Latest News
- Category: Latest News
In Canada, around one in five Canadians aged over 15 years old has one or more disabilities. As we grow older, the chance of disability increases with age. As mobility is one of the most prevalent disabilities, it is important that the built environment in Canada is as accessible as it can be for those who need it. More particularly, building accessibility needs to be a priority to ensure inclusivity.
From May 29 to June 4th, the country was celebrating National AccessAbility Week. The week, which starts on the last Sunday of May, celebrates Canadians who self-identify as disabled and their contributions to the advancement of this country.
National AccessAbility Week also recognizes the key people, organizations, and communities who have put work in to make Canada a more accessible country. The Accessible Canada Act is among the contributions we now celebrate during this week. The act, established in 2019, aims to remove all barriers to accessibility in the country by 2049.
To celebrate this week, we are happy to announce that five buildings at the University of Ottawa, including Telfer’s own Desmarais Hall, have been awarded the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) for their contribution to building accessibility. Other awarded facilities at the university were the Social Sciences building, Minto Sports Complex, STEM Complex, and Henderson Residence.
The Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) is a program that aims to improve accessibility in Canadian buildings. The certification rates how accessible a building is based on user experience, more specifically users who live with a disability affecting their mobility. The program also supports the United Nation’s "Envision2030" sustainable development goals, a campaign that aims to transform the world for people with disabilities.
Just like the Rick Hansen Foundation, the University of Ottawa and the Telfer School of Management want to improve accessibility in our buildings and ensure that user needs and standards are met.
Learn more about accessibility at the University of Ottawa.
- Category: Latest News
Every few years, a new program director is appointed to each of Telfer’s graduate and executive-level programs. Following the favourable recommendation of the selection committee, Dean Stéphane Brutus announced Professor Walid Ben Amar as the newest PhD Program Director at the Telfer School of Management who will serve a mandate of three years from July 1st, 2022, to June 30th, 2025.
Meet the New Program Director
Walid Ben Amar is an Associate Professor of accounting at Telfer with a Master of Accounting from Université du Québec à Montréal and a PhD in Business Administration from HEC Montréal. Professor Ben Amar teaches both financial and managerial accounting courses at the undergraduate and MBA levels. He also serves on Telfer’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, driving forward Telfer’s goals for creating more inclusive and diverse programs.
History of the PhD Program at Telfer
For over 40 years, there were ambitions for Telfer to launch a PhD program under Dean François Julien’s leadership. Professor Barbara Orser stepped in alongside Danielle Bennette under the support and guidance of Dean Julien to go through the stages of creating this program. After years of dedication and considerable effort, approvals were reached in 2013 and the program was launched in 2016.
The program’s first director, Professor Silvia Bonaccio, was integral to the program’s success, after spending two years helping to build the program prior to its launch. Professor Mirou Jaana took over as program director following Professor Bonaccio’s mandate. Professor Jaana was credited with launching the first revision of the PhD program, resulting in the addition of a new field of study: Strategy and Organization.
Today, the PhD program has six key fields of study: Accounting and Control, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Health Systems, Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources, and Strategy and Organization.
We celebrated the successful first Telfer PhD graduating cohort when Vusal Babashov was the first to complete his PhD in Management after successfully defending his thesis in 2021. Vusal shared that the experience of completing his PhD at Telfer made him a better person, a self-motivated leader, and an avid problem-solver.
Thank you Professor Chreim
The most recent and former PhD Director, Professor Samia Chreim, had a huge impact on the program. “Under her leadership, the progress of students in the program was remarkable, despite very difficult circumstances,” shared Dean Brutus in his announcement of this leadership change. Among other things, Professor Chreim implemented more flexibility for our PhD students, provided mental health support to students during the pandemic, organized countless information sessions, and established the PhD student lounge. Thank you to Professor Samia Chreim for her hard work and dedication to our doctoral program and its students.
- Category: Latest News
Last month, Telfer’s Entrepreneur Club (TECDE) hosted the 31st annual Toast to Success dinner. This year’s theme focused on celebrating diversity in business, particularly marginalized entrepreneurs. The sold-out event featured a West African drummer, Black and Ukrainian artists, and a keynote address by Wes Hall, Chairman and Founder, Kingsdale Advisors, Founder of the BlackNorth Initiative, and the newest dragon on CBC’s Dragon’s Den.
As a keynote speaker, Wes Hall presented several key aspects of his career as well as tips for future entrepreneurs in the room. During the event, it was revealed that Hall had recently established the Wes Hall Scholarships: two full, four-year scholarships for black and indigenous Telfer Commerce students who intend to pursue a career in finance.
These unique scholarships aim to remove financial barriers to education by reducing the need for these students to seek employment throughout the school year. Recipients of the Wes Hall Scholarships will also receive mentorship to further promote student success in academics and to provide career direction and advice on extra-curricular life at Telfer, possibly by Mr. Hall himself.
In addition, at Telfer, we’re proud to announce the creation of nine equity and diversity scholarships aimed to truly make a difference in the lives of students from racialized or indigenous communities. Join Wes in promoting equity and diversity at Telfer and contributing to a Better Canada for us all.
Donate now to the Telfer Diversity and Equity Scholarships.
Relive the moments of the event with the article published by the Ottawa Business Journal at: https://bit.ly/3wbANYE.
- Category: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Answers are important, but asking good questions can be even more so. In our increasingly divisive world, the right questions can truly demonstrate our willingness to understand the needs of the other side.
For the younger generation in business families – Next Gens – the right questions haven’t previously been posed nor answered. Too often a lack of understanding prevails between the wishes of the senior generations and the concerns and needs of Next Gens. To compound this, much academic research has typically focused on the parents’ generation because they are the ones in power. These realities led Telfer Professors Peter Jaskiewicz and Sabine Rau to ask: what do Next Gens really need and want?
To answer this question, Jaskiewicz and Rau went straight to the source, asking Next Gens for their views, perspectives and concerns. The result: newly released book Enabling Next Generation Legacies: 35 Questions that Next Generation Members in Enterprising Families Ask, which is now available in hardcover. The book brings together the thirty-five most pressing questions faced by Next Gen members around the world, with responses from leading academics and enterprising families.
The book was recently the topic of an online article in Family Firm Institute’s publication, FFI Practitioner. The article explains how the book came together, starting with a research process of formal and informal interviews over several years with senior and Next Gen members of more than 100 business families. From these interviews, it quickly became obvious how much the challenges of senior generations differed from those of the Next Gen. Realizing there was a need to consider the Next Gens’ perspective more actively, Jaskiewicz and Rau systematically collected their questions, asked for feedback, then established a final list of thirty-five questions.
With the intention of encouraging discussion and dialogue instead of pushing static solutions, each question provides a thoughtful response from a leading academic or practitioner, followed by commentaries from Next Gens themselves. This unique format offers a fresh perspective on the topic of family business, equally relevant to academics, practitioners and businesses, bringing together the global community to answer the next generation’s call.
As members of Telfer’s new Family Enterprise Legacy Institute (FELI), Jaskiewicz and Rau will be using research findings like those from Enabling Next Generation Legacies to help bridge the gap between differing generations in family businesses. Specialised programs such as the Certificate in Responsible Ownership tackle the intergenerational disconnect and help prepare the next generation, leading to healthy, sustainable relationships within the family and business.
To learn more about how Telfer is shaping the conversation about the future of family enterprise – and working to ask the right questions – visit the Family Enterprise Legacy Institute and subscribe to our newsletter .
- Category: Telfer Announcements
Black History Month is an opportunity for Canada to celebrate the great contributions and achievements of Black Canadians throughout history and how they have made our country more prosperous, culturally-diverse, and inclusive. The theme for this year’s Black History Month in Canada is February and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and every day, which recognizes the importance of celebrating Black Canadians beyond just the month of February.
At the Telfer School of Management, we value the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion in our student body, programs and initiatives. As such, we wanted to celebrate this history in Canada and highlight useful resources for the Black community during the month of February.
Black History Month in Canada
Black Canadians and their communities have shaped our country dating back to the 1600s, when navigator and interpreter, Mathieu Da Costa, first arrived in the place we now call Canada. Since then, the celebration of Black history in Canada dates back to the 1920s, starting as a week-long celebration, which then evolved into one month. In 1995, Black History Month became an official celebration at the House of Commons, introduced by Canada’s first African-Canadian woman in Parliament, the Honourable Jean Augustine. The Motion to Recognize Contributions of Black Canadians and February as Black History Month was unanimously approved by the Senate of Canada in 2008, brought up by Senator Donald Oliver, the first Black man appointed to the Senate of Canada.
Some of Canada’s first Black Canadian business professionals and entrepreneurs include Thornton Blackburn, who started Toronto’s first cab company in the 1830s; Mary Ann Shadd Cary, the first Black woman editor in Canada working for a Canadian Underground Railway newspaper called the Provincial Freeman; and Carrie Best, the founder of the first Black-owned newspaper in Nova Scotia, The Clarion.
Resources to Help You Achieve Your Goals
Along with the Canadian traditions, the Telfer School of Management values and fosters an environment for all talents to thrive, through both professional growth and personal development. In turn, these values will help create a community that truly reflects who we are. Through different initiatives and partnerships, the School continues to evolve and strive to make significant contributions in the life of its members.
Why Scholarships Are Important
To ensure our program is home to exceptionally talented and ambitious business leaders in the making, we offer access to a wide variety of financial support, including scholarships. Without assistance from an outside source, students may have trouble paying for a university degree. Scholarships thus help students have more time to focus on their studies, rather than needing a part-time job to earn money for their studies, which can take up more than 15 hours per week and become an obstacle to academic success.
Thankfully, generous donors have and continue to enable Telfer students to redefine business practice for the better as well as decrease the number and amount of loans students need in order to complete their degree. Among the different scholarships offered to our students, you can find many that are awarded to students who are part of a Black, Indigenous or Racialized community. Per example, the KPMG Scholarships for Accounting Students, created by KPMG LLP, is offered each year to two second year students of the BCom in Accounting program and who have demonstrated academic excellence. The Marlene King Patrick Admission Scholarship, generously created by Markene King Patrick, is another scholarship exclusive to Telfer students and is awared to a woman from a Black, Indigenous or Racialized community who is newly admitted into an undergraduate program.
To learn more about these scholarships and see if you are eligible, the Online Scholarships and Bursaries is an online tool that gives you access to the directory of scholarships and bursaries offered at the University of Ottawa.
The Onyx Initiative
Historically, business schools have always established themselves as a strong networking hub, uniting the scholars and corporate world of today to foster the leaders of tomorrow. While the number of Black members on the boards of the 100 largest companies on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) has more than tripled over the past year, they currently account for only 2.35% of board members as of January 2021. Regarding the current labour market, Black Canadians in the core age group of 25- to 54-year-olds were more likely to hold a bachelor's degree or higher (42.8%) than Canadians in the same age group who were not a visible minority (33.6%). However, Black Canadians with a university degree had a lower employment rate (86.1%) than their non-visible minority counterparts (91.1%).
The systemic gap in the recruiting and selection of Black university and college students and recent graduates for roles in corporate Canada remains a big challenge. This is why the Onyx Initiative aspires to be a catalyst for the professional growth and development of Black Canadians as they launch their careers after university or college, helping them through access to placements, mentorships, coaching, and professional development.
This early intervention will facilitate a measurable increase in Black students and recent graduates securing internships and full-time employment in their chosen fields while serving the needs of corporations in sourcing qualified and diversified employees. How? First, by aggregating supply through the recruitment, preparation, and exposure of Black talent. This preparation includes career coaching and professional development through online learning, and, more importantly, mentorship. Afterwards, it is their main goal to help these highly prepared and talented individuals to get the exposure and awareness they need to accelerate their careers.
Their second mandate is thus to foster and nurture demand. Onyx can support corporate Canada and facilitate demand for talent. As they work with a wide range of organizations, their partners contribute with more than just financial aid. They can share ideas and in-kind support in helping grow and build the initiative.
Should you be interested in joining this group of Black students and recent graduates who are seeking support to enhance their personal and professional skills and gain access to meaningful career opportunities, you could apply to the 2022 scholar applications before the deadline on April 1st.
Black Entrepreneurship Program
For those who have an entrepreneurial fibre, it is within Telfer core values to enable students to develop the skills necessary to or launch a new venture creation, contribute to a high growth enterprise, or drive innovation at an existing organization. Whether you want to lead your own enterprise, work in a family business, or manage growth in an established company, our goal is to stimulate, inspire and prepare students to do so. Whether at Telfer or through the University of Ottawa, we offer a wide variety of entrepreneurship courses and programs (i.e. entrepreneurship option, Entrepreneurship Foundry, the Telfer Entrepreneurs' Club or Enactus), and the uOttawa Entrepreneurship Hub, that aim to propel careers in the entrepreneurship world.
There are also interesting opportunities through government-funded programs. For example, the Black Entrepreneurship Program (BEP) is a partnership between the Government of Canada, Black-led business organizations, and financial institutions to help Black Canadian business owners and entrepreneurs grow their businesses and achieve their goals. Along with a Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund, driven by The Federation of African Canadian Economics (FACE), a National Ecosystem Fund and a Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub, up to $265 million over four years has been invested in this program led by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). These investments will help thousands of Black Canadian business owners and entrepreneurs by providing them with access to financing, mentorship opportunities, financial planning services, business training and more.
Mental Health Support Groups at uOttawa
The University of Ottawa has created specific support groups including a BIPOC (Black Indigenous and People of Colour), Black students support group, and international students support group to provide provides a safe space for those who identify with each of these groups to find strength, friendship, and expression of unfiltered feelings among peers. Each of these groups focus on building community, discussing any faced challenges, and connecting in a supportive space.
Students Supporting Students
Beyond academic resources, many of the most enriching experiences at Telfer take place outside the classroom, thanks to a close-knit student community. Among many student clubs and associations at Telfer and uOttawa, the Black Student Leaders Association (BSLA) will serve to assist and enhance the academic, social and philanthropic aspects of black students’ journeys at the University of Ottawa. They aim to represent the members of the community in a way that positively and truly reflects who they are and their potential to be leaders. BSLA extends open arms to all students and faculty who share their values to join the association.
