The Desautels Faculty of Management recently joined forces with RBC Future Launch and The Globe & Mail to deliver the free, online McGill Personal Finance Essentials course. Philip Fine from the McGill News sits down with Dean Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou, Professor Benjamin Croitoru, and Caroline Paxton (BCom’93) from RBC to share how they worked together to tackle concerns around financial literacy.


Silvana Travaglini (BCom’88; GCPA'89) is set to take over as Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of pressure-treated wood provider Stella-Jones Inc. With a proven record of driving strategic change, Travaglini will manage Stella-Jones’s financial operations and provide leadership in business planning, budgeting, accounting, and investor relations.

McGill alumnus Aaron Akerman (BCom’91; GCPA'93) has been appointed as the next Chief Financial Officer of Immersion Corporation, a leading developer of touch feedback technology based in California. Following a successful career in financial leadership, Akerman is looking forward to driving growth alongside a quality team.

McGill unicorn and hospitality startup Sonder has reserved premises in downtown Montreal as it makes plans to set up shop in Canada. If the move is successful, this could bring more than 500 jobs to the city within three years.

As the end of 2019 approaches, we are pleased to share what a successful year it has been for DesautelsConnect. Many of you leveraged the platform by connecting with other members of the Desautels community, in turn expanding your network and making valuable professional connections.

New research from Prof Patricia Hewlin explores how a boss’s integrity affects whether an employee is being true to her/his own identity, even when there’s a disconnect with the group’s values. If there were a boss who demonstrated integrity—who was consistent, trustworthy, and fair—would employees feel more comfortable being their authentic selves?
This article is brought to you by Delve, the official thought leadership publication of McGill University's Desautels Faculty of Management.

At the recent McGill International Portfolio Challenge, students once again demonstrated that they are leading the march to sustainability. Asked to consider the options of a pension fund under pressure to divest from the fossil fuel industry, the winning team from HEC Montréal presented a solution that is both responsible and realistic.

Desautels alumnus Jens Bischof (IMPM’02) has been appointed as the next CEO of German airline Eurowings. Set to take the reins in March 2020, Bischof will bring to the role his extensive experience in international airline leadership, most recently as CEO of Turkish airline SunExpress.

Professor Henry Mintzberg, known for his radical approach to management, sits down with Professor Karl Moore to debunk the lure of the elite leader. Rather than placing leaders on pedestals, Professor Mintzberg suggests they remain on the ground, where they can play an active role in the team.

Sally Armstrong (BEd’66; DLitt’02), a veteran human rights activist, journalist, and McGill alumna, has dedicated her career to the fight for gender equality. Talking to Professor Karl Moore, Armstrong notes that gender equality is on the horizon, with one final step required: the collaboration between men and women.

Desautels MBA candidates Tiffany K. Ellis, Kelly Gonzalez, Garima Singh, and Meghan McCoubrey placed third at the recent Creative Shock Case Competition. Initially competing against 600 teams globally, the Desautels team travelled to Vilnius, Lithuania from November 26 to December 2 to compete as one of the top 10 finalists in the social business case competition.

Sustainable investing is transforming the global finance landscape, with companies that switch to greener initiatives gaining popularity. McGill-HEC Montréal EMBA participant Jason Taylor (EMBA’19) comments on the increased transparency of companies reporting on their environment, social and governance (ESG) rating.

A recent data breach at Desjardins resulted in the leak of 4.2 million customers’ data. Professor Karl Moore comments on the consequent departure of the company’s Chief Operating Officer Denis Berthiaume and Senior Vice President of Information Technology Chadi Habib.

Congratulations to McGill student Yuan Chu Zi Lao (MBA’21) on her first-place win at the recent Deloitte Impact Case Competition. The competition kicked off at the Deloitte offices in Montreal on November 22, where eight teams were formed, and the case was presented to students. Yuan was grouped with McGill engineering student Dante Nesparoli and HEC Montréal students Thao-Anne Le and Felicia Élise Ngoma.

Salima Visram, 2015 McGill Dobson Cup finalist and founder of social enterprise Soular Backpack, has launched her second business pursuit: a fashion company called SAMARA, selling vegan leather bags.
Earnings from SAMARA will help fund the production of the Soular Backpack, which is equipped with a solar powered battery pack to provide a cost-effective alternative to carcinogenic kerosene lamps for children in rural Africa without access to electricity.