What truly distinguishes the Desmarais Global Finance Research Centre is the unwavering commitment to fostering a two-way exchange of knowledge between scholars and financial practitioners, creating a mutually beneficial environment. Through cutting-edge research programs, seminars, and conferences, the DGFRC provides a platform for the exploration of contemporary challenges in finance. Join us in this journey of knowledge, collaboration, and innovation as we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of financial economics.
2024 Desmarais Global Finance Lectures
The Desmarais Global Finance Lectures is a conference series that brings together thought leaders and decision-makers from academia, public policy, and the business world with the goal of promoting thought exchange, dialogue, and the exploration of solutions to global challenges in finance and economics.
The topic for the 2024 Desmarais Global Finance Lectures is “Navigating the (Responsible) Uses of AI in Finance”, and the conference is co-organized by the Desmarais Global Finance Research Centre and the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Initiative at the Desautels Faculty of Management. It will feature an academic keynote address by Lin William Cong, Rudd Family Professor of Management and Professor of Finance at Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, and a private/non-profit sector keynote by Evan Miyazono, Founder and CEO of Atlas Computing. Lin William Cong holds a Ph.D. in Finance from Stanford University, and Evan Miyazono holds a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Caltech.
The keynote speakers will be joined by Mitali Banerjee, Assistant Professor of Strategy & Organization at McGill University; Laurent Féral-Pierssens, Founder and CEO of BlockZero and Venture Studio & Advisors; and Marc Tassé, CEO of SIRA International Risk Advisors and Professor at the University of Ottawa, for the panel discussion.
Date: Thursday, October 3rd, 2024
Time: 3:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Location: The Donald E. Armstrong Building
Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University
3420 Rue McTavish, Montréal - QC
H3A 0E2, Canada
Past conferences
Annual Canadian Sustainable Finance Network (CSFN) Conference
The 5th Annual Canadian Sustainable Finance Network (CSFN) Conference held on May 9-10, 2024, organized by the Desmarais Global Finance Research Center (DGFRC) and hosted by McGill Desautels, served as a gathering point for thought leaders and decision-makers from academia and the finance industry. The conference explored the latest research and advancements in sustainable finance practices, both in Canada and globally, with the overarching goal of facilitating the transition of Canada’s financial system towards sustainability. Furthermore, in collaboration with McGill's Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI), a policy symposium focusing on climate finance was held at Notman House.
The 2024 conference focussed on topics at the intersection of corporate governance and sustainability and the conference featured academic paper and discussion sessions. We were particularly pleased to welcome Professor Luigi Zingales, Robert C. McCormack Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance at the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago who delivered a keynote address on “The Banality of Corporate Evil”.
2023 Desmarais Global Finance Lecture
The Desmarais Global Finance Research Centre (DGFRC) of the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University is presenting a conference series that brings together thought leaders and decision makers from academia, public policy and the business world with the goal to promote thought exchange, dialogue, and the exploration of solutions to global challenges in finance and economics.
The topic for the 2023 Desmarais Global Finance Lecture is “How to (and not to) Regulate Crypto”. The conference, organized in partnership with the , will feature an academic keynote address by , Professor and Sylvan C. Coleman Chair of Finance and Accounting at the University of California at Berkeley.
The keynote speaker will be joined by , Associate Director at The Atlantic Council, , Deputy Division Chief, Financial Supervision and Regulation Division, IMF, , Head of the BIS Innovation Hub Toronto, Franca Ciambella, Senior Consultant at the Global Law Alliance, , Director, Oversight of Intermediaries at the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), , Director, Digital Innovation Impact Hub at Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada (OSFI), , Managing Partner at BlockZero Advisors, , Research/Portfolio Manager, Coinbase Asset Management and , Partner, McCarter & English, LLP, who will participate in different presentation and panel sessions. Professors (London School of Economics) and (McMaster) will present their recent academic work on the topic. The full agenda, along with the complete list of speakers, is below.
Featured on Delve
Staged on September 29, the 2023 Cryptocurrency Conference at Desautels, organized by professors Katrin Tinn and David Schumacher, convened participants from 28 diverse organizations, including universities, regulatory bodies, and the private sector. While cryptocurrency promises borderless potential, the notion that it is completely unregulated isn’t accurate either.
Agenda and Speakers
September 29, 2023
Tentative Program
8:30: Registration and Coffee
9:00: Welcoming Remarks
- Yolande E. Chan, Dean of the Desautels Faculty of Management
- GIC Chair Emeritus
9:15: Opening Presentations
- “The State of Crypto Regulations Around The World” Associate Director, The Atlantic Council
- “Systemic Risk and Financial Stability in the Age of Crypto”
Deputy Division Chief, Financial Supervision and Regulation Division, IMF
10:00: Coffee Break
10:15: Paper Session 1: “”
- Presenter: Professor of Finance, London School of Economics
- Discussant: Assistant Professor of Finance, McGill University
- Moderator: Katrin Tinn, Assistant Professor of Finance, McGill University
11:00: Paper Session 2: “”
- Presenter: Associate Professor and Mackenzie Investments Chair in Evidence-Based Investment Management, McMaster University
- Discussant: Associate Professor of Finance, University of Calgary
- Moderator: Katrin Tinn, Assistant Professor of Finance, McGill University
11:45: Lunch at the McGill Faculty Club
13:00: Keynote Address: “The Future of Tokenization”
- Professor and Sylvan C. Coleman Chair of Finance and Accounting, University of California at Berkeley
13:45: Coffee Break
14:00: Panel Session: Approaches in Canada & Beyond
- Managing Partner, BlockZero Advisors
- , Director, Oversight of Intermediaries, Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF)
- Director, Digital Innovation Impact Hub at Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada (OSFI)
- , Partner, McCarter & English, LLP
- Moderator: , GIC Chair Emeritus
14:45: Coffee Break
15.00: Panel Session: Global Perspectives on Regulating Crypto
- Deputy Division Chief, Financial Supervision and Regulation Division, IMF
- Franca Ciambella, Senior Consultant, Global Law Alliance
- Director, BIS Innovation Hub Toronto
- , Research/Portfolio Manager, Coinbase Asset Management
- Moderator: Associate Director, The Atlantic Council
15:45: Closing Remarks
- David Schumacher, Associate Professor of Finance and Director of the DGFRC, McGill University
- , PWL Capital
Conference Venue: The Donald E. Armstrong Building, Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, 3420 Rue McTavish, Montréal, QC H3A 0E2, Canada
Download AgendaConference recordings
Welcoming Remarks:
Yolande E. Chan, Dean of the Desautels Faculty of Management
Kathleen Stephansen, GIC Chair Emeritus
Opening Presentations:
“The State of Crypto Regulations Around The World”
Ananya Kumar, Associate Director, The Atlantic Council
“Systemic Risk and Financial Stability in the Age of Crypto”
Nobuyasu Sugimoto, Deputy Division Chief, Financial Supervision and Regulation Division, IMF
Paper Session 1: “On the Fragility of DeFi Lending”
Presenter: Kathy Yuan, Professor of Finance, London School of Economics
Discussant: Thomas Rivera, Assistant Professor of Finance, McGill University
Moderator: Katrin Tinn, Assistant Professor of Finance, McGill University
Paper Session 2: “Learning from DeFi: Would Automated Market Makers Improve Equity Trading?”
Presenter: Katya Malinova, Associate Professor and Mackenzie Investments Chair in Evidence-Based Investment Management, McMaster University
Discussant: Alfred Lehar, Associate Professor of Finance, University of Calgary
Moderator: Katrin Tinn, Assistant Professor of Finance, McGill University
Keynote Address: “The Future of Tokenization”
Christine Parlour, Professor
Sylvan C. Coleman Chair of Finance and Accounting, University of California at Berkeley
Panel Session: Approaches in Canada & Beyond
Laurent Féral-Pierssens, Managing Partner, BlockZero Advisors
Pascale Toupin, Director, Oversight of Intermediaries, Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF)
Elizabeth Côté, Director, Digital Innovation Impact Hub at Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada (OSFI)
David Adler, Partner, McCarter & English, LLP
Moderator: Kathleen Stephansen, GIC Chair Emeritus
Panel Session: Global Perspectives on Regulating Crypto
Nobuyasu Sugimoto, Deputy Division Chief, Financial Supervision and Regulation Division, IMF
Franca Ciambella, Senior Consultant, Global Law Alliance
Miguel Diaz, Director, BIS Innovation Hub Toronto
Shaun Martinak, Research/Portfolio Manager, Coinbase Asset Management
Ananya Kumar, Associate Director, The Atlantic Council
Moderator: Kathleen Stephansen, GIC Chair Emeritus
Organizers
We are proud to announce that our event has been awarded a Platinum Sustainable Event certification by the McGill Sustainable Events program run by the .
We thank our sponsors
10th HEC - McGill Winter Finance Workshop 2023
Sponsored by the Desmarais Global Finance Research Centre
In collaboration with the University of Luxembourg
Date:March 26 - 28, 2023
Location: Ischgl, Austria
Academic papers in all areas of finance, including interdisciplinary work in law and finance, sustainability, and new financial technologies were presented. The number of participants was limited to ensure an informal atmosphere conducive to open andlively discussions.
Recent editions of the workshop included participants from Boston College, Boston University, Carnegie Mellon, Chicago Booth, Columbia Business School, Houston, LBS, Maryland, MIT, Northwestern, Minnesota, Toronto, UBC, UC Davis, UCLA, UCSD, USC, Washington University, Wharton, and Yale.
Organizers
- Patrick Augustin (McGill University)
- Piotr Orłowski, HEC Montréal
- Roberto Steri, University of Luxembourg
2022 Desmarais Global Finance Lecture
The Desmarais Global Finance Research Centre (DGFRC) of the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University initiated a new conference series that brought together thought leaders and decision makers from academia, public policy and the business world with the goal to promote thought exchange, dialogue, and the exploration of solutions to global challenges in finance and economics.
The theme for the inaugural Desmarais Global Finance Lecture which took place on September 28, 2022 was “Central Bank Digital Currencies and Alternative Payment Systems”. The event, organized in partnership with the , featured anacademic keynote speech by , Adams Distinguished Professor of Management and Professor of Finance at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University.
He was joined by , the Head of BIS Innovation Hub Toronto, , Advisor to the Governor, Bank of Canada, , Executive Vice President of Secure Payments and FinTech at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, , Head of Bank Advisory, BNP Paribas, , Executive Advisor, Tetra Trust Company, along with other experts in central bank digital currency and payment systems. The conference day included presentations and panel discussions.
View photos from 2022 eventFeatured on Delve
Why Digital Currencies Could Change the Future of Central Banking
Central Bank Digital Currencies represent a possible next step in the technological evolution of banking and the financial intermediation sector — but their roles and risks just now becoming clear.
Agenda & Recordings
Welcoming Remarks
- Yolande E. Chan, Dean of the Desautels Faculty of Management
- , CFA, Board Chair of GIC and CEO and Chief Investment Officer, RiskBridge Advisors LLC
Morning Keynote: “CBDCs from a Functional Perspective”
- , Head, BIS Innovation Hub, Toronto
Academic Session: “”
- Presentation by , Associate Professor of Finance, Shebik Faculty Fellow, Gies College of Business, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Discussant: , Associate Professor of Finance, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary
Academic Session: “”
- Presentation by , Associate Professor, School of Business and Economics, Finance, VU Amsterdam.
Discussant: , Assistant Professor of Finance, Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University
Keynote “CBDCs and Other Ways to Upgrade Our Payment Systems”
- , Adams Distinguished Professor of Management and Professor of Finance at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University
Keynote – Panel Discussion
- , Adams Distinguished Professor of Management and Professor of Finance at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University
- , Head, BIS Innovation Hub Toronto
- , Advisor to the Governor, Bank of Canada
- Moderator: , Senior Advisor, Digital Assets and Financial Market Infrastructure Lead, E&Y
Outlook & Perspectives:Panel Discussion
- , Executive Vice President of Secure Payments and FinTech at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
- , Head of Bank Advisory, BNP Paribas
- , Executive Advisor, Tetra Trust Company, former President of CDS and CDCC
- Moderator: , Chair Emeritus, Global Interdependence Center
Closing Remarks
- , Founding Partner of Cygnus Asset Management, LLC and GIC Vice Chair of Programs
- David Schumacher, Associate Professor of Finance, Desautels Faculty Scholar, Director, Desmarais Global Finance Research Center, Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University
Organizers
Sponsors:
9th HEC - McGill Winter Finance Workshop 2022
Sponsored by the Desmarais Global Finance Research Centre
Special Edition with
Date:March 27 - 29, 2022
Location: Ischgl (Tyrol, Austria)
Academic papers in all areas of finance, including interdisciplinary work in law and finance, will be presented. The number of participants is limited to ensure an informal atmosphere conducive to open andlively discussions.
Recent editions of the workshop included participants fromBoston College, Boston University, Carnegie Mellon, Chicago Booth, Columbia Business School, Houston, LBS, Maryland, MIT, Northwestern, Minnesota, Toronto, UBC, UC Davis, UCLA, UCSD, USC, Washington University, Wharton, and Yale.
Organizers
- Patrick Augustin (McGill University)
- Jan Ericsson (McGill University)
- Mathieu Fournier (HEC Montréal)
- Alexandre Jeanneret (University of New South Wales)
- Tobias Tröger (Goethe University, LawFin)
- Michael Weber (University of Chicago)
FIAM's first International AI Conference in Capital Markets: November 2-3, 2021
Co-sponsored by the Desmarais Global Finance Research Centre
AI In Capital Markets: Our Future is Now
AI: Humanity's most disruptive technology
Issues, Challenges, Opportunities for the Global Financial Community
FIAM is honored to hold its first international conference in closepartnerships with two outstanding conference co-chairs: Pierre Boivin,CEO of Claridge and Chairman of Mila and William (Bill) J. Kelly CEO of CAIA Association. Pierre was a driving force behind positioning Montrealas a thriving artificial intelligence ecosystem on the global scene.
The conference spans over two days – three hours each day.
Presentations are recorded and will be made available for replay on FIAM website and the websites collaborating organizations.
November 2 & 3, 2021
