Anie Rouleau (BCom ‘92) is the Founder and CEO of The Unscented Company, a sustainable woman-owned BCorp-certified business. This year, we are recognizing Rouleau’s leadership and successful journey in sustainable entrepreneurship with a Trudeau Medal.
First awarded in 1989 to recognize leading alumni, the Trudeau Medal is the highest honour given to an alumnus or alumna at the Telfer School of Management. The award was established in honour of Reverend Father Roland Trudeau, the former director of the University of Ottawa's Commerce department from 1950 to 1965. It recognizes leadership, initiative and contributions made by an alumna or alumnus to the business world, the community and their alma mater — the definition of our longstanding relationship with Anie Rouleau.
Rouleau has set an exceptional example of what both a strong leader in sustainable entrepreneurship and an extraordinary Canadian leader at the helm of a woman-owned business can achieve — an inspiration to fellow BCom students and graduates.
Influenced by Family Values
From a very young age, entrepreneurship was an important pillar of Rouleau’s life. “One day you will have your own business,” said Anie Rouleau’s father when she was just eight years old, sitting at the dinner table.
Raised in a family of entrepreneurs, Rouleau was taught early on to have confidence: “Back then, women did not have the same access to resources and my father was aware of this. He built my character to confront that.”
In 1992, she graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from the Telfer School of Management and joined her family business, Hydrocom International. She went on to hold prestigious roles at Maclean Power Systems and Société de Gestion du Commensal until 2011.
At 42 years old, Anie Rouleau founded Baleco / The Unscented Company, following in the entrepreneurial footsteps of her parents. The moment in which she decided to make the leap is a reflection on her decades in the business world: “Entrepreneurship is something that’s always been on my mind growing up and in my years at Telfer. It’s at Telfer, that I had entrepreneurship courses for the first time and case competitions like Jeux de Commerce.”
Her family values first built the blueprint of her business journey to come, Rouleau shares: “My mother and father were entrepreneurs, and I saw that you could be successful in your own business and provide. For me, as a woman, when I had young children, I could see my life being better to balance as an entrepreneur.”
Taking a Risk in Sustainable Entrepreneurship
Rouleau says that entrepreneurship is a build-up — at some point, something makes you jump. To choose that path, an entrepreneur needs to be comfortable with and accept failure. She instructs us to accept ‘no’ for an answer and to not take it personally. And, perhaps most importantly, an entrepreneur needs to be able to take a risk, a financial risk.
It is safe to say the risk paid off. In 2021, The Unscented Company was named one of Canada’s Top Growing Companies by The Globe and Mail, reporting a 526% 3-year increase in revenue growth and $5-10M in revenue. In 2019, on CBC’s Dragon’s Den, Canadian Tire announced they would bring The Unscented Company’s sustainable products into their 500 stores across the nation. “Ten years ago, I bet on the right horse,” comments Rouleau.
The Importance of Upbringing, Education and Values
Rouleau’s contributions to the business world and professional success did not come out of thin air. For her, the formal education she received during her Bachelor of Commerce at Telfer helped in establishing her successful business. Rouleau confidently says, “It’s not even a doubt in my mind. I personally love Telfer, the accessibility to the teachers and the directors. I still see the Dean to this day and there is a sense of belonging. For me, it was a smaller university on the French side. Today as an entrepreneur, I’m very grateful to have gone through a program like that, which had classes in marketing and HR too. I was lucky I did something I studied, and it definitely helped me prepare for my career.” Rouleau’s familial entrepreneurship values and education at Telfer are two factors that contribute to The Unscented Company’s exponential success — the third is that Rouleau leads with uncompromising values that set the tone for everything. “Today, an entrepreneur needs a set of values that are about people and the planet. If a company in 5 years is not socially or environmentally responsible, transparent and inclusive, they will be old-fashioned,” says Rouleau. “Good entrepreneurs and good businesses will prevail.”
It’s this unrelenting commitment to sustainability that sets Anie Rouleau and her company apart. Believing wholeheartedly that entrepreneurs and employees have to play a role in sustainable entrepreneurship, Rouleau certified her company as a BCorp, a highly sought-after designation highlighting the social and environmental impact of a business, thus cementing these values into the business’ foundation.
Challenges are Opportunities
In an uncertain economic market, businesses have an opportunity to demonstrate their unwavering commitment to their values through sustainable entrepreneurship. With inflation and rising prices, it can be easy to choose the path of least resistance. Not for Rouleau: “When the market is shifting, it doesn’t mean you stop; you rebalance. This is who we are, we are involved in our community. Values are tested in tough times and it’s not even an option to compromise them. You just do the right thing. We support each other on the market and make it to the other side together.”
Well-Deserved Recognition
Rouleau’s familial entrepreneurship values and education at Telfer are two factors that contribute to The Unscented Company’s exponential success — the third is that Rouleau leads with uncompromising values that set the tone for everything. “Today, an entrepreneur needs a set of values that are about people and the planet. If a company in 5 years is not socially or environmentally responsible, transparent and inclusive, they will be old-fashioned,” says Rouleau. “Good entrepreneurs and good businesses will prevail.”
“I’ve made it and it’s like Oscar’s Night, I can’t believe it,” she smiles.
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.
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.
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.
The question“How can my siblings and I assess whether we could work constructively in the business one day?”was the theme of the first event in the NxG Legacy Forum series held in late March.
The event was moderated by Telfer’s Peter Jaskiewicz and Sabine Rau, with panellists Valentine Barbier-Mueller of Groupe SPG-Rytz and Drew Everett of Bush Brothers & Company. Both Barbier-Mueller and Everett are members of multi-generational family businesses and have experienced the benefits and challenges of being part of an enterprising family.
Aligning on Values and Embedding Governance Structures
For Barbier-Mueller, one of the most important elements in keeping the next generation of a family business together was having shared goals and being aligned on the values they want to project. For example, while she and her father have different personalities and working styles, they came to realize their differences complemented each other. “This can be a source of positivity.”
For Everett, a fourth generation member of a business involving 95 family members across the U.S., working constructively involved finding meaningful ways for the family to be involved, even if they weren’t working directly in the business.
Some family members wanted to contribute but didn’t necessarily want a job in the firm. Instead, opportunities were created for members to participate, including through governance structures like a board of directors, a family council, a private trust and estate activities, as well as events and family gatherings.
Everett stressed the need to put governance systems in place sooner than later. “Don’t wait until the fourth generation and there’s 95 of you,” he noted.
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Education is Key
For Everett, education was key in helping his family work together. He and other family members attended a series of courses to learn about the complexities of multi-generational businesses, creating systems and dealing with challenges. The courses provided him and his family with a shared educational foundation, vocabulary and understanding of the needs of a large ownership group.
Everett added that working with a knowledgeable family business consultant facilitated the process, helping identify areas of concern and building trust and togetherness.
Building Trust Within and Across Generations
Barbier-Mueller said that she and her sisters talk multiple times a day and try to keep communication flowing. “A family who has fun together will be more likely to stay together,” she said, recommending taking pleasure in the time members spend together.
Another essential element for Barbier-Mueller is giving family members the benefit of the doubt, and “trusting that everyone wants to achieve the same common objectives.”
Everett encouraged all members to make a concerted effort to build relationships. “Have opportunities for fellowship, and to get to know each other better.”
Supporting the Next Generation
For Barbier-Mueller, the most important role for the senior generation is to clarify rules and foster unity. The senior generation must treat all next generation siblings fairly. The principal role of older members is providing a historical context for the business and sharing stories about core family values, thus providing continuity and helping bind the family together.
Rau wrapped up the discussion, mentioning that working successfully with family members requires effort. “We have to become aware that it’s not just a given, but something we have to work for.”
Upcoming NxG Legacy Forums
The second NxG Legacy Forum took place in early April, with the topic question “We have wealth. When should we set up a family office to organize it?” Watch for an event summary soon.
The result of years of international research and practical experience, Enabling Next Generation Legacies delves into the unique challenges that confront family businesses.
Telfer Professors Peter Jaskiewicz. Director of the Family Enterprise Legacy Institute (FELI), and Sabine Rau, collaborator at FELI, have brought together the world’s leading academics, practitioners, and enterprising families to answer the most pressing questions faced by Next Generation members in a short and concise, yet meaningful way.
The book consists of best practices, real-life examples, and additional critical questions for reflection from nearly 100 contributors from 27 different countries. 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.
Below, read a commentary to a pressing question by a fourth generation member of a Malaysian family business.
When and How Should Family Members Be Promoted in the Family Business?
Commentary by Yoon Li Yong, Malaysia
Our family business, Royal Selangor International, is located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. My great-grandfather started it in 1885. He was a tinsmith in the growing tin industry and began making products for households. We have never mined or smelted tin. Instead, we focus on adding value to tin. Our business has a strong brand and makes beautiful home products, many of which were designed in our workshop. The third generation was my father and three siblings. This generation internationalized the business to Europe, Australia, and the U.S. in the 1970s and built a network of offices, distributors, and wholesalers.
Today, we have a total of about 600 employees with most of us based in Kuala Lumpur. The family business is still privately held, and we have completed succession to the fourth generation. In our industry, product life cycles are long. Some of our evergreen products are twenty years old. However, the industry has shifted over the last thirty years; living has become less formal. The household items and gifts industry has, therefore, gone through some consolidation with brands either being bought out or shuttered. One has to be very passionate to work in this business but, then again, being constantly surrounded with beautiful things is a pretty good motivation.
In the fourth (my) generation, most of my relatives have been in some way or form involved in the business. Today, only two of us—my cousin and I—work full time in the business. I am the managing director; he is the executive director. I was an engineer by training before I did my MBA in 2004. In 2005 I joined the business as a retail manager for a few years before taking over product, manufacturing, and marketing as a general manager. From there, I worked my way up to where I am now. So, how are family members hired and promoted? Let me highlight our rules and our values.
Our Rules
Every family member has to work elsewhere for at least two years after leaving school.
If a family member is good at what they are doing and fits the company's needs, they might be invited to work here.
We engage our nonfamily directors and managers for hiring family members.
Once a family member is invited, they apply for a vacant position and undergo the standard recruitment process.
Every family hire reports to their head of department, who may not be a family member.
Every family hire starts as a regular team member.
If the head of the department is a nonfamily manager, they make promotion decisions, and twice a year, they review possible promotions and provide employees with feedback. On average, we promote good employees every two to two-and-a-half years. The family council, however, can fast-track family members who excel in their jobs.
Our Values
Our family council includes six members electe d every three years from eligible voting members of the family forum. We organize a large family retreat every eighteen months. At every second retreat, we elect a new family council. A critical outcome of past retreats was the creation of our family charter. Our philosophy is to work together to generate solutions that meet the needs of both the business and the family. We communicate, work together, and practice integrity and love. We see our most important priority as remaining united as a family through spending time together and providing understanding and support to each other. We should maintain a balance of work, family, and play. We encourage family members to contribute views and ideas, to ensure participation regardless of age or experience. We recognise our responsibilities to resolve conflict through a process, to listen and communicate, and to unite in the face of external threats. We value our success, history, and legacy; and through our family council and family foru m we work to pass on to the next generations what has been so ably passed on to us.
Our Family Vision
Our Family Vision is to propagate the Royal Selangor name globally to be synonymous with pewter and good design leading to a vital and dynamic brand. We recognise that employees are a valuable asset. We will recruit, develop, and retain outstanding talent, both family and nonfamily, based on merit. The business will continue to be majority-owned by the family, in order to maintain the legacy of Royal Selangor. The board of directors will have family and nonfamily members. Family members not directly involved will have their views and interests represented through an active family council, and an evolving charter of good family governance. The business will be a good corporate citizen through its interaction with the community.
Questions for Further Reflection
Are you familiar with the history of your family business promoting family members?
Do you agree with the practice of promoting family members in your family business?
Do you think this practice should be updated? If so, how?
Do you have a family constitution/charter detailing how family members are hired and promoted?
If you want to be promoted, as a Next Gen, within your family business, what do you do?
How do nonfamily managers and board members see the practice of promoting family members?
Enabling Next Generation Legacies: 35 Questions That Next Generation Members in Enterprising Families Ask is now available in eBook and hardcopy. All royalties from Enabling Next Generation Legacies go towards the University of Ottawa’s Telfer Fund, helping students in need. Learn more at www.35questions.com.
To read more about how Telfer is shaping the conversation about the future of family enterprise, visit the Family Enterprise Legacy Institute and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date and be entered for a chance to win your physical copy of Enabling Next Generation Legacies. (you must have a delivery address in Canada).
The world of work is experiencing considerable turbulence. Unavoidable macro forces, such as COVID-19's toll on financial markets, Canada’s aging workforce and management challenges during the pandemic are exerting pressure on organizations and changing work expectations. While change can be daunting, it ultimately offers an opportunity to grow, creating healthier organizational practices and happier employees.
Kanfer reflected on her over 30 years of studying work motivation and how organizations can adapt to change in the post-pandemic era, which led to the following takeaways:
Shifting from a job design model to a workplace design model can increase competitiveness
Creating value for organizations starts with recognition of employees as life-long learners who continue to develop skills, interests and goals, and the adaption of jobs so that they grow as employees. This workplace design model can sustain organizations’ competitiveness and ability to adapt to market changes. In contrast, a job design model may prevent organizations from learning from their workforce.
Embracing the notion of nonlinear careers helps retain talent
The modern day workforce is highly educated, and potential employees wish to continue to learn and grow. Thus, younger generations’ career trajectories resemble the branches of a tree rather than a straight line. Creating programs that appeal to this desire, such as sabbaticals, special projects and opportunities to mentor junior colleagues, can help retain top talent while nurturing and diversifying employee skillset.
Viewing ongoing training as a long-term investment contributes to a firm’s success
Organizations need to consider training as an essential long-term investmentto foster sustainable careers. Rather than offering “one-and-done” training, organizations must continually reflect and adjust training to fit employees’ ever-changing needs and motives. Since few careers are linear, training should open the door to new career paths within the organization.
The secret of thriving organizations
The future of workforce management requires organizations to accept the fundamental nature of employees as ever evolving and to adopt more nimble organizational practices that accommodate this dynamism.
For Kanfer, while change can be difficult, adapting to the challenges of the 21st century will require some creative thinking and problem solving. Organizations that can assess challenges and act accordingly will not only gain a competitive advantage, but also put the conditions in place to help their employees thrive.
About the Distinguished Speakers Series on Thriving Organizations and Societies
This annual lecture series provides an opportunity for students, professors, practitioners and members of the community to learn from world-renowned researchers sharing ideas on topics related to building meaningful organizations and thriving societies.
The workforce has been changing and so has the nature of work. As the Thriving Organizations and Societies research group at Telfer examines the impact of these changes on our workforce, organizations and society, it also seeks a better understanding of thriving, that is, greater well-being and performance. Research conducted on this multidisciplinary and timely topic by the group will look beyond productivity and financial performance to the conditions that encourage or hinder thriving environments.
About the Authors
Jane O’Reilly, Associate Professor and Telfer Fellow in Workplace Well-being
Professor O'Reilly’s research examines informal workplace interactions and relationships. Her main research areas are mistreatment and social sexual behaviours in organizations. Her work on third-party mistreatment focuses on how bystanders can help (and sometimes harm) targets of workplace bullying and harassment. She also studies workplace social exclusion as a form of mistreatment, and the ways it can be detrimental to employee well-being. Her research program seeks to understand when social sexual behaviour in the workplace becomes harassment.
Yanhong Li, PhD in Management candidate
Li’s research focuses on courage in the workplace, the work-family interface and employee well-being. Her master’s thesis, supervised by Professor Laurent Lapierre, focuses on factors that contribute to individuals’ work-family enrichment using meta-analyses. Li is currently working on several projects to identify problems related to, raise awareness of, and advocate for equity, diversity, inclusion and employee well-being.
