Médecins Sans Frontières brought business innovations to charitable giving
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) introduced a new business model for charitable giving. “We were the first ones to create the regular donation model," said Dr. Joanne Liu (MDCM'91, IMHL'14, DSc'16), an emergency physician, a professor at the School of Population and Global Health at McGill University, and the 13th President of MSF (2013-2019). “One of our first fundraising campaigns was 1 euro per day,” Liu said in an interview with Prof.
FemTherapeutics applies AI to an unmet need in women’s health
Vaginal prosthetics known as pessaries are a critical tool for the maintenance of pelvic health in women. They are used as a first-line treatment for pelvic organ prolapse, a common condition that occurs when the muscles of the pelvis weaken, causing organs to drop into the vagina. But these devices are badly in need of an upgrade. Their failure rate is high, and the designs have changed little in the last 70 years.
More guns and drugs on the street fuel perception of increased violent crime in Quebec
Quebec’s homicide rate is lower than it was a decade ago, but a slight majority of people that live in cities aren’t feeling as safe as they used to. This rests in the public’s perception that there is a lack of organization, according Fady Dagher (EMBA’12), Chief of Police in Longueuil, in an interview with TVA’s Le monde à l’envers.
Aspire Food Group is making pet food more sustainable with insect protein
Insects have always been part of the diet of cats and dogs – but they haven’t always been a part of the pet foods that we feed them. That’s changing, and a company with McGill roots is helping drive a transformation in the industry. Aspire Food Group cultivates crickets to produce high-quality protein with a low environmental footprint.
Montreal’s new professional women’s hockey team will feature Desautels alum Ann-Sophie Bettez
Montreal is getting a new team in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), a professional women’s hockey league – and it will have Desautels representation. Ann-Sophie Bettez (BCom’11) is a forward for the team, and was the 2011-12 CIS Player of the Year. The Montreal Force will be playing its home games across Quebec this year, and Montreal, Gatineau, Quebec City, Rimouski, Rivière-du-Loup, Saint-Jerome, and Sept-Iles are all possible host cities.
Betty Zoller launches Aviva, a maker of plant-based, nut-free cheese alternatives
Animal welfare and a desire to reduce carbon emissions inspired Betty Zoller (MBA’15) to adopt a vegetarian diet. But when Zoller was looking for a nut-free cheese alternative, there weren’t any options. Many plant-based cheese alternatives are made using a base of cashew nuts or coconut oil, and seeing a gap in the available options, Zoller founded Aviva.
McGill-HEC Montréal EMBAs make Poets&Quants 2022 Best & Brightest Executive MBA list
The influential business school news site Poets&Quants has named McGill-HEC Montréal EMBAs Jean-Pierre Michael and Carlos Andrade to its 2022 Best & Brightest Executive MBA list.
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.
Chafik Hamad establishes RAFAH bursary to honour his mother’s memory by helping students who face systemic barriers
McGill celebrated its bicentennial in 2021, and as the university community began looking toward the next hundred years, it launched the Third Century Challenge Fund. Created by Chancellor Emeritus Michael Meighen, it encourages others to give by matching funds. Forty-eight new scholarships and bursaries have been created since the launch of the fund in 2019, and Chafik Hamad (MBA’15) is one of the donors who took up the call.
BCom graduate recognized by PRME as Global Students Regional Leader in North America
Congratulations to Alice Félix da Silva (BCom’22) on being recognized by Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), the United Nations' largest initiative to advance responsible management education in the world, for her outstanding contributions while representing McGill Desautels as the 2021/22 PRME Global Students (PGS) Regional Leader in North America!
From Olympian to CEO, Craig Buntin shares his journey with McGill’s entrepreneurship community
Craig Buntin (MBA’13) represented Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, but during the lead-in to the 2010 Games in Vancouver, the pairs figure skater sustained torn ligaments in his shoulder that would prevent him from competing on home ice. It was a setback, but he ably pivoted toward the next chapter.
Forbes names Desautels’ 2022 Valedictorian one of top 11 purposeful women leaders positively impacting the world
Théadora Sauvé (BCom’22) believes that the power of the Law can be a powerful tool in making peace. The 2022 Valedictorian has plans to study Law at McGill, and was recently named one of 11 purposeful women leaders who are positively impacting the world. Sauvé has taken on a leadership role with Million Peacemakers, a youth initiative that seeks to co-create a culture of peace.
Spotlight on EMBA Scholarship for Managers of Indigenous Origin recipients
Kimberly Quinn (BA’99, BA’01, EMBA’21) was on the lookout for new opportunities to learn when she came across the McGill-HEC Montréal Executive program, which stood out for its bilingual structure and its Scholarship for Managers of Indigenous Origin.
Louis Morissette’s career combines business training with comedic instincts
When Louis Morissette (BCom’95) was studying at Desautels, he was also performing in comedy shows. And when he went to the École Nationale de l’humour, he found himself wondering what the business plan for comedy could be.
In the years since then, he’s figured it out. Morissette is the co-founder and President of the production company KOTV and has been an actor and producer for television and film.
Ann-Sophie Bettez inducted into McGill Sports Hall of Fame
The McGill Sports Hall of Fame is honouring Desautels graduate Ann-Sophie Bettez (BCom '11) as part of its Class of 2022. Bettez’s induction follows a decorated university hockey career in which she was named the CIS rookie of the year as a first-year student, and Canadian university hockey player of the year as a senior. That same year, Bettez was also McGill's top female athlete and won the BLG Award as Canada’s top female student-athlete.