“Count Me In” Initiative
After a long process of research, consultations and data analysis, the uOttawa Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee (EDIC) has launched a critical initiative to identify barriers to inclusion and to propose initiatives to bring traditionally excluded persons into research, teaching and administrative communities at the university. The initiative slogan, “Count me in / Comptez moi,” invites students, faculty and staff to self-identify in terms of gender, indigeneity, racialization, accommodation/disability, LGBTQIA2S+ preference, language preference and proficiency in Canada’s official languages in an anonymous and confidential questionnaire. By doing so, it will enable uOttawa to spot barriers and uncover systemic roadblocks to equity, diversification inclusion. When you count yourself in, you’re leading by example and making your presence known so that others may follow in your footsteps.
The questionnaire is accessible through uoZone. The Human Rights Office is responsible for confidentiality, ensuring only disaggregated data is used by the University community to inform and prioritize EDI initiatives and enable the creation of more of them.
Moreover, by simply counting yourself in, you enable inclusion. With each survey completion, the Office of the Provost and Vice President, Academic Affairs, will donate $1 to a scholarship fund for uOttawa students incorporating the principles of EDI into their academic and research projects.
Telfer and the University of Ottawa celebrate Black History Month
Black History Month is a time to learn more about the contributions Black Canadians have made to the settlement, growth and development of Canada and their importance to the history of the Telfer School. Follow us on our social media to learn more about virtual and on-campus events and celebrate the contribution of our community throughout the month of February and beyond.
If you know of a member of Telfer Nation that deserves recognition for their actions and accomplishments or you are leading an initiative for Black Canadians, we invite you to share this story with us.
- Category: Alumni in the Lead
The journey to success of Telfer School graduate Brennan Loh inspires how he supports and empowers the next generation of entrepreneurs.
No two paths to success are entirely the same. Yet some guideposts are more dependable than others. Brennan Loh’s entrepreneurship journey is a reliable route for any budding businessperson to follow.
The Telfer School graduate and top Shopify leader started early, made connections and seized challenges. This path has not only taken him to the pinnacle of Canadian business, but has also guided how he helps the emerging generation of entrepreneurs at the Telfer School through generous donations, purposeful involvement and volunteer activities.
Start your journey early!
Entrepreneurship has always been near and dear to Brennan. As a child, he was motivated to start businesses and create something from nothing. His natural inclination for entrepreneurship was partly the reason.
The other was the inspiration he received from his businessman father, who immigrated to Canada from Singapore. After losing his job, Brennan watched as his father took the risk of becoming an entrepreneur to support their family. It was a proud moment for Brennan, and one that helped catalyze the importance of fostering an entrepreneurial spirit not just in those that want it but who need it to survive.
Motivated to unleash his entrepreneurial spirit, Brennan joined the Telfer School in 2007. He was so eager to hit the ground running that he became a member of the Telfer School’s Entrepreneurs’ Club before he even began his studies. This early and enthusiastic start by the budding entrepreneur was a clear sign of things to come.
The Entrepreneurs’ Club offered Brennan a vibrant and welcoming gathering place, and put him in close contact with fellow entrepreneurs. It especially gave him learning opportunities that enabled him to dare boldly yet fail safely, without suffering significant personal or financial consequences. Brennan so enjoyed his membership with the Entrepreneurs’ Club that he served on its executive team for four years, two of them as president.
“The Entrepreneurs’ Club was a natural fit for Brennan’s entrepreneurial talents,” said Professor Stephen Daze, Dom Herrick Chair in Entrepreneurship at the Telfer School. “From an early age, he knew how to create value for sponsors and motivate team members; and he had a scrappy startup mentality—something that he has carried through to today!”
Make connections to discover opportunities
Entrepreneurial success is never a solo mission. Again, Brennan’s experience supplies a telling example. As part of a third-year course, he and two friends from the University of Ottawa Faculty of Engineering created a tech startup. They called it Avitu. When the school year ended, the entrepreneurial trio decided not to halt their enterprise but to keep their budding business active.
That summer, Brennan and his Avitu partners worked tirelessly out of a hot apartment before being given the opportunity by a uOttawa alumnus to use part of Shopify’s office space to run their company. The alumnus, Harley Finkelstein, a graduate of the combined law and MBA program, was chief platform officer at Shopify at the time.
Brennan took advantage of being in a shared space with Shopify to exchange best practices and discuss business strategies with Harley every week. The dedication and effort shown by Brennan and his business partners impressed Harley and the other Shopify executives so much that they offered them jobs within the company.
Seize challenges and reap the benefits
By the time Brennan graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing in 2011, he was already working over 40 hours per week at Shopify. The combination of school and full-time employment was demanding, but the valuable real-world experience he acquired only served to bolster his confidence and motivate him to take on increasingly greater challenges in the company.
In the decade since he joined Shopify, Brennan has helped the company grow from fledgling startup to e-commerce titan. His rise through the company’s ranks has been equally impressive—going from head of business development, to director of business development, to director of international markets. His varied and impressive portfolio of projects include Shopify media productions and Shopify Rebellion, the company’s e-sports organization.
Today, as the company’s director of brand and marketing partnerships, Brennan says his motivation stems partly from looking back with pride at successful projects he once thought would be impossible to achieve. Despite his impressive resume and achievements, he remains humble and prefers to operate under the radar. Case in point: in the years when he travelled frequently for the company, he would joke that few people at the Shopify head office knew who he was.
An inspiring journey that empowers a new generation
In keeping with his natural humility, Brennan is quick to acknowledge how much the generosity of others helped shape and propel his career. His professors, his classmates, and his colleagues at Shopify each gave him their trust and encouragement.
In turn, Brennan uses his journey to success as inspiration for how he supports and empowers the emerging generation of entrepreneurs at the Telfer School. To help budding business people start early, Brennan volunteers as an informal mentor, inspiring the next generation to seek out the opportunities that will shape their futures. To enable them to make connections, Brennan continues his work with the Entrepreneurs’ Club as an advisory board member. And to motivate and support emerging entrepreneurs, Brennan is a mentor at the Entrepreneurship Hub’s Startup Garage and an angel investor in the technology sector.
Most notably, Brennan funded the Loh Entrepreneurship Experience Scholarship to allow students to dare boldly. The bursary provides students from any faculty at the University of Ottawa with financial and mentorship support in their entrepreneurial journeys.
“We must give students opportunities to fail safely,” Brennan said. “I see encouraging a student to take four months to pursue entrepreneurship with a financial safety net and minimal opportunity cost to their formal education (in other words, letting them earn credits) as one of many possible solutions. I would love to see universities embrace innovative bets on fostering student entrepreneurship.”
As a result of this generous and intelligent contribution, the Telfer School named Brennan the 2021 Young Donor of the Year. The deserving honour is yet one more step along a career path worth following.
If you would like to support the student experience at the Telfer School of Management through a donation, click here to make a gift to the Telfer Nation Fund. For more information, please don’t hesitate to
- Category: Latest News
The global economic recovery will rely disproportionately on the success family-owned enterprises achieve in managing next generation transitions. These organizations include 60% of the global workforce, account for two-thirds of the world’s businesses, and contribute 66% of worldwide GDP. Professors Peter Jaskiewicz and Sabine Rau of the Telfer School of Management address this next generation shift in a new book to be released at this week’s World Investment Forum in Geneva, Switzerland.
“Enabling Next Generation Legacies: 35 Questions That Next Generation Members in Enterprising Families Ask” details years of international research and practical experience into the unique challenges that confront family businesses. Solutions to these challenges must not only address transitional issues but also harness the talents of the next generation to overcome the devastating economic impacts of the pandemic on this sector.
“Without a sturdy, sustainable recovery among family businesses worldwide, there will be no global economic recovery at all,” says Professor Jaskiewicz. “Our work demonstrates that there is a path forward, with best practices, that will help steer businesses through inter-generational change and provide clear means for the next generation to manage successfully - as well as provide a needed boost to jobs and growth worldwide.”
The new book explores the most important questions family business owners and Next Gens need to answer to empower sustainable businesses that can innovate post-pandemic. The book consists of best practices, real-life examples, and additional critical questions for reflection from nearly 100 contributors from 27 different countries. These expert commentaries come from members of the world’s leading family businesses including Auchan (France), Saputo (Canada), and Sabra (Israel), as well as from various academic experts from business schools around the globe like Kellogg, IMD, and INSEAD.
“The next generation from family-owned business is eager and well equipped to take their family’s enterprises to the next level,” says Professor Rau. “Our book supports them in asking relevant questions, discussing answers and offering further food for thought.”
Professors Jaskiewicz and Rau will present the findings of their book at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)’s World Investment Forum during a featured address that will serve as a backdrop to their book’s release. Through previews, the book has already been acknowledged as one of the most influential books on the subject by academic scholars, business owners, and the Family Business Network.
The United Nations is calling on the World Investment Forum for strong sustainable development recommendations to recover from the pandemic. The takeaways from the forum will be reviewed at the 76th United Nations General Assembly’s deliberations on global policy actions. Today, UNCTAD’s 7th World Investment Forum will explore how governments and business leaders can invest in sustainable recovery and address today’s main challenges facing the investment-development community around the world.
The book is available now for pre-order in North America (coming soon in Europe, Asia, Oceania and South Africa), and will be available as physical copies in early December. All book royalties will be donated towards supporting the next generation of students at the Telfer School of Management under the Telfer Nation Fund. This fund supports student activities and opportunities such as case competitions, internships, and student clubs that enrich the student experience outside of the classroom.
Testimonials for “Enabling Next Generation Legacies: 35 Questions That Next Generation Members in Enterprising Families Ask”
“When Sabine and Peter approached me about this book, the timing couldn’t be better. FBN was going to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its Next Gen community. Yet, this is much more than a book. It is a useful and practical guide, asking relevant questions and providing concrete tips on how to tackle difficult issues that Next Gens face daily.”
—Alexis du Roy de Blicquy, CEO of the Family Business Network (Switzerland)
"This very helpful book is a gift to next generation members of enterprising families. Each chapter is a gem and collectively, it is a must-read.”
—John Davis, Faculty Head, Family Enterprise Programs, MIT Sloan School of Management (United States)
Excerpt From the Book
“Why do many next generation members fail to succeed with the family business? A major reason for failure is not being accepted by long-standing managers and employees or by suppliers, banks or customers...without acceptance by important stakeholders, relevant resources will not be at hand, whether financial resources, information, knowledge or other. Earning acceptance is crucial...success depends on taking time to talk to as many employees, managers, customers, and suppliers as possible, listening carefully, not promising too much, and finally building alliances.”
- Category: Student Voices
This summer, four Telfer students led the six-week Telfer Mentorship Program, in collaboration with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB). This program aims to give high school students who are seeking a co-op placement the opportunity to learn about the field of business. Students and recent alumni, Wiam Ben Karroum, Jamie Harvie, Laura Oris-Naidenova and Priyesh Sarju, represented the Telfer School of Management as the mentors.
The Mentorship Program and Certificate
It has been increasingly difficult for high school students to find an in-person co-op placement this year. As a result, the OCDSB introduced several virtual mentorship programs in partnership with the University of Ottawa, one of which was with Telfer. The purpose of this program is to create authentic, real-life problem-solving opportunities for students, as well as the chance to network with business professionals and university students.
Over the course of six weeks, the mentors facilitated thematic sessions, planned engaging activities, and invited guest speakers. Each week, the mentors introduced a different topic, then assigned an activity so the students could apply what they learned. Concepts such as networking, leadership, accounting, digital marketing and entrepreneurship were the focus of the curriculum. The high school students ended the summer with credits and a certificate presented by the Telfer School of Management.
Some highlights of the program include:
- Jamie Harvie gave a presentation about LinkedIn along with guest speaker Tania D’Iorio from National Bank Financial joined the group to discuss her key marketing tips.
- Wiam Ben Karroum shared a presentation on leadership in collaboration with executive coach Tina Cantrill.
- Priyesh Sarju was joined by Telfer Professor Marc Tassé to introduce the students to accounting and assign case studies.
- Laure Oris-Naidenova taught a workshop on digital marketing and gave students the chance to create their own logos on Canva.
- Jamie Harvie gave a presentation on entrepreneurship and brought in guest speaker, Anne Khazzam, a 19-year-old entrepreneur who started The S’moresBox in Ottawa.
Testimonials from the High School Students
William Driscoll, a high school student within OCDSB, shared his highlights from the program: “While choosing what my high school co-op placement would be, the online Telfer mentorship program caught my eye and I’m glad that it did.
Led by qualified and engaging Telfer students, my time consisted of meeting with knowledgeable guest speakers, participating in group discussions, and working on tasks such as presentations and case studies.
Each session we had together was centered around a certain business topic such as digital marketing, accounting, leadership, entrepreneurship, and networking, all of which helped me gain valuable insight into their respective fields.
Although this program was limited in some areas by the current need for it to be online, I believe this program will be enhanced even more as it moves to in-person learning.
As a student who is looking to pursue a business-related profession in the future, this program definitely helped me to start that process.”
OCDSB student, Roha Aboud, also had a positive experience with the program: “I really enjoyed participating in the Telfer Mentorship program. My mentors were so nice with me and with others. What I really liked about this program is there was no pressure with our assignments or attending meetings. Our tasks were easy and simple, and we only had to attend meetings on Mondays and Fridays.”
The Mentor’s Perspective: Jamie
“As a former OCDSB student myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the role as a mentor. It was great to return to my former school board a few years after graduating and connecting with students who are in the same place that I was in not too long ago,” shared Jamie Harvie.
Next Steps
After the success of the virtual mentorship program this summer, Telfer and the OCDSB hope to continue the program next year. Ideally, the program would be offered bi-modally, to give the students the flexibility of learning from home, but also allow for some in-person activities. One of the suggestions was to invite the students to campus once a week to explore different areas of campus, such as the uOttawa Makerspace or the Financial Research and Learning Lab in the Desmarais Building.
