Introducing our newest Global Experts
The Desautels Faculty of Management welcomes Darshan Jain (MBA’88) and Harsha Rajamani (BCom’06) as its latest Desautels Global Experts.
Last-minute visa approvals bring relief to graduating students
According to a CBC piece, the mothers of two graduating McGill students received last-minute visa approvals at the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi so that they could attend their children’s convocation ceremonies.
Liberty Leaf names Desautels alumnus as CFO
Jamie Robinson (BCom'03) is in as the new CFO of Liberty Leaf Holdings, and is replacing outgoing CFO and Director P. Joseph Meagher.
Mr. Robinson is a chartered accountant with experience in auditing and financial analysis at Deloitte, Whistler Blackcomb, and Corinex Communications. He is joining a company that supports the cannabis sector on several fronts, including growing, research and supply-chain solutions.
Medical marijuana company moves closer to TSX listing
Cannabis company INDIVA Corporation is actively navigating the process of becoming licensed to cultivate medical marijuana. As part of its business activities, the company has entered into a reverse-takeover deal with Rainmaker Resources Ltd., which includes equity funding of $15 million that is partly earmarked for helping INDIVA expand its production facilities.
Desautels alumnus appointed Managing Partner at major law firm
Philippe Johnson (BCom'92) is a newly-minted Managing Partner at the Montreal offices of Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg. But he could easily have gone down the business route.
In fact, he did: A love of finance first landed him at Desautels as an undergraduate, then moving on to work for HSBC in Vancouver.
So how did that turn into a law degree and a high-profile job at a key Canadian business law firm?
Desautels student wins world championship in debating
A two-person team from Quebec has brought home first place at the annual Championnat de débat francophone at the École Normale Superieure in Paris.
One of the team members is Desautels student Djavan Habel-Thurton (BCom'17), who was VP of the First Year Council 2014-2015, as well as President of the Jeux du Commerce McGill in 2016.
Law firm founded by Desautels alumna awarded for excellence
On May 23rd, the Malaysia Canada Business Council’s 25th anniversary Business Excellence Awards Gala took place at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Kuala Lumpur. This year’s awards recognized companies that have been transformative in the Malaysian market, and which have helped strengthen Malaysian-Canadian trade.
Brightly-lit Jacques-Cartier Bridge ideal for the Instagram age
A Montreal Gazette op-ed co-authored by Just For Laughs co-founder (and Desautels Global Expert) Andy Nulman (BCom'83) makes the case that the new lights on the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, which were switched on for the first time on May 17th for Montreal’s 375th birthday, will help remake the bridge as a city landmark on par with the Eiffel Tower or the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Andrea Courey talks about granola, entrepreneurship and compassion
Andrea Courey (BCom’82) was newly divorced, with three kids to feed and no money in the bank when she started Grandma Emily’s Granola. She credits her BCom education with giving her the tools she needed to get through the early days of her business, but notes that real-world experience is a very different thing than classroom knowledge.
Worried about job automation? Not so fast…
Dire predictions about the impending robot-worker invasion abound. It seems like every day, academics and other thought-leaders trot out statistics about how many jobs are going to be vaporized by technology.
Well, new research from the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation suggests otherwise. While not all jobs are safe, there are many tasks that robots just can’t do — and technology also creates jobs, though admittedly not as many as it eliminates.
Rima Qureshi leaves Ericsson North America after less than a year as boss
After less than a year at the job, Ericsson Senior VP and head of North American operations Rima Qureshi (BCom’87, MBA’96) has left the company. Chief Strategy Officer Niklas Hueveldop has stepped in on an interim basis, and the company has started the search for a permanent replacement. Ericsson is in the midst of a turnaround, streamlining operations and bumping up its investment in R&D.
Desautels alumnus nominated for Wesdome directorship
Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. has announced the slate of 2017 director nominees to be voted on at the annual meeting, which will be in Toronto on June 21, 2017. Among the list of nominees is Charles B. Main (BCom’79), who has three-decades of mining and finance experience, including positions at Yamana Gold, Normandy Mining, TVX Gold and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
Desautels alumnus ran brokerage firm, was president of TSX
J. Pearce Bunting (BCom'52) grew up during the Great Depression, then rose through the ranks of his father’s brokerage firm to become president in 1967. Ten years later, he became president of the TSX and modernized the operation by introducing a computerized trading system.
Desautels alumna and Ericsson senior VP on travel, networking, and engaging others in decision-making
Rima Qureshi (BCom'87, MBA'96) knows all about learning to adapt. In an interview with Desautels Professor Karl Moore, she says that as a highly analytical, self-contained decision-maker, her position as senior VP and North American head of Ericsson has taught her the importance of listening, getting others involved in decision-making early, and finding a common position to build on.
International Advisory Board member awarded Alumni Association’s highest honour
On May 2nd, 300 guests gathered at Montreal’s Omni Mont-Royal Hotel for this year’s McGill Alumni Association Awards. All told, 17 members of the McGill community were honoured for outstanding service to the university and society.
