education he never received.
Published on: 18 Mar 2021
Julie Savaria (MBA’15) credits Desautels with expanding her commitment to pursuing justice, equity, diversion and inclusion (JEDI) throughout her career.
In 2020, she founded Bindia Savaria Consulting to help organizations examine and improve JEDI initiatives worldwide.
Published on: 18 Mar 2021
Four former Desautels students were recently featured in new episodes of Alma Matters, a podcast presented by McGill University Athletics and Recreation.
Mathieu Darche (BCom’00) won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020, while Richard Pound (BCom’62) is a former Olympic swimmer who currently serves as an International Olympic Committee Member.
Hubert Lacroix (MBA’81) has coached multiple McGill sports teams, and currently works as a lawyer in Montreal.
Published on: 18 Mar 2021
Since its launch in 2016, EMERGE Commerce has risen to become a leader in direct-to-consumer e-commerce brands. Professor Karl Moore recently spoke with EMERGE Commerce founder and CEO Ghassan Halazon (BCom’06) to unpack the evolving relationship between consumers and the internet during the pandemic.
Published on: 4 Mar 2021
With nearly 15 years of professional consulting experience under his belt, Rick Heinick (IMPM’09) decided to return to the classroom in 2009 to earn a master’s degree. After graduating from McGill at age 44, he founded the Boston-based pharmaceutical company Tear Clear, where he still serves on the Board of Directors. While Heinick believes that there is no wrong age to earn a graduate degree, he views prior experience as a major asset, not a liability.
Published on: 26 Feb 2021
After receiving substantial financial support to complete his BCom degree at Desautels, Pierre LeBrun (BCom’72) has been paying it forward for over five decades. From the time he joined RBC as summer student in 1965 to his retirement from a Senior VP position in 2000, he has steadfastly worked to give students the same opportunity he received. In 2019, LeBrun became the inaugural donor for the Desautels Dean’s Legacy Fund, which will allow him to support students even after his death.
Published on: 26 Feb 2021
Two McGill graduates have reached the divisional championship of the Toastmasters International, a speech evaluation competition created in 1924 to promote public speaking and leadership skills internationally. Jean-Francois Bertrand (EMBA’14) captured first place in the discourse of assessment in French, while Michael Rodrigues (EMBA’20) won the English speech assessment. They join two others in the next round of the competition, scheduled to take place virtually on March 20.
Published on: 26 Feb 2021
At this year's 41st Desautels Management Achievement Awards, McGill BCom students honoured four individuals who have made significant contributions to the Canadian economy and way of life throughout their professional careers. This was the first edition of the ceremony to be held virtually, with the organizers and honourees truly personifying the values of the DMAA - resilience, pushing ahead and innovation.
Published on: 26 Feb 2021
Catherine Patry (EMBA’20) sits down with Quebec Reveille to discuss her final paper at Desautels, which examines the relationship between humour and women leaders in business.
In “Humor, a coat of epoxy on the glass ceiling,” Patry studies seventeen women leaders across industries and concludes that managerial humour remains gendered.
Published on: 22 Feb 2021
Doug Allan (BCom’08) is on a mission to teach people financial tips and tricks they probably didn’t learn in high school. The Desautels alumnus recently released “A Fighting Chance: The High School Finance Education Everyone Deserves,” a 10-chapter guidebook that encourages readers to study financial literacy early in life. By discussing topics ranging from creating a personal budget to managing a credit card, Allan aspires to help young people transition into a debt-free adulthood.
Published on: 12 Feb 2021
Inez Jabalpurwala (BA’89, MA’91, MBA’01), Global director of the Viral Neuro Exploration (VINEx) initiative and the founding CEO of the Brain Canada Foundation, discusses the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on brain health. Initial research has uncovered possible links between the virus and other viral infections and neurodegenerative diseases. According to Jabalpurwala, Canadian researchers must play a vital role in studying, recording, and analyzing the adverse effects of COVID-19 on the brain.
Published on: 12 Feb 2021
Mike Rosenberg (BCom’89) recently joined Chief Outsiders’ team of digital marketing executives. A recognized customer acquisition leader with expertise in business development, Rosenberg brings a wealth of digital transformation experience to the table. Chief Outsiders operates as an “Executives-as-a-Service” firm as it facilitates operations for a group of 80 Chief Marketing Operators across the U.S.
Published on: 12 Feb 2021
One of the oldest companies in Canada will soon be getting new blood as Mike Ross (MBA’11) takes the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer.
A privately-owned retailer passed down through five generations of family ownership, La Maison Simons offers a diverse range of products, including clothes, accessories, and home goods. The company recently opened its first net zero store in Canada to support local creators and foster environmental sustainability.
Published on: 12 Feb 2021
Cyrus Moradian (BCom’12) co-founded educational platform Wize in 2017 with the goal of empowering students across North America to reach their full potential. Nearly four years later, Moradian has led his company to raise US $3 million in funding from investors. Wize will use the investment to develop new course-specific tutorials and tutoring resources for all grade levels, as well as MCAT and LSAT test preparation.
Published on: 5 Feb 2021
Following a five-year term as Chief Executive Officer of Bombardier Inc., Alain Bellemare (MBA’93) was recently named the president-international of Delta Air Lines. With a successful track record of leadership in the aerospace industry, Bellemare will work to improve the global reputation and financial stability of Delta, the world’s top airline in revenue, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Published on: 5 Feb 2021
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