The OCDSB team is optimistic that by promoting the program earlier in the year, more students will be enticed to register, and as a result, more students will be able to explore their interests in the field of business.
- Category: Telfer Announcements
At the Telfer School of Management, we have formally named seven prominent Canadian business leaders to the School’s Strategic Leadership Cabinet to work with Dean Stéphane Brutus in order to advance the School’s Vision for a Better Canada. Each member of the cabinet brings years of experience to the table, leading some of the biggest and most influential businesses in Canada. Their first inaugural meeting takes place today, October 6th in the Desmarais building.
The Strategic Leadership Cabinet’s mandate is to advise the Telfer School with regard to its strategic choices and to provide information that will permit the evaluation of the relevance, quality, and effectiveness of its current and upcoming programs. The Cabinet also assists in identifying the ways in which the business community and the public sector can contribute to the strengthening of the School.
Meet the Cabinet
Rob Ashe - Chair of the Strategic Leadership Cabinet (Telfer BCom ‘82) joined Ottawa-based firm Cognos in 1984 and served as President and CEO from 2004 to 2012. He transformed the company into a world-renowned producer of business intelligence software and grew it to become Canada’s first billion-dollar software company. Ashe stayed on as general manager of business analytics after the organization's acquisition by IBM in 2008. With an avid interest in advancing the technology sector in Ottawa, Ashe has been the Lead Independent Director at Shopify since May 2015. He’s a 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, an award from the Ottawa Business Journal and Ottawa Board of Trade. He was also the former Lead Director of Halogen, until its sale to Saba Software in 2017. Ashe is currently an Executive Partner at Bridge Growth Partners, the Lead Director of MSCI, a Director of ServiceSource International, and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario.
Louis Gagnon (Telfer MBA ‘97) has been with Intact Financial Corporation, the largest provider of Property & Casualty Insurance in Canada, since January 2007. Mr. Gagnon has served in many key executive roles beginning with Senior Vice President, Quebec, and including President, Intact Insurance; President and Chief Operating Officer; President, Service & Distribution; and, President, Canadian Operations. In June 2021, Mr. Gagnon was appointed Chief Executive Officer, Canada. In his current role, Mr. Gagnon is responsible for all Canadian-based business entities and operations including Intact Insurance, belairdirect, BrokerLink and Johnson Insurance. Prior to joining Intact, Mr. Gagnon headed a successful Insurance Brokerage with offices in Quebec and Ontario and was very active in provincial and national brokers associations. Mr. Gagnon is a member of the Board of Directors of the Insurance Bureau of Canada, member of the Telfer School of Management Dean’s Strategic Leadership Cabinet, member of the “Comité Consultatif International du recteur de l’Université de Montréal” and member of the Board of Directors of the CD Howe Institute. He has been an active board member and volunteer of many charitable organizations and is specifically very proud to have been involved with United Way for over 30 years.
Justine Hendricks (Telfer MBA ‘04) has a demonstrated history of working in the financial services sector and has been a critical member of the Canadian export community since 2006 at the start of her career with Export Development Canada (EDC). She took on the role of Senior Vice-President, Sustainable Business and Enablement in 2019, and added the role of Chief Corporate Sustainability Officer (CCSO) in May 2021. Hendricks has worked closely with EDC’s banking partners and is a key component of the business development group. She received a Trudeau Medal in 2017 from Telfer in recognition of her leadership, initiative and contributions to the business world.
Patricia Saputo is the Co-Founder and Executive Chairperson of CRYSALIA, which supports Enterprising Families to succeed multi-generationally by creating and delivering deliberate learning journeys for their family members. She is a role model for female leaders in male-dominated industries, the business world, and the community. After her career at Deloitte in the Tax Department, she was asked to join the Board of Directors at Saputo once they went public in 1997. As a lifelong learner and a believer that education is a never-ending process - a process for the betterment of oneself, one’s family and for continued improvement of communities around us - she truly enjoys educating others.
Macky Tall (Telfer MBA ‘92) is the Co-Chair of Carlyle Infrastructure Group, which includes efforts across transportation, renewables, energy, water & waste water and digital infrastructure. Before joining Carlyle, Mr. Tall served in a series of leadership positions at Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), one of the world’s largest infrastructure investors and the second-largest pension fund in Canada. He also served on CDPQ’s Executive Committee and Investment-Risk Committee and served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ivanhoé Cambridge.
Ian Telfer (Telfer MBA ’76), the Telfer School’s namesake, is a Canadian executive and philanthropist who is known for his strategic business success in the mining and resource sector. Telfer is the former chairman of Goldcorp Inc., a Vancouver-based gold mining company, and former chairman of the World Gold Council. Telfer led Goldcorp Inc. since 2005, first serving as Goldcorp’s President and Chief Executive Officer before being appointed Chairman of the Board in 2006. Telfer has earned the reputation of being a ‘visionary mining entrepreneur’ for his ability to grow multiple mining companies. His 30 years of success in the resource sector can be attributed to an intrinsic aptitude for strategically timed acquisitions and value-driven mergers. In 2015, Ian’s career in the mining sector earned him induction into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame 2015, and the Canadian Business Hall of Fame in 2018. Telfer was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Ottawa in 2015.
Kathryn Tremblay (Telfer BCom ‘95) is the CEO and Co-Founder of excelHR, Altis Recruitment, Altis Technology and excelITR, with over 30 years specializing in the human aspect of human resources. She has dedicated her career to the betterment of the staffing process, launching her entrepreneurial journey at the age of 21 when she launched a small staffing firm in the Outaouais region. Tremblay paved the way for a new way of qualified job sectors with prospective employers particularly when it comes to filling executive roles. With its affiliated companies, excelHR has become a recognized leader in the delivery of recruitment and staffing services in Canada. Tremblay is an avid mentor for women in the workforce and encourages young people to pursue a career in entrepreneurship. She was also named the 2021 CEO of the year by the Ottawa Business Journal and the Ottawa Board of Trade.
Stéphane Brutus is currently the Dean of the Telfer School of Management. Between 2006 and 2017, Dr. Brutus served as Dean (Interim), Associate Dean Graduate Professional Programs, Chair of the Management Department and Director at the Bell Research Center for Business Process Innovation at the John Molson School of Business, Concordia University. Previously, Dr. Brutus worked as a Visiting Professor at Universidade Federal da Bahia, in Brazil and Universidad Pablo de Olavide and Instituto de Empresa, in Spain.
James Price - Secretary of the Strategic Leadership Cabinet, is the Executive Director of Development and Community Engagement at the Telfer School of Management and is responsible for leading the school’s external outreach vision, development, and community engagement initiatives. Driven by a desire to make a positive impact on society, he takes great personal pride in building sustainable relationships and partnerships to advance higher education, research, innovation, and economic development. Prior to joining the School in 2019, James led Canada’s national stem cell advocacy and strategic funding efforts as President and CEO of the Canadian Stem Cell Foundation.
- Category: Rising Stars
Telfer BCom students know a big project is coming when they enroll for their fourth-year capstone course, Strategic Management (ADM 4311). The course includes an online strategy simulation that counts towards much of their overall grade in this course, the Intopia Strategy Simulation.
This summer from July 10 to 11, fourth-year Telfer BCom students participated in Intopia, which allows them to apply the strategic management concepts that they have learnt in class in a virtual simulated business world. During the simulation, students are required to make quick decisions and negotiate with classmates to grow their business over the weekend, acting as producer, wholesaler, or distributor organizations within the same industry.
Teamwork at its Best
While the competition comes with many challenges, the most positive and memorable aspect is often the collaboration between players: “Spending the weekend working on the competition with friends and colleagues was the most enjoyable part. Collaborating with other teams and fellow students whom we have gotten to know over the past four years was a gratifying culmination of our time at Telfer,” shares Aarun Senathirajah, accounting student and member of the winning team.
When asked about the greatest challenges Intopia had in store this summer, Aarun shared: “Adapting to the ever-changing market dynamics and power changes between producers and wholesalers was a significant challenge we faced throughout the game. Ultimately, by ensuring our strategy was flexible and dynamic, we were able to predict the changes in the market and adapt accordingly. Clear communication and an open environment between all our group members proved to be vital when adapting quickly.”
Congratulations to the overall winning team and Best Integrated Producer: Team 18
- MacKenzie Erbach
- Philip Kaczmarczyk
- Julia Magahey
- Aarun Senathirajah
- Liam Woodside
Congratulations to the following teams who placed in other notable categories
Best Finished Goods Producer: Team 33
- Livia Banu
- El adla Dounia
- Karly Labbe
- Mengjiao Liu
- Shelby O’Breza
- Alsu Zubairova
Best Component Producer: Team 6
- Francine Bellama
- Marissa Bourdeau
- Elie Eid
- Ana Maria Lleras
- Kaleigh Shantz
Best Service Provider: Team 34
- Linh Cao
- Dimitri Guerin
- Claudia Dushime
- Quyen Pham
- Chantal Shirokova
- Category: Telfer Announcements
On June 23rd, the Telfer School of Management held its Annual Excellence Recognition Assembly. Hosted for the first time by Dean Stéphane Brutus, this annual summer meeting is an opportunity to highlight the efforts and exceptional work of the Telfer faculty and staff members with awards assigned through votes by their colleagues and peers.
Revamped Telfer Awards
The Telfer Awards (“Telfie”) recipients include staff and faculty members who have distinguished themselves through excellence in service and dedication to their work, while showing leadership and initiative that has greatly benefitted the Telfer community. For the first time since its creation, the Telfer Awards ballot was open to part-time faculty members, creating 3 additional awards recognizing the contribution of part-time professors. The 2021 Telfer Awards winners are:
Support Staff Members
- Marielle Brabant, Financial Analyst
- Rania Nasrallah-Massaad, Research Advisor
- Nathalie Paré, Specialist, Academic Success and Student Experience, Graduate programs
Full-Time Faculty Members
- Wojtek Michalowski, Full Professor Health Informatics and Decision Support and former Interim Dean
- Jane O'Reilly, Associate Professor and Telfer Fellow in Workplace Wellbeing
- Shantanu Dutta, Vice-Dean (Research) and Telfer Fellow in Global Finance
Part-Time Faculty Members
- Jasmin Manseau, Parti-Time Professor on Long-Term Assignement, PhD Candidate
- Marc Tassé, Corporate Ethics and Financial Crimes Expert & Part-Time Professor
- Dorra Jlouli, Founder and CEO, Green & Smart Alternatives & Part-Time Professor
Patricia Ann O’Rourke Award for Excellence in Service
Created in 2014, this award honours Patricia Ann O’Rourke, an individual who provided exceptional service to one and all over the course of her career, for the greater benefit of the Telfer School and its stakeholders. She personified service excellence and was an inspiration to each of her colleagues, faculty and support staff alike. Patricia retired the same year after 32 years of service.
This annual award recognizes an employee (either faculty or administrative staff) who has demonstrated a strong desire and ability to help others, and in doing so, advance the interests of the School and contribute to the development of a culture of service excellence.
The 2021 Patricia Ann O’Rourke Award winner is:
- Jeff Lanthier, Senior Manager, IT Support
Congratulations to all 2021 winners who, in their own and unique way, embrace the Telfer vision in building a Better Canada through their work and dedication to our School!
- Category: Telfer Announcements
The Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) is a UN-supported initiative whose mission is to transform management education, research, and thought education leadership globally by providing the PRME framework, developing learning communities, and promoting awareness about the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In 2020, the Telfer School of Management joined over 800 leading business and management schools from around the world that are committed to building a more sustainable future by implementing the Six Principles and striving to achieve the SDGs.
Ultimately, it is PRME’s vision to have the UN Sustainable Development Goals realized through responsible management education. The Six Principles of PRME are based on internationally-accepted values endorsed by UN Member States and provide an engagement framework for higher education institutions to embed responsibility and sustainability in education, research, and campus practices through a process of continuous improvement. Higher education institutions that become signatories to PRME make a public commitment to knowledge creation and education that supports and develops leaders capable of managing the complex challenges faced by businesses and society in the 21st century. PRME is a multi-stakeholder platform with a dynamic network of local and global learning communities, including thematic Working Groups and regional Chapters, which collaborate on projects and events. Since its official launch in 2007 by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the PRME initiative has grown to more than 800 leading business schools and management-related academic institutions from over 80 countries across the world.
As a PRME Signatory, Telfer is committed to investing in our world’s future and doing what we can to ensure the planet is here to stay. As part of Globalization, Governance, And Sustainability area of strategic impact, the Telfer Institute for Sustainable Business is putting sustainability at the centre of decision-making, influencing a new era of business thinking.
Strategic planning with sustainability in mind, renewable business practices, and greener values have a positive impact on our global environment and enables us to build a better Canada. In order to build a solid foundation for our future, we need to completely rethink and reorient the way our economy does business. If Canadian businesses invest in technologies and practices that foster a green economy, then over time, we can make progress towards a sustainable world.
- Category: Rising Stars
Telfer’s fourth-year Finance students complete their capstone course, Equity Valuation (ADM 4350), at the culmination of their studies. It is an opportunity for students to take all that they have learned throughout their years of study and apply it to a real-life situation. The students perform a case analysis of a chosen company to estimate the value of the organization and create an action plan to enhance its economic performance.
This semester, another great capstone competition commenced on April 9th, when the Equity Valuation class worked on their live case study to value Clearwater Seafoods Inc., the largest shellfish producer in North America. Based in Bedford, Nova Scotia, the company was recently acquired by Premium Brands Holdings and a coalition of Mi’kmaq First Nations on January 25, 2021.
After an exciting competition, the finalist groups went on to present their work online to a panel of judges to compete for the first-place position of strongest strategy.
Congratulations to the first-place winners:
- Griffin Brown
- Fawad Hedjran
- Harley K. Hubbard
- Melissa Reyes Chinchilla
The winning team’s experience
We spoke to the first-place team and judges panel to learn more about this semester’s competition. Hubbard shared his highlights from the experience: "Our favourite part was hearing from the panel of nine distinguished judges. Ken Paul, the Director of Fisheries with the Assembly of First Nations, was very enlightening, and Alexander Comeau, of Fiera Capital, was also very knowledgeable. Overall, it was a great experience made possible by the tutelage of Professor Michael Reynolds."