Daniel J. Quintal-Curcic, PhD in Management candidate
Quintal-Cucic's research interests include mental health, intersectionality, leadership and prejudice in the workplace. He is pursuing his doctorate under the supervision of Professor Laurent Lapierre. Recently, Quintal-Cucic's placed as a top 25 finalist in the 2022 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Storytellers Challenge.
The Telfer School of Management is the proud presenting sponsor of a series of four webcasts powered by the Globe and Mail Events. Each webcast will highlight one of the four pillars in our Vision for a Better Canada — greener, healthier, happier, wealthier and more prosperous — through an interview with a Telfer professor, followed by a discussion with a panel of experts.
Family enterprises represent more than 35% of Canada’s real GDP and account for nearly half of all private sector jobs, according to a 2019 report by Family Enterprise Canada and the Conference Board of Canada, yet their future is uncertain. As baby boomers exit the workforce, experts say the next generation is unprepared to take over and protect this vital part of the national economy. What skills and knowledge will future business leaders and entrepreneurs need to carry on the family enterprise legacy?
One expert looking into these questions is Telfer professor Peter Jaskiewicz, University Research Chair in enduring entrepreneurship and the founding director of the school’s Family Enterprise Legacy Institute (FELI). In the interview portion of the event, led by Rita Trichur, senior business writer and columnist at The Globe and Mail, Jaskiewicz discussed family enterprises and how, when it comes to business succession, failing to plan is synonymous with planning to fail.
Business: A Family Affair
Jaskiewicz’s research has personal meaning. Growing up with a family musical instrument business in Poland, he had an early taste of entrepreneurship. Unfortunately, following the sudden, unexpected passing of his uncle, the lack of a succession plan led to major family conflict. Within six months, what was once a business appreciated by a loyal clientele and well established in the community closed for good.
This experience motivated Jaskiewicz to help other family businesses avoid the same fate. He also realized that his expertise could not only help business families, but strengthen the global economy as well. During the Globe and Mail webcast, Jaskiewicz said that a third of the family businesses in Europe are in danger of disappearing due to failure to support and prepare the next generation. This represents a large segment of the European economy in terms of jobs, growth and contribution to local surroundings.
Jaskiewicz mentioned two common mistakes that lead to poor family business succession plans:
Members of the next generation are not viewed as partners in planning their integration and are just treated as kids within the family business. Thus, they fail to see their own value in the business and, more so, as contributors to their community.
Family communication is often implicit. However, the senior generation’s vision does not necessarily apply to the next generation, who are easily taken for granted. Open and honest communication should be welcomed early on and even introduced around the kitchen table from a young age.
Saputo, a member of the Telfer Strategic Leadership Cabinet, agreed with Jaskiewicz on the need for communication. For her, it can be difficult to speak about family conflicts. Many families would benefit from outside help — members might be good at running a business, but it doesn’t mean they’re also good at planning the succession. There is a network of professionals who can help, including at Crysalia, which Saputo co-founded to sustain multigenerational enterprising families.
Hudson agreed, adding that her family has worked with outside advisers for the last 20 years. Establishing structures such as family and shareholder councils is beneficial, as is actively educating the next generation about the business.
The panellists agreed that engaging the next generation from a young age is key to them joining the family business. Both Hudson and Stephens shared stories of their involvement in the business as children — Hudson collected eggs on the family farm at age eight and Stephens worked in the family’s restaurants as a busboy. They not only gained an understanding of the business, but also saw their parents’ and family’s sacrifice, passion and energy.
For all panellists, it was important to set protocols on how family members enter the business. And as Stephens noted, the next generation must work hard and prove their worth: “Just because your last name is Stephens doesn’t mean people are going to respect you. You have to earn it, and you earn it by being a good team player.”
Follow the Family Enterprise Legacy Institute (FELI)
Professor Jaskiewicz and his colleagues at FELI have combined their years of international research and practical experience to establish the institute at the Telfer school.
Jaskiewicz has recently published an already influential book, Enabling Next Generation Legacies: 35 Questions that Next Generation Members in Enterprising Families Ask. He and co-author and FELI collaborator Sabine B. Rau have brought together the world’s leading academics, practitioners and enterprising families to answer the most pressing questions faced by next generation members in a concise yet meaningful way. The book consists of best practices, real-life examples and questions for reflection from nearly 100 contributors from 27 different countries.
We, at the Telfer Career Centre, wanted to highlight the invaluable contributions, remarkable success, and inspiring journeys of the many Telfer students from the Black community who play a key role in shaping the future of our society as they embark on their careers. That is why this week we are introducing you to three Telfer students who, each in their own way, can guide our reflection beyond Black History Month. They generously accepted to share their thoughts, hopes, and pride with us. And to end Black History Month on a high note (no pun intended), they each offered their musical, literary and film recommendations. Let us hear what they have to say.
Yinka Fakunle: Putting Growth and Perspective in Action
As a Black person, I have realized that it takes more than just hope and wishes to change the narrative, and I have actively taken it upon myself to educate folks around me whenever the opportunity presents itself. Instead of cancelling people, how about you educate them? Instead of assuming they should know, why not guide them instead in the right direction?
Very few people have quite literally circled the globe. However, Telfer BTM student Yinka Fakunle is one of them. Born and raised in the south-west part of Nigeria, she first completed an Applied Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting at the Federal Polytechnic, in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, before embarking on a rich career path that would eventually take her to Lagos, the Nigerian economic hub, and then to Melbourne, Australia. With a strong background in operations support and customer relationship management – not to mention a strong interest in technology-based business solutions – Yinka decided to pursue her passion and a second university degree, this time at the Telfer School of Management in Ottawa, Canada.
Now in her second year of the Business Technology Management option at Telfer, she plays an active role on campus as Director of Finance for the Business Technology Association, and she is about to start her first CO‑OP Term with PwC in May 2022.
Q: What does Black History Month mean to you, personally, as a student and a professional from Nigeria now living, studying, and working in Canada?
A: “Back in Nigeria, it never occurred to me that I was different, as I was not part of a minority. Now that I live in Canada, I find it refreshing to celebrate Black History Month and to learn about the many Afro-descendant Canadians who have contributed to shape this country. To me, BHM is about understanding the part these Afro-Canadians have played throughout history, recognizing the struggles they have faced, and celebrating the obstacles we, as Black people, have overcome together. It is also about reflecting on what I can, as a Black person, bring to the table.”
Q: As an experienced professional and student who has lived on three different continents, I am sure you have been confronted with a myriad of challenges due to racism, but you have also gained an unparalleled degree of perspective. What are you most proud of?
A: “Through my travels and by meeting new people and experiencing various work environments around the world, it is true that my perspective has evolved over the years. As a Black person, I constantly felt I had to prove what I can bring to the table, more so than my non-Black counterparts. I had my values and potential contributions questioned by people who could not see beyond my colour. However, as a Black person, I have realized that it takes more than just hope and wishes to change the narrative, and I have actively taken it upon myself to educate folks around me whenever the opportunity presents itself. Instead of cancelling people, how about you educate them? Instead of assuming they should know, why not guide them instead in the right direction? My experiences have made me more empathetic towards others, and I go out of my way to learn about other people’s culture and see them for who they are. I have learned to listen. Over the past three years, I have been living my authentic self. I flaunt my hair proudly (even though, to this day, I still have to deal occasionally with people touching my hair without my consent or referring to Africa as a country!).”
Q: Your restraint in the face of ignorance commands respect. As a Black student can you tell us about your experience at Telfer?
A: “Due to the pandemic, I have yet to experience the real campus life and immerse myself in the Telfer community. Although I have not faced any racism yet at Telfer, I believe that as a school, as an organization and as a community, we can do and need to do better to promote inclusion. We need to be intentional in our stand against racial prejudice and commit to taking tangible actions. Beyond BHM, we are Black all year round, and racial issues do not fade away. We are still struggling to be heard, either because we remain quiet or because our voices are drowned. We need to bring more Black Telfer alumni to the forefront and build bridges between them and us, students. This is a role that I, personally, would like to play. I can be that person who shares her perspective and journey with others.”
Q: What would you like readers to reflect on, as BHM comes to an end, and in the future?
A: “Each of us can do something individually to influence our decision makers and demand that they take actions. We must go from ignorance to growth, we must recognize our own biases, and ask ourselves how we would like to be treated if we were sitting at the other side of the table. To my non-Black peers, I say: ‘Be open to listen and learn about your Black peers, be genuinely interested and ask them insightful questions, be their voice in rooms where they can’t be present to advocate for themselves.” To my Black peers, I say: ‘Be your most authentic self. Don’t apologize for your Blackness and don’t simply conform to other people’s expectation of how you are meant to show up. And lastly, learn to articulate your values and what you bring to the table.”
Yinka’s Literary Recommendations
“The novels Half of a Yellow Sun (2006) and Americanah (2013), as well as the TED Talk The Danger of a Single Story, by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, considered by many as one of the most prominent voices in modern African literature. She describes her experiences in such an unapologetic manner, and not from a place of victimhood, and she embodies her Blackness with such grace. I find her incredibly inspiring.”
Chris Eliel Yao: Pushing Oneself to Push Back Against Prejudice
“In the university environment, we could certainly do more to promote integration. As a newly arrived international student from French‑speaking African countries at Telfer, I really had to push myself, challenge myself and ‘take it upon myself’ to join student activities. At first, it is difficult and scary, and you feel like you are lagging. And I am not the only international student who feels this way, far from it. Perhaps we should rethink the initiatives in place and create focus groups of international students, especially Black students, to determine how best to make this group more comfortable from the moment they arrive on campus.”
Chris Eliel Yao is a charismatic communicator, an enthusiastic collaborator, and a hard worker. He is one of those people who spread good vibes wherever he goes. Hungry for challenges, this 4th-year Marketing and International Management student does not shy away from a busy schedule. In addition to studying full time, this young professional from Côte d’Ivoire works as an International Coach for the Telfer School of Management’s International Student Coaches Program as well as an Ambassador for the Telfer Career Centre. He is also honing his digital marketing skills with a small business that bridges the gap between Abidjan, the Ivorian economic capital, and Gatineau, Quebec.
Q: What does it mean to you to be a member of the Black community, both as a Telfer student and as a professional in the Canadian job market?
A: “For me, being a member of the Black community represents a challenge. We are the representatives of a culture that is subject to many prejudices and stereotypes. That is why we must make our community proud, to make it shine. And to do this, we must excel. There is no room for mistakes. To leave our mark, we must deliver excellence, and nothing less.”
Q: This is undoubtedly a heavy burden to carry and an undue responsibility for Black people. Has this responsibility, as unfair as it may be, brought you anything positive?
A: “I’m the kind of person who sees every challenge as an opportunity. The more difficult a task seems, the more I see it as an opportunity to reach the highest standards. I channel that pressure into delivering results. Fortunately, Ottawa is not a racist environment that makes you feel bad. I feel the pressure to perform, that is a given, but the quality of my work is recognized.”
Q: What does Black History Month mean to you? Is it a time for remembrance, celebration, denunciation, or reflection?
A: “It’s a little bit of all those things, I would say. It’s also a little pause during which all eyes are on the Black community. It is both a celebration of all the struggles our ancestors went through to defend our rights and an opportunity to speak out against the injustices that still exist. It is an honour. For one 12th of the year, we are being given a voice, we are being listened to.
Q: As an international student at Telfer, is there more we could be doing to combat racism and promote integration?
A: “In the university environment, we could certainly do more to promote integration. As a newly arrived international student from French-speaking Africa at Telfer, I really had to push myself, challenge myself and ‘take it upon myself’ to join student activities. At first, it is difficult and scary, and you feel like you are lagging. And I am not the only international student who feels this way, far from it. Perhaps we should rethink the initiatives in place and create focus groups of international students, especially Black students, to identify the best way to make this group feel more comfortable from the moment they arrive on campus.”
Q: What is your proudest professional or academic achievement?
“In addition to joining the Career Centre’s Ambassador Programme, I have become an International Coach. I am, so to speak, ‘responsible’ for the students from French-speaking Africa, of whom there are more than a hundred! I recognize myself in them and I can guide them on their journey. This makes me very proud.”
The first grandson in his family to cross the Atlantic to study in America, Chris is driven by a deep desire to succeed. This Career Centre Ambassador also is, so to speak, the ambassador of an entire family that has high hopes for him. Another heavy responsibility, but one that he admits gives him strength. “Although I constantly feel the pressure to succeed, I am aware that failure is an opportunity to grow. For anyone who knows how to get up and persevere in the face of failure, nothing is impossible!”
Chris’s Literary and Motivational Recommendations
“The poem Africa my Africa by the Franco-Senegalese author David Diop is a must read, as is the autobiographical novel The Dark Child (1954) by Guinean author Camara Laye. I also like the writings and words of Pastor Michael Todd, author of New York Times bestseller CRAZY FAITH, who addresses universal themes and whose words give me great strength.”
Rakina-Belle Laryea: Leading With a Smile
In the world we live today, we ALL have to work hard in order to succeed, regardless of our race. The difference is that as Black students, we already have this drive built within ourselves. Although we could see this added pressure to excel as an unfair burden, I choose to see it as an advantage. Because at the end of the day, if you don’t work hard, if you don’t push yourself, if you don’t buckle up and brace yourself, life will pass you by.
What struck me the most when I met with Rakina-Belle for the first time (beyond her communicative smile) is her level of confidence, drive, and poise. And when you ask her about the small company she founded when she had to return to her hometown of Accra, Ghana, due to the pandemic, you soon realize that this 3rd-year International Management student is an entrepreneur through and through. Fluently bilingual in both French and English thanks to her Ivorian and Ghanaian origins, Rakina-Belle is a shining example of what cultural diversity, combined with a generous dose of resourcefulness, talent, and grit, can produce.
After creating a niche market in Ghana for attiéké, an Ivorian cassava couscous that is as versatile as it is delicious (not to mentiongluten free), and building her own packaging and distribution business, which she was able to maintain and grow in Ghana throughout the pandemic, Rakina‑Belle returned to Ottawa to take on yet another professional challenge: a CO‑OP placement as Supply Chain Coordinator at PepsiCo Foods Canada. A natural-born leader with a knack for problem solving, she immediately went above and beyond her job description and joined forces with other CO-OP students to tackle food waste up the production chain. Did I mention she was driven?
Q: What does Black History Month mean to you personally?
A: “First, BHM is a celebration of our roots and of how far we have come. Despite the many examples of institutional racism that are embedded in laws and regulatory systems and that affect housing and education, just to name those two areas, we need to take a step back to appreciate and celebrate just how far we have come due to the toils and sacrifices of our forefathers. What I got to experience as a first-year student at Telfer, that is, being surrounded by such a diverse group of classmates of all ethnicities, would not have been possible several decades ago. We need to remember that at some point in Canadian history, Black students simply did not have the same rights as non-Black ones. The opportunities I get to seize today at Telfer and the steps I get to take to build my success and my future are a legacy that my forefathers have fought for, and often paid for with their lives. That is why BHM to me is a celebration. We still have work to do, of course, but it is nevertheless a celebration.”
Q: Other Black students have spoken of the undue pressure to outperform their non-Black just to be considered on par with them. Could you share your perspective on the matter?
A: “Growing up, one of the most popular phrases I’ve heard was that as a Black person, you have to work twice as hard, if not thrice as hard. In the world we live today, we ALL have to work hard in order to succeed, regardless of our race. The difference is that as Black students, we already have this drive built within ourselves. Although we could see this added pressure to excel as an unfair burden, I choose to see it as an advantage. Because at the end of the day, if you don’t work hard, if you don’t push yourself, if you don’t buckle up and brace yourself, life will pass you by. The great thing is that for most of us Black students, failing to succeed in life is not even an option.”
