Scott Jones, MBA’91, headed the rebirth and expansion of his father’s steel manufacturing company after the company went bankrupt under different owners in 2009. He credits his time at McGill Desautels with equipping him to manage every aspect of the corporation, from marketing and sales to accounting and organizational change. Jones’ experience inspired him to give back to the McGill community through a company-backed monetary award for students who demonstrate stellar leadership, academic scholarship, and innovative thinking.
Published on: 15 Nov 2021
Soon after the earthquake that devastated Haiti in 2010, Laura Parny Germain (BEng’15, MBA’21) moved from Port-au-Prince to Montreal with a deep resolve to use her education for the benefit of others. With engineering and MBA degrees from McGill under her belt, she looks forward to working toward socially and environmentally sustainable solutions to the challenges her hometown faces.
Published on: 5 Nov 2021
Guy Vidal (BA’87, MBA’92) is the co-founder of Vidal Design Collaborative, an interior and landscape design company dedicated to bringing style and hospitality to Eastside Los Angeles. He credits his time at Desautels with teaching him the language of business and preparing him to take risks as an entrepreneur.
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Published on: 5 Nov 2021
While leading a pharmaceutical company, Samira Sakhia (BCom’90, DPA’94, MBA’01) is also volunteering her expertise in the broader McGill community and supporting students in realizing their leadership potential through the Samira Sakhia MBA Leadership Award.
Published on: 30 Aug 2021
Kamran Shojaei (MBA’13) spends his weekends volunteering with Transit Secours, a Montreal-based organization that provides moving and storage services for women and children fleeing domestic violence. In addition to providing logistical support in high-risk, time-sensitive contexts, Shojaei and his fellow volunteers work to build trust with clients by providing a safe space for them to share their stories.
Published on: 5 Aug 2021
After a career-ending injury left Gabriel Gervais, MBA’09, unable to continue playing professional soccer, his McGill MBA landed him a permanent role at Deloitte. Since 2009, he has leveraged his expertise to help companies improve their supply chain management and manufacturing operations. The former defender, who had his sights set on playing in the World Cup, still makes time to follow the sport and maintain friendships with former teammates.
Published on: 15 Jul 2021
Poets&Quants recently featured Kelly Gonzalez (MBA’21) on its “2021 MBAs to Watch” list. In one of the highlights of her Desautels tenure, Gonzalez served as the president of Marketing Club. In this capacity, she teamed up with the Desautels Graduate LBGTQ+ Association to launch the first edition of the Desautels Business Challenge, a case competition focused on improving equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).
Gonzalez will soon take on a new challenge in the Customer and Marketing unit of Deloitte’s Vancouver office.
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Published on: 8 Jul 2021
Ugo Umeano (MBA’21) is one of Poets&Quants’ “2021 MBAs to Watch” as he graduates from Desautels and launches his career as an associate in CIBC’s Technology Leadership Advancement Program.
With a vast array of experiences in business, music, athletics, technology, and community outreach, Umeano has amassed skills that he can transfer to any industry.
Published on: 8 Jul 2021
Samer Saab (BEng'93, MBA'96) fled a civil war in Lebanon to pursue a degree in engineering at McGill in 1990. He realized early in his career that he was best suited to launching his own company. Since returning to his alma mater for an MBA, he has leveraged his business school experience to launch what has become one of Canada’s most desirable employers.
Published on: 8 Jun 2021
Inez Jabalpurwala (BA’89, MA’91, MBA’01) credits her years at McGill with inspiring her to take a stand for the causes she supports. As a member of the McGill Debating Union, she learned to express herself clearly and persuasively, a skill that served her well as the Global Director of VineX and former CEO of Brain Canada. Now, as a member of the McGill Board of Governors, Jabalpurwala works to ensure that those who come after her receive the same high-impact education.
Published on: 27 May 2021
Congratulations to Samira Sakhia (BCom’90, DPA’94, MBA’01), who will take on a new challenge as President and Chief Executive Officer of Knight Therapeutics Inc., a Montreal-based company focused on acquiring or in-licensing and commercializing innovative pharmaceutical products for Canada and Latin America. Sakhia brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry to the role.
Published on: 21 May 2021
Congratulations to Claude Mongeau (MBA’88), who received this year’s Prix Hommage Les As de la finance at an annual ceremony hosted by the Quebec Chapter of Financial Executives International (FEI) Canada. Mongeau joins nearly 100 other notable leaders in Quebec finance who have received an award since the event began in 2011. He has served as a Chief Financial Officer for 100 years and President and CEO for six years with CN.
Published on: 13 May 2021
From Olympic figure skater to CEO of a multi-million-dollar company, Craig Buntin (MBA’13) has never shied away from risk. As he and his team at Sportlogiq harness the power of AI to offer analytical insights to professional sports teams, Buntin points to the role of McGill and the surrounding community in providing a launching pad for success.
Published on: 5 May 2021
Alberta Cefis (BA’75, MBA’79) was one of only a dozen women in her MBA class at McGill, but she never felt discriminated against because of her gender. The male-dominated banking industry, on the other hand, was a different story. Fortunately, Cefis was able to land a managerial role at the Royal Bank of Canada through a recommendation from a professor.
Published on: 22 Apr 2021
An idea that arose from a nightmarish flight experience for Sandra Gualtieri, founder of Gualtieri Inventions, has blossomed into an innovative new product for people living with disabilities. Informed by her own experience in living with cerebral palsy, Gualtieri designed a prototype for the Universal Seating Apparatus, a portable device that allows people with disabilities to sit comfortably upright on airplanes.
Published on: 22 Apr 2021
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