Desautels Global Expert: Stephen Kay
Stephen Kay, BA'83, MBA'90, US & Canada leader of Marsh鈥檚 Political Risk & Structured Credit practice Thursday, November 2, 2017Guest Lectures in Strategies for Developing Countries (MGPO 475) and Strategic Management: Developing Countries (MGPO 651) with Prof. Paola Perez-Aleman
A new role for Desautels alumna, Rima Qureshi
Rima Qureshi (BCom鈥�87, MBA鈥�96), former president and CEO of Ericsson North America, has been named executive vice president and chief strategy officer for Verizon Communications Inc., effective November 6, 2017.
In this role, she will take over responsibility for the development and implementation of Verizon's overall corporate strategy, including business development and strategic investments.
Quantum International Income names new board chairman
Quantum International Income Corp. has appointed Chad Williams (MBA鈥�93) as chairman of the board of directors. Williams is currently the director of the corporation, and is the president and chief executive officer of Red Cloud Klondike Strike Inc.
MBA alumnus appointed to Board of Vitalhub
Vitalhub Corp. has announced the appointment of Mohan Plakkot (MBA'09), Partner and Chief Strategist at Valsef Capital, to its Board of Directors.
In this role, Plakkot will use his 鈥渆xtensive experience and analytical skills鈥� to further the strategic plans of the Toronto-based organization.
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Desautels MBA alumna takes the helm at CCA
Mary Van Buren (MBA'88)聽has been appointed president of the Canadian Construction Association (CCA), bringing years of experience to the role.
Van Buren has worked in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors and has held executive roles at leading organizations, including the Canadian Medical Association's subsidiary, MD Financial Management, and Export Development Canada.
Crickets: a healthy food choice that鈥檚 tasty too
Former MBA student Mohammed Ashour聽and the Aspire Group have come a long way since winning the Hult Prize in 2013 for their vision of creating a high-tech cricket farm to produce foods for human consumption.
The Aspire Group has since erected a 25,000-square-foot building in Austin, Texas, which produces roughly 22 million crickets every month.
Desautels MBA program ranks among Top 10 for sustainability
Corporate Knights has released its 2017 Top 40 Better World MBA ranking, and the Desautels Faculty of Management has placed 9th among top business schools who put issues of sustainability at the core of business education.
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Announcement of Knight Therapeutics CFO resignation
Knight Therapeutics has announced the resignation of its chief financial officer, as the company鈥檚 president and Desautels International Faculty Advisory Board member, Samira Sakhia (BCom鈥�90, DPA鈥�94, MBA鈥�01), takes on the additional responsibility of CFO.
In doing so, Sakhia will leverage her 14 years of prior experience as CFO for Paladin Labs Inc.
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Digitisation vs. textbooks: the debate continues
The general trend among MBA programs worldwide points to a rise in digitised course readings, as opposed to the use of bulky textbooks.
The digital distribution of course materials has not, however, been favored by business students everywhere.
Are crickets the meal staple of the future?
Mohammed Ashour, co-founder of Aspire Food Group, received the Highly Commended Award at FoodBytes, a startup competition that supports innovative ideas in food and agriculture. The Aspire Group transforms crickets into high-protein powder and snacks, and are looking to expand their market into the U.S., where the aversion to insects as food seems to prevail.
Ben Plomion talks startups, skateboards, and Donald Trump
颅颅颅颅颅颅颅颅颅颅For French native Ben Plomion (MBA鈥�07), his early teenage years consisted of skateboards, Nirvana, and an unshakable dream of relocating to the U.S. After completing his studies in Canada, he made his dreams a reality by securing work at General Electric in New York.
LIMRA names Desautels alumnus to list of financial innovators
LIMRA has released its 2017 Rising Stars of Innovation under 40 list and Jean-Michel Lavoie (MBA鈥�09), Assistant Vice President, Product Development, Group Benefits at Sun Life Financial has made the final cut.
The list recognises individuals across many areas of the financial services who are using an innovative approach to their business practice and day-to-day activities.
Montreal is the place to be for Desautels MBA student
Desautels MBA student, Moises Meza, originates from Venezuela, but has lived all over the world. After working for five years in consulting, Meza always envisaged pursuing his MBA studies in a vast metropole like New York.
Montreal, however, has far exceeded his expectations thanks to its unique multiculturalism and multilingualism, as well as its work-life balance and reputation as a hub for innovation.
Desautels alumna and former Ericsson exec joins Verizon as CSO
Light Reading reports that after leaving her position as Head of Ericsson North America, Rima Qureshi (BCom鈥�87, MBA鈥�96) has been hired as Verizon鈥檚 new Chief Strategy Officer. She will be working for CEO Lowell McAdam.
Qureshi has a deep understanding of the issues involved with running a successful tech company in today鈥檚 network-heavy reality: she started at Ericsson as a system analyst in 1993, before moving up through the ranks.
Desautels alumna on law, business and her transgender journey
Marie Laure Leclercq (MBA) started her career, and indeed her life, as a male. According to the Canadian Bar Association鈥檚 (CBA) National Magazine, when she began the process of changing her gender in 1995, it was what she calls an act of survival.