When asked about their team’s greatest challenges, workload is the first thing that came to Hubbard’s mind: "Our greatest challenge was the time commitment and workload required; each of us balanced the competition with a full course load, extracurriculars, and internships. By leveraging each other’s strengths and working as a team, we succeeded,” he concluded.
Furthermore, Ken Paul provided enlightening comments from the indigenous perspective. He indicated that the Clearwater valuation, mergers and acquisition (M&A) provided students the opportunity to reflect on important indigenous ethical considerations: "One of the biggest differences between Indigenous fishers and non-Indigenous fishers, is that in our Canadian society, we always think about maximizing economic gain," Paul shared. "In the indigenous world, a critical consideration is the need to leave some of the resource for future generations. Concepts such as corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability really mean something and are embedded in the value system of First Nations peoples."
Paul emphasized: “we had had to ensure the First Nations communities approached this M&A on a commercial base, which will benefit the communities economically.” He stressed that the Clearwater acquisition was commercial and did not involve treaty issues, such as the Indigenous maritime lobster fisheries issue that was in national news during the fall of 2020.
Congratulations again to the winning team for their work and excellent presentation!
- Category: Rising Stars
On April 6th, the Telfer School of Management hosted its annual Michel Cloutier Competition, a live case competition where fourth-year marketing students are required to present a marketing plan which aims to solve a real-life business issue for an existing company. This year's organization for the case was Canada Post.
Students were asked to build an integrated marketing plan to generate awareness, drive interest, build long-term relationship with identified target consumer segments through repeat purchases of Canada Post’s new simple loan product. Finalists presented their recommendations in front of a panel of 6 judges of industry professionals.
Congratulations to this year’s winning team:
- James Cormier
- Estevao Costa
- Ryan Coughlan
- Jackson Hines
- Paula Jaramillo Palacio
- Maclain Van Eindhoven
Team member, Estevao Costa, reflected on his greatest challenge throughout the project as well as how important it was for his team to get organized: “I believe our greatest challenge was finding the right pieces of information to focus on and develop our ideas when there was so much available data and information to explore. And we knew this would be key, since having the right information would form the basis of everything moving forward. In fact, this was so challenging for us that our marketing research project for the competition was the longest out of all teams - but luckily, it was ranked the best too!”
Estevao attributes his team’s success to great team chemistry and equal ambition from each of its members. This allowed them to foster a strong, creative space, enabling them to come up with new and cohesive ideas: ̎For me, the best part of the competition was the brainstorming sessions my team and I had when we were working on the final presentation for Canada Post.” He continued: “We were a great team that worked well together. The results we achieved are 100% due to quality teamwork, where everyone got along, and knew what they had to do for the team to succeed – everyone was willing to do what was necessary, without feeling pressured by each other. I think that was my favourite part about this competition - it’s rare to have groups work so well together, and it’s not until you’re in a group like this that you see the difference that it makes," he concluded.
Congratulations to all fourth-year marketing students who completed their marketing capstone this semester.
- Category: Rising Stars
From March 19 to 21, fouth-year Telfer BCom students participated in the Intopia Strategy Simulation, as part of their fourth year capstone Strategic Management class (ADM 4311). Students had to apply strategic management concepts in an online-simulated world, where they are required to make quick decisions in a determined period and negotiate with their peers to grow their simulated business over the weekend.
This winter, the competition was held in an online setting for the second time. When asked about the greatest challenges Intopia had in store this semester, Hanae Merdas, member of the winning team, shared: “I would say selling our inventory to the fullest [was the biggest challenge]. As we were moving forward in the game, some teams had financial difficulties in respecting contracts. However, we decided to add a clause in our contracts to respond to such situation in order to protect ourselves as Producer X and make sure the inventory was being delivered to each team.” Overall, Hanae’s experience wasn’t affected by the online environment: “Even though it was online, I had such an amazing time meeting new people and especially working within my team,” she concluded.
As a matter of fact, while the simulation was held virtually, this did not take away from the collaborative aspect of Intopia. “My favourite part was to collaborate and negotiate with the other teams and try to see what their strategy was,” said Jade Ladouceur, another member of the winning team. She continued, “I really enjoyed interacting with the others and making contracts with them! We were really all working together to try to be successful as much as possible, and at the end, a lot of people from our partnership took the time to congratulate me and my team which I really appreciated! I think this shows how we were all rooting for each other.”
Congratulations to the overall winning team and Best Component Producer:
- Hugo With
- Hanae Merdas
- Jade Ladouceur
- Katerine Delev
- Martin Arnold
Congratulations to the following teams who placed in other notable categories:
Best Finished Goods Producer: Team 56
- Austyn Gaspar
- Jared Coyle
- Josh Joy
- James Cormier
- Angie Gomez
- Kian Pezeshki
Best Integrated Producer: Team 46
- Alexis Raymond
- Nikolas Belanger
- Joy Xu
- Michael Kreshewski
- Shaambhavi Kumar
Best Service Provider: Team 2
- Amedeo Maurat
- Nicolas Bourdin
- Paul Servant
- William Simard
- Anthony Mahfouz
- Category: Latest News
After taking home three titles in 2020, the Enactus uOttawa team has again distinguished itself at the 2021 Enactus Central Canada Regionals competition. The uOttawa chapter has been awarded Central Canada Regional Champion titles in all three competition pools they competed in. They also brought home the coveted Best Project Idea all pools combined at the Scotiabank Climate Action Challenge.
“I’m happy to say that we had a very successful run at the competition.,” stated Carter Barrett, President of Enactus uOttawa and fourth-year student who is pursuing a BCom with a specialization in Management Information Systems and Analytics. “We placed first in our respective pools for all three challenges that we competed in and placed first in the country in the Scotiabank Climate Action Idea Pitch Competition with a new project idea. We will be continuing on to compete at the national level in all three challenges!”
“Enactus Regionals was a great opportunity to both celebrate our accomplishments and think of new ideas for future impact-driven work”, added Alexander Parsan, first-year student in Accounting. He continued: “It was nice to work with some members of the team that you don’t usually get to interact with.”
With the competition being held remotely for the second year in a row, Catherine Gingras, second-year student in Marketing, explained how important the competition was this year for her given the online environment: “The Enactus Canada Regional competitions are really the cumulative moment of the year, especially this year since we were working remotely the whole time. This is where we realize that all the efforts made from May to March are worth it, by the impact we created through reducing greenhouse gas emissions or by providing financial education for youth.”
The social entrepreneurship club Regional Champions will be competing at the Enactus National Competition from April 21st to 29th. Best of luck to the team!
Competition Results
CWB Financial Education Challenge
Central Canada - League A Regional Champions
University of Ottawa - Poly and Shyne Eyewear
Shyne Eyewear is social enterprise that creates socially and environmentally friendly eyewear using 100% locally recycled plastic using small scale shredding and injection moulding machines. The proceeds from these sales finance their core objective which is to provide prescription eyewear to those that need it most, both in Canada and around the world.
Runner-Up
Second Runner-Up
Scotiabank Climate Action Challenge
Central Canada – League B Regional Champions
University of Ottawa - Poly and Shyne Eyewear
Poly aims to tackle the massive environmental implication of plastic waste through the manufacturing of small-scale machines that can shred down plastic and mould it into new products using injection moulding techniques. Their mission is to make it possible for any community, anywhere, to make recycling not only a positive environmental initiative and beneficial piece of infrastructure, but also a job creator and profit generator.
Runner-Up
Second Runner-Up
Project Idea Pitches - Best Project Idea
University of Ottawa - MushPack
MushPack offers sustainable packaging alternative made from mushrooms.
Runner Up
Second Runner Up
TD Entrepreneurship Challenge
LEAGUE C - Regional Champions
University of Ottawa - Project F.L.Y. - Perfect Pitch
Project F.L.Y. is a program that strives to empower and guide youth with practical, hands, on and experiential workshops.
Perfect Pitch is a bilingual pitch competition hosted by Enactus uOttawa through Project F.L.Y. and is geared towards high school students in Ontario to teach them about entrepreneurship and its viability. It allows youth to learn about basic business skills, creative thinking, and initiative.
Runner-Up
University of Toronto – St. George
Second Runner-Up
*Disclaimer: Many photographs used on this article are archive photos taken pre-covid.
- Category: Latest News
The seventh annual Telfer Internal Case Competition (TICC) sponsored by Avison Young Ottawa took place from March 13th to March 14th, where 60 students met online to compete in a 24-hour digital marketing case. The closing ceremony gala featured Telfer alumna, Liora Raitblat (BCom, 2015), who is a Digital Delivery & Agile Coach at Export and Development Canada and Part-Time Professor at the Telfer School as a guest speaker.
An Online Success
The bilingual competition hosted by Telfer Competitions Committee (TCCT) was led by three coordinators and third-year students, Alise Gertsenchtein, Emma Rankin and Patricia Felthman. It was the first time that the competition was held online, but it didn’t stop the students from excelling during the competition.
“We can’t even put into words how proud we are of everyone that competed and overcame the challenge of a virtual competition,” stated Emma on behalf of her colleagues. “It took a lot of time, effort and adaptability, but it was a great weekend, and we are beyond excited to see Telfer compete at future case competitions! A big thank you goes out to all the volunteers and judges who helped make this event successful! If we have Iearned anything, it takes a village to host a case competition,” she added.
The excitement was also palpable amongst the students throughout the competition. “As someone who has never participated in a case competition before, TICC was the perfect opportunity for me to get my first experience,” said Dasser Kamran, fourth-year student in Marketing and President of the newly created Telfer Content Creators Commitee. He continued: “The competition had the right balance between challenging and easy for first timers like me. Although my team did not win a prize, the experience I gained was invaluable.”
The competition was just as fun for seasoned case-crackers like Liz Tran, a third-year student in Marketing. “TICC 2021 was definitely a fun time to spend with my friends. We were challenged by the sponsor to come up with a realistic and creative digital marketing campaign which certainly tested our skills as marketers. It was an experience that I would love to do again and encourage all Telfer students to participate in,” she concluded.
Reana Mouaj Agil, second-year student in Finance, also reflected on her experience at the competition: “TICC was the best first ever case comp. experience; it was my first time ever experiencing a case crack and being in that environment, and I learned so much. I know what to look for and how to analyze better, and I am excited for the years to come! I encourage anyone who can to sign up next year!”
In addition, Cole Dumelie, second year uOttawa student minoring in Management, is looking forward to attending the next TICC in the future: “I had an amazing weekend cracking my first case with TICC! My team and I were able to showcase our problem-solving skills - while under pressure - and address a real business case. Didn’t get much sleep and worked well straight through the given 24 hours. It was a challenging feat and a truly invaluable experience! TICC did a great job of organizing the event! I look forward to competing in case competitions like this one in the future!”
After watching all 20 of the teams’ presentations when the case-cracking phase of the competition drew to a close, the 9 judges had the difficult task of putting three teams on the podium for each category, Junior and Senior.
Competition Results
Juniors
- 1st place: Maryam Rana, Chau Nguyen, and Cole Dumelie
- 2nd place: Arash Jeyrani, Sean Butler, and Callum Cameron
- 3rd place: Guangtai Wei, Joy Liu, and Xilong Zheng
Seniors
- 1st place: Liz Tran, Emily Chiazza, and Nicole Sauvé
- 2nd place: Kristelle Rivard, Émilie Lebel, and Charles Doray
- 3rd place: Clarissa Tremblay-Filion, Alexis Raymond, and Jean-Simon Lavoie Albert
Congratulations to all winners, and we look forward to seeing what happens at the next year’s TICC!
- Category: Alumni in the Lead
MSc Systems Science graduate (uOttawa, 2012) and Data Analyst at Baker Tilly Ottawa LLP, Abtin Shakiba, recently received a 2021 Ottawa Award from Faces Magazine for Best Data Analyst in Ottawa. Abtin happily shared his achievement on LinkedIn and was congratulated by his proud employer.
Abtin specializes in onboarding and engaging with clients for growth and expansion. He enjoys helping clients efficiently solve their problems while offering consultative services to enable cost and time savings with the use of data and analytics.
Abtin works on projects across various verticles, applying advanced data analytics, technologies, data intelligence, data mining, data modelling, algorithms, automation, and visualizing tools. He is passionate about building his clients’ trust in comprehensive data products and services, while emphasizing education and developing more sophisticated and scalable tools to tackle complex data problems within the industry.
The Journey of Ottawa’s Top Data Analyst
After obtaining his Bachelor of Honours studying E-Commerce in Malaysia, he completed his Masters in Systems Science Engineering in 2012, a joint program from the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Engineering and the Telfer School of Management. During his Masters, he worked closely with his thesis supervisor, Telfer Professor Sandra Schillo. Abtin shared: “I always enjoy the numbers and relations between them. However, the journey started at the University of Ottawa when I was doing my Master's thesis under Professor Sandra Schillo’s supervision. We gather, collect and analyze the numbers to search for questions and solutions for real-world problems.” He also reflected that he gained the ability to look at questions from different angles: “I learned to look at the questions from different perspectives, think outside of the box, learn life lessons, and develop and hone my skills.”
Upon reflection of his journey up until his Ottawa Award achievement, Abtin noted: “I started working in a couple of startup organizations (I highly suggest it to everyone), which helped me build my professional network and slowly move up in my personal and professional life. I kept in contact with friends from university, classmates, professors, subject matter experts and anyone who taught me something new. Those were the people who nominate and support me, and I will be there for them when they need me.
Abtin continued to work with Professor Schillo when she brought him onto a research project she was working on in the area of biofuels. Professor Schilo shared her experience working with Abtin on the project: “the data we were looking for was hard to find. Abtin had to dig quite a bit to find the data we were looking for.” In 2017, Professor Schillo, Abtin and Professor Diane Isabelle from Carleton University’s business school would see their publication, “Linking advanced biofuels policies with stakeholder interests: A method building on Qualty Function Deployment”, shared in Elsevier’s Energy Policy. The paper discusses advanced biofuels and the impact it has on Canadian decision-makers in the renewable energy industry.
