Doreen Picard, executive MBA class of 2025, was announced as the Executive Director of the Pessamit Innu Council by Marielle Vachon, Chief of the Council on September 11.
During her tenure, Picard is tasked with managing administrative and financial tasks across all programs and services offered by the organization. Her position will begin on October 2.
After more than two decades of leadership, Professor Alain Pinsonneault will conclude his mandate as academic co-director of the McGill-HEC Montreal EMBA this December. A co-founder of the program since its inception in the mid-2000s, Prof. Pinsonneault helped shape the distinctive learning experience supporting hundreds of executives. He will remain on faculty teaching the Worldly Mindset module.
Amanda Gaiotti, MBA class of 2016, has been recognized for achievements and leadership in business. Michelle Jursa, Senior Director, National Programs at Caldwell says about those selected: "Even though they come from a wide variety of sectors and professions, they share a commitment to building something larger than themselves. We always call them today’s community leaders, but they’re tomorrow’s country leaders."
Authors: Simon Blanchette and Emmanuelle Vaast
Publication: The Conversation
Abstract:
In this article, faculty lecturer Simon Blanchette and Professor Emmanuelle Vaast argue that a slowdown in the AI industry is necessary. They note that calls for a slowdown are not new, and that regardless of whether the industry does so, teams should utilize anticipatory thinking to ease the effects of AI incidents.
Earlier this week, a Truth Social post from United States President Donald Trump threatened a ban on Bombardier Inc. sales in the United States without U.S.-based manufacturing. While Bombardier began in Quebec in 1935, it was not until 1986 that it branched into the aircraft industry. Today, the company is very involved with trade between Canada and the U.S. and primarily focuses on executive jets, having left the commercial industry in 2020.
The National Bank of Canada has released its sixth National Bank Family Advantage report titled "Bridging Canada with Asia: Global Family Business Perspectives. Each annual edition focuses on Canadian family businesses, and the 2026 edition focuses on Canada and Asia-Pacific economic ties within this category.
Four in 10 Canadian manufacturers have either moved to the U.S. or considered doing so as of July 2026 as a direct result of Trump administration tariffs. Aeris Protective Packaging Inc., a Montreal-based manufacturer, opened a plant across the border to continue to serve their U.S. customers, which make up 70% of their clientele, amid 50% tariffs on paper and packaging.
This week's Canadian Investment Summit brings foreign investors, but also Canadian groups interested in partnerships. New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt and Natural Resources Minister John Herron will attend the summit alongside several companies interested in finding partners to refurbish the Mactaquac Dam, among other projects.
2025 Nobel Prize-winning economist and McGill alumnus will speak Oct. 22.
From steam engines and mass electrification to personal computers and artificial intelligence, technological innovation has transformed how we live and work, driving unprecedented economic growth.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has invited investors from nations such as the United States, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and China to this month's Canada Investment Summit. Sebastien Betermier, Associate Professor of Finance, explains that those attending will expect a say in the governance of initiatives they contribute to in Canada. He says, "from the foreign investors' perspective, you do have a seat at the table."
As Ottawa prepares to host its first-ever Canada Investment Summit this month, questions remain about whether the federal government can deliver on Prime Minister Mark Carney's pledge to catalyze $1 trillion in investment over five years. In a recent article for The Hub, Sebastien Betermier, Associate Professor of Finance offered his perspective on what it will take to convince major investors that Canada is truly "investible."
Brandon Greenall MBA’26 has been named 2026 MBA to Watch by Poets & Quants, a distinction highlighting promising business students from leading programs around the world.
Originally from Hazelton, British Columbia, Greenall joined the Desautels MBA after working with Bird Construction and later completed an internship with Bombardier in Montréal. At McGill, he has demonstrated strong leadership as President of the Desautels Graduate Health and Wellness Committee and as a McCall MacBain Scholar.
As U.S. tariffs disrupt supply chains, Montreal’s Schwartz’s Deli has replaced its longtime Cott’s Black Cherry Soda with Fleischer’s, a made-in-Quebec alternative.
Saibal Ray, professor at McGill Desautels, explains that aluminum tariffs have affected beverage producers despite primarily targeting larger industries. Since cans can represent up to one-third of soda production costs and may be tariffed multiple times, niche products with narrow margins are particularly vulnerable.
As food companies move away from artificial dyes, some are eliminating colour altogether rather than using costly, less stable natural alternatives.
Yu Ma, professor of marketing at McGill Desautels, says this shift may appeal to health-conscious consumers who associate colourless products with purity, authenticity and natural ingredients.
Shein’s latest Montreal pop-up has drawn less interest than its 2023 edition, potentially reflecting growing consumer discomfort with the brand’s environmental and labour record.
Carl Boutet, lecturer at the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, describes this tension as the “Shein paradox,” with shoppers continuing to buy low-cost clothing despite concerns surrounding the company. Boutet notes that consumers may now be more aware of the ecological consequences of Shein’s ultra-fast-fashion model.
