Latest News
- Category: Alumni in the Lead
Kelly Medora Elliott (BCom 2005) is a partner at global law firm Dentons in the Real Estate and Banking and Finance groups. In addition to her law practice, where she provides legal counsel and strategic advice to clients, Kelly is also the Canada Director of Practice Support & Optimization at the firm.
Being naturally ambitious and career-minded, Kelly has enjoyed taking on progressively more senior leadership roles at Dentons, where she has led numerous complex transactions and managed a broad range of client projects. More recently, Kelly’s work leading the 20-person Practice Support & Optimization team has provided a transition into the firm’s management, giving her the opportunity to leverage the business fundamentals she learned at Telfer.
As a testament to her success at Dentons, her growing professional profile, and personal commitment to mentoring and influencing young women in her network, Kelly was named a 2019 recipient of the Ottawa Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 award, which recognizes accomplished and rising business leaders in the National Capital Region.
Kelly’s passion for business started early. She recalls having ongoing discussions with Professor Koppel about her career, which remain among her fondest memories from her time at Telfer. As she approached graduation from the Telfer School, she knew she wanted to pursue additional studies, and eventually decided to study law at McGill.
Women in significant leadership roles, such as Dentons’ Canada CEO and CFO, Beth Wilson and Andrea Nicholls, respectively, inspire Kelly. Her desire to see women “sit at the table” with decision-making capabilities in large organizations has motivated her to set and achieve her own professional goals.
Kelly’s advice to recent graduates is to be kind to themselves, and never lose sight or give up on their dreams. “We need to challenges ourselves to aim really high, while acknowledging the bumps and mistakes that will confront us along the way,” says Kelly. What’s most important, she says, is to learn from your mistakes, not throw in the towel during the hard times, and embrace the advice of strong mentors when they push you to keep reaching.
Given her accomplishments and success in her field so early in her career, Kelly Elliott will undoubtedly leave her mark on the practice of law in Canada.
Connect with Kelly Elliott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellymedoraelliott/
- Category: Appointments and Honours
Telfer School of Management is delighted to announce that the recipients of this year’s MBA Student Leadership Award are Emily MacKay, Obinna Eze, Laurine Avallone and Sanane Guy Cédric Behi. These individuals are recognized for their leadership and for making exceptional contributions to the MBASA and/or the MBA program in general.
The award recipients elicited many comments, and the MBA class were effusive in their support for them.
The MBA class spoke to Emily MacKay’s non-stop contribution to the 2018 MBA cohort for all contingents, especially her “beyond expectations” involvement in the MBA Student Association, the MBA gala and the MBA games. Cited as an exemplary leader she elicited respect from classmates and professors, and was admired for her ability to excel in her academics while being highly involved.
Obinna Eze was commended for utilising his vast experience to ask the right questions to stimulate discussion and draw out information that was highly beneficial for the collective learning experience.
Students expressed their admiration for Obinna’s solid leadership and team player skills. He is referred to as a “hard worker with selfless intentions to help and motivate his peers”.
Laurine Avallone was recognized for “her strong will power and temperament to succeed facing lots of odds”. For her peers, she is an example on how a young international student can make the most of the program through her participation in events representing the Telfer School of Management, including at the MBA games and several other case competitions around Ontario and Quebec.
Sanane Guy Cédric Behi was applauded for his leadership as the French cohort representative in the MBASA, a leadership style described as “built on respect, humility and dedication”. His unifying spirit and his respect for his peers inspire everyone who works with him.
We expect great things from these individuals, and extend our warmest congratulations to each of them.
- Category: Alumni in the Lead
This year’s recipient for the Robert Wood Johnson Award for the University of Ottawa is Belinda Maciejewski. The criterion for this award is based on the student’s likelihood to make valuable contributions to health services management. The presentation of the Robert Wood Johnson Awards took place during the National Health Leadership Conference presented by HealthCareCAN and the Canadian College of Health Leaders held in St John’s, NL, from June 4-5, 2018.