Professor Schillo was thrilled to see Abtin’s latest win: “I am very proud of Abtin’s accomplishment. He works incredibly hard, which is the reason why he would have received such an award. He is a team player who has always been passionate about continuous learning, and I have a lot of respect for him after working together over the years during his thesis, on our publication, and when he was a teaching assistant for one of my classes.”
In conclusion, Abtin shared his takeaways when it comes to career development: “No matter where you work, when you start and where you are in your life, the hard work, professionalism, and grinding will always show themselves when you least expect it.”
Congratulations to Abtin on his exciting achievement, and we wish him continued success in his career.
- Category: Telfer Announcements
Congratulations to Telfer PhD graduate Vusal Babashov on the successful completion of his PhD in Management. He defended his thesis on practical problems in healthcare analytics just a few weeks ago.
First of many PhD graduates
The thesis defense was conducted on January 18th as Vusal presented a quick overview of his thesis followed by two rounds of questioning by the examiners. Satisfied with his answers, they unanimously agreed that he had successfully defended his thesis. He will be the first student to have officially completed his doctoral degree at the Telfer School of Management.
Vusal began his health systems research in 2016 when the Telfer PhD in Management was first created. Upon reflection of his time at Telfer, Vusal shared: “It has been an incredible four years of PhD that was challenging and somewhat stressful at times. It's a long, but unique experience you draw upon not only to become a domain expert in your area of research, but also to become a better person who is self-motivated and who develops problem-solving and leadership skills. There is certainly a lot to learn from this experience. I'm deeply grateful to everyone including my supervisors for the support and guidance along this journey. I'm glad that I've been able to reach the finish line in this marathon, and I wish the best of luck to other doctoral candidates.”
The Finish Line
Vusal worked closely with his supervisors, Dr. Jonathan Patrick, Telfer Full Professor and Vice-Dean of the Faculty, and Assistant Professor Dr. Antoine Sauré, throughout his thesis journey. Dr. Patrick, shared his thoughts about his collaboration with Vusal: “It was a source of great satisfaction to watch Vusal defend his thesis. The development of a thesis worthy of defense is a long, hard process. Every research endeavour has its roadblocks - promising avenues that go nowhere, puzzling components that take months to figure out - and I know that there were many times along the way where Vusal was tempted to call it quits. It is a testament to his character that he persevered and is now able to reap the benefits of that determination. So congratulations Vusal on becoming the first graduate of Telfer's PhD program!”
Dr. Sauré described his pride for Vusal’s accomplishment: “Vusal’s experience, dedication, and determination to master new concepts, and desire to make a positive difference with his work will make him an excellent professional in his chosen career path. I expect him to continue contributing to our field in many different and valuable ways.”
Vusal has until February 18th to complete the revisions he received at the thesis presentation, which will then be approved by his supervisors before official submission to the University of Ottawa’s Library.
Thesis topic:
Three Practical Problems in Healthcare Analytics
Examiners:
Associate Professor Gilles Reinhardt at the University of Ottawa
Associate Professor Jonathan Li at the University of Ottawa
Assistant Professor Onur Ozturk at the University of Ottawa
Associate Professor Peter Vanberkel at Dalhousie University
Co-Supervisors:
Full Professor Jonathan Patrick at the University of Ottawa
Assistant Professor Antoine Sauré at the University of Ottawa
Chair:
Full Professor Samia Chreim at the University of Ottawa
Date of oral defence:
Monday, January 18th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (EST)
Vusal is the first of many PhD students that will be completing their doctoral studies starting this year at Telfer. We are extremely proud of all of our PhD candidates, and look forward to their continued success.
Stay tuned for more to come on this amazing milestone. Congratulations to all faculty, staff, and students who helped Vusal throughout his candidacy and made this journey possible.
- Category: Telfer Announcements
Telfer School of Management MBA alumni, Soumi Sarkar, Anjaney Agashe, and Arun Subramanian performed excellently at the 8th annual Schlesinger Global Family Enterprise Case Competition (SG-FECC), placing second on the podium in the Graduate Studies category. SG-FECC is a case competition hosted by the University of Vermont, in order to prepare participants for unique and troublesome issues related to Family Enterprise. Participants are expected to solve complex cases as well as present their solutions over the course of four rounds of competition. The competition was exceptionally held online this year.
According to the team’s coach and Telfer Full Professor of Family Business and Entrepreneurship, Peter Jaskiewicz, despite Telfer’s first time competing in the SG-FECC, they were held in very high regards by the organizers of the event, stating that “our team rocked although we lacked the experience of prior SG-FECC competitions and the track record of a long-standing family business curriculum at Telfer.”
Moreover, business owners and consultants who worked as judges at SG-FECC, highlighted on many occasions how well the Telfer former students performed, which Professor Jaskiewicz believes is a good indication that the MBA program is performing well.
“It has been very rewarding for me to coach them because they are smart, hard-working, and fun”, stated Jaskiewicz. “I enjoyed seeing them excel at analyzing complex family business problems and offering intriguing solutions to address these problems.”
“Moreover, they have shown a great team spirit from the time they took my class ‘Advising Family Business’ to their final presentation at the case competition: they always worked smoothly as a team, behaved very professionally, supported each other, and had lots of fun along the way. Well done & chapeau!”, added Professor Jaskiewicz.
See the full recording of the award ceremony here.
For more information on the Schlesinger Global Family Enterprise Case Competition click here.
- Category: Telfer Announcements
Represented by 60 students from its BCom program, Telfer obtained outstanding results during the 33rd edition of Jeux Du Commerce (JDC), which took place earlier this month.
This multidisciplinary annual competition involving over a thousand students from 13 universities is the biggest inter-university competition of its kind in Eastern Canada.
The team excitedly competed online and shared their exciting results throughout the weekend across social media. Congratulations to each team for their remarkable work!
VIP Cards
VIP card holders are students who have distinguished themselves throughout the weekend:
- Catherine Gingras
- Alex Dalcourt
- Ayaan Virani
- Rosemary Ashlie
- Charles Doray
- Aman Sidhu
- Marie-Madeleine Kabupu
- Emily Chiazza
- Emma Rankin
Competition results
Human Resources Management
First place: Emily Chiazza, Marie Madeleine Kabupu and Robyn Moke
Debate
First place: Ayaan Virani, Justin Abraham, Alex Dalcourt and Martina On
OPS (Operations Management)
Second place: Aadi Koundal, Vicky Laliberté and Emma Rankin
Entrepreneurship
Second place: Aman Sidhu, Kristelle Rivard and Daniela Diaz
Men’s formula 1 racing
Second place: Rajeev Chansingh and Abderrahmane El Bakkali
Marketing
Third place: Liz Tran, Charles Doray and Nicole Sauvé
Interactive
Third Place: Jean-Simon Lavoie-Albert, Clarissa Tremblay-Filion and Catherine Gingras
Accounting
Third place: Haya Alshaer, Ali Hassan and Rosemary Ashlie
The Telfer School of Management team also came in second place for the Academic Cup and first place for Best Improvement. Our Telfer Nation students have a lot to be proud of this year after representing their school with a presence on 10 podiums!
Visit the Telfer Competitions Committee’s Facebook page to learn more about JDC 2021 and other upcoming case competitions.
- Category: Student Announcements
The Bachelor of Commerce fourth-year students completed their respective capstone courses this past Fall 2020 semester. As a team, students had to conduct and present a live case study on a specific issue related to a real company. This semester, finalists of each discipline presented their work virtually, using video conferences to present their work in front of a panel made of professionals and professors.
Michel Cloutier Marketing Competition
On December 8th , the Telfer School of Management hosted the Michel Cloutier Competition, a live case competition where fourth-year marketing students are required to present a marketing plan which aims to solve a real-life business issue for an existing company. This year's organization for the case was Rideau Canoe Club.
Congratulations to the winning team: Aleksandra Romanowski, Amanda Lanteigne, Laura Tran, Maria Sokolov, Marianne Couture-Benitez, and Reema Radia.
Finance Capstone
All Finance students must take the Equity Valuation course in which they will undertake a case analysis to estimate the value of a real-life company and elaborate an action plan to enhance the company’s economic performance. On December 9th, 5 teams had to virtually present their results regarding the valuation of Aritzia in front of a panel of judges from Fiera Capital and BMO Capital Markets, as well as a private investigator and former Professor Allan Riding, the founder of the course. The judges were extremely impressed by the quality of the students’ presentations: “The quality of the presentations was exceedingly impressive! I had a challenging time coming up with my rankings,” shared one of the judges.
Congratulations to the winning team of the Finance case competition: Justin Abraham, Julia Magahey, and Liam Woodside.
Accounting Capstone (French section)
On November 25th, the finalists of the French section of the Accounting capstone course presented their analysis of a company and report on accounting issues in front of a panel of professionals and their peers. This year the case was based on a fictitious company, and the competition was sponsored by CPA Ontario and Logan Katz.
Congratulations to the winning team of the French accounting section: Gabriel Baril-Lavoie, Guillaume Forget, Julien Lafleur, Mike Sirhan, and Kevin Wilson.
- Category: Rising Stars
From November 13th to 15th, our fourth-year BCom students participated in the Intopia Strategy Simulation, as part of their fourth-year Strategic Management class (ADM 4311). Students had to apply strategic management concepts in an online-simulated world, where they are required to make quick decisions in a determined period and negotiate with their peers in order to grow their business over the weekend.
This fall, the competition was held strictly in an online setting, which certainly came with some challenges. "My greatest challenge during the competition was having to do everything virtually. Instead of chatting face-to-face, you’re monitoring your inbox and trying to type back to people as quickly as possible. But, by the end of the weekend, you get into the groove of things, you feel more confident in your process, and it gets easier," shared Madison Woo, a member of the winning team.
A Final Challenge
The team was also challenged when the game administrator changed the market dynamics, forcing them to change, in just two days, a strategy that had taken 3 months to develop. "The challenge was to make all the correct changes proactively before it was too late. To accomplish this, we analyzed the strategic implications early on, determined how our models and strategies needed to pivot, and swiftly executed our action plan," said Howard Feng, another member of the winning team.
Congratulations to the overall winning team and Best Service Provider: Emily de Witte, Howard Feng, Nic Renaud, Rebecca Stiletto and Madison Woo.
Congratulations to the following winning teams:
Best Component Producer: Team 41 |
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Best Finished Goods Producer: Team 3 |
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Best Integrated Producer: Team 25 |
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- Category: Rising Stars
Since 2010, Project F.L.Y. (Future Leaders in Youth) has been run by Enactus uOttawa as a leadership program with the dedicated mission to empower youth. These university students strive to teach youth some of life’s most important skills through engaging workshops that will benefit them with the opportunity to grow personally and professionally.
Last week, Project F.L.Y. was mentioned in an article posted by The Star in Toronto, which highlighted the team’s ability to help students navigate through mental wellness: a topic that is becoming increasingly important especially with the COVID-19 restrictions put in place.
With the help of Jack.org, ambassadors of Project F.L.Y. have created a mental health curriculum across local schools, community groups, and rural communities in order to educate youth of all ages about mental wellness, while also increasing their ability to seek for help and support when needed. Content topics within the elementary curriculum includes positive self-talk, care activities, and mindfulness instruction.
Enactus uOttawa has grown tremendously over the past year, collaborating with 8 new partners, and attracting 500 attendees to their workshops.
Learn more about the various initiatives prepared under Project F.L.Y. shared in the Star.
*Archive picture from 2019
- Category: Telfer Announcements
It is with great sadness that the family of Professor William (Bill) Rentz announces his recent passing.
Esteemed professor and member of the Telfer family since July 1st, 1975, Bill has influenced 3 different generations of young minds mainly through Financial & Portfolio Management classes and acted as Coordinator for the Accounting and Finance section at the School. Over the years, he has welcomed and helped numerous finance faculty members as they joined Telfer, and he was considered a mentor to his students.
"Bill contributed so much to the University and especially to the Accounting and Finance section. He sat on the University’s pension committee for many years and we enjoyed the benefits of his expertise. He would always ask the tough questions at committee level or School Council. He had a wonderful sense of humour that will be sadly missed. When I arrived at Telfer, Bill was always there with a smile to give me advice whether I wanted it or not. His door was always open if you just wanted to shoot the breeze or discuss a more pressing topic. Office 7106 will seem very empty in the months to come. The Telfer community has lost a beloved colleague whose compassionate and endearing manner will be greatly missed."
- Professor Philip McIlkenny
"Bill was a respectful and supportive colleague, always ready to provide his time, input, and ideas. His research insights and teaching expertise provided many of us with novel ways to approach our own work. While Bill would not always agree with you, he would always listen, and end the conversation on a positive note. We will dearly miss his counsel and advice."
- Professor Samir Saadi
"Sharing the 7th-floor hallway with Bill encouraged many late-afternoon chats. His door was always open to seek his opinion, trade news on research and teaching, debate politics, and to learn about his vibrant love of family. Bill's students raved about his classes; the long lines outside his door were a testament to his rapport with them. Working with Bill on the School Council and the APUO offered us the opportunity to observe his enviable skill for saying little and much at the same time. Bill was a kind and dear colleague, who understood and fostered community and collegiality. We were blessed to have known him."
- Professor Cheryl S. McWatters
Bill will be missed by all of us. Given the current public health measures, his family has announced that there will be no public funeral. A private ceremony with close relatives will be held in his memory.
Any additional details about the condolences will be communicated in time.
- Category: Student Announcements
This year is a new experience for everyone due to the “new normal” we have been adapting to over the last six months since the COVID-19 pandemic began. These changes have brought about many new learnings, challenges, and even opportunities.
