A catalyst for Canada-Poland business ventures

The McGill Faculty of Management a catalyst for Canada-Poland business ventures

As Poland enters the European Union, a group of emerging Polish business leaders are coming to the McGill Faculty of Management for four days of management training. Following this training, they will spend a few days at a Canadian organization with which they share a strong business interest. Concurrently, organizations such as Canada Post, Genome Quebec and Hydro-Quebec — Canadian partners of this initiative — will foster closer relationships with Polish organizations.

"Polish program participants are young, upcoming leaders who have successfully managed the transition to a market economy initiated 15 years ago," explains Sylvain St-Amand, Director of the Power Corporation Centre for International Management Studies (CIMS) at McGill University, and head of the project. "During their training at McGill, they will get deeper insight into the North American management culture, which will facilitate their collaboration with their Canadian counterparts."

For the Canadian organizations involved, this initiative is particularly timely, given Poland's admittance into the European Union on May 1. This project represents an opportunity to strengthen their position in the Polish economy, and an entry into the high growth potential markets of the European Union.

The project was made possible thanks to a donation by Dr Karol Pilarczyk, who believes that a solid foundation in business knowledge is essential for his native Poland. His son, Dr Ian C. Pilarczyk, who holds three McGill degrees including a PhD in comparative law, is following in his father's footsteps as a strong supporter of McGill. "Poland is the largest of the newly admitted EU members, with a highly trained workforce, a growing culture of entrepreneurship, and an expanding private sector," explains Ian C. Pilarczyk. "McGill is uniquely positioned to assist Polish business leaders in continuing to build a vibrant free market economy and assist Poland in positioning itself as a key member of the EU and a bridge between Western and Eastern Europe."

For over 15 years, the Power Corporation Centre for International Management Studies (CIMS) at McGill University has developed an expertise in the delivery of global management education and training. CIMS is involved in management training projects with institutions and companies in close to ten countries, including Slovakia and Ukraine.