Since its inception in 1956, the award has been presented to nearly 300 Canadian healthcare professionals. It is supported by Johnson & Johnson Medical Products in partnership with six leading Canadian universities, which offer a Masters’ program in healthcare administration, including: Dalhousie University, Université de Montréal, University of Ottawa, University of British Columbia, University of Alberta and University of Toronto.
After completing her CPA, CA designation with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Vancouver, Belinda Maciejewski decided to combine her business acumen with her lifelong passion for healthcare by moving to Edmonton to work for the then-newly formed Alberta Health Services. Through over half a decade as a Senior Financial Analyst in advisory services supporting high priority programs, Belinda learned that administrative leadership in Canadian healthcare organizations is dominated by clinicians with limited or no formal training in business concepts. She also observed a divide between administrators and clinicians which often became an obstacle which stalled or stopped progress.
Having enjoyed the role as the bridge between administration and clinicians as an analyst, Belinda desired to expand this bridging role beyond Finance by undertaking the Telfer School of Management Master of Health Administration program at the University of Ottawa. Belinda is a firm believer of the benefits of diverse perspectives and backgrounds which leads to more balanced and robust decision making. Her aspiration is to become an agent for change by marrying business practices and technology with clinical operations as well as breaking through silos which inhibit Canadian healthcare from truly innovating and transforming into a world-class 21st century system.
In December 2017, Belinda was also recognized as an award recipient of the Michael Garron award which recognizes a University of Ottawa MHA student who has demonstrated innovative health solutions to practical problems encountered during their residency placement. Belinda completed her residency at The Ottawa Hospital, and presented her project entitled “Mapping the Operational Process for the New TOH Home Dialysis Program”. Belinda is currently Operations Manager at the Ottawa Hospital.
- Category: Appointments and Honours
Once a year, the Ottawa Business Journal (OBJ) honours professionals for their business achievements by naming them to their Forty Under 40 list. These award recipients represent the economic diversity, entrepreneurial spirit, and dynamism of Ottawa's business community. This year, more than 300 applications were submitted for the 21st edition of the awards and, for the first time ever, the majority of those who made the coveted final cut – 22 out of 40 – are women.
Among this year's recipients, ten are alumni of the University of Ottawa, of which six studied at the Telfer School of Management. The Telfer School would like to congratulate:
Priya Bhaloo, BCom 2003
TAG HR
After graduating from the Telfer School in 2003 with a Bachelor of Commerce with options in Finance and Management Information Systems, Priya joined The Associates Group as an HR assistant. Priya learned about every facet of the business over the next few years and eventually was named Vice-President of the consulting firm in 2013.
Click here to read more on Priya Bhaloo »
Annik Blanchard, BCom 2003
BDO LLP
Annik is a Partner in the Ottawa office at BDO with more than 16 years of experience in the accounting profession. In 2004, she obtained her accounting designation and is a member of CPA Ontario. She is also a member of the assurance and accounting resource team of BDO’s Ottawa group of offices, a member of the task force on not-for-profit organizations in the Ontario Lakeland Region and a quality control reviewer.
Click here to read more on Annik Blanchard »
Nadine Leblanc, BCom 2003
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.
Nadine has been a Deputy Chief Risk Officer at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and served as its Vice-President of Audit since 2016.
Scott McLaren, BCom 2006
Festival Promotions
Scott purchased Festival Promotions in 2009 and became Partner and President of the company. He and a fellow Telfer alumnus founded Baron Hockey in 2016, which provides high-end hockey sticks to consumers without the retail mark up.
Click here to read more on Scott McLaren »
Amy Porteous, BCom 2003, MHA 2006
Bruyere Continuing Care
Amy is Vice-President of Public Affairs, Planning and Family Medicine. In this capacity, she provides leadership and oversight for Bruyère’s planning process, partnerships development, cultivation of external relations and communications. She has over 12 years of experience working with senior leadership teams in the Ottawa area, at both Bruyère and the Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre.