After having to postpone their usual in-person event in March, The Legacy Conference team is committed to delivering another memorable conference experience this year, even if it means going virtual. As the largest student-run conference in Canada, this year is extra special for the team as they celebrate 10 years of The Legacy Conference in Ottawa. In 2010, a University of Ottawa student saw an opportunity to inspire the next generation of student leaders through entrepreneurship, and thus, the Legacy Conference was born.
The Legacy Conference is designed for the learners and doers of this world. Speakers have a laid-back attitude and provide a personal experience, often wearing casual attire like t-shirts & jeans. “Legacy is all about sharing those genuine, real-life moments of entrepreneurship. We are empowering the future generation of leaders at our workshops, mentorship sessions, career fairs and more,” as their website states.
Legacy Conference 2020
As always, the conference is open to all University of Ottawa students with an interest in leadership and entrepreneurship intended to “provide the next line of leaders with the necessary resources to help them cultivate new ideas, kickstart business endeavours or build onto current ones.” This year's Director, Sally Adam, and the rest of the Legacy team is excited to present their first-ever virtual edition of the event, as they have made it clear it will be the same phenomenal experience, but “now all in your sweatpants.”
Sally her motivations for joining, and leading, the Legacy Conference movement this year: “I found out about Legacy randomly and since then, I've been hooked on our mission. We're focused on sharing the powerful moments of passion, failure, and perseverance that often define entrepreneurship. University is sadly when students let fear drive life-altering decisions about the paths worth travelling. Legacy is changing that for a lot of young people, including myself."
This year’s line-up of speakers include:
- Jason Fried, Founder and CEO of Basecamp
- Rob Villeneuve, CEO of Rebel
- Brian Scudamore, Founder and CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
- Anne De Aragon, Vice President and Country Manager of GoDaddy Canada
- Shawn Kanungo, Keynote Speaker and Disruption Strategist
- Emily Anne Epstein, Editor-in-Chief of Narcity Media
- Mike Smith, Founder of Skate4Change and The Bay
- Travis Rosbach, Co-founder of HydroFlask
- Seth Godin, best-selling author and entrepreneur
- Izzy Camilleri, Designer at IZ Adaptive
Interested in joining the fun and learning from this line of leaders to cultivate new ideas, kickstart business endeavours or elevate existing ones? Grab your tickets to attend this year’s virtual Legacy Conference on Friday, October 2nd, 2020.
- Category: Telfer Announcements
On June 24th, Telfer's Annual Excellence Recognition Assembly was held. Hosted by Dean François Julien, this annual summer meeting is an opportunity to highlight the efforts and exceptional work of the professors and administrative staff with awards assigned through votes by their peers.
Telfer Awards
Awarded to administrative staff and faculty members who have distinguished themselves through excellence in service and dedication to their work, the 2020 Telfer Awards winners are (from left to right in the top image):
Administrative staff:
- Alexandre Bélanger
- Geneviève Séguin
- Tina Albert
Faculty members:
- Daina Mazutis
- Jonathan Patrick
- Mirou Jaana
- Muriel Mignerat
Patricia Ann O’Rourke Award for Excellence in Service
Created in 2014, it honours Patricia Ann O’Rourke, an individual who, over the course of her remarkable career, provided exceptional service to one and all, for the greater benefit of the Telfer School and its stakeholders. She personified “service excellence” and was an inspiration to all of her colleagues, faculty and support staff alike. Patricia retired the same year after 32 years of service.
This annual award will recognize those employees (either faculty or administrative staff) who demonstrate a strong desire and ability to help others, and in so doing, advance the interests of the School and contribute to the development of a culture of service excellence.
This year the Patricia Ann O’Rourke Award winners are:
- Abdul Kane (picture not available)
- Dean François Julien, as a recognition of his legacy as outgoing Dean
Congratulations to all of our 2020 winners!
- Category: Latest News
It is with profound regret and sorrow that we have learned recently of the passing of our former professor Tom Brzustowski following a brief illness.
Following a brilliant career as a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Waterloo and as a public servant, as deputy minister in the Government of Ontario from 1987 to 1995, first in the Ministry of Colleges and Universities, and later in the Premier’s Council. He was appointed President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) in October 1995, where he would spend the next 10 years.
Tom completed his professional journey at the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa, where he was the inaugural RBC Professor in Commercialization of Innovation. Author and lecturer, he advocated tirelessly for innovation in Canada and received Honorary Doctorates from several universities across Canada.
His life’s work to build a better Canada was nationally recognized, as he received the Order of Canada in 2002 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada the year prior. In 2006, he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Professional Engineers of Ontario.
On behalf of the Telfer School of Management, we wish to offer our most sincere condolences to his entire family.
We invite you to send your message of sympathy to the family. Please visit his obituary page here.
- Category: Telfer Announcements
After two mandates and ten years as the Dean of the Telfer School of Management, François Julien is stepping down on June 30th, 2020. In his time as Dean, he oversaw the creation of the PHD in Management Program, the expansion of our research capabilities, the development and expansion of the Financial Research and Learning Laboratory, the growth of the Centre for Executive Leadership, including the move to larger and more modern facilities in the Ottawa downtown core, the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the School, and he hired a new generation of diverse faculty and staff to lead the School into the future. He also leaves the School with a lasting legacy for a vision of a Better Canada. A vision for the School to work towards making Canada a greener, happier, healthier, and wealthier place for all.
Current Vice-Dean Research Wojtek Michalowski will take over the role of Interim Dean on July 1st, 2020. Wojtek is a Full Professor of Health Informatics and he has spent over 20 years at the School. He will serve in the interim dean capacity until June 30th, 2021, or until such time as a new Dean of the Telfer School is installed. During Wojtek’s tenure as Vice-Dean Research, he has been a strong advocate for research excellence, led the creation of the School’s four Areas of Strategic Impact, the expansion of the SMRG funding program (Telfer Funding) for research support, and oversaw increasing success rates for tri-council competition grants.
A search committee chaired by President Jacques Frémont has been formed and the anticipated date for having the next Dean of the Telfer School of Management in place is on or before July 1st, 2021.
- Category: Rising Stars
As the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the globe during the past few months, the stock market plummeted to new lows creating havoc for investors and financial planners. During this unprecedented time, a team of students at Telfer School competed against 37 teams from 20 different universities and colleges on an international stage in an investment competition.
Sponsored by The Vanguard Group, an investment management company based in the state of Pennsylvania, and hosted by Temple University’s Fox School of Business, the annual Vanguard Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) Challenge requires teams of four students to manage a portfolio of $1 million for three months. They analysed ETF from both a fundamental and technical point of view, evaluated risks, performed an economic analysis using micro and macro trends, and finally set up a strategy about a new ETF at Vanguard. The top 15 finalists were chosen based upon the overall performance of their portfolio. Given the exceptional circumstances this year, each team had to present its investment strategy online before a combined panel of Vanguard and Temple representatives, who selected the top two teams, one for each division (undergraduate and graduate).
Four students represented the University of Ottawa at the competition, including three Telfer students: Anh Nguyen Nguyen (Finance), Abdul Shunbuli (Finance), Daniel Tian (BCom/JD), and Jad Izgua (Financial Mathematics and Economics). The team won in the undergraduate division.
“There were many uncertain days, as we were afraid that the market would go wild. So we had to pay attention to the market and news everyday,” shared Anh. “A lot of emotions were involved. We sometimes freak out when the market drops, rush selling and we end up buying high, selling low, but there were days of enjoyment as our portfolio gained more than we expected.”
As the market was highly volatile, the uOttawa team sometimes prioritized patience, but it sometimes meant having to take big losses. “We forgot to liquidate one time before the weekend and lost 8% on Monday,” remembered Anh. “Timing the market was extremely difficult. Although we had the correct expectation for the market movement, it sometimes took time for the market to correct itself.”
Overall, Anh and his team enjoyed the three-month competition, and personally grew throughout this competition. “Not only have [we] learned a lot about ETF management and trading strategy, but we have also learned that emotional involvement might destroy a portfolio, and that the news has a huge impact on a stock movement. Good earnings coming out might not make the stock go up if people front-run already based on anticipation,” added Anh.
Congratulations to the 2020 Vanguard ETF Challenge winners and for representing Telfer Nation on an international level!
- Category: Rising Stars
During their final year of undergraduate studies, the Telfer Bachelor of Commerce students must complete their respective capstone courses. A capstone project is an academic experience where students conduct a live case study on a subject that targets a specific issue. The students in Finance, Accounting, and Marketing participate in these final presentations at the end of their studies. The students must present their conclusions in front of a panel of judges and peers, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year's Capstone projects were not presented in front of a live audience, but they had the opportunity to still showcase their final presentations online to a panel of judges.
Finance Capstone
All Finance students must take the Equity Valuation course in which they will undertake a case analysis to estimate the value of a real-life company and elaborate an action plan to enhance the company’s economic performance.
In the last few weeks, the Finance 4th year students completed their capstone courses. As a team, students conducted a live case study on specific issue related to a real company.
This winter 2020 Capstone Live Case involved valuing NFI Industries, North America's largest bus (transit & coaches) manufacturer. NFI Industries is head quartered in Winnipeg (Manitoba), and has manufacturing facilities throughout North America and Europe.
Both groups delivered outstanding videos which were forwarded to a panelist of three judges. Abul Kane, Telfer's Instructional Designer, was able provide the groups presenting with "best practices" regarding creating videos and submitting the videos to the judges.
The School would like to show its appreciation for all of the work done by Professor Mike Reynolds as the Finance Capstones final presentations would not have been possible without his hard work and flexible accomodation to the current coronavirus situation. Thanks to him, our Finance 4th year students are able to conclude their journey at Telfer with a sense of accomplishment.
Congratulations to the first-place winners of the case competition: Philip Kaczmarczyk and Joy Xu.
"Although it was challenging to work remotely, my group was able to take advantage of the various collaboration platforms available and the Management Library's research tools. The current circumstances made the analysis of the company more complex and dynamic, which challenged my group to reconsider many factors as the situation continuously evolved. Participating in the competition allowed us to apply our learnings from class, while developing many skills along the way" - Joy Xu
Congratulations to the second-place winners: Yacine Amalou, Liam Blevins, Bashir Hussen and Jared Sullivan.
Intopia Strategy Simulation
From March 13 to 15, 4th year students from the Bachelor of Commerce participated in the Intopia Strategy Simulation, as part of their 4th year Strategic Management class (ADM 4311). The aim of the simulation is for students to apply strategic management concepts in an online-simulated world, where they are required to make quick decisions in a determined period and negotiate with their peers in order to grow their business over the weekend.
Congratulations to the following teams for their respective titles:
Team 62, Best Component Producer: Chris Gent, Eshmam Khan, Benjamin Ottenhof, Phoebe Sipa and Sam Sutherland.
Team 7, Best Service Provider: Hamza Benzakour, Badr Ghilani, Mehdi Lahchimi, Annalisa Lemieux Barsetti, Ali Rais and Juliette Libersan
Team 37, Best Finished Goods Producer: Feyisope Adedotun, Tanya Frlan, Eric Methot and Joshua Powers.
Finally, congratulations to the members of the overall winning team and Best Integrated Producer: Liam Blevins, Marina Bossio, Garrett Galvin, Heather Officer and Christoforos Pietrobon.
- Category: Latest News
Every year, the Enactus Canada Regional Exposition brings together student, academic, and industry leaders to celebrate the achievements of Canada’s future leaders and entrepreneurs. Typically, each school presents their live pitches to a panel of judges who decide which Enactus teams and student entrepreneurs will be named Regional Champions and move on to the final rounds of the competition held at the Enactus Canada National Exposition.
This year, due to COVID-19’s campus shutdowns and national lockdowns, the competition had to cancel its in-person event and hold it online instead. Enactus teams across Central and Atlantic Canada had to quickly pivot and find ways to showcase how they are solving social, economic, and environmental challenges through entrepreneurial action.
Through the creative use of video, storytelling, and narration, our Enactus uOttawa team submitted their “virtual showings” that won three of the four categories, securing their place at Nationals, which will also be held online in a couple of weeks.
The team was crowned champion during a Facebook Live event in their respective leagues in the following challenges:
- Scotiabank Climate Change Challenge
- Scotiabank Youth Empowerment Challenge
- TD Entrepreneurship Challenge
Here is one of their submissions for the Entrepreneurship Challenge, about the sustainable plastic recycling company, Poly:
Congratulations to Parker Selman (President of Enactus uOttawa) as well as Julia Raseta and Carter Barrett, the presenters in the video (voices behind the scenes) and the rest of the team on this amazing accomplishment.
From all of Telfer Nation, we wish our Enactus uOttawa team best of luck putting together their virtual submissions for Nationals!
- Category: Community Engagement
The escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic is putting unprecedented financial burdens on many uOttawa students, and lower income students are especially vulnerable. A special emergency fund has been established by the University to provide critical support now. We are asking alumni - if you can - to support uOttawa’s student emergency fund, or one of two Telfer-specific funds also set up to support our efforts in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
University of Ottawa COVID-19 Student Emergency Aid Fund
Created to help students who are experiencing emotional and financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students are dealing with unprecedented disruptions to their academic lives as they transition to remote learning, see local and summer jobs eliminated, and most had to leave their campus residence to minimise public health risks. Your emergency financial contributions help students University-wide to overcome distressing financial situations and help mitigate mental health issues. Students urgently need your support to remain focused on academic success now and in preparation for the Fall semester.
Telfer School of Management Wellness Fund
Our students physical well-being, emotional intelligence, and mental health are top priorities for the Telfer School. Students today are having to manage stressful situations in their lives that affect their physical and mental well-being. From raising awareness to providing counselling service and training, your support of this fund will help Telfer students cope successfully during their time of need to help them during the university career and beyond.
Dean's Strategic Priorities Fund
Immediate, accessible funds that our Dean can rapidly draw upon and meet crises like COVID-19 head-on. At Telfer, this means equipping our researchers to develop analytic models that will support the healthcare system to better plan and manage their capacity. It also means supporting research that will help us navigate the unchartered waters of our new work-life reality; working from home, coping with new job tasks or lack of childcare, and the impact it can have on employees’ mental health as well as the ways in which organizations can support their employees during these difficult times.