Q: As BHM is coming to an end, is there something you would like us to reflect on, as fellow members of the Telfer community, now and in the future?
A: “I would urge everyone outside the Black community to lend a listening ear to a Black person. Listen and be attentive to the stories of your Black friends. Educate yourself and pay attention to what Black persons around you are experiencing.”
Rakina-Belle’s Recommendations
“Any work from the world-renowned producer, director, actor, screenwriter, playwright, author, songwriter, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Tyler Perry, whose journey is simply awe-inspiring. He has built his career from the ground up, becoming one of the most prominent figures in today’s American cultural landscape. And of course, the remarkable autobiographical series Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (2020).An African American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist, C.J. Walker is recorded as the first female self-made millionaire in America.”
In an ongoing effort, EDI initiatives are something that we take seriously at the Telfer School of Management. The School has an EDI committee that looks at ways to improve the experience at Telfer for students, staff and faculty; new courses are being introduced that focus on diversity and inclusion; an EDI Case Competition at the Graduate level; as well as researchers who are focused on tackling the complexities of EDI. This is a complex issue must be addressed over time and we welcome student voices who want to help us tackle EDI together.
On March 8, the world celebrates International Women’s Day. This year from February 28 – March 11 (and beyond), Invest Ottawa with its partners will run the 4th Annual International Women’s Week (IWW) with a shared goal - to inspire, equip and empower women professionally. It will take all of us working together to expedite change. That is why the University of Ottawa is partnering with Invest Ottawa to bring nine jam-packed days of virtual events to you. Visit the Invest Ottawa website to register for all other events in the community.
This is event is part of University of Ottawa Women in Innovation learning series
Want to know how to break through? These amazing women leaders will share how they are breaking through and impacting their communities. Join us for an insightful hour of three amazing women leaders sharing their individual professional journey and how they are staying the course. Learn their tools and techniques in breaking through as we share a few laughs together. Sophia Leong, EMBA 1995, will moderates the panel with introductory remarks from Martin Bernier, CIO University of Ottawa. These amazing leaders will share their individual journey, their strategies in breaking through and impacting their communities as well as sharing a few laughs:
Join the Indigenous Alumni Council for the live premiere of The Link Season 2 Episode 5 with Anishinabeg entrepreneur and clean water activist Sunshine Tenasco (BEd '04; BA '03) CEO of Pow Wow Pitch, founder of Her Braids and author of “Nibi’s Water Song”.
Attendees will get the chance to ask questions to Sunshine Tenasco during the Q & A session led by the Indigenous Alumni Council following the episode premiere!
Did you know? The uOttawa Library is home to the Canadian Archive of Women in STEM. In collaboration with Library and Archives Canada and the Canadian Institute of Women in Engineering and Sciences (CIWES), the uOttawa Library has established a centre of expertise documenting the history of women who have contributed to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Canada.
Join us for a panel discussion with three trailblazers in the fields of STEM in Canada. Our panelists will discuss their journeys and the importance of sharing and archiving women's stories in order to better foster the next generation of women in STEM.
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.
Family businesses pass more than ownership to the next generation – they also pass on traditions. And better management of these traditions can help family enterprises address two of their fundamental tensions: the need to modernize the business and the need to honour the founder’s vision.
Early studies suggested that traditions were an impediment to change because they burdened the family business with history. For instance, traditions could make family businesses risk-averse and less innovative because the preservation of the status quo trumps anything else.
However, as explained in a recently published article in The Conversation – co-authored by Peter Jaskiewicz, Telfer’s University Research Chair in Enduring Entrepreneurship – family firms shouldn’t be so quick to cast traditions aside. To explain the importance of traditions, the article weaves in examples from Greek folklore, using the famous stories of Theseus’ Paradox and Sophocles’ account of Oedipus. Parallels to the hit HBO series Successionare also made to explain how traditions can help and harm the family firm.
The article – adapted from an earlier paper published in Family Business Review – proposes that traditions shouldn’t be thrown out of the firm, nor rigidly enforced, but instead reinterpreted by the next generation. One way this can be done is through collective remembering: when senior family members share stories about past achievements and discuss their meaning with the next generation, they co-create narratives that are relevant to both generations. Another way is by retaining the structural elements of traditions — the rituals —but continually updating them to be relevant in today’s world.
It is through this rebuilding and reinterpreting of traditions that senior and next generation family members learn to better work together for the benefit of the family firm. Telfer’s new Family Enterprise Legacy Institute (FELI) – of which Jaskiewicz is the inaugural Director – encourages and supports these relationships, working directly with family enterprises to help them evolve while maintaining their authentic identity and traditions. Knowledge gained and applied leads to more family enterprises enduring from generation to generation – leading to a stronger Canadian economy.
Peter’s research on family business has received numerous awards and were considered among the most globally influential scholarship in 2013, 2015, and 2017. Peter has presented his research insights to members of the European Parliament, the European Commission, and employees of the United Nations. In addition, he has also worked with the federal government in Canada. His current research focuses on antecedents of transgenerational entrepreneurship and corporate reputation in family and founder firms. Moreover, Peter researches organizational outcomes of entrepreneurial legacies, managerial pay dispersion, and family dynamics in these firms.
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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. a member of our team.
Canadian industry chief executive says our country needs a catalyst to spark space innovation and entrepreneurship.
Are you aware of the Space Race? It began on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into orbit around the Earth. Over the ensuing dozen years, the United States and the Soviet Union competed in a fierce and sometimes deadly duel of technological space one-upmanship. The race culminated in 1969, when the U.S. landed a manned mission on the Moon and brought the astronauts back home safely.
According to Daniel Goldberg—president and CEO of Telesat, Canada’s largest satellite company—a new space race is underway. But this one is of a different kind. We spoke with Goldberg recently and our conversation revealed that this new space race is a satellite-driven dash for commercial supremacy of low Earth orbit—and the high-paying jobs, vast sums of revenue, and surging economic growth that come along with it.
To be more specific, today’s space race is propelled by private and public sectors working in tandem. Private companies lead advancements in communications satellite manufacturing and production, while governments monitor, regulate and promote an increasingly complex panorama of technological development. The complicated and evolving interplay between private and public has created fascinating industry conditions.
Canada is in fierce competition for commercial supremacy in space
Dr. Wadid Lamine, associate professor of entrepreneurship at the Telfer School of Management, is at the forefront of scholarly research to understand how innovation and entrepreneurship play out in the space industry. His most recent article concludes that certain policies in Europe have created a space industry in that region with barriers to access, leading it to be dominated by two giant French aerospace companies—Airbus and Thales. As a result of this closed environment, new European entrepreneurs have constrained ability and little incentive to enter the aerospace market.
Goldberg and Telesat experience firsthand the industry conditions that Lamine studies. The company’s advanced constellation of 298 state-of-the-art low Earth orbit satellites, known as Telesat Lightspeed, puts Telesat in direct and fierce competition with U.S.-based industry giants SpaceX and Amazon. “We are in a market that is brutally competitive,” he says. “The companies we compete against often have access to very significant financial resources, and a lot of that is connected to support from their domestic governments.”
SpaceX is a prime example. According to Goldberg, the company has been so successful so quickly in large part because of its close relationship with the U.S. government, which provides SpaceX with major funding to develop products. The same conditions largely hold true for other Telesat competitors around the world. The biggest space industry firms in China and Russia for instance are either state agencies or receive major backing in the form of funding and purchases from national governments. In Goldberg’s mind: “For our country to maximize the likelihood of success, we have to harness the abilities of our different stakeholders and make sure they are executing where the big opportunities are.”
Canada needs a space for collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurship
The Telesat CEO offers a solution. He contends that Canada’s space industry needs what he calls a catalyst or convening function to bring government, businesses and academia together in common cause. Only then can the industry gain the clearest possible understanding of the opportunities that warrant substantial investment, the insights emerging from university researchers, and the technological innovations arising from universities writ large.
A space industry catalyst is not a completely unfamiliar idea. The United States established its National Space Council, chaired by the country’s vice-president, because it recognized the strategic importance of the public and private sectors working together. The United Kingdom has followed the U.S. example. Closer to home, Canada has taken much the same approach in various sectors other than space. Our country’s Innovation Superclusters are convening agents to nurture innovation ecosystems in industries such as digital technology and advanced manufacturing.
Goldberg’s rallying cry dovetails neatly with Lamine’s most recent research findings. Lamine found that innovation and entrepreneurship in the space industry only really take off when policymakers, entrepreneurs, established firms and university researchers build strong alliances. “This could be achieved by policymakers creating a space and working at the regional level to bring universities, industry and policymakers together to learn from each other, share ideas and transfer knowledge,” he writes.
Universities and their researchers are central to space industry partnerships
Both Lamine and Goldberg believe that universities and academics must be part of any relationships sparked by a space industry catalyst. Goldberg in particular sees two main benefits from university participation. First and foremost are new insights that are unearthed by expert university researchers.
“You have a lot of academics doing ground-breaking research on space communications and new battery technologies,” he says. “I believe there should be greater dialogue between what we are doing in the private sector and universities, and ongoing, regular dialogue and exchange about things that we are both seeing.”
Goldberg also anticipates a workforce benefit. “We are hiring a lot of people, including co-op students, out of universities,” he says. “We need to make sure graduating students come with the skillsets we need.” Dr. Lamine concurs. He notes that establishing the kind of deep, multi-faceted partnership referenced by Goldberg would create a vital “triple helix relationship” among universities, industry firms, and policymaking officials and institutions.
Two prominent voices—one in the private sector and the other in academia—are calling for the same thing: greater dialogue and richer partnerships within Canada’s broader space industry. Their voices might just be the catalyst our country’s industry needs to thrive even more in the new space race.
Entrepreneurs and their start-ups, and the subsequent growth of their firms, can have a vital impact on the health of an economy. What’s more, young adults in Canada have demonstrated a growing interest in entrepreneurship as a career choice. Although entrepreneurship has historically been associated with business schools and traditional start-ups, all students need to learn to create value in uncertain environments with limited resources. Consequently, regardless of their faculty or career path, every student needs to learn and practice the skills typical of entrepreneurship. Whether these students become entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, employees, or innovators, the question for educators is: How are we working toward this goal?
To answer this question, Professor Stephen Daze and his team conducted a review of entrepreneurship activities at the 27 largest universities in Canada. This annual report describes the numbers and types of entrepreneurship courses available, the opportunities for students to learn this valuable skillset outside the classroom, and the current practices that support student start-ups.
Professor Daze shared the highlights of his 2021 annual report in an article published in The Conversation Canada. Read the full article to learn more about entrepreneurship education in Canada.
Stephen Daze is a long-standing, award-winning member of the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Canada. He keeps his skills fresh as by serving as a visiting professor who teaches entrepreneurship in the undergraduate and MBA programs at the University of Ottawa and by working with entrepreneurs during the launch of their new ventures. He also currently serves as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Telfer School of Management and in 2016, he was named the University of Ottawa Chapter Honoree of Beta Gamma Sigma, an international business honour society. Learn more about Stephen Daze’s work.
When Nova Scotia Tory leader Tim Houston surged to an upset victory in August, most commentators attributed his success to his promise to improve healthcare. His proposed solution was captured by one line of his platform: “We need more beds, more staff, and more technology.” To overcome the next wave of the pandemic and to improve healthcare, a basic variation of this theme is being proposed by every government. However, following the recent Canadian Institute for Health Information report that indicates that Canadian healthcare costs continue to surge exponentially, can anyone really believe that we will be better off simply with “more,” especially with no consensus ceiling to consider?
The context bearing down on us is a nation-wide healthcare human resources (health HR) crisis. The workforce is being depleted, with droves of nurses, physicians, personal support workers, and others who are suffering from burnout or PTSD, quitting their jobs in record numbers. According to Statistics Canada, the job vacancy rate in healthcare is at an all-time high, up more than 50% from last year.
Without question, the one and only resource needed to sustain and improve healthcare systems across the country is human: qualified and engaged health professionals. However, simply adding “boots on the ground” or superficial one-off financial incentives to attract staff---such as the Quebec government’s $18,000 bonuses for nurses---will unfortunately not succeed.
The singular and all-consuming pandemic response during the peak periods has left hundreds of thousands of Canadians waiting anxiously for potentially life-saving diagnostic testing, surgical procedures that were deemed non-urgent, and a host of consultations and basic health services. These must now be reintroduced alongside regular day-to-day operations, led by a dwindling, traumatized, and exhausted workforce. The solution is not, as Dr. Andy Smith, CEO of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, suggests, to ask everyone to work 130% until we’ve caught up, which will likely take years – and at what cost?
The first step in solving the crisis is counterintuitive in that we need to invest time in formally debriefing the experiences of the pandemic thus far, lest they go to waste. This means asking leaders and staff at all levels, patients, families, and communities: where did we get it right? Who was under-serviced or treated inequitably? What systemic improvements are within our reach? Prioritizing the time to do this is crucial.
Second, the keys to solving many of our problems lie in the data, the terabytes of information on patient experience, clinical outcomes, and staff engagement that are waiting patiently in servers to be mined and analyzed. Healthcare leaders need to be equipped with the tools, competencies, and again, the time, to continuously analyze this information and make informed decisions for systems improvement.
Third, these decisions must be considered through the lens of the whole system – including its workforce, patients, communities, and continuum of care – as opposed to just a single element at the expense of others. For example, increasing the number of hours worked by individual nurses and physicians can also increase their fatigue, absenteeism, and turnover, as well as medical errors, all of which diminish the overall performance of the health system. Similarly, giving key personnel one-time bonuses, as is done in Quebec for nurses, will only momentarily prolong the inevitable once this same personnel returns to the same chaotic workplace conditions.
The responsibility of carving out time and space to reflect, to dig into the data, and to address issues in a systemic way does not belong to front line workers; their jobs are to saves lives. It is their leaders and more specifically, middle-level health care managers, who sit in the sweet spot to enact change. It is they who require a mindset of agility, adaptability, and innovation to extricate time for reflection, to look at data, and to propose systemic solutions. Since the early months of 2020, front-line healthcare workers have been front and centre in our minds and in our politics. As we look for a path forward, it is time to shift our focus up the organizational chart and provide support to those who will be the ultimate catalysts of improved healthcare.
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.”
New research from the Telfer professor Darlene Himick suggests that public pressure is necessary if we are looking for ways to tackle the climate crisis. But while dialogue is important to put pressure on the financial system, Telfer alumnus Sean Sirois (BCom ’83, CFA, ICD.D, RIPC) believes we need concrete action now. We sat down with Sirois to discuss new research and practices, from selective divestment to responsible investing, and identified some of the major transformations needed to make our financial system more sustainable.
Defining sustainable investing is tricky but necessary
Many first-time investors are turning to what is being advertised as “sustainable investing,” hoping that their investment choices will help reduce carbon emission and address the climate crisis. For Telfer alumnus Sean Sirois, who has worked extensively in capital markets with large financial firms such as TD, JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank and is now a senior adviser at KingsRock, a global strategic advisory firm, often this is not the case.
Investors may think that they are purchasing sustainable or responsible funds, but the real impact of what they are doing is often minimal. For Sirois, also the founder of Demeter Advisors Inc., which consults on sustainability issues, “by greenwashing the economic system, Wall Street is delaying overdue systemic solutions.”
Sustainable, or responsible, investing is new, and there is no universally accepted definition of it. National and provincial regulatory bodies and other organizations such as the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute will be clarifying what can be called a “green fund” or another type of sustainable investing, taking into account environmental, social and governance issues. Sirois hopes this will enable investors to direct their capital to the right area for the right reasons, help regulatory bodies discourage greenwashing and hold companies accountable.