Click here to read more on Amy Porteous »
Taylor Fantin, BCom 2007
Fullscript
Taylor is the Chief Administrative Officer and Vice-President of finance at downtown tech firm Fullscript. Since he joined the online system for prescribing and delivering natural health products in 2012, the company’s headcount has grown from five to 85, and the firm topped OBJ’s list of fastest-growing companies in both 2016 and 2017.
The Telfer School would also like to congratulate Jean-Michel Carrière, Samantha Iturregui, Anna Lambert, Sandra Sbrocchi who all graduated from the University of Ottawa and made it on the list.
This year's Forty Under 40 awards gala will take place at the Hilton Lac-Leamy Hotel on June 15, 2018. The event will feature cocktails, fine food, music and dancing and is sponsored by the Telfer Executive MBA. Click here to register for the 2018 Forty Under 40 Gala »
Click here to view the full Forty Under 40 list on the OBJ website »
- Category: Latest News
Every year, we recognize outstanding Telfer School of Management donors in order to demonstrate our appreciation and create meaningful relationships with those in our community who choose us amongst a sea of giving opportunities. This year, the Telfer Donor of the Year awards will be presented at our annual Gala of Excellence on October 20, 2018, along with the celebration of our anniversary classes (1968, 1978, 1993 and 2008) and the presentation of our Alumni Awards.
Congratulations to our 2018 Donor of the Year awards recipients:
Donors of the Year:
Rob Ashe (BCom 1982) & Sandra Herrick (BCom 1984)
Rob and Sandra's generous support of the Dom Herrick Entrepreneur in Residence position has allowed us to hire Stephen Daze who has moved the School forward substantially in the entrepreneurship curriculum, student activities, support for start-ups and community engagement. Their renewal of their pledge for an additional 5-year term will drive even greater impact for our students. Rob has been a champion and supporter of the School for nearly 15 years, first through Cognos, then IBM, and now personally. He holds a Trudeau Medal and an Honorary Doctorate from the University.
Loyal Donor of the Year:
David Bishop (BCom 1967)
David graduated from the University of Ottawa with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce in 1967. He was chosen as the Loyal Donor of the Year for his contributions to the School spanning over 30 years.
Young Donor of the Year:
Alex Dettman (BCom 2008)
Alex has been supporting the Telfer School since 2012 and was one of the first donors to support the Telfer Capital Fund in 2014. Today, Alex is still involved with his alma mater, having participated in the 2017 Giving Tuesday campaign as a social media influencer.
Fundraising Volunteers of the Year:
George Khalife (BCom 2015)
Since graduation, George has remained very engaged with the School at different levels. George has committed his time to judging at different student financial activities and competitions, as well as becoming a coach and mentor for the Stock Simulation at the 2017 Financial Open, which was hosted at uOttawa. George was very active as a social media influencer during the 2017 Giving Tuesday campaign.
Diana Kolesarova (BCom 2016)
Still very much involved with the School since graduation, Diana is now President of the Telfer Alumni Association. As a student, Diana participated in numerous Telfer Student club events and activities. In addition to her role as TAA President, Diana was very active as a social media influencer during the 2017 Giving Tuesday campaign.
- Category: Appointments and Honours
We are pleased to inform you of the recipients of the MHA Alumni Association (MHAAA) Health Leadership Award, the Michel Lalonde Award, and the Michael Garron Award.
MHA Alumni Association (MHAAA) Health Leadership Award
On Friday, December 8th, the Fall 2017 MHA residents completed their Field Project final presentations.
As part of this activity, a selection committee composed of Craig Kuziemsky, George Langill, Pat McCaron, Greg Fougère, and Sarah Downey evaluated the presentations to determine the recipient of the MHA Alumni Association Health Leadership Awards.
The MHAAA Health Leadership Award is given to an outstanding MHA student upon the presentation of the Health Care Management Field Project.
The qualities of the presentations were very high throughout. Each presenter was very articulate, clearly owned his/her project and demonstrated significant initiatives that will impact organizations and the health care system.
That being said, we are pleased to inform you that Anne-Marie Parent is this year’s recipient of the MHAAA Health Leadership Award. Anne-Marie completed her field project, “Coordinated Access to Home and Community Services” at the Champlain LHIN. Her presentation clearly demonstrated her leadership abilities and how her project was an innovative contribution to the health care system. The presentation also demonstrated her ability to plan and implement a complex concept. For these reasons, the committee is pleased to give Anne-Marie this award.
Michael Garron Award
The Michael Garron Hospital, formerly known as Toronto East General Hospital, and the University of Ottawa Master of Health Administration program have a deep and longstanding relationship that has extended over a decade.
The Michael Garron Award recognizes a University of Ottawa MHA student who has demonstrated innovative health solutions to practical problems encountered during their residency placement. This year’s recipient of the award is Belinda Maciejewski. Belinda completed her residency at The Ottawa Hospital, and presented her project entitled “Mapping the Operational Process for the New TOH Home Dialysis Program”.
Michel Lalonde Award
The goal of the Michel Lalonde scholarship is to recognize a student in the MHA program who exhibits exceptional leadership qualities manifested through academic excellence and engagement in extracurricular activities.
We are proud to report that several candidates displayed great leadership qualities. This is not only an attestation of the excellent students that enroll in the MHA program but also evidence of the leadership skills that are developed within the program.
We are pleased to inform you that Anne-Marie Parent is this year’s recipient of the Michel Lalonde MHA Scholarship for the 2016-2017 academic year.
Congratulations to Anne-Marie and Belinda - we wish you much success in your future careers.
- Category: Latest News
Exciting Projects That Produce Big Impacts
I seek equilibrium and fulfilment from the various aspects of my life: my family serves as an essential foundation for my work; my community and travels inspire my philanthropy; and my work opens up all sorts of opportunities to see the world, support worthy causes and find projects that get me excited and produce big impacts. That’s what matters to me. Being a business executive and entrepreneur has made it possible for me to enjoy this kind of fascinating life, full of passion. Envisioning and preparing for it started at the Telfer School.
Two aspects of my rewarding time at the school stand out: a course in business law made clear to me the wide open possibilities of the world of business; and a summer job fair led me to obtain the first Triple A Student Painters franchise in my hometown, giving me my first valuable experience in running a business. I used all my courses and activities at Telfer as a springboard into a career that began as a corporate commercial lawyer. This profession enabled me to work closely with business leaders, take part in many transactions, and see firsthand the strategic decisions that go into successful companies. I especially enjoyed the thrill when deals and projects came together.
So much so that I left the certainty of a steady paycheque to get involved more directly in business as an entrepreneur and executive. I’ve never looked back. Granted, a life in business is never a straight path of uninterrupted success. But it has enabled me and my family to take greater control over our time, integrate sports, travel and philanthropy fully into our lives and, especially important for me, work on exciting projects that reach shared goals and produce big impacts. I can’t imagine a more fulfilling way to live.
Five remarkable alumni, including Myron Tetreault, will be recognized for their outstanding contributions to the world of business, healthcare, community and their alma mater at the 2016 Telfer School of Management Gala of Excellence. The Gala will be held at the Shaw Centre on Saturday, October 15, 2016. This will also be an opportunity to collectively celebrate our alma mater and highlight the graduation anniversary of the classes of 1966, 1976, 1991 and 2006.
- Category: Latest News
Caitlin Champion, candidate in the M.Sc. Health Systems Program, was awarded a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) – Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship. Her thesis research will apply systems analysis to understand the health system interrelationships impacting colorectal cancer screening access in the NWT. A primary aim of the study is to build a foundation for future health system modeling to guide cost effective colorectal cancer screening initiatives with the goal of optimizing access to care.
Caitlin Champion completed a BSc (Honours) in Environmental Science from Acadia University and her MD at the University of Toronto in 2012. She is currently a resident physician in General Surgery at the University of Ottawa, and is pursuing graduate studies though the General Surgery Surgeon Scientist Program (SSP) and University of Ottawa Clinician Investigator Program (CIP).
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Student Voices
The following article was written by a member of our student community. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Telfer School of Management. For more information or to flag inappropriate content, please