Building the right foundation
After graduating from McGill, Michael Pesner (BCom’63) took over his father’s accounting and insolvency practice before joining a KPMG predecessor firm as a chairman and managing partner. Over the next 26 years, he navigated challenges in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and insolvency so adeptly that he was invited to serve on the KPMG board of directors.
BCom alumnus publishes first novel
Daniel Aleman (BCom’16) landed a role at a marketing services firm immediately after earning his degree at the Desautels Faculty of Management, but it wasn’t long before he pursued a different calling as a full-time author. Now, as he promotes his first novel, he expresses gratitude for the marketing and communications skills he honed as a BCom student.
Announcing the 2021 Lionel Pelham Kent Scholarship recipients
Congratulations to Laurent Brière-Dulude (BCom'20), Paige Doyle (BCom'20), François-Xavier Lord (BCom'20), David Masella (BCom'20), Étienne Poulin-Leblanc (BCom'20) and Sara Shin (BCom'20) who were awarded the Lionel Pelham Kent Scholarship by the Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting (GCPA)
Desautels alumna becomes President & CEO of Knight Therapeutics Inc.
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.
BCom alumna makes Women in Fintech Powerlist 2020
Congratulations to Laviva Mazhar (BCom’15), who made the Innovate Finance’s 2020 global Women in Fintech Powerlist in the investor category. For the past six years, the Powerlist has highlighted female talent with the growing FinTech sector. As an investment associate at Luge Capital, a FinTech-focused venture capital firm, Mazhar sources and evaluates investment opportunities and supports portfolio companies.
Welcoming a new cohort of GCPA students
The second week of May marks the start of the Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting program (GCPA) for an incoming cohort of 49 students. This year’s cohort consists of 43 of McGill University’s very own Bachelor of Commerce graduates, with the remaining students coming from other Canadian universities.
BCom students earn CPA Quebec Assistance Towards Success Scholarships
Congratulations to Desautels BCom students Mahsa Ghazi, Yi Li and Lucas Schachtler on each earning CPA Quebec Assistance Towards Success Scholarships. The scholarships are awarded annually to students across Quebec who are active in social and extracurricular activities while achieving success in their post-secondary studies.
BCom students earn several podium finishes at Happening Marketing
Congratulations to the 33 Desautels BCom students who competed at 2021 Happening Marketing, the largest marketing games in Canada. The McGill delegation was led by Marie-Noëlle Carrier and Cédric Jutras from the Desautels Management Case Competition (DMCC). McGill finished with a total of five podiums at the virtual competition;
BCom student finishes third at L’Oréal Brandstorm 2021 competition
Congratulations to Desautels BCom student Rachel Wisnia and her teammates from Concordia University for finishing in third place at L’Oréal Brandstorm 2021. Wisnia and her team (coached by BCom Career Coach Peg Brunelle) tackled the topic of making shopping for cosmetics engaging in a virtual setting. A total of 149 teams took part in the competition.
BCom alumnus reflects on civic engagement at McGill
Daniel Tenenbaum (BCom’88) looks back fondly at his time at McGill. He credits his alma mater with instilling a passion for civic engagement and laying a foundation for success in business.
Now, as the founder of an investment company, he encourages students to find a healthy balance between work and other interests.
William Shatner celebrates 90th birthday
Desautels alumnus William Shatner (BCom'52, DLitt'11) recently celebrated his 90th birthday. The actor jokingly wondered on Twitter: “What happens when I get to 120?” A native of Montreal, Shatner returned to his alma mater in 2011 to receive an honorary doctorate. Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante reached out with warm wishes to Shatner on Twitter, and NASA also sent a birthday message to the Star Trek star.
BCom alumnus creates scholarship to honour father, support Iranian community
With strong familial ties to Iran, Kathy Fazel (BCom’91) knew she had to act when a plane was shot down in Iran, killing 176 people, including two McGill students. She and her husband donated $24,000 to establish the M.A. Fazel Scholarship in support of Iranian-born students at McGill.
Desautels alumni featured in McGill podcast
Four former Desautels students were recently featured in new episodes of Alma Matters, a podcast presented by McGill University Athletics and Recreation.
Mathieu Darche (BCom’00) won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020, while Richard Pound (BCom’62) is a former Olympic swimmer who currently serves as an International Olympic Committee Member.
E-commerce booms during pandemic
Since its launch in 2016, EMERGE Commerce has risen to become a leader in direct-to-consumer e-commerce brands. Professor Karl Moore recently spoke with EMERGE Commerce founder and CEO Ghassan Halazon (BCom’06) to unpack the evolving relationship between consumers and the internet during the pandemic.
BCom alumnus pays it forward
After receiving substantial financial support to complete his BCom degree at Desautels, Pierre LeBrun (BCom’72) has been paying it forward for over five decades. From the time he joined RBC as summer student in 1965 to his retirement from a Senior VP position in 2000, he has steadfastly worked to give students the same opportunity he received.