Many organizations have developed frameworks for responsible investing. The UN-produced Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), for instance, outline six internationally recognized principles to help organizations implement responsible investing and publicly demonstrate their commitment. To date, over 2,500 institutions and investors with US $121 trillion in assets have signed on to the PRI.
The impact of public pressure in the financial system
The oil and gas divestment movement is one of the many environmental initiatives pressuring the financial system to go greener: to date, 1,300 institutions, with investments worth over US $14 trillion dollars, have committed to divesting from fossil fuels.
Pressure from these public groups may reduce the amount of capital flowing into these stocks, but Sirois, who also is working for a U.K.-based innovator that is commercializing an environmentally friendly substitute for single-use plastic materials for e-commerce and a Singapore-based company that has developed engineering innovations that improve container shipping efficiency and effectiveness, warns that some of these actions may have a limited effect on the financial system.
The commitment to divest from oil and gas is relatively small: over US$230 trillion of investable assets are currently floating in the global capital and public markets. Oil, gas, coal and energy stocks represent only 3% of total capital markets assets. “We also need to remember that … other companies or investors will be willing to buy oil and gas assets for a lower price, in which case the harmful gas emission activities will continue,” Sirois says.
Directing capital to promising sectors
Sirois advises investors to identify the sectors where their investment will reduce carbon emissions. “One area leading the way is the renewable energy sector.” According to the International Renewable Energy Agency list of financial commitments in renewable energy, the global renewable energy market had US$700 billion in revenue in 2020. The sector offers opportunities to investors: “If you’re in a growing market, your investment can potentially be more profitable than in a sector in decline” he says.
A lot of investment will be needed to support energy efficiency, electrification, infrastructure, and other areas, which total US$110 trillion according to a 2020 IRENA report on investment needs. “We need a major turnover in where our capital is invested today to meet some of the international environmental targets and improve the environment tomorrow,” says Sirois.
On the right track, but bigger changes needed
In Canada, a growing number of retail investors are choosing funds and products that support energy efficiency, renewable energy, water purification and other initiatives. In the public sector, large pension funds are working to lower the carbon emission weight in their portfolios, and some funds set out specific responsible investing guidelines for their asset managers. Sirois mentions the Responsible Investment Association call to action: “The association has recently called members to commit to take action that can help us achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.”
There is certainly momentum, but Sirois thinks a larger transformation needs to happen for Canada to reach the 2015 Paris Agreement climate goals. “The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that we need to listen to science. We also need to encourage our political leaders to bring in rules and regulations that will force real change,” he says. Open dialogue is also key. “This includes understanding others’ points of view and communicating how we move forward to reach our goals,” he adds.
What Telfer is doing for sustainability
Telfer’s programs and research around responsible investment can help finance leaders, policymakers and companies support a greener future for Canadians.
The Telfer Capital Markets Program is a two-year development program for students seeking to learn more about capital markets. The program’s curriculum includes course work in finance, as well as mentorship, workshops, networking and the opportunity to manage a real investment portfolio.
Sirois is on the program’s advisory board. He explains the new program focus: “We are revamping the Telfer Capital Fund into a program for students that considers environmental, social and governance factors and focuses on investing capital in the companies of the future, companies that will help with the transition to a lower carbon economy.”
One of Telfer’s areas of strategic impact is Globalization, Governance, and Sustainability. Researchers are advancing our understanding of the role and impact of organizations on social, environmental and economic sustainability in Canada and globally.
One of these researchers is Professor Darlene Himick. Himick’s recent research is on how public pressure affects oil and gas divestment by public funds. According to Sirois: “Governments must change the rules of the game in order to create incentives for industry to literally clean up its act, and for investors to put their capital into areas that will create a sustainable future.”
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.
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.
Wiam Ben Karroum graduated from the Telfer School of Management with a double degree in Finance and Business Technology Management (MISA) in just April of 2021. She has already secured a full-time role at Deloitte on the Technology, Strategy, and Transformation team, after completing a co-op with the company during her studies.
Not stopping there, Wiam is also actively working with Forget For A Moment Foundation, which is focused on sensitizing healthcare facilities by bringing nature inside their walls. A registered charity since 2012, the foundation was started by uOttawa alumna Jeannine Lafrenière, who went through cancer herself and wished to see something other than magazines in hospital waiting rooms for patients, families, and staff working.
We met Wiam virtually to better understand how her extracurricular involvement in clubs like Women in Management Network (WMN) helped her get involved with the Forget For A Moment Foundation. Like many other Telfer grads, Wiam is now helping to build a Better Canada.
Why was it important for you to be involved in extracurricular activities when you were a student? What did you learn in your time volunteering with clubs?
“Getting involved in multiple student-led clubs at Telfer helped me develop myself personally and professionally. I had a chance to gain more leadership and communication skills and it gave me the opportunity to discover my interests and passions outside of taking classes! I fostered meaningful relationships with like-minded students that helped and supported my growth through the university experience and beyond.
I also launched the podcast “Words with WMN” during the pandemic! Being part of the Women in Management Network (WMN) allowed me to meet incredible women leaders and made me realize where we stand on the topic of diversity and equality today and how much work is yet to be done. I was able to give back to my community and be part of causes bigger than myself, which ultimately brought me to the Forget For A Moment Foundation.”
As a new grad, what was the best thing you took away from your Telfer experience?
“The best thing I took away from Telfer is my now refined ability to network and maintain genuine connections. Overall, I had a wonderful experience, from trying new things and exploring the community to being involved in clubs and the Profession of Management Consulting Program (PMCP). I learned the power of saying “yes” and continuing to get involved past graduating. Telfer made me realize I am interested in things I didn’t even know about so the curiosity and opportunities I took away are so important.”
Wiam actually joined the Forget For A Moment Foundation as a Campaign Coordinator in her last year of university, thanks to the suggestion from Omer Livvarcin, her professor of Digital Enterprise. Currently busy raising funds for the living wall in the Orléans Health Hub, the foundation works to finance the construction of natural structures inside healthcare facilities and to help pay for their first year of maintenance. And they’re not doing it just because plants look beautiful. Numerous studies have proven that simply looking at plants in healthcare surroundings helps patients, families, and staff reduce stress.
The Foundation seeks to give the sick, their relatives, their caregivers and staff, a natural, healthy, and delightful garden to provide a momentary break from their fear, pain, and stress.
Wiam is working with interested individuals and companies to join the partnership program or donate directly through the website. The Foundation has a goal of systematically including nature in the designs of 10 hospitals, long-term care facilities or nursing homes over the next decade.
Wiam’s passion for this cause shines brightly and it’s a perfect example of Telfer’s mission to create profound social change through the Better Canada initiative. In addition to this wonderful project, we also asked Wiam about her future:
What are your plans for the future? Anything in particular you are looking forward to?
“My plans are to continue working with WMN founders to expand the network and to be involved with the Forget For A Moment Foundation to grow it to a national level. I am also excited to start my full-time journey in Technology consulting!”
We are so proud of all Wiam’s accomplishments and we are so happy that her involvement in Telfer Nation was able to provide her with confidence and leadership skills to pursue non-profit work alongside full-time employment. We are also proud to see an alumnus connect with our mission to Build A Better Canada. We wish Wiam the best in her future endeavours.
Canada ranks as one of the most entrepreneurial countries in the world. This can be attributed to not only the ease with which businesses are created, but also to its favourable legislative framework and its various support programs for entrepreneurs.
With this in mind, one might question the origin of the inequalities that define female entrepreneurship today. A report from the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub demonstrates that the real challenge when it comes to female entrepreneurship in Canada is not the creation of businesses, but rather their growth and development. In an environment where many conditions exist but still face challenges, let’s collectively reflect on the future of female entrepreneurship in Canada.
A Supportive Environment
Canada is a country in which its environment supports the development of entrepreneurship, particularly female entrepreneurship. In addition to the legislative framework in place to guarantee gender equality in the workplace, there are public policies and programs designed to ensure the development of female entrepreneurship. This is the case with the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) which was launched in 2018. It includes funding and support programs, as well as the creation of networks for women to improve their access to funding, talent, and expertise needed to start and grow a business.
Also, over time, these organizations have grown on both a large and small scale. For example, at Telfer, right within our business school, we have the Women in Management Network (WMN), founded by Polly Leung. This association came about as a result of a perceived lack of support in the student community of women’s groups that were helping each other at the professional level. WMN is working to address this through a mentorship program in a supportive and inclusive community where students can develop their skills and network for the future. As Leung herself says, with this network, she wanted to “change transactional relationships to make them much more meaningful.”
I also had the opportunity to meet with Marie-Emmanuelle Kouadio, ambassador of SEPHIS Canada, an association based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, whose goal is to promote gender, female leadership, and entrepreneurship. Kouadio, who had the idea of creating the SEPHIS embassy in Canada, saw it as a way to enhance the association’s reputation and thus continue her fight on a global scale, while maintaining a connection with her homeland of Ivory Coast. In Canada, the association focuses primarily on African international students and organizes events such as panels and webinars where students can learn more about the professional world, but also have the tools to overcome the challenges they may encounter.
Ongoing Challenges
In the case of female entrepreneurship, there are ongoing challenges, primarily related to gender stereotypes. The Women entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub’s report about the state of female entrepreneurship in Canada demonstrates the pervasiveness of these stereotypes. For example, a content analysis study conducted between 2017 and 2019 of Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail, found that a majority of articles on entrepreneurship focused on men. As for the content, while men appear to be “born” entrepreneurs, women are presented as entrepreneurs by “necessity,” which reveals the presence of gender identity, in this context as it appears entrepreneurship is assigned to men. These socially constructed stereotypes are among the factors behind the low proportion of women in entrepreneurship training programs, and hence their under-representation in the field. They are hindering the growth of their businesses because they are partly at the root of their difficulty in accessing financing, and are closing their doors to certain sectors such as in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM).
If I could visualize the future of female entrepreneurship in Canada, I would certainly see a successful and much more inclusive sector. The creation of WES in 2018, and their expert panel made up of women from diverse sectors and cultures, is a testament to the government’s desire to truly support all women entrepreneurs, and this time by working hand-in-hand with them.
Although there is still some progress to be made, particularly in terms of stereotypes and cultural diversity, by giving all women the opportunity to take their place this can be gradually broken. By providing them with the tools they need to develop such as gender-specific training services, better access to information and funding, and support for internationalization, they would be able to demonstrate their full potential. Coupled with this growing phenomenon of supporting women entrepreneurs, these are all factors that can only have a positive impact on female entrepreneurship.
That said, as Kouadio points out, women should dare and venture by giving themselves the means to do so. This is especially true when we know that the increased presence of women in the sector would serve as role models for the younger generation, which would help them develop an entrepreneurial identity other than that imposed by society, but also to motivate them to take their turn.
I will close with a quote from Marcelle Goran, who runs her own business support structure for hiring and retaining immigrant workers in Quebec: “It can only be beneficial to let women fit into the economic fabric.”
Telfer PhD candidate, Peyman Varshoei, started his doctoral journey in 2017 when he moved from Iran to Ottawa. Since then, he has started on his three-chaptered thesis for his PhD in Management with a Specialization in Health Systems. He met his wife (Elmira Mirbahaeddin) who is also a doctoral candidate in the same PhD program at Telfer School.
The focus of his research relates to various medical scheduling problems which includes patient appointment scheduling, staff scheduling, clinic block scheduling, home-care nurse scheduling, routing, and more. After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of his research became evident more than ever. His research contributes by strengthening pandemic-wave recovery through preventing extreme back-log of elective surgeries cancelled during the earlier waves of COVID-19.
Becoming a Telfer PhD Student
Peyman was connected with the Telfer PhD program when he was consulting a graduate student who was working on her master's degree project in Iran. Through this project he was introduced to professor Jonathan Patrick.
“[Professor Patrick] encouraged me to apply to the PhD program at Telfer School, I heard about Telfer before, and I knew it has generous packages for international students and also has powerful computer labs that could facilitate my research” explained Peyman. “It was a pleasure for me to apply and be admitted to Telfer.”
Thus Peyman began his PhD journey and is now starting his fifth year in September 2021. Peyman has previously completed his Bachelor’s of Science in industrial engineering in which he graduated with distinction and was invited by the same school in Iran to directly pursue a master’s degree in Systems Engineering. This engineering background provided him with an interdisciplinary perspective and the required methods and skills to work on complex mathematical problems, particularly in healthcare analytics.
“I chose to do my PhD in Management with the Specialization in Health Systems because I did some research in that area during my undergraduate and graduate years in Iran. I was searching for opportunities to expand my knowledge in advanced analytics techniques, and to also explore the connections between my area of interest with health systems management.”
His educational background and eagerness to learn drove him to research newer topics such as business optimization and medical scheduling.
“I have always been passionate to work on innovative ideas that optimize health systems. . So, choosing this PhD program and focusing on the optimization of scheduling in health care services gave me the opportunity to enhance my skills and apply my knowledge to health care problems in the real world.”
Learning and skills acquisition
Peyman has been keen on developing his ability to learn how to learn. By challenging himself with new topics and problems, he managed to exercise many learning curves.
“I’m learning things everyday non-stop. I need to improve my skills regularly, so I am trying to explore new ways that I can quickly learn. I am happy with everything that I have explored throughout my research,” he states as he emphasizes the importance of getting out of his comfort zone to enhance and advancehis skillset while obtaining his PhD.
Peyman faced many challenges that he overcame by adopting an open mind with curiosity. He explained “I explored a lot in the literature because I didn’t have a broad background in optimization. My background was mostly in simulation modeling” he adds: “I had to find a way to solve new optimization problems during my research. For example, in my first chapter, I had to figure out how to make a trade-off between two or more conflicting objectives through connecting a stochastic and a deterministic optimization model and spent days figuring out how to do it. I learned new programming languages as well as several solution methods for addressing the problems that I am working on.”
Working with supervisors
His main resource for obtaining new knowledge, he said, was access to professors and researchers who were knowledgeable and willing to advise him during his research in the areas that he was interested in. In addition to his supervisors, Peyman had the opportunity to engage in research and teaching activities with the other Telfer faculty members. Therefore, he has been able to further expand his experience through various research projects as well as teaching undergraduate courses. Peyman refers to the faculties at Telfer: “they made my PhD program even more fruitful by generously sharing their professional experience and knowledge in research with me.”
Professor Jonathan Patrick, also commented on Peyman’s enthusiasm towards learning: “One of the real pleasures about working with Peyman is his willingness to take on new tasks and learn new methods and/or software. He is not afraid to tackle new methodologies and readily asks for guidance if he is uncertain. These characteristics of his will stand him in good stead as he continues in his career as a researcher.”
During the first two years of PhD, Peyman went through his coursework. He explained: “My supervisors supported me in many ways, for example, in choosing the right method courses and the other ups and downs that an international newcomer PhD student from another educational system might face with. Moreover, they guided me to the additional skills and methods that I needed to prepare for my comprehensive exam and my thesis program of research. I believe this individualized support has been of great importance for the progress of my thesis research.”
Being a PhD Student During COVID-19
Researching a Pandemic from Home
When the pandemic hit in 2020, Peyman, like many, was unsure how his education journey would continue. However, it turned out to be the pandemic itself that led him to develop what would be the first chapter of his thesis.
“While I was exploring different home care problems in the literature to start developing the first optimization problem in my thesis, the pandemic started. We identified a new problem about admitting elective patients to hospitals during pandemics, which later became my first chapter. The problem was how to admit elective patients in a hospital during a pandemic while ensuring the hospitals are ready to empty some capacity for pandemic patients in case of a surge in the pandemic-driven demand” explained Peyman. This problem became evident after the first wave of COVID-19 hit and hospitals faced massive backlogs of elective surgeries because of the cancellations.
