Being the engine of social and economic value creation among university, local, national, and international communities through the application of Desautels’ research, expertise, and talent.

McGill Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship

Dobson Community

Alumni

Entering a new era

During one of the most challenging years in recent memory, our alumni and donor community illuminated the darkness with countless acts of generosity. In this report, you have read only a few of the many stories of impact we could tell from the past year.

Most notably, we celebrated the 15th anniversary of the naming of the Desautels Faculty of Management, when Dr. Marcel Desautels made an unprecedented $22 million gift as an investment in world-class programs, talent, and facilities at McGill. Thanks to the foundation he laid, our Faculty continues to gain global recognition for leading-edge research, strong ties to industry, and competitive programs.

As we realize Marcel Desautels’s vision to train the innovative, principled business leaders our society needs most, we rely on the unwavering support of our alumni community. In the past year, we have identified a need to engage our alumni more extensively. The value of alumni involvement is hard to overstate when it comes to activities like hiring and mentoring students, delivering guest lectures, judging competitions, and hosting company visits. The more we can factor alumni into the equation, the more successful our students will be.

Looking toward the future, your financial support is needed more than ever. McGill is currently celebrating its 200th anniversary with the goal of securing 200 legacy gifts—the 200 for 200 Legacy Challenge. This landmark occasion, which honours the 1813 bequest made by James McGill, sets the stage for a critical fundraising cycle for the Faculty and the University as a whole. Your continued generosity will lay the groundwork for another two centuries of impact.

Again, thank you for everything you have done to amplify the efforts of our Faculty in the past year. Your commitment to our mission continues to inspire us as we take our first collective steps into the post-pandemic era.

Don Lewtas, BCom’75
Chair, Desautels International Advisory Board

Alumni involvement 2020-2021

Impact Stories in the Community