Three McGill Desautels alumni celebrated at 2024 MAA Honours & Awards
Each year the McGill Alumni Association (MAA) recognizes alumni, friends, students, faculty, and staff whose commitment has had a significant impact on alumni life, the University and/or the community. This year, three McGill Desautels alumni were among those honoured for their contributions to the McGill community.
Generous gift from Lester J. Fernandes will endow research Chair in Business Ethics
When it comes to ethical behaviour in business, there are many shades of grey. Parsing them requires a strong ethical compass, and the Laidley Centre for Business Ethics and Equity, founded in 2022 with a gift from David Laidley (BCom’67), is helping the next generation of business leaders do exactly that. Thanks to a generous gift from Lester J.
Remembering alumnus Bill Webb’s remarkable impact
It is with sadness that we announce the passing of William “Bill” Webb (MBA’93), a valued member of the Desautels International Advisory and Advancement Board. His deep ties to McGill University and dedicated involvement in the Canadian rugby community have left an indelible mark.
Several McGill Desautels alumni honoured at 2023 McGill Alumni Association Awards and Honours
On May 4, members of the McGill community gathered at Maison Manuvie for the 2023 McGill Alumni Association Awards and Honours, which recognize alumni, friends, students, faculty, and staff who stand out for their impressive contributions and achievements in service to McGill, the MAA and in their respective communities. This year, six awards were given to members of the McGill Desautels community. A huge congratulations to all of this year’s honourees!
Experiential Learning: McGill Desautels gives rise to discovery
In 2021, thanks to the generosity of alumnus Don Lewtas, we saw the launch of the Lewtas Office of Experiential Learning. Since the office’s inception, the team at the Lewtas Office, led by Leigh Korey, PhD, has been hard at work creating powerful hands-on learning opportunities that play a vital role in the student journey.
Philanthropist and visionary Marcel Desautels passes away at age 88
Marcel Desautels, LLD’07 (CM, O Ont, OM) generously donated both his resources and his time to furthering business education at McGill. The business leader and philanthropist passed away on January 31 at the age of 88. Desautels invested over $38 million in students, programs, research and facilities at the Desautels Faculty of Management.
High profile Verizon executive Rima Qureshi maintains strong connection to Desautels
Rima Qureshi’s (BCom’87, MBA’96) career has taken her to Stockholm, Dallas and New York, but she retains strong connections to Montreal and McGill. Now the Executive Vice President and Strategy Officer at Verizon in New York, Qureshi began her career with Ericsson, and helped the company integrate thousands of new employees when it acquired parts of Nortel. Qureshi returns regularly to Montreal to spend time with family and mentors MBA students at Desautels.
Fetherstonhaugh Family Foundation Recognizes Teaching Excellence at Desautels
In 2018, when the Fetherstonhaugh family envisioned an award to recognize and reward teaching excellence, they hoped for great teachers and at the Desautels Faculty of Management extraordinary teachers emerged. As the recipient of the 2022 Fetherstonhaugh Family Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award for Undergraduate Programs, Prof. of Practice Sujata Madan engages with students in a way that promotes and accelerates their classroom and lifelong learning.
Official launch of the Laidley Centre for Business Ethics
On November 14, the Laidley Centre for Business Ethics hosted students, faculty, staff, donors, alumni and friends of McGill Desautels for the official launch of the Centre.
Aldo Bensadoun gives master class at Bensadoun School of Retail Management
Aldo Bensadoun began his career at a chemical company, but that didn’t align with his values – or his vision. The entrepreneur launched ALDO in 1972, with a vision of love, respect, and integrity. Fifty years later, the company has more than 3,000 stores around the world.
The workplace has changed, and will continue to: Samer Saab
Leaders should spend less time worrying about people who leave, and more time celebrating those that stay, according to Samer Saab (BEng’93, MBA’96), the CEO of Explorance, a leading experience management solutions company.
In an era of talent scarcity, the balance of power between employer and employee has shifted, Saab told Medium.com in an interview for Authority Magazine.
Desmarais family inducted into Canadian Business Hall of Fame
The Canadian Business Hall of Fame honours more than 200 of Canada’s most illustrious business people, and this year, three McGill alumni were added to the list.
Desautels alumnus David Laidley donates $5 million to create new Laidley Centre for Business Ethics
Thanks to alumnus David Laidley (BCom’67), the Desautels Faculty of Management will soon unveil a Laidley Centre for Business Ethics. Endowed by Laidley’s gift of $5 million, the Centre will carve out a space for McGill researchers across disciplines to advance ethics in the workplace through academic programming, leading-edge research, and public engagement.
2021 MAA Honours and Awards recipients
We are pleased to announce that three Desautels alumni have been selected to receive 2021 McGill Alumni Association (MAA) Awards. This year’s recipients will be honoured at a special virtual ceremony on Thursday, September 30 at 5:30 PM (EDT).
Introducing the Lewtas Experiential Learning Office
Thanks to the generosity of Don Lewtas (BCom’75), students will soon benefit from the Lewtas Experiential Learning Office.
In collaboration with Desautels Career Management, the new Office will help students connect with companies and campus departments that can provide on-the-job experience in their respective fields of study.