“What happened during the first wave was a new situation for the hospitals because they were afraid of the coming COVID-driven demand and they emptied lots of beds and resources for a predicted demand that never happened during the first wave. So, their resources remained under-utilized while they had cancelled many elective procedures and caused a massive backlog of elective patients.”
Peyman put his focus on this new topic, despite the uncertainty around the topic and its solution method. His COVID-19 research was pursued in pandemic-style: at home.
“I was at home all the time during the pandemic. I followed the news that was relevant to my research.” shared Peyman. He specified that because it was a novel problem in the literature, he had a lot to delve into when working from home. “I read the news a lot, I searched for keywords and specific news articles. I worked hard to develop a new methodology.”
Eventually, he was able to develop a solution to this issue: an elective patient scheduling policy that would allow admitting patients during the pandemic waves while ensuring the hospital can empty enough beds for pandemic patients over a short warning period.
Managing the Impact of Future COVID-19 Waves
With his research Peyman hopes to lessen the negative impact of COVID-19 and other pandemic waves in the future.
“We may see more covid waves later. In the future, we can benefit from the lessons learned during the first wave and I believe the findings of my research can help hospitals to minimize cancellations.” he explained.
The model would help hospitals to adapt quicker and more efficiently than the first wave of COVID-19, allowing for a faster post-pandemic recovery.
Participating in Conferences
When Peyman progressed with his research and developed the structure for the forthcoming chapters, his supervisors invited him to present the findings of his first chapter at the Canadian Operational Research Society (CORS) 2021 annual conference. “This was a great opportunity for me to share this research and to get feedback from the participants and experts in this area. Happily, we received encouraging comments from the audience, especially about the novelty and timeliness of the topic as well as the innovative method that was developed” He said. Peyman also presented in 2021 annual Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR) conference.
Finishing a Thesis
Peyman states that the main goal of his research is “making a balance between the needs of patients and the utilization of health-care resources and to find an optimal/near-optimal solution”. He keeps that in mind as he works towards finishing the next chapters of his thesis.
His next steps will include delving deeper into solution methods for the complex problems he is trying to solve in home-care nurse scheduling and routing problem and cancer clinics block scheduling.
“I am going to develop a heuristic/metaheuristic method that is able to provide a good quality solution in a reasonable time, which is what operations research analysts do when it is impossible to reach the optimal solution for combinatorial mathematical problems.”
The impact of his research is not only applicable now more than ever but could change the efficiency of planning and scheduling within the Canadian health care system for the better.
Telfer alumni Kim Ades (MBA 1993) and Nichole Grenier (BCom 1990) discuss how job candidates can overcome this type of anxiety and instead use genuine, powerful strategies to create a positive impression during a job interview.
Kim Ades: Helping people tackle the fear of being evaluated in a job interview in three steps
Kim Ades, president and founder of Frame of Mind Coaching, received a BA from the University of Ottawa with major in psychology and then decided to pursue an MBA. She was always interested in understanding what triggers anxiety and stress:
“Some of us can experience anxiety when we are preparing for a job interview, an important presentation at work, or a big event in our lives, and expect a negative outcome,” she says.
As an executive coach for nearly two decades, she takes people through a three-step process to overcome the anxiety created by their fears of winning and losing. The first step is to describe what it looks like to experience failure. “I ask people to imagine the worst possible scenario; one where they experience disastrous failure,” says Kim. She then asks them to express their feelings in journal entries that they share with their coach, a task that job candidates often find very difficult.
The second step is not to ignore the difficult feelings that many candidates might experience when preparing for a job interview. Instead, they should face the possibility of failure head on: “I ask people to imagine that they might fail a job interview, and then imagine what it looks like to recover from that failure,” says Kim. Envisioning recovery helps candidates build resilience and strength to handle any negative evaluation they might receive in a job interview.
The final step is to envision complete success. Job candidates are encouraged to imagine what it looks like to step into the interview, successfully answer the interviewers’ questions, and walk away thinking: “That was the best interview I ever had.”
Nichole Grenier: Preparation is the best strategy to show yourself in the best light
Nichole Grenier, founder of Grenier Executive & Business Coaching, graduated from Telfer with a major in accounting. She became a certified accountant and after many years’ working in the field, she was asked why she kept focusing on people instead of numbers. Her passion to work with people led to a career shift to human resources and to her becoming a certified coach.
Nichole believes that when studying the impact of anxiety on interview performance, coaches, and researchers should not only look at personality, but also on how culture, gender, and age affect how individuals cope with the fear of being evaluated. “The interview setting is very stressful, and people can react very differently to this specific situation.” For Nichole, there are many ways for individuals to position themselves as suitable candidates for the job, but the key to success is preparation and practice. This includes mock interviews with family, friends, or a coach:
“Preparing well is what allows you to show yourself in the best light,” she says.
Nichole asks candidates to do some research on the organization and its work culture: “What is the culture and how will I fit in? For example, should I be prepared to dress for an office environment that is more formal or more relaxed?”
She also advises candidates to carefully examine the job description and identify the key competencies required for the job. This can indicate what the employer is looking for and guide the employee in showing that they are capable, competent, and have experience in performing that type of work. “Even if you don’t have a specific example to illustrate that you developed a competency, you can think about transferable skills you developed in a previous job.”
Kim and Nichole share tips to help job candidates impress the interviewer with honesty
Kim and Nichole also commented on a new study coauthored by Silvia Bonaccio, a full professor at the Telfer School of Management. The research suggests that some anxious job candidates are more likely to use deceptive strategies to impress the interviewer. Both alumni offered valuable recommendations to help all candidates make a positive—and honest—impression during a job interview:
Back up exuberant statements with tangible facts
Kim believes that extroverts who wish to impress the interviewer do not need to “turn down” their extraversion when describing their success. However, she advises them to support their accomplishments with tangible, supportable facts, such as “I increased the company’s revenues by 50% last year.”
Show your credibility and impact
Nichole advises candidates to be prepared to tell stories based on past performance. Ideally, for every story, candidates should also provide a reference who can back up their story and prove to the interviewer that they have credibility and are suitable candidates for the job. Another way to leave a great first impression with the interviewer is to tell your most impactful stories. “Maybe you recently optimized the process of an entire company with 1,000 employees.”
Curiosity and interest go a long away
For those candidates who rank low on extraversion, Kim thinks that there is nothing wrong with being an introvert. “As an introvert, I think that sometimes curiosity and interest trump being outgoing.” When job candidates show they are honestly interested in the organization and their work, “employers will be able to evaluate their readiness, and their fit for the role, as opposed to whether or not they rank high on extraversion,” she adds.
Be confident
Nichole reinforces that introverts should show confidence during the interview. Candidates should recognize their ability to collaborate with teams and be inclusive when referring to team accomplishments, but it is equally important to use I statements to show how they contributed to the team. “The interviewer will want to know what you did to promote teamwork, so you can say we (the team) went for a mountain bike trip but use I did this if you were the person who planted the idea of the trip.” Downplaying these contributions can be too risky, especially if candidates are applying for a leadership position.
Make sure your actions reflect your vision
Kim often asks candidates how they would like to be seen and if their actions correspond with that vision. “A lot of times people behave in ways that clash with their desired outcomes; it is important to help job candidates understand that the action of stretching the truth doesn’t necessarily lead to the outcome they are looking for.” Nichole agrees that if anyone believes that they should stretch the truth to land the ideal job, then they should consider coaching to develop skills to resist the temptation to use deception. “Being manipulative or cunning can be a great skill if you are applying for a job as a bank robber,” she jokes.
You are also in a position of evaluating
Kim advises candidates to run their own mental interview with the company based on what they learn during the recruitment process. Nichole believes that if they do their research well, they will be prepared to ask the right questions and understand if this organization is the right fit for them.
Are you looking for a job but experience interview anxiety? Prepare, practice, and overcome your fears of being evaluated during an interview.
Kim Ades, of Frame of Mind Coaching, developed a coaching methodology to help executives and entrepreneurs become more effective leaders. Learn more about Kim
Nichole Grenier, of Grenier Executive & Business Coaching, offers customized coaching to groups, teams, and individuals to unlock potential, remove barriers, and maximize performance. Learn more about Nichole
The last 15 months have been turbulent to say the least. We have gone through many changes in the way we live, work and relate. Whether we’ve liked it or not, we’ve had to call on and build up our personal resilience. And by now, we’ve heard it all: from advice to eat better, do yoga, and take bubble baths, we know how to build our individual resilience so that we can “adapt to stress, […] harness resources to maintain well-being, and find personal growth as a healthy adaptation to crisis” (Southwick, Frederick, et al).
While building our own set of personal practices that help us bounce back from adversity is an essential part of being able to live and lead well, how do leaders make sure their teams are resilient, too? Individual and team resilience are not the same – according to Alliger et al., team resilience is about bouncing back from challenges that can jeopardize a team’s cohesiveness and performance. The focus isn’t just on individual recovery, but on the team maintaining positive dynamics and the ability to learn together.
As restrictions ease and many organizations begin a return to working together in-person, leaders will need to guide their teams through yet another period of change and adaptation. In the months ahead, leaders will be focused on creating an environment that supports the sense of belonging and motivation that their teams need, to not only recover from Pandemic fatigue, but to contribute to the transformation of this new workplace.
Shaping and strengthening resilient leaders and teams is part of what we do at Telfer Executive Programs. In a recent article from the Harvard Business Review, the authors share that a major component of developing resilience as a leader is building networks and connecting with peers facing similar challenges (Cross et al, 2021). Our programs help you build those networks and create opportunities for growth, which are defining characteristics of high performing teams.
How are you planning on supporting your team through this next phase? As you prepare for the upcoming period of change, we encourage you to consider creating an environment where your team can learn together. Part of our roles at Telfer Executive Programs is designing custom programs that meet the specific needs of your team. Custom programs allow participants to share a common learning experience which can facilitate the change management process and help promote feelings of inclusion, engagement, and motivation in your team so you can begin this next phase with confidence.
If you have any questions or are looking for more information on custom programming, connect with us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
About the authors
Margaux Carson is the Manager of Program Development & Delivery at Telfer Executive Programs and oversees the design, development, and delivery of all program offerings. She brings her background in education and international experience in leadership development consulting to the role. Margaux is passionate about designing and delivering high-impact programming that supports leaders to grow and create cultures of trust, connection, and development in their teams so they can succeed.
Christina Tector is an Executive Coach and Leadership Development Facilitator. She draws on over 20 years of experience working in the federal public service as a leadership facilitator, personal development coach, change leadership mentor, organizational change advisor, and mindfulness teacher. She is passionate about facilitating, supporting and guiding leaders to discover their own personal development edges, fulfill their potential and elevate the teams of people they lead. Christina cares deeply about creating a climate of trust, compassion and authenticity for healthy humans to thrive in healthy systems.
At the age of 19, Audrey-Claire Lawrence (EMBA, 1997) started her teaching career in Rouyn-Noranda over 850 km away from Québec City where she has been living. Little did she know, this was only the beginning of a lifelong journey that would lead her to rethink Canada’s health and educational system.
Teaching in a remote region of Québec brought on a lot of firsts for Ms. Lawrence. Due to the lack of school past grade 6, Cree students were flown in from different communities in the James Bay area; ‘It was an interesting environment to be in,” remembers Lawrence. “The North was quite different then Québec City. At school, you could see kids were divided between Cree and Town Children, but the class they integrated very well.”
One day, a dentist sent by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (now Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs; Indigenous Service) came into her students’ class for what was presented as a routine visit for the Indigenous children. Lawrence (born Swaffield) was confused at the time, knowing there was already a dentist in town, but giving the official statement from the dentist, she sent in her first student. She was shocked when the young girl returned: “She came back green and looked terrible.” The dentist had explained that he needed to pull out 7 teeth to treat the young girl's cavities. After that, Lawrence immediately refused him permission to touch any more of her students and had the principal send the dentist away. “I simply didn’t understand the logic given how a local dentist could have taken care of the kids,” she added.
The consequence of this event sent Lawrence on a journey to understand the “system” regarding Indigenous relations in our education and health systems. Of Cree and Inuit Ancestry herself, she was already attentive to the Indigenous rights cause, but from that day, she knew she had to take a stand.
Starting On a Mission
After completing further degrees, Lawrence became an experienced facilitator, motivational speaker, and organizational development specialist. She has worked in management positions in government, education, and healthcare, most notably as Director of Educational Services at The Ottawa Hospital (Civic then) and as Director of Education for the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists.
She has also served in leadership positions in national, provincial, and local organizations involved with organizational development, libraries and concerns affecting Indigenous communities throughout Canada, including in Quebec, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. Author of several journal articles and study guides, Lawrence has presented at numerous conferences on cultural safety, humour in the workplace, stress and change management, and before retiring had her own consulting practice supplying facilitation and event services, customized to the needs of her clients.
In addition to her MBA from the University of Ottawa, Lawrence also holds an MA in Sociology and Organizational Behaviour from the University of Calgary, an Honours BA from McGill, as well as a Teaching Diploma in Later Childhood from MacDonald College. She is a Myers-Briggs Facilitator and has extensive experience in the provision of training and leadership programs.
Developing Critical Thinking Skills
Lawrence has extensive experience in policy analysis, report writing, and strategic planning. She attributes her success in these fields to her time at Telfer EMBA, which was known as the Faculty of Administration at the time.
“One of the classes I remember the most was held by Professor Raj Gandhi,” she recalled. “As he introduced his class on cost-benefit ratio, he said jokingly, that the biggest mistake we did was to put our money on an MBA when we should have bought a house. It’s a simple example, but it gets you thinking about how to develop your critical thinking as well as doing cost benefit analysis.”
Lawrence shared how the program helped her to further shape her skills: “My MBA helped develop my critical thinking as well as negotiations with teammates to get things done.” She noted that it helped one to be a system thinker so one can change the state of things: “When you have good people, but a lousy system, the barriers are too strong to do anything, the world is already too complex. When you get to fix the system, thinking and see what can be leveraged, that’s when change can happen.”
Lawrence is now a thriving member of the Telfer alumni community: “I enjoy seminars and the continuing learning opportunities offered by the University. I think I might be holding the record as the alumna with the longest time attending learning events” she said candidly. She continued: “If you have a good experience, it will build a lifelong learning objective, and I simply enjoy learning.”
The Career After the Career
Officially retired and living in Ottawa, it would be impossible to think that Lawrence would have left everything behind. She has been involved in the community through volunteer work at a few health and organizations and libraries, including serving as Chair of the Canadian Health Care Educators Association, the former President of the Ontario Library Board Association (OLBA), the former Chair of the Cumberland Public Library (now part of the Ottawa Public Library), and the Vice-Chair of the Southern Ontario Library Service Board and Volunteer Leadership Development Program (VLDP) of Volunteer Ottawa.
“I surely know how to keep myself busy. My husband would tell you that I’m spending more time volunteering now than I worked during my career,” exclaimed Lawrence.
Most recently, Audrey had served on the Public Witness for Social and Ecological Justice Committee. She now serves as the Indigenous Co-Chair for the All My Relations Circle for the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa for work on Reconciliation and has been on the Algonquin College Board of Governors since 2017.
Standing Up for Distance Learning in the Indigenous Community
Audrey has long been aware of the needs for financial support for university and college students and especially for Indigenous students, so she set up a special bursary for Indigenous learners at Algonquin College in 2019. Then upon hearing that there was no bursaries for online students, she recently in May 2021 established the Audrey Lawrence AC Online Bursary, the first bursary for learning distance which will be awarded to full-time and part-time online learners in financial need, following a second gift of $15,000 from Lawrence.
The Online Bursary will encompass two $6,000 bursaries for full-time learners, with one preferably directed toward an Indigenous student. Additionally, three $1,000 bursaries will also be awarded to part-time students.