Interested in supporting a fund that you dont see here? click here.
To make your donation by phone, we invite you to communicate with Joella Gencher, Development Officer, Leadership Giving at
Thank you for your generosity!
- Category: Latest News
As of Wednesday, March 18, 2020 all in-person classes and labs in the current (Winter 2020) term will be moved to distance and online learning formats for the rest of the semester. We understand that this may increase stress and anxiety, so we’ve put together a quick list of tips to help you manage your studies from home.
- Maintain self-care: First and foremost, taking care of yourself will allow you to succeed throughout these weeks. Get into a daily routine that works for you, eat and sleep properly, take breaks when needed, and try some at-home exercises such as yoga, body-weight workouts, or stretching.
- Create a dedicated workspace: You might not be used to watching online lectures or making notes from home, so it is important to create a comfortable space for you to maximize productivity. Try to stay away from your bed (which won’t promote focus), and work at a table with a comfortable chair as if you were at school. You can even decorate the space with some cute plants and art that you already have at home.
- Make a plan: It’s easy to get distracted and lose track of deadlines at home. Start off by building a calendar with all of your important dates, and then figure out a to-do list prioritized by date and/or importance. Having a visual to look at when you’re feeling lost will help to keep you on track.
- Use group communication tools: Being at home can be isolating, so be sure to keep in touch with group members, classmates, and friends via digital tools through group chats and direct messages. This will help you feel more supported.
- Ensure that you have access to everything you need: In order to stay on top of your work, make sure that you have consistent access to Wi-Fi. Sometimes, connections can be interrupted, and technology mishaps occur all the time. You can take measures to save work or important files often. You can also share your documents online in cloud-based drives, so that you can access them from anywhere while using Wi-Fi. We suggest you save contact information of professors and classmates in case you need to reach them due to missing information or technical difficulties.
Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help. We are all entering uncharted territory and need to support one another. Stay in touch and stay healthy - we will see you soon #TelferNation!
- Category: Student Announcements
The 2020 CEOx1Day program, organized by Odgers Berndtson, has finalized its placements with four of Telfer’s Bachelor of Commerce students in the semi-finals. This challenge includes a selection process, and the top winners will win a day to spend with any CEO participating in the program. After several rounds of a competition selection process, one Telfer student made it to the top two Ottawa finalist spots.
We would like to congratulate the following BCom students for their progression to the semi-finals round:
- Ciara Carey: 4th-year, International Management
- Farah Osman: 3rd-year, Marketing
- Joy Xu: 4th-year, Accounting
- Rylan Williams: 4th-year, International Management
Fourth-year BCom student, Ciara Carey, made it to the finals, and will be spending a day with Sasha Suda, Director & CEO of the National Gallery of Canada, on February 26th.
The CEOx1Day Challenge
Odgers Berndtson, a global executive search firm, started this program as a world-wide initiative that connects third and fourth-year students with top CEOs. To find the next generation of Canadian business leaders, Odgers Berndtson has selected 20 students to shadow some of Canada’s top CEOs.
Students discover the inner workings that build company success, such as fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation.
CEOx1Day has brought in new companies to match with students for the program’s 7th edition, including:
- Capital One Canada
- Facebook and Instagram Canada
- Sephora Canada
- Absolute Software
- Total E&P Canada
- National Gallery of Canada
- Toronto Zoo
Odgers Berndtson works with a broad range of clients and integrated talent solutions. The CEOx1Day program was the organization’s way of investing in the development of Canada’s future leaders.
This Year’s University of Ottawa Finalist
Ciara Carey, this year ‘s finalist, shared the details on her journey from application to final placement. She listed some of the opportunities that led her to feel more prepared going into the various competing rounds:
“I feel extremely fortunate for the different opportunities and teams I’ve gotten to be a part of throughout my Telfer undergraduate experience (BSA, JDCC, etc). I’ve learned many hard skills as a result of my involvement; however, what I’m most thankful for are the soft skills I have developed.
Coming into university after having played competitive basketball rigorously, I thought I understood work ethic and teamwork, but these extracurriculars ended up being a whole other test of what it means to be part of something bigger than yourself. They taught me to self-reflect, work on seeing the bigger picture, and how to act with humility. Most importantly, I’ve learned how to be a better teammate.
Due to my extra-curricular involvement, I had many experiences that I could pull from to demonstrate my leadership abilities, that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.“
Application Process
The application process for this year started in early October 2019, which the Canadian Association of Business Schools (CABS) added as a requirement for all Jeux Du Commerce Central (JDCC) delegates. After the application, an online leadership assessment was conducted by Hogen Assessments. Next, the applicant is drawn for a telephone interview with an Odgers Berndtson executive search professional. The last step was a half-day semi-finalist evaluation at the Odgers Berndtson’s office. Challenges, workshops, and exercises were used to assess the interpersonal and communication skills of the candidates, as well as their teamwork skills, problem solving abilities, and leadership potential.
The Motivation to Apply
As a JDCC delegate and this year’s JDCC Coordinator, Ciara submitted an application to the program, as she “thought shadowing a CEO for a day would be an amazing experience. After reading the descriptions of the CEOs offered in the region, I was excited by the idea of spending a day with Sasha Suda and learning about her journey.” Ciara shared, “I am especially interested in learning more about how the National Art Gallery operates in general, and the leadership abilities that are needed as a CEO. Furthermore, I’m curious about the organization’s strategic goals and the role Mrs. Suda plays in achieving them. I would also love to hear about her personal journey, and her opinion about the impact that art has on the community.“
Tips for Future Applicants
Applying to a program of this magnitude can be intimidating at first, but certainly worth while. With the right tips, you can work towards hopefully obtaining a finalist position. Ciara shared her advice for students applying for next year’s CEOX1Day program:
“An obstacle you might face is an internal struggle deciding to actually apply. Similarly to when underclassmen ask me for advice about getting involved in Telfer, my biggest advice for folks interested in CEOx1Day is to ‘just go for it!’ Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and don’t be afraid to ‘fail’ (everything is a learning opportunity). For CEOx1Day, I think it definitely helps to be honest and authentic, especially when it comes to the Hogan Assessment portion of the selection process.”
Ciara also shared that she is happy to get in contact with any students that may be looking for advice for their future application!
We hope Ciara has an insightful day at the National Art Gallery, and look forward to learning more about her experience.
- Category: Student Announcements
Our Telfer Bachelor of Commerce students began 2020 by competing at Jeux Du Commerce (JDC) and Jeux Du Commerce Central (JDCC) competitions, receiving 9 team and individual awards.
Through months and months of training, coaching, practice, and simulation, our JDCC team brought home 3 wins!
From January 3 to 7th, 2020, nearly 130 students represented the Telfer School of Management at the two largest undergraduate case competitions in Canada. These competitions are comprised of over 10 universities, and students can compete in either academics, sports, or social categories.
Management and business students across Canada spend months searching for the best candidates, placing them into categorical teams (such as marketing or finance), and help them practice their competition skills to compete against top students across the nation. In terms of the academics component, teams of three are given three hours to develop a case resolution that they then share with a panel of judges during a 20-minute presentation. Only the top three teams receive recognition and awards at the closing ceremony.
Jeux Du Commerce
This year, JDC was hosted at HEC Montréal in Quebec, where Telfer students were competing against 13 other schools in Québec. With a team of 82 students, Telfer brought home:
2 VIP Awards
- Andre Caissie - Accounting Case
- Charles Doray - Surprise Case
1 Team MVP (4 people)
- Quinn St. Pierre
- Sammy Najm
- Olivia Yap
- Angela Monfleury
Students are selected for VIP awards by academic judges for standing out in their category and presentation.
MVPs are awarded only to 1 person per category but in this case, was given to one team: the social team.
Jeux Du Commerce Central
At JDCC, Telfer students travelled to St.Catherines, Ontario to compete at Brock University, where Telfer students were competing against 11 other schools from Ontario. With a team of 46 students, Telfer brought home:
3 Podium Awards
- 1st place - HR case (Joy Xu, Aman Sidhu, Soumaya Esanhaji)
- 3rd place - Debate case (Samuel Benhamou, Aadi Koundal, Joseph Salem, Omar Al Salaq)
- 3rd place - Wildcard case (Bobby Wong, Dylan Budimir-Hussey, Soumaya Esanhaji)
2 VIP Awards
- Bobby Wong - Entrepreneurship case
- Dylan Budimir Hussey - Finance case
1 MVP
- Amede Fontaine - Sports team
The Telfer Competitions Committee (TCCT) is the student association that selects and prepares undergraduate delegations for both JDC and JDCC. They are the students that reach out to all the coaches, which significantly impacts the team’s success. They also provide all the practice cases and run the case simulations.
Leah Salzman, President of TCCT said:
“I would like to commend the hard work of every delegate that participated this year. I would also like to recognize the outstanding work of both the JDC Coordinators and JDCC Captains. Without them and the delegates, none of this would be possible. Lastly I would like to thank the Telfer faculty for their ongoing support.”
We look forward to cheering on our Telfer students again at next year’s JDC and JDCC competitions! Now, TCCT is getting ready for the next case competition, Happening Marketing, taking place in Spring 2020.
- Category: Telfer Announcements
Over the last few weeks, the Bachelor of Commerce 4th-year students completed their respective capstone courses. As a team, students must conduct a live case study on a specific issue related to a real company. The finalists of each discipline must then present their work in front of a panel of professionals and classmates.
Intopia
From November 8 to 10, 4th-year students participated in the Intopia Strategy Simulation, as part of their Strategic Management class. The aim of the simulation is for students to apply strategic management concepts in an online-simulated world, where they are required to make quick decisions in a determined period and negotiate with their peers in order to grow their business over the weekend.
Congratulations to the members of the winning team: Katya Berezovskaia, Robert Mackenzie Duncan, Patrick Kaminski, Tsoi Yuen Lau and Evan Naylor
Michel Cloutier Marketing Competition
On December 3, the Telfer School of Management hosted the Michel Cloutier Marketing Competition, a live case competition, where fourth-year marketing students are required to present a marketing plan which aims to solve a real-life issue. This year's cohort created marketing strategies for the University of Ottawa's Alumni Engagement team.
Congratulations to the winning team: Jia Zi Chen, Jiana Bandojo, Kyenshak Zakka, Will Vincent, Michael Vice and Fiona Ing.
Finance Capstone
All finance students must take the Equity Valuation course in which they undertake a case analysis to estimate the value of a real company and elaborate an action plan to enhance the company’s economic performance. On December 4, finalists presented their results in front of a panel while other students created posters explaining the company’s financial value. This semester's teams analyzed a case on Canopy Growth.
Congratulations to the winning team of the case competition: Tsoi (Jack) Lau and Mackenzie Duncan.
Congratulations to the winning team of the poster competition: Rushika Khatkar, Nourhan Mohamed and Pierre-Andre Smith.
Accounting Capstones
On December 4 and November 25, the finalists of the accounting competition presented their analysis of a company and report on related accounting issues.
Congratulations to the winning team of the English accounting section: Robin Cheung, Adib Hossain, Kushalsingh Romooah, Ziyad Zeidan, Yasr Said and Leah Salzman.
Congratulations to the winning team of the French accounting section: Laurence Vaillancourt, Alexandre Plouffe, Tina Samaha and Myriam Joanisse.
- Category: Student Announcements
The evening of Monday, November 25th marked Telfer student non-profit organization, CASCO’s 20th annual gala. That’s a full generation raising over $600,000 in funds for the kids at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). This year, CASCO President, Michaela McLoughlin, and her hard-working team raised $62,005 for CHEO, funds that will go towards youth mental health initiatives.
The 2019 Gala theme of “The Ripple Effect” came to life at the event with inspiring dancing, singing, and modelling from University of Ottawa students who rehearse every weekend in the fall to prepare for this night. The theme of the gala was moving as each performance was connected to the overall idea that one small action can create a ripple effect that impacts others and can even change the world. The narrator of the show eloquently explained how values such as courage, perseverance, and love have been emulated by many influential leaders such as Mother Theresa, Gandhi, Terry Fox, Malala Yousafzai, Ellen DeGeneres and more.
The CASCO team’s involvement doesn’t end at its spectacular gala though. Students work throughout the entire year to put on unique fundraisers that lead up to the final event. These give students the opportunity to give back to the community while having fun at sports tournaments, paint lessons, bake sales, trivia nights, and more.
CASCO was founded in 1998 by Telfer alumni, Alexandre St-Jean and Tuan Nguyen to honour their friend, Eric Danis who passed away from Leukemia. Every year since then, Telfer students have put in countless hours of work and passion towards the cause, and they’re not done yet.
Congratulations to the entire CASCO team and cast on another successful year and gala!
- Category: Appointments and Honours
Dean François Julien and Vice-Dean of Programs & Executive Director of the Telfer Centre for Executive Leadership (CEL) Julie Beauchamp are pleased to announce the appointment of Guy Laflamme and Jean Desgagné as Executives-in-Residence at the Centre.
The Centre for Executive Leadership is part of the Telfer School of Management, and is focused on delivering innovative executive development programming for our clients. The Centre’s clients include public, private and not-for-profit sector organizations in the Ottawa region, across the country, and internationally.
Guy Laflamme
Guy Laflamme is an international keynote speaker with 25 years of experience in high-visibility marketing and production roles for a variety of organizations including the Department of Canadian Heritage, the National Capital Commission, and Casino du Lac-Leamy, among others. He completed his MBA from the Telfer School of Management in 1989, and taught at the Telfer School as a Part-Time Professor for 15 years. He has received the Trudeau Medal in 2005, the highest honour given by the Telfer School of Management to its alumni.
In 2018, Laflamme was a recipient of the Alumnus of the Year Award, which recognizes the outstanding achievement of a University of Ottawa alumni member within the last year. This year, we asked Laflamme to take the role of Honorary Chair for the 50th anniversary of the Telfer School of Management. Laflamme led the Ottawa 2017 project, celebrating 150 years of Canada. The $40 million dollar program of major events and festivities brought in $300 million dollars for the city of Ottawa. That success earned him a nomination to the Order of Ottawa and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario. Radio-Canada and LeDroit named him “Personality of the Year” for his vision, boundless imagination, determination and enthusiasm.
