Are crickets the meal staple of the future?
Mohammed Ashour, co-founder of Aspire Food Group, received the Highly Commended Award at FoodBytes, a startup competition that supports innovative ideas in food and agriculture. The Aspire Group transforms crickets into high-protein powder and snacks, and are looking to expand their market into the U.S., where the aversion to insects as food seems to prevail.
Ben Plomion talks startups, skateboards, and Donald Trump
For French native Ben Plomion (MBA’07), his early teenage years consisted of skateboards, Nirvana, and an unshakable dream of relocating to the U.S. After completing his studies in Canada, he made his dreams a reality by securing work at General Electric in New York.
Desautels alumna appointed CFO at Loop Industries
D. Jennifer Rhee (BCom’88, DPA’89) has been named Chief Financial Officer at Loop Industries, a manufacturer of environmentally responsible Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) and Mono Ethylene Glycol (MEG). Ms. Rhee has over 25 years of finance, accounting, international tax and management experience, having worked, most recently, as a partner with Richter LLP since January 2007.
LIMRA names Desautels alumnus to list of financial innovators
LIMRA has released its 2017 Rising Stars of Innovation under 40 list and Jean-Michel Lavoie (MBA’09), Assistant Vice President, Product Development, Group Benefits at Sun Life Financial has made the final cut.
The list recognises individuals across many areas of the financial services who are using an innovative approach to their business practice and day-to-day activities.
Alibaba and future directions of retail
Alibaba hosted its Gateway’17 conference, which brought together an array of forward-looking retailers, along with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who commented on the healthy trade relationship between Canada and China.
Desautels alumnus and Global Expert makes Queen’s New Year’s Honours list
Imran Amed (BCom'97) has been named to the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list for his contributions as CEO of The Business of Fashion, an online news site for the fashion industry. The list recognises people in the UK who have made significant contributions to society.
Founded in 2007, The Business of Fashion has since become one of the leading sources of news for the fashion world.
Desautels Global Expert Monica Ruffo takes aim at the supplements market
While looking into supplements as part of her treatment for breast cancer, Monica Ruffo (BCom’86) realized something was amiss. “I couldn’t actually understand what was written on the labels,” Ruffo says. Further research uncovered a lack of legal framework surrounding the use of the word “natural” in Canada and the U.S., and that most supplements labelled so are hardly natural at all.
Desautels alumnus named to the board of Teekay Offshore Group
David Levenson (BCom'96) has been nominated to the Board of Teekay Offshore Group as news of a completed comprehensive transaction with Brookfield Business Partners L.P. is also shared.
Desautels alumna and former Ericsson exec joins Verizon as CSO
Light Reading reports that after leaving her position as Head of Ericsson North America, Rima Qureshi (BCom’87, MBA’96) has been hired as Verizon’s new Chief Strategy Officer. She will be working for CEO Lowell McAdam.
Qureshi has a deep understanding of the issues involved with running a successful tech company in today’s network-heavy reality: she started at Ericsson as a system analyst in 1993, before moving up through the ranks.
Desautels alumna mixes dance and brand strategy
In an interview for Flare Magazine, Toronto-based Shereen Ladha (BCom’10) talks about finding success both as a brand strategist and as a busy Bollywood dancer in movies, Netflix shows, on Canada’s Got Talent and since 2014, on her own YouTube channel.
Desautels alumna on being a woman in comedy, her big break and the value of failure
Nour Hadidi (BCom’10) is a comedian and TV writer who grew up in a family of doctors, earned a BCom, and spent a half-decade as a financial analyst before leaving Montreal for the comedy stages of Toronto.
In an interview with Flare Magazine, Ms Hadidi says that she got her big break in the form of an appearance on a CBC Radio special. That event led to other CBC appearances and gigs at comedy clubs.
Desautels alumna on law, business and her transgender journey
Marie Laure Leclercq (MBA) started her career, and indeed her life, as a male. According to the Canadian Bar Association’s (CBA) National Magazine, when she began the process of changing her gender in 1995, it was what she calls an act of survival.
Two companies headed by McGill-HEC Montréal alumni are on Canadian Business’ Profit 500 list
Canadian Business’ Profit 500 ranking is out, and two companies led by McGill-HEC Montréal EMBA alumni are on it. Atypic is a Montreal-based professional-services firm that works with organizations in the plural sector, and is headed by President Pascal Lépine (EMBA’12).
Desautels alumna gives 2017 inaugural address at Université de Montréal’s Law faculty
At the inaugural session for the Université de Montréal Law faculty’s 2017-18 school year, Jean-François Gaudreault-DesBiens extended a warm welcome to the new and returning students, then invited Cogeco Connexion’s VP Legal Affairs, Chief Privacy Officer, and Desautels alumna Caroline Dignard (EMBA'10) to the podium to deliver the annual speech.
Desautels alumnus joins Bersay & Associés
A recent piece in Le monde du droit announces that French business law firm Bersay & Associés has brought Thibault Lasserre (MBA'07) on board as an associate. Mr Lasserre concentrates on corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity. Before joining Bersay & Associés, he advised several corporations about international mergers, acquisitions and spinoffs; and worked at Law firms such as Veil Jourde, Coudert Brothers and Jones Day.