As a former teacher to Cree students at the very beginning of her career, it simply seems natural for Lawrence to give back to the community and encourage distance learning: “As I went on through my teaching career, I’m glad I could count on correspondence courses (distance learning process at the time) to complete my degree. I am very sensitive to the needs of distance learners,” she said.
Audrey mentioned that even if it has been a few decades ago, the gap in providing essential services, such as education, to the Indigenous community is still very much a topical issue. “Over the past 20 years, not much has changed,” she said. “Gaps are being identified, but little is done to shorten them in the end. We bring infrastructure to the communities, but we do not take the time with them to ensure the facilities have operational support - and that’s a big issue.” She concluded: “Apart from the mea culpa, we need to learn from the past to make positive action and the most important thing to do is to ask the community what and how it should be done above all.”
We are delighted to announce the release of the report, Entrepreneurship Policies through a Gender Lens by the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD). This timely report contains a collection of 27 policy insight notes on long-running policy issues in women’s entrepreneurship support. OECD data and editorial insights reinforce the policy note findings. This report will be of interest to women entrepreneurs, policymakers, women’s enterprise advocates, and academics at a time when evidence-based sights are needed to drive post-pandemic recovery measures.
Background
This report is a collaboration between the OECD and the Global Women’s Entrepreneurship Policy Research Project (Global WEP), which is a network of established researchers from over 34 countries. The project was led by Jonathan Potter (Head of the Entrepreneurship Policy and Analysis Unit) of the OECD and Dr. Colette Henry, Chair of Global WEP - (Dundalk Institute of Technology, Ireland; Chair, Global WEP), Dr. Susan Coleman (University of Hartford, United States) and Dr. Barbara Orser (University of Ottawa, Canada). Excerpts from the Executive Summary follow.
What will you learn from this report?
Women’s enterprise issues have become even more relevant as the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to set women’s entrepreneurship back 20 years. The notes contained in this report cover a range of policy challenges – including in relation to formal and informal institutions, access to finance, access to skills and policy design – and policy instruments that can be used to address them. The notes underline core principles and good practices to follow in designing and implementing policies.
This report also offers an overview of the state of women’s entrepreneurship in OECD countries and beyond, using gender-disaggregated indicators on business creation, self-employment and barriers to business start-up, sustainability and growth. These indicators illustrate gender gaps in entrepreneurship, not only in activity rates but also in the proportion of entrepreneurs who create jobs for others. Persistent gender gaps call on public policy to continue to address gender inequalities in entrepreneurship.
Overall, this report provides an important source of new insights to assist policy makers and advocates seeking to strengthen holistic interventions in support of women’s entrepreneurship, and to encourage and facilitate peer learning across countries.
Report highlights
The policy insight notes in this report argue that mainstream entrepreneurship policies and programmes are not gender neutral. Explicit approaches are needed to address barriers to entrepreneurship that are experienced differentially by men and women, and to ensure that women have equal access to policy support aimed at entrepreneurs.
To an extent, this reality is recognised by the wide range of dedicated policy interventions for women’s entrepreneurship that have been put in place internationally across many contexts. The interventions address barriers in the areas of entrepreneurship culture, entrepreneurship skills, access to finance, entrepreneurship networks and ecosystems, and regulatory institutions, as well as approaches to designing and delivering policies to achieve gender equality. These approaches illustrate the dynamic nature of women’s entrepreneurship policy, as well as the gains that are being made as policy makers recognise the needs and contributions of women entrepreneurs.
However, women’s enterprise policy initiatives are often fragile – time-limited, small-scale, sparse, symptom-oriented – and not sufficiently underpinned by a genuine vision and framework for women’s entrepreneurship. To address these limitations, there is a need to increase awareness and knowledge about policies that engage and support women entrepreneurs within entrepreneurial ecosystems. Adherence to gender-blind entrepreneurship policies will be ineffective in achieving the benefits to be had from truly stimulating equal opportunities in entrepreneurship.
There are three main priorities for further policy development:
Overarching policy frameworks for women’s entrepreneurship need to be introduced
In some countries, policy frameworks for women’s entrepreneurship are well-developed and women’s entrepreneurship programmes work effectively towards the global objectives and priorities set out in these frameworks. However, in other countries, women’s entrepreneurship policies are incomplete or ineffective, often because the programmes are not consistent with global policy objectives. Governments should do more to strengthen policy frameworks for women’s entrepreneurship. They also need to dedicate greater resources to ensure that programmes are informed by frameworks and are sustainable in the long-term.
Women’s entrepreneurship policy interventions must reflect context
Governments need to ensure that policy interventions are appropriate for the institutional, cultural and social contexts. The policy insight notes describe vastly different contexts, ranging from developed economies where gender inequalities persist but are relatively subtle to developing economies with strong patriarchal systems. Women’s entrepreneurship policy can be effective in any context, but the objectives, instruments and delivery mechanisms must be selected accordingly.
More evaluation evidence is needed as a foundation for scaling policy initiatives
A wide variety of policy instruments and delivery approaches have been put in place in many countries. A key challenge is to assess the effectiveness of these approaches in different situations and different combinations and to scale and transfer the most effective approaches. More evidence is needed on the effectiveness of women’s entrepreneurship supports in different contexts. This includes, for example, the impacts of measures for training and mentoring, financing, and the role of measures that influence underlying institutional conditions. Information is also needed on the extent to which measures need to be applied as packages. The lack of evaluation evidence represents a lost opportunity to learn from high impact policy interventions and may lend to the vulnerability of women’s enterprise programme funding.
A new Telfer study shows that traditional families with businesses often treat their children differently based on gender, including in succession planning and entrepreneurial education. We talked to two women raised in entrepreneurial families to learn how gender bias can affect women’s careers and experiences in entrepreneurship. They also shared some advice for family businesses.
Emma O’Dwyer
Emma O’Dwyer, regional manager at Family Enterprise Canada, has seen bias first hand in her own family. She says she was not given support even though she earned “two MBA degrees from prestigious universities, gained outside experience, and built a professional network beyond the family business.” She often wonders if this stopped her from building the confidence to take a more entrepreneurial path.
O’Dwyer says that gender bias can damage both daughters and sons. “Today, I see that a lot of men who are expected to inherit the family firm or start their own business receive pressure to be successful.” She believes that “forcing sons to lead the family firm restricts their opportunities to gain experience outside the walls of the family business and develop the business knowledge they need.”
Susan St. Amand
Susan St. Amand is the founder and president of Sirius Group Inc. and Sirius Financial Services. Like O’Dwyer, St. Amand always had an interest in the business world. “My dad and a group of local entrepreneurs would meet for coffee every day, and I loved it when I was able to join them to hear their stories.” This led her to studying business.
Even though St. Amand gained experience and education in entrepreneurship, her brother was still the one expected to take over the business on her father’s retirement. “It was just not common for women to run or inherit a family business, so I was not considered.” This didn’t deter St. Amand from pursuing a career in a large finance organization, before starting her own business. But despite her success, St. Amand was often asked when she would sell her business and fulfil a more traditional female role.
Advice to families to challenge gender bias
O’Dwyer and St. Amand shared some suggestions to help families challenge gender bias and prepare the next generation to succeed in the family firm and beyond:
Treat children as equally as possible and make sure the expectations and pressure are the same for all.
Identify what the children need to do and experience, and what support they need to build their skills and succeed in any career.
Great things come from failing and learning. Let the next generation try things, fail, learn, try again and repeat to succeed, within a safe environment.
Your legacy as a family does not and should not be limited by the business, no matter how many generations it has existed. Let the next generation find their passion and explore the world outside your walls — you’ll be surprised what happens.
Introduce children to role models and mentors across genders very early in life.
Engage them in conversations about the business and about finances. Don’t assume children aren’t interested in numbers, investments or business because of their gender.
Use stories to share knowledge and make information accessible.
Teach children how to make decisions and take responsibility early on. Being comfortable with risk is critical to feeling confident and independent.
O’Dwyer reminds parents who run a family firm: “You play an important role in the success of the family and the business.” St. Amand highlights the need to question rigid norms: “Families are members of communities and communities share cultural norms that are embedded for generations. It takes strength and courage to be disruptive and time to evaluate the results.”
Written by Mirou Jaana, professor and director of the Masters in Health Administration program at Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa. This article was originally published on Policy Options onMay 5, 2021.
It is impossible to imagine our world today without internet, digital transactions, video conferencing or exchanges with family and colleagues via a computer or mobile device. Yet, we still live with the idea of our health care system lacking seamless electronic information exchange between health care organizations, providers and patients. Although some progress has been made on this front, this is a reality that persists to varying degrees today.
It has been a journey of a thousand miles. Health care has been closely accompanying the journey of digital connectivity but has kept shy from fully riding the wave. The reasons may vary depending on the perspectives of different stakeholders, but one constant stands: it is difficult to fully assess and understand the state of digital connectivity in our health care system today.
If we think of the health care system as a spider web, we can find parts of this web that are well constructed and connected, whereas other sections are still missing essential threads. In Canada, there are significant variations between and within provinces and territories in digital health connectivity and the inherently complex nature of the health care system further complicates the situation. This complexity is manifested by a dual provincial/territorial and federal jurisdiction with well institutionalized policies, funding and reimbursement structures; a digital divide across more than one dimension – rural vs. urban, older vs. younger generation, diverse social conditions; and a perplexing fragmentation of health services.
Following the early national IT efforts in Canada in late 1990’s, Canada Health Infoway (CHI), an independent not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government, was established in 2001 with a mandate to lead the national IT efforts. This included the development of an interoperable electronic health record for all Canadians. Since its inception, CHI received $2.45 billion in federal funding and played an active and important role as a strategic investor in health IT projects across provinces and territories, which contributed to improved digital connectivity. These investments evolved over time and expanded in scope from infrastructure-related projects to projects focusing on digital tools used by clinicians, as well as applications allowing patients themselves to collect, retrieve, and manage their health-related data.
We have come a long way as a society on the digital connectivity front in general. According to Statistics Canada, 88 per cent of Canadians and 60 per cent of those 65 years and over have a smartphone. Most Canadians (91 per cent) use the Internet and 75 per cent also use social networking websites and apps.
A recent study showed that around 40 per cent of Canadians track one or more aspect of their health using connected care technologies. This attests to the growing demand for digital connectivity in health care. In turn, health care organizations have been increasingly implementing new systems and technologies at the point of care that support digital connectivity. Around 85 per cent of medical practices are using electronic medical records (EMRs), and hospitals have accelerated the implementation of comprehensive EMRs that replace existing non-integrated systems. For instance, The Ottawa Hospital, in partnership with five other organizations in the Ottawa region, opted for the same EMR system, which will enable timely information sharing, and better connectivity and integration of care.
According to CHI, telehealth use has also grown over time reaching 1.5 million consultations a year, yet this still represents a relatively small portion of the overall health services. Since 2019, two initiatives emerged that aim at improving connectivity in relation to e-prescribing and supporting patients’ access to their health information through patient portals. These initiatives however remain in their early stages, with considerable variation in deployment between and within provinces.
Despite the progress made, considerable challenges and gaps persist. At the patient level, access to health information is limited. Unless receiving care from the same organization, or an integrated system or network of health care providers, a patient navigating the health care system often finds the onus is on them to communicate all relevant information related to their medical history, profile, and medications at each point of care. This is particularly challenging in the case of the elderly with chronic conditions who frequently interact with and move through the health care system.
A recent study on mobile health technology use among people 65 years and older compared to the general adult population reveals that the majority of Canadians using mobile applications and wearables, like smart watches and wristbands for health self-tracking, do not share the data with their health care providers. Enrollment in telehomecare programs for chronic conditions management also remains limited despite the wealth of research evidence demonstrating its effectiveness in reducing hospitalizations and mortality rates, and improving the clinical condition of patients. The success in the integration of pilot telehomecare programs in the standard care, similar to one at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, is minimal.
According to the Canadian Medical Association, limited system interoperability and information integration across the spectrum of care persist. EMRs implementation progressed, but only a small proportion of Canadian medical practices support electronic communication with patients. For example, few medical practices provide electronic appointment requests or prescription refills. Communication of information between general practitioners and specialists, or hospitals and nursing homes, and the sharing of clinical summaries or test results is limited and inconsistent.
In addition, hospitals within the same city that may transfer or refer patients to one another may have EMRs systems that cannot communicate. Most importantly, digital connectivity in the context of long-term and senior care is minimal. The recent COVID-19 pandemic brought to light the dire challenges observed in these settings in relation to connecting the elderly to family, caregivers, and health care providers. It also highlighted existing issues in capturing and sharing timely relevant clinical information with other health care organizations.
The obvious question is where do we go from here? At this stage, regrouping and understanding our current state is instrumental in shaping the decisions that we make regarding the future state of digital connectivity in health care.
A wealth of experience and evidence from over 20 years of health IT projects across all provinces is available. It is our responsibility to leverage this knowledge to inform policy and practical changes, and to apply evidence-based management principles as we plan for the next steps. Federal leadership is critical to endorse a strategic planning exercise at the national level and enable the necessary policy and regulation changes to support it. The Canadian government can play an important role in advancing the digital health agenda through incentives and policies that can catalyze national changes to address the digital divide and current gaps.
In times of crises, we discover our limitations as well as our capabilities. The current pandemic demonstrated that the health care system can be agile and can adapt fast when needed. In response to COVID-19, health care delivery changed overnight in Canada. We broke the inertia and shifted to various forms of virtual care throughout the country that were considered unrealizable prior to the pandemic. Provincial health authorities implemented fee schedule codes to cover virtual health services in a timely response. It was a call for action and the health care system and health authorities responded. However, this crisis also revealed our health care system’s “Achilles heel” – long-term and senior community care, which would greatly benefit from digital connectivity.
It is time for health care to fully ride the digital connectivity wave. A pan-Canadian reform that formally integrates virtual care and connectivity in the discussion on the future of health care is merited. This is a journey of a thousand miles in health care, but we have already started it.
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.
The Telfer School of Management has just unveiled its Vision for a Better Canada. Director of Executive Programs, Glen Orsak, answers questions on how Telfer’s Executive Programs contribute to achieving this bold vision.
What are Telfer’s Executive Programs are all about?
Our focus is pretty much exclusively around leadership development. Lots of executive education shops have a much broader range of things that they do: how to be a better this or a better that. We have chosen to focus on Leadership. Leadership is about making things change, whereas management skills make things operate effectively. We work with leaders to transform their leadership capabilities. We also work with organizations who want to grow their leadership capacity. There’s always that dual focus. We’re serving an organizational need — a strategic imperative — and we’re serving the needs of the individual leader for their career or professional development.
How do these programs help contribute to a “Better Canada”?
You know, it’s funny. At one point our team penned a neat and tidy statement of purpose that declares that we are about: Transforming leaders. Shaping communities. Changing the World. It hasn’t gotten a lot of public attention, yet, but it still anchors a lot of our conversations. We’re all about transforming leaders. By doing that, we help shape organizations and communities. And by shaping and transforming organizations and communities, it is leading to a better world. Transforming Leaders for a Better Canada sharpens that focus for our programs, our community of practice and our customers and clients.
I know it sounds like a lofty goal — and it is. It made us stop and go, “Really? There’s only 17 of us!” But we realized that of course that’s what we’re doing. We are working with people every day who are going to become very accomplished and influential leaders, people who are setting out to have an impact in their own corner of the world based, in part, on the experiences they’ve had with us. So why would we shoot any lower than that?
Having a growing number of better companies in Canada, or better government institutions, or better healthcare organizations will certainly make Canada a better place.
Who are your Executive Programs for?
Lots of our clients are in the public sector, working for the public good — literally to make Canada a better place. Lots of our clients are in healthcare and they are, again, literally making Canada a healthier place. These people are absolutely committed to a better Canada. That’s what brings me back every day.
One of the things we tend to do really well is we create customized learning programs within certain communities and sectors. In the federal government there are communities of like-minded people. So, we created a leadership program for the policy community. We have a leadership program for the security and intelligence community. We have one for lawyers and people in the justice department. We have a leadership program for people in national defence and related sectors centred around huge complex projects — think military procurement. We try to find ways to build leadership programs that are contextualized, customized and relevant in those communities such that you’re not just gaining generic leadership skills but learning the practice of leadership in your own unique context.
How do your programs help leaders have a broader impact?
Some people have gone through our programs and five years later are sending their own leadership teams through our programs, too. They’ve described the huge impact it has had on the culture of their organization. The entire leadership conversation can change. Sometimes my team will know the entire executive team at such and such a health care institution or government department because almost every one of them has been through one of our programs. Obviously, that’s having a high impact on these organizations and communities.
I would also argue that our business has a very strong social mission. When you’re working in the healthcare or public sector, you’re working with people engaged in social, economic and community development. We’re trying to help leaders create culture shifts and to introduce progressive changes that will transform their workplaces. We have to bring these kinds of discussions into the room because our clients expect it.
What affect do you think your programs have on participants’ careers?
Can we attribute their success entirely to our programs? Of course not. It’s not a one-to-one correlation, but it doesn’t need to be. I wouldn’t take credit for your success, but I would certainly take credit for having nudged you in the right direction. And a nudge is good enough for me. I think that’s a valid intention to have, I think it’s the truth about what we do and it’s not too much hubris. We don’t set ourselves up as these heroic gurus of leadership. Rather, we position ourselves a co-pilgrims on a leadership journey — on the pilgrimage to make Canada a better place.
Has anything changed since the pandemic began?
Prior to March 13, 2020, we didn’t have much online programming. Since the first pandemic lockdown, every single minute of programming from then until now has been delivered in a virtual environment. The conversion to online was rapid and amazingly successful. You could say that the pandemic response in the executive learning space has opened all of our minds to virtual learning — and I think we will never go back to the old way. We can’t unsee the possibilities. Oh, we’ll definitely go back to the in-person learning experience, there’s no doubt about that, but there are a ton of things that we’ll no longer do in-person, because it no longer makes sense.
It’s given us all the push we’ve needed to innovate and improve how we deliver our programming — and that’s giving us access to a broader set of potential clients. We’ve already had people join our programs from across the country that probably wouldn’t have otherwise. Now, all of a sudden, we can enrich our engagement with communities outside of Ottawa and possibly have an even greater impact on shaping a Better Canada.
As students, we know how hard it is to find time to give yourself some much-needed self-love, but it is important to make sure that mental health is a priority. You don’t have to simply replace your time with just scrolling on Instagram or TikTok, you can do so much more to bring yourself the needed self-love into your life.
Here are three tips for loving yourself: celebrating yourself, setting boundaries for yourself, and social engagement. Now, you may be wondering, “what does it mean to create boundaries, and what does celebrating myself look like?” You’re in luck, I have got you covered with upcoming proven suggestions! For example, if you take the time to give yourself some self-compassion it will lead to increased productivity.
1. Celebrate Yourself not JUST During the Victories
To celebrate yourself does not mean to celebrate an achievement nor a victory. It means to simply celebrate for being YOU. Celebrating yourself looks like taking a bath and relaxing with some wine. Enjoying your favourite go-to food as a “just because” moment. It doesn’t have to be for something, it has to do with you and for you. Getting back to the bath, imagine being able to just relax in the bath with spa sounds in the background, maybe with a bath bomb, while having candlelight mood light.
Did you know that it is proven through studies that taking a bath will improve your mood? The study found the participants that took warm baths daily experienced greater moods, had an easier time falling asleep and exhibited a lower score on a depression scale.
2. Boundaries are a MUST
Setting boundaries is one of the easiest things you can do and can be very rewarding. Setting boundaries for yourself can be as easy as saying you are going to take a break: “No more studying and no more readings tonight, I’m going to bake!” Giving yourself permission to take the night off or day off can bring so much excitement and happiness. You can set aside time to meditate, set reminders to take breaks, read your favourite book, or binge your favourite show. These boundaries don’t have to stay-put like concrete, they can change day-to-day or week-to-week. Try adding in some boundaries for fun! The next time you are up late figuring out when to stop working, set up a boundary. In-place, try setting that time for something you really enjoy; reading, cooking, baking, crafting or meditating. During exams, this can be a perfect time to try this out to benefit your mental health.
3. Socialize Like a Butterfly
That’s right, socialization is another way to give yourself that much-needed self-love! Some of us know that perfect night of spending time with our friends or family. The other side of that is spending the night with that one friend who makes the time to FaceTime or WhatsApp video call you. Regardless, being social can look different to different people. Of course, during COVID-19 times we must spend time with our friends from a distance.
The next time you plan on spending a night with your friends try these virtual games to play: The always popular Among Us, which is always fun to find out which one of your friends is the sneakiest in your group. You can try Jackbox Games!, which has tons of mini-games to choose from so you’ll never get bored of playing. Lastly, Backyard is an Imagine Scrabble, but with a twist. Doing activities like this can allow you to be more playful and social as well as bring creativity to our minds, flexibility in thinking, and it brings youthfulness to our hearts.
Hope you enjoyed these three tips to benefit your mental health! I implore you to discover which of our three tips for self-love work best for you. Again, make sure you are taking the time to celebrate yourself, putting up boundaries, and socializing. If all else fails, check out some new hobby ideas that you can try. Whether that is practicing yoga, walking outside, making jewelry, knitting, or building up your recipe book. Take care of yourself this mental health week and beyond!
James Price, Telfer’s Executive Director, Development & Community Engagement, and the Telfer community engagement team are leading Telfer’s Smart Money campaign in support of our Vision for a Better Canada, the most ambitious awareness and fundraising effort in Telfer history. Just hours before we ignite the Smart Money campaign, he found a few minutes to explain what the campaign will achieve, what it’s going to do for Telfer and Canada, and why, of all possible moments, now is the time to make this happen. Every alumnus or citizen who wants to see a Better Canada can play an important part.
So, what’s at the heart of Telfer’s new Vision?
We feel that business has a critical leadership role in addressing some of the big challenges facing the country, whether it be social, economic, or financial. We are generating new knowledge, insights and practice through research, and most importantly applying that to developing young management students and mature management leaders.
And how does the Smart Money campaign fit in?
It’s a focused five-year effort to make smart and strategic investments in the future based on research, experiential learning, and program renewal.
Why is research-inspired teaching such a big part of the campaign?
Research creates new insights and translates into a better classroom experience, the thing that matters most. Our student evaluations show that our best researchers and practitioners are our best teachers - they’re constantly bringing in new ideas, new challenges and new case studies - and they're on top of the new knowledge within their communities of practice.
It also leads to better business practices
And not only for students, but for executives. As it relates to our vision and four themes, that means initiatives to implement new business practices around better inclusivity in the workplace; around structuring a family enterprise to support the next generation of enterprising leaders; around integrating sustainability into business decision making and reporting to shareholders, and around rethinking healthcare systems to be more effective and deliver better care to patients.
You mentioned family enterprise – that's important to the Canadian economy
It is, and we have an internationally recognized group of researchers and practitioners leading our efforts. We're building a whole next generation education program for family enterprises.
‘Next generation’ education for enterprising families – is that unique, as so often we focus on the family business itself or the patriarch/matriarch of the family business?
We’re focused on the next generation, the people who may or may not move into the family enterprise. We are looking at questions like what do these children and grandchildren do with the family wealth to create new but often related, enterprises? We’re looking at it more broadly than just the single business.
What are the three major thrusts that you mentioned for the next five years?
Number one is experiential learning: our Dean believes that it's through real life experiences that our students are going to truly unleash their potential. This is why we want to add an experiential component in every program and learning offering. And we want to integrate this in the student experience as much as possible. Competitions and clubs are great for that and we’re really strong there, but we want that experiential component where it matters most.
The second thrust is the research-informed teaching we spoke about earlier.
As for the third thrust, right now, post-pandemic, is the big renewal opportunity for Canada. So our new Dean has signaled a complete renewal of our programs - and the fundraising campaign will allow us to innovate across our undergraduate and graduate programs.
We’re also planning to build brick and mortar Telfer infrastructure?
Yes, where it makes sense. For the Thriving Organizations and Societies Lab, we have a major initiative to refit and build a state-of-the art lab that can actually look at workplace dynamics, how people work with stress, leveraging one of the strongest groups of occupational and workplace psychologists in the country.
A few people have commented that the Vision seems to have come about as a result of the pandemic
The work to develop the vision actually preceded the pandemic. We had gone through a collaborative process leading into our recent 50th anniversary to determine our areas of strategic impact. Looking back and looking forward, we realized that contributing to a Better Canada has always been part of the School’s DNA. And now the Vision also answers the call to ‘build back better’ that needs to happen in Canada.
Look at the Vision’s health pillar and the pandemic response: much of the issues are operational issues, and logistics issues. Or the Vision’s happiness pillar: The workplace now is transformed. Teams have been physically disconnected for a year. What does this mean for workplaces, teams and employee wellbeing?
And of course, there’s systemic issues around equity, diversity, inclusion. Our professors have been committed to this type of research for a long time, but recently we’ve gained a lot of attention around work that demonstrates how marginalized groups have suffered more than others during the pandemic, and any type of economic rebuild needs to keep them at the core.
We can't ignore any of it. The time is now, and we’re committed to all of it.
To an alumnus who wants to get involved, this is about “build with us” versus “we’re the best, give us money”?
Absolutely! We’re a very good School, we know where we want to go, but we need your help. This Vision and campaign are ambitious. Five years from now, everyone's going to know we're a top school — but we can't get there without you.
There are so many ways to give to all this
And every gift matters. Yes, we need transformative gifts that can help us build these Institutes and help us recruit new chairs and senior leaders. But as we build those centres, we need to grow our already strong team and amplify their work. In recent years we've had excellent recruitment and our faculty is a modern, motivated group — and every single dollar helps us continue to recruit even better.
Here’s another way your money can work: our institutes aren’t ivory towers. We bring in executives-in-residence, so our professors can work hand-in-hand with practitioners, linking research and teaching to the world of practice. By contributing to our Better Canada Impact Fund, you help advance this work and make sure it is connected to better pedagogy for students and better practice.
And with our commitment to experiential learning and the student experience, your contribution to the Telfer Nation Fund will help us accelerate and expand these unique opportunities for all students across all programs.
What are the different giving channels?
You can give to the Telfer Nation Fund which is all about experiential learning and improving the student experience, or the Better Canada Impact Fund, to support innovative research and its application to teaching and practice.
Any amount of support - one hundred dollars, one thousand dollars or a million dollars — it’s all going to be put to work in an extremely smart way. It’s all about getting Telfer, getting business, and getting Canada where we want and need to be five years from now.
Telfer alumna Chantal Butler (BCom ’94) believes there is a momentum in the food retail sector for driving sustainable actions within supply chains. Chantal is Vice President Sales and General Manager of Loblaw Business at Weston Foods. She works with several clients who seek to influence the food retail industry so that it becomes more sustainable. How can the food and grocery retail sector create a greener world through their supply chains and what are the main challenges? We interviewed her to learn more about positive changes ahead.
Changes ahead
An increasing number of companies worldwide are committing to reducing their carbon footprint and to creating a better society. But to create real change, companies must trigger sustainable actions along their supply chains. A study led by Telfer Professor Sara Hajmohammad suggests that companies can make improvements at the industry level by shaping and transforming their suppliers’ environmental and social sustainability practices and behaviours.
When asked if the food and grocery retail sector can play a role in driving sustainability within their supply chains, Chantal shares her optimism: “Ten years ago, things were different, but there has been a lot of progress in the industry and I really think this is only the beginning.”
As consumers become increasingly aware of their environmental impacts and seek ways to shop for greener products, many food and grocery retailers today are aspiring to achieve bolder goals. Not only do they want to engage in sustainable practices in house, but they also want to encourage their suppliers to do the same. Chantal explains that “there is a major opportunity for businesses to influence the entire supply chain in the long run.”
Company size matters
Large food and grocery retailers work with multiple suppliers of raw ingredients, including food ingredients and packaging. When large companies like Weston Foods set out sustainability goals, they can influence their suppliers, according to Chantal. “If suppliers may not support us in achieving these goals, then we can identify vendors who have our shared vision,” she adds.
Joining forces is the best way to drive sustainability
Professor Hajmohammad’s study suggests that when companies in the same industry collectively build strategies to influence their suppliers, they are more likely to push their suppliers to engage in sustainable actions across the whole sector. Chantal agrees with this collective ability to trigger change across an industry: “Leading food retail companies may be competing, but when they all start asking for the same sustainability standards and pushing their suppliers into adjusting and accommodating, change can happen.”
Leading groups in the industry have forged alliances to encourage suppliers to become sustainable, particularly when it comes to packaging. “Large and small companies alike are forming alliances to push suppliers to start sourcing recyclable plastics or to eliminate some types of products in their plastic materials,” says Chantal.
Challenges
Although a large company’s size and power can definitely influence its supply chain, the company’s size can make innovation challenging. According to Chantal, large companies often face obstacles to innovation and to implementing changes on a larger scale and across a large part of their portfolio.
Companies will need to further innovate if they want to address new goals and consumer expectations. For instance, the next generation of consumers may be looking to purchase from companies that focus on zero waste.
While sustainability is widely accepted today, Chantal explains that changing a supply chain is not simple and requires time. “Some suppliers can be selective in some of the ideas that they want to embrace, some are more willing to innovate with you, and others are a little concerned about how to get there,” she says.
She also mentioned that some companies that want to become sustainable may face financial challenges. Sustainability policies can generate incremental cost increases for everyone, in the end, so companies need to lobby for relevant government policies and tax breaks. Failing to do so could lead to additional costs to the consumer: “Even when organizations make an effort to absorb those costs as much as they possibly can, consumers may end up paying more.”
How Weston Foods is driving change
Weston Foods has a ten-year plan for sustainability that Chantal has been implementing for the past two years. Packaging has been one of Weston Foods’ key priorities because the company is aware of how relevant this is to consumers. “Today, consumers want to eliminate the really bad plastics and replace them whenever possible.”
To meet their sustainability goals and reduce the impact of packaging on the environment, Weston Foods is partnering with vendors to source more sustainable packaging solutions. For instance, the company is currently working on a pilot project with a client to test if reusable packaging can play a role in consumer-packaged goods and food.
Advice for other companies seeking to go greener
Chantal believes that not only leading companies can implement greener goals: small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can also play a transformative role in the supply chain. She shares a few recommendations for SMEs seeking to become sustainable:
All large organizations now have a sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies that they publicize and track: pay attention to what they are doing and latch on to those actions that are important to your business model.
Smaller companies often have the flexibility to test out more creative or more ambitious sustainable ideas: leverage your size as an advantage to innovate further so that you go beyond what the big companies can do.
Small or large, companies across industries can support the development of a greener Canada and a better future. As a mother, Chantal knows how crucial it is to drive environmental sustainability: “The reality is what will the world of our children, and their children, look like if we do not collectively address these issues now?”
Chantal Butler (BCom ’94), Vice President Sales, Loblaw Companies Limited
That being said, unlike their male counterparts whose sectors of activity are varied, women tend to start their own businesses in the service sectors. Let's find out what these different sectors are.