Jean Desgagné
Jean Desgagné who has recently been appointed as CEO of Stablecorp Canada and as a Board member of CAA Insurance and Echelon Insurance, was formerly the president and CEO at TMX Global Solutions, Insights and Analytics Strategies. As a Chartered Professional Accountant and a proud graduate of Telfer School of Management (BCom ‘86), he currently serves as a member of the President's Advisory Council for the University of Ottawa, and Chairs the Dean's Advisory Board (Toronto) at Telfer.
As the first donor of its capital fund, Desgagné also contributed to the creation of the Telfer Financial Research and Learning Lab. He also acts as a mentor for the Telfer Capital Markets program, serving as a judge of multiple finance competitions over the years, as well as a notorious speaker at countless events.
Desgagné and his wife started the Desgagné-Soden Family Scholarship Fund for female commerce students, in 2009. “While I applaud all the work that goes on to get women in senior roles,” he says, “I’m acutely aware that we need to get the pipeline going at the beginning.” “It’s a win- win for the students, for the school, and for me,” he says. “I can look back and say I did something good here.”
He also received the Trudeau Medal from his alma mater in 2009, as well as the Queen's Jubilee Medal in 2002 in recognition of his service to the community.
- Category: Telfer Announcements
On November 9th, 2019, 90 students from francophone high schools across Ontario came to Ottawa to participate in the business case competition, Place à la jeunesse at the Telfer School of Management.
Each year, Place à la jeunesse is organized by Telfer students to introduce high school students to the business world, and prepare them for university. At this year’s 16th competition, 30 teams were selected from 90 schools to test their business case skills. The students competed in one of four categories; marketing, accounting, entrepreneurship, or debate.
The event started the evening before the competition, where Telfer students led workshops on PowerPoint, problem-solving, and presentation skills to coach the high school students who had never been in a business environment before. The next day, the teams received their business cases, created solutions, and presented to the judges. Winners received scholarships to the University of Ottawa from sponsors that added up to $82,500.
Telfer is thrilled to congratulate the winners of each category:
Marketing
1st place: Emma Iusan, Vanessa St-Denis et Julianne Lacelle from ÉSC L’Escale
2nd place: Ashley Edouard, Elyse-Anne Bordeleau et Saïma Altimo from CC Samuel-Genest
3rd place: Kara D’Arcangelo, Chloé Emery et Christian Ricard from ÉSC Thériault
Accounting
1st place: Marika Brunet, Emma Phillips and Annabel Clément from ÉSC L’Escale
2nd place: Mélodie Chartrand, Jade Poirier and Julien Lemieux from ÉSCR de Hawkesbury
3rd place: Alexa Caron, Keenan Roy and Emma Bertrand from ÉSC Thériault
Standout competitor: Marika Brunet
Entrepreneurship
1st place: Lyra Sheldon, Cameron Chevalier and Mathias Lazure from ÉSC. E.J. Lajenesse
2nd place: Alexis Jeaurond, Laurie Boucher and Maxim Sauvé-Rozon from ÉSP Le Sommet
3rd place: Patrick Ibrahim, Simon Willemsma and Cyril Fayek from ÉS Père-René-De-Galinée
Debate
1st place: Lia Charleois, Cassandra Joly and Catherine Vaillant from ÉSCR de Hawkesbury
2nd place: Nathalie Shuh, Sarah Clouston amd Anne-Sophie Autale from ÉSP. Le Sommet
3rd place: Delhia Mainville, Kassandra Marleau and Marie Luciani-Grimaldi from ÉSC de Plantagenet
Best Presenters
Marketing: Kara D’Arcangelo
Accounting: Mélodie Chartrand
Entrepreneurship: Maxim Sauvé-Rozon
Debate: Marie Luciani-Grimaldi
- Category: Telferimpact
Young DONOR OF THE YEAR
Sarah Parr
My time at Telfer taught me how to work hard and push beyond my limits. Not long after graduating, I earned my Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) designation. To me, this was an accomplishment worth celebrating. It has continued to pay dividends over the years, providing me with a number of professional opportunities. I strongly value continuous growth and learning, which is why giving back to Telfer means so much to me, and why I am honoured to be receiving this award. It demonstrates that you do not have to wait to make a difference. When you give from your own abundance, you can contribute time or money at any age and regardless of the resources at your disposal.
Volunteer Donor of the Year
Jodie Harrison
I am an extrovert by nature, I love working with people and having a chance to impact their lives. It is something of a recurring theme in my life. It is what I liked about Telfer: the opportunity to meet other professionals, to be mentored. That connection is important. That is why I volunteer. The Executive Mentorship Program allows you to take a student under your wing and help them with career counselling and networking. It is very rewarding. As was chairing Telfer’s 24th Annual Golf Tournament: We set up a family scholarship for a student from Northern Ontario, where I am from. I am honoured and humbled by this award, and thankful for opportunity to be able to give back and help the next generation.
Loyal donor of the year
Marie Fortier
I started in Commerce, but in 1969, I discovered a new program existed – Masters in Health Administration – and I never looked back. I got a lot of satisfaction in my first 10 years at the old Ottawa General Hospital and when I became CEO of what was then the Hull Hospital. However, my impact was limited to one city, so I took a low-level government job in Indigenous Health. It stimulated me into thinking about the country as a whole. This eventually served me well as Associate Deputy Minister and Deputy Minister in my work with minority language communities, resulting in organizations that continue to make a big difference today. I am very proud of that. It was the main reason I was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2016. I feel partly humbled and partly grateful for this recognition.
- Category: Telferimpact
Five notable alumni will be recognized by the Telfer School of Management by receiving Trudeau medals, the Young Achiever's Award and the Dean's Philos Award for their outstanding contributions to the world of business, healthcare, community and their alma mater at the 2019 Gala of Excellence. The Gala will be held at the Shaw Centre on Saturday, October 19, 2019 and this event also serves as an opportunity to collectively celebrate the Telfer School and highlight the graduation anniversary of the classes of 1969, 1979, 1994 and 2009.
Trudeau Medals
Luc Fortin, BCom 1990
Although going to the University of Ottawa for Business was an eleventh hour decision for me, it was one I will never regret. The Telfer School of Management gave me the fundamental skillset I needed. More importantly, it peaked my curiosity and completely opened my eyes to this horizon that was Finance. For me, the best way to achieve success is by being collaborative, being eternally optimistic and most importantly helping to unleash people’s potential. When you start leveraging the strengths and complementary skillsets of the whole team, it can be a very, very powerful thing!
Marc Y. Tassé, MBA 1997
My Telfer journey started in 1986 as an undergrad. It’s 2019, 33 years later, I’m still there — and I’m very happy to still be there. I have spent my professional life working in forensic accounting, fraud detection, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering. There is a lot of negativity that comes out of my day to day but I find optimism in my academic life, especially when I see that the new generation of students actually rejects unethical behaviors. The core values that we need in the business world right now are integrity, ethics, and transparency. At Telfer, we promote those values. I am confident that what I am sharing my students will be remembered and applied. This, to me, is certainly a major cause for celebration.
Mari Teitelbaum, MHA 2010
As I am an electrical engineer by training, I had 15 fun years in the high-tech field. I enjoyed the work, but needed something more meaningful. A friend recommended the Telfer MHA program. It was perfect, and I luckily landed at CHEO for my residency. What drives me is that there is an endless amount of work to do to become a truly patient-focussed system of care. I believe innovation and technology are fundamental in that transformation. To get there, I celebrate people that move beyond their comfort zone to reach their potential. It is magical when committed, smart, hard-working group of people find that rhythm, and that is what I am in this for.
The Young Achiever's Award
Derek d. Ricci, BCom 2002
For me, there is no real secret to success. No shortcut. It is just hard work and taking everything one day or one task at a time. Telfer most importantly taught me about working in teams and the importance of presenting your ideas clearly and succinctly. This has helped me in everything since, be it graduating Law School, making full equity partner in six years, negotiating settlement of a $500 million mining dispute, or joining an elite global network of fraud and asset recovery specialists. I have the privilege of working with a group of truly gifted and amazing colleagues who share my passion for the law, so I share this award with them. At our firm, the work comes before any individual accomplishment.
The Dean's Philos Award
Bernard Raymond, BCom 1981
I am a native of a small village in Abitibi Témiscamingue, where the words "community" and "solidarity" were important. Education has always been one of my priorities; I have been a member of the Board of Trustees of Aylmer Montessori School and Joan of Arc Academy in Ottawa, president of major donations for the University of Québec, made a donation towards admission scholarships at Telfer, and participated in their mentoring program. Inspired by my son, Alexandre, who lives with an intellectual disability, I am proud to have created my own foundation to help people living with intellectual disabilities and their families. Through this foundation, my wish is to ensure the perpetuity of a tradition of giving and sharing.
- Category: Student Announcements
It is almost that time of year again - when the uOttawa Gee-Gees and Carleton Ravens storm the football field. Our Gee-Gees football team is ready to claim Pedro the Panda - the coveted trophy. For the upcoming 51st Panda Game, the university rivalry is as strong as ever with over 20,000 fans expected to attend and show their support.
This year’s team roster includes 12 Telfer School of Management students:
- Christopher Cyril, Management as Defensive Back
- Daniel Oladejo, Management as Wide Receiver
- Peace Tshilombo, Accounting as Wide Receiver
- Chris Ciguineau, Accounting as Defensive Back
- Cody Cranston, Management as Defensive Back
- Cédric Amessan, Finance as Defensive Back
- Jackson Hyland, Accounting on the Offensive Line
- Frednick Eveillard, Accounting as Wide Receiver
- Michael Pezzuto, Accounting on the Defensive line
- Raphael Gagné, Marketing as Linebacker
- Ryan Malvaso, Finance as Wide Receiver
- Jeremy Pryde, Marketing as Running back
Many of these athletes found their Telfer education to be useful when applied to the football field. Wide receiver, Daniel Oladejo says “the lessons I’ve learned pertaining to teamwork and communication have had nothing but positive impacts on my Gee-Gees experience. It’s always nice when classroom learning points actually have real-life applications and, in team settings, the things I’ve learned have been proven to be very useful.”
Being a student-athlete is a large responsibility. Gee-Gees defensive back, Cédric Amessan notes that “to be able to perform in both the sport and the academic side of life, we have to be more organized and work more than the majority of our classmates.” However, the experience is well worth the effort. Defensive back, Cody Cranston’s favourite part about being a student-athlete is “meeting so many amazing people. Sports brings together different people of different walks of life, many times people you'd never cross paths with.”
The Telfer student-athletes are feeling ready and excited for the big game. Defensive back, Christopher Ciguineau shared that “it’s going to be a tough game, but [he is] confident that [their] hard work will allow [them] to win the game”.
We are looking forward to watching the 2019 Panda Game on October 5th at 1:00 p.m. The Telfer School wishes the Gee-Gees good luck on the field!
- Category: Telfer Announcements
As a leading Canadian Management School focused on creating the world's next generation of leaders and influencing sustainable organization performance through the leadership of our graduates and the impact of our research, we believe it is our duty to stand in solidarity with the global climate strike movement.
The Telfer School of Management is organizing a delegation of staff members and students to participate in the activities planned on the day of the global climate strike happening this Friday, September 27th.
The Telfer delegation will leave the Desmarais building at 10:20 am on Friday, to join the thousands of Canadians who will march in solidarity to demand action on climate change from our world leaders.
Students will not be penalized in any way and are invited to participate in the march. While classes are not cancelled, professors are being asked to make available online, all class material that is to be covered and to push assignment deadlines for any assignment due on September 27. Tests or exams will not be rescheduled and students who wish to join the Telfer Delegation are asked to contact their professor to find out the special arrangements planned for missing the test or exam.
#TELFERNATION is proud to be part of this global movement. Join us tomorrow and take a stand for the future.
Best,
Dean François Julien
SCHEDULE FOR TOMORROW:
Friday, September 27th
10:00 a.m. - Gather in the DMS lobby (Creation of signs for march)
10:20 a.m. - Walk to Tabaret Lawn (University of Ottawa)
10:30 a.m. - Gather at Tabaret Lawn (University of Ottawa)
11:00 a.m. - Gather in Confederation Park
11:30 a.m. - Leave Confederation Park
12:30 p.m. - Arrive at Parliament Hill #ClimateStrike (Approximate time)
- Category: Student Announcements
The Telfer School of Management, in partnership with Export Development Canada (EDC) and Deloitte, presents the fifth annual Diversity & Inclusion Case Competition. The competition will be hosted in our Desmarais Building and at the Export Development Canada office in Ottawa from February 28-29, 2020.
During this case competition, teams examine emerging challenges and propose solutions pertaining to issues of diversity and inclusion in organizations. This innovative competition exposes future leaders to business change and growth opportunities, due to the diverse nature of the Canadian workforce. Sixteen teams from universities across Canada will be competing to solve a unique case for the chance to win $8,750 in prize money.
While most teams participating will be enrolled in an MBA program, we also encourage 3rd and 4th-year undergraduate students in business/management to register. One team of 4 members is permitted per university. Teams will be registered on a first come first serve basis.
Register here to save $200 when you sign up before November 15th, 2019.
- Category: Telferimpact
Thank you to all of those who attended the 2019 Gala of Excellence on October 19. With over 330 guests in attendance, we celebrated the achievements and outstanding contributions that our alumni make to the world of business, health-care, the community and their alma mater. It was also a chance for us to celebrate the milestone anniversaries of the graduates of 1969, 1979, 1994 and 2009.
You can find photos from the evening on our Flickr page. Feel free to download and share with your friends!
Click here to read more about the five remarkable alumni who were recognized at the Gala »
Click here to read more about the Telfer Donor of the Year who were recognized at the Gala »
Did you graduate in 1970, 1980, 1995 or 2010? We are looking for class champions for the 2020 Gala of Excellence that will be held on October 17, 2020. Please
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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