Information, culture and recreation industries (44.1%)
Finance, insurance, and real estate services (38.5%)
Professional services (38.1%)
Similarly, among the self-employed, they generally report that their activities are in the following sectors:
Public services (65.7%)
Health care (57.6%)
Commerce (55.7%)
Professional services (54.2%)
Information, culture and recreation industries (54.1%)
While some studies tend to explain this concentration by factors related to history or socialization, I believe that we should not neglect the motivations of female entrepreneurs, who often start a business in order to have a significant social impact. Many of them find their interests in the service sector, where relationships with others are higher. In fact, they dominate the social entrepreneurship sector with 11% of female-dominated companies reported as social enterprises compared to 5.3% of their male counterparts.
Emerging Growth Sectors
Just as the number of women who decide to go into business is changing, so are the sectors in which they decide to work.
According to a Statistics Canada study, between 1987 and 2018 the number of self-employed women in the health care and social assistance industries nearly doubled. So did the finance, insurance, real estate services and related industries, which grew by five times in 30 years.
Art and Creation: A Forgotten Sector?
When talking about female entrepreneurship and even entrepreneurship in general, little mention is made of the art and creative sectors, even though most artists tend to work independently (usually freelance or under contract) and can be considered entrepreneurs.
The absence of art and creation can be explained by the desire of some artists to distinguish themselves from the business world or by the existing debates surrounding the very definition of the word "artist" itself (partly linked to the distinctions between different cultural fields such as fine arts, advertising art, design, and crafts).
In the end, there is no denying the growth of female entrepreneurship in Canada and its contribution to the country's economic development. That being said, the concentration of female entrepreneurs in the service sectors is a testament to the inequalities that remain in the business community in the entrepreneurial field.
While there are more and more women, they are still sidelined by sectors with high growth potential. Work remains to be done to finally break down the barriers women face.
As a female entrepreneur, you are bound to discover lessons learned and favourite tips from your experiences. A wise person once said that the first act of wisdom is to give good advice, the second is to ask for it and the third is to follow it. While this statement applies to all aspects of life, it resonates even more when it comes to entrepreneurship, which is a field full of surprises and twists.
If you’re a student thinking about starting a business, know that you’re in the right place! I had the chance to talk to inspirational women who decided to work on their own, which led to this list of 7 things you need to know before you get started as an entrepreneur.
#1 Take Your Time
For Christen Konan, CEO of her financial coaching firm, KC Consultings, in Ottawa, it is important for future entrepreneurs to think carefully about their project and plan it properly before starting. This will help you to avoid “hitting your head” as she says, as you will have a clear idea of what you want to do and, therefore, a guideline. This step includes coming up with a good definition of the benefits of your product or service and identifying what you want to bring to the market.
#2 Surround Yourself With The Right People
Christen Konan shared her second piece of advice about one’s surroundings. She said that one of the most important things for female entrepreneurs is their entourage, because it is what guides them and helps them grow. Therefore, it would be great for you to build a network of professionals in your field through which you can develop connections and share information. However, you should not neglect your loved ones who will be in the best position to support you and bring you a perspective different from that of a professional in your field (for example, because of their perspective as a possible client).
#3 Continue Training
We all know that you never stop learning. According to Binta Kanté, co-founder of Spirits Chocolats, an online gift shop and retail store selling chocolate-based treats in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, the success of any entrepreneur depends on continuing one’s education in business management.
Although she stressed that it is very good to delegate tasks, she acknowledged that an entrepreneur must have, at minimum, knowledge of each of her company’s functions. Whether it is in marketing, accounting or finance, it is important to have basic knowledge that will enable them, especially in small businesses, to keep an eye on their activities and be able to recognize any problems or errors. Binta advises those interested in starting a business to watch YouTube videos, attend seminars, and connect with local entrepreneurs to further your training.
#4 Be Humble
This advice from Christen Konan echoes the previous one. She explains that in order to succeed in business, you must be humble. This humility will allow you to always be open to constructive criticism and continuous learning, which will improve your performance.
#5 Accept Challenges
Any entrepreneur, especially as a woman, must prepare to meet obstacles, says Marcelle Goran, director of a business support structure for hiring and retaining immigrant workers in Quebec. Whether they occur in your personal life or in your micro-environment, she maintains the fact that challenges are inevitable. Therefore she advises you to see these obstacles as means to help you grow and improve, and invites you to put them into context when they occur.
#6 Believe in Yourself
It can never be overstated that self-confidence is essential in entrepreneurship. As Christen Konan says, “if you do not believe in your project, you will not be able to convince someone else to trust you and join you in your project.”
#7 Go For It!
This latest advice comes from freelance photographer-journalist, Ama Ouattara. She emphasizes the importance of freeing oneself from the hesitation and fear that often leads to inaction. Once you feel that this is what you want to do and have thought about your project, she advises you to avoid thinking too much, but rather to go ahead and start. After all, only then will you know whether your project can work or not.
Now you have a few essential tools that will help you navigate the busy waters of entrepreneurship. If your project is well thought out, only one thing is left to be done…go for it!
On January 18th 2021, Telfer Nation celebrated an important milestone in the young history of its Doctorate in Management program when Vusal Babashov successfully defended his thesis and became the first PhD graduate of the School. Like the challenges of a candidate’s doctorate journey, the celebrations were well in order as it took a lot of effort, research, and the work of a whole team of faculty and staff members to finally create what is now the renowned PhD program at the Telfer School of Management.
History of the Telfer PhD
Developing a new degree program, especially a doctorate program, is a long process and an exciting challenge for any academic team. Telfer’s executive team, faculty members, and graduate office came together to create a program that reflects the vision of the School, value of a PhD and cutting-edge, valuable learning experiences for students. The program’s evolution also exemplifies the leadership of women faculty and staff in all phases of development, including inception, design, implementation and evaluation.
The School had been in discussions about creating a PhD program for nearly 40 years.
Telfer’s former Dean, François Julien, shared the challenges that come along with creating a new program: “The most credible and reputable PhD Programs are anchored in research excellence. The prerequisite to creating a PhD Program was to build a research culture within the School, and to develop faculty members in graduate supervision. The School-wide research culture was built over the past twenty years through various incentives to stimulate research productivity and excellence, and through the recruitment of professors who were not only excellent in education and teaching, but who were also actively engaged in influential and impactful research programs.”
At least four previous attempts to develop and launch Telfer’s PhD program were initiated in 1995, 1999, 2004 with Clarkson University, and 2008 with Babson College, respectively. The creation of a PhD program is truly a lengthy ordeal, as a lot of important facets need to be in place before anything official can happen.
Progress towards elevating research excellence at the School in hopes to eventually launch the PhD was well underway when the School created two research-based M.Sc. programs. The creation of the M.Sc. in Management in 2007 was directed by Professor Ajax Persaud who led colleagues in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship fields. The M.Sc. in Health Systems was launched in 2008 with Professor Wojtek Michalowski who led colleagues in the Health Systems Management field.
Dean Julien reflected on his involvement in these programs as Associate Dean of Programs and as the School’s Vice-Dean between the years of 2005 and 2010: “I had the pleasure of participating in faculty recruitment, and to work with colleagues in the creation of the School’s first research-based programs. Later, as Dean, I supported Professor Barbara Orser in the development of the PhD program, and Professors Silvia Bonaccio, Mirou Jaana, and Samia Chreim who successively became PhD Program Directors.”
In 2009, Telfer established a Graduate Studies Taskforce to consider a ‘built-in-Telfer’ doctorate, and in 2010 the Telfer PhD Committee was formed to establish standards for the program and conduct research into existing Canadian and international doctoral degrees.
Subsequently, 2011 and 2012 were the years when program details such as curricula, disciplines, and structure were established. These decisions were made collaboratively through consultations with faculty members and various stakeholders, benchmarking with and market research of competing programs. Many lengthy proposals were written, including plans for new faculty positions. Professor Barbara Orser served as the Chair of the Telfer PhD Committee from 2010 to 2013 and worked on setting up these program details alongside Danielle Bennett, the Executive Administrator of Telfer’s Graduate Programs at the time.
In 2013, approvals were reached with the University of Ottawa’s Senate and a number of its committees, the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities, and the Ontario Universities Council on Quality Assurance.
This then led to an evolving discussion on cross-disciplinary studies, and to bringing on new hires to doctoral students. Five key fields of study were created within the program: Accounting and Control, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Health Systems, and Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources. Each PhD candidate would choose one of these fields in which to specialize through their research and seminars.
Prior to 2016, the Telfer School was already offering several programs targeting different audiences: a bachelor’s degree for young professionals starting their careers, professional masters' programs for early to mid-career managers and emerging leaders, research-based masters programs for aspiring analysts, management researchers and consultants, and executive programs for experienced professionals.
In 2016, the program was officially opened for business when Professor Silvia Bonaccio led the program as the first PhD Program Director. Professor Bonaccio was glad to see the PhD program added to our portfolio: “this was the next step in the growth of the Telfer School; we had a roster of world-class professors who were eager for the opportunity to work alongside doctoral students and train the next generation of researchers. I was thrilled to earn the responsibility of being the first director.”
Former Vice-Dean of Research and former Interim Dean, Wojtek Michalowski, shared that the program was truly a result of hard work: “The program was created because of Dean Francois Julien’s leadership and because of the hard work and dedication of Professor Barbara Orser.”
Dean Julien reflected on the value added to Telfer once the doors were opened up to PhD in Management students: “Adding a PhD Program to our roster allowed us to complete our program portfolio. The program puts the Telfer School in a different league. It speaks to the academic rigour and excellence of its faculty members and allows us to attract and recruit talented professors, and students alike.”
Now that the program was set up for success, all it took was the right leader to steer the ship that is the Telfer PhD. Professor Silvia Bonaccio was up for the task.
Launching the Program
Silvia Bonaccio, Ian Telfer Professor of Workplace Psychology, was named the first director of the PhD program and has been instrumental in making the program what it is today. She led the program for five years from 2013 to 2018 and worked behind-the-scenes for more than 2 years on building the program prior to its official launch in 2016. Having the chance to finally welcome the first cohort of Telfer doctoral students is still a fresh memory for Professor Bonaccio: “The first weeks were some of the most thrilling ones of my close to 15 years at Telfer. Admitting the first cohort so that they could work alongside our professors on essential, impactful, and exciting research was my biggest accomplishment as director.”
The addition of the PhD to our research-based graduate programs portfolio is the most significant change at the School in the past decade, according to Professor Bonaccio: “This addition shifted us into a new group of institutional peers, as doctoral-granting institutions are a select group.”
Thanks to her leadership, the program has continued to grow and improve since its launch. As applicant and admission numbers keep increasing each year, the School has been able to maintain the highest standards for its diverse group of admitted students.
By the time Professor Mirou Jaana, current Telfer MHA Program Director, took over as PhD Program Director, Telfer had also welcomed a considerable number of new faculty members who were active researchers from various management areas.
This growth as well as the successful research performance of Telfer’s students (e.g., publications, presentations in conferences or meetings, recipient of awards or grants), attests to the successful evolution and maturity of the program. “Since its launch, the PhD had gained growing visibility and developed a strong reputation, which allowed it to attract an increasing number of diverse applicants from all around the world,” reflected Professor Jaana.
Above all, what makes the success of the program, according to Professor Jaana, is the support offered to students throughout their academic curriculum as well as the quality of the teaching experience. “The program provides attractive funding and support for students over a period of 4 years,” said Professor Jaana. “During their studies, PhD students can specialize in what have now become six fields of study, led by experienced, world-class and dedicated faculty.”
Professor Jaana’s mandate as Director was marked by a program revision: “The biggest accomplishment during my tenure was launching the first revision of the PhD Program, which resulted, among other changes, in the addition of a new field in Organization and Strategy,” noted Professor Jaana. “This new field will present research opportunities for PhD students who are interested in specializing in this area. The program revision also led to improvements and changes, which strengthened the experience of students and added more flexibility in relation to the program delivery.”
The third and current PhD Program Director as of July 2020, Professor Samia Chreim, Ian Telfer Professorship in Organization Studies, shares the same enthusiasm as her predecessor on these changes: “We have recently conducted a program revision based on the feedback we had received over the first four years of the program from various groups, including the students and the faculty members. As part of this revision, we have provided more flexibility to students in the choice of their courses. The addition of a 6th area of specialization, is giving students interested in our PhD program more choices.”
Professor Chreim also wanted to celebrate the efforts of her predecessors and all people implicated in the creation of the Telfer doctoral program. “The launch of the PhD program in 2016 was the culmination of the dedicated efforts of many people who were consulted extensively, both internally and externally,” added Professor Chreim. “The program has grown over the years and is now the program of choice for nearly 40 PhD students, who are working with accomplished researchers as their supervisors. The students have established a strong sense of community. They have also been very engaged in research, participating actively in conference presentations and journal publications.”
According to Professor Chreim, a testament to the sense of community and engagement in research is the Thesis Competition event, which the Telfer PhD and M.Sc. students organize and host each year with the help of Telfer’s Research Office.
The Echoes of the Program
As Interim Dean, Professor Michalowski was one of the first to congratulate Vusal and celebrate this important milestone of the program. “It was a great privilege and honour for me to announce our first PhD graduate. This program was long in the making and graduating a student seems like ‘reaching a destination’.” He continued: “Telfer’s PhD is our program, and I would like to thank all of my faculty colleagues, and staff in the Graduate and Research Offices for their hard work and commitment. Last but not least, I am very proud of our doctoral students. They will be Telfer’s ambassadors and will make us proud.”
Professor Michalowski, emphasized that the work is not yet done: “We need to work hard to ensure that the quality of the program meets students’ expectations, in order to attract the best and the brightest, and to ensure that the program contributes to Telfer’s research enterprise. The launch of the program strengthened our path towards research excellence - a catalyst of academic and intellectual debates at Telfer,” he concluded.
For Dean Julien, the success of the doctorate program is undeniable: “There is no doubt that the Program allowed us to recruit excellent, research-intensive faculty members who were attracted by the prospect of working with our researchers and supervising PhD candidates. The quality of the students we have recruited at the PhD level, and also in our research-based masters programs, has been excellent.”
This is only the beginning according to him: “Over time I expect the reputation of the PhD and, therefore, of the School will be confirmed by the excellence and reputation of the organizations where the graduates of this program will be hired and the impact of their work. We will track and promote the career of our PhD graduates with great interest!”
Since being involved in the program’s inception, Professor Barbara Orser shared where she hopes to see the PhD evolve in the future: “It would be great to see more PhD disciplines added, further integration of doctoral degree candidates in multi-disciplinary research portfolios, the creation of centres to support doctoral students, and Telfer to become the ‘go to’ School for prospective hires.”
The PhD program will be linked forever to Dean Julien’s legacy long after he stepped out of his 10-year tenure in 2020. The most important takeaway for him is that the institution will gain several benefits in the years to come. “I am happy I have been involved in some way in the process since the beginning,” he humbly added.
“I truly believe this program brings Telfer to a new level of excellence and that this program and its graduates will contribute in no small way in strengthening Telfer’s reputation as a leading business school in Canada and in the world!” he proudly concluded.
As Telfer is committed and united by a shared belief that better business means a better Canada, the PhD program and its contribution to the academic world will more than ever foster a greener, healthier, happier, and wealthier Canada for all.
The ninth of March marked the first day of Dean Brutus’ journey at the Telfer School of Management. Despite all classes being held online, the new Dean couldn’t wait to get in touch with his new environment: “When I signed my contract I was in Montréal and something was a bit off. The first thing I did on my first day was drive to Ottawa, get the key to my office, and worked from there,” Dean Brutus confessed. “It was important for me to be present and ‘touch’ Telfer and really incarnate the role from day 1. The next step is to get everybody else on campus and get the real feel, give some ‘high fives’ to everybody when it will be allowed, but it was a start,” he added.
Upon officially starting his mandate a week ago, Dean Stéphane Brutus has been looking forward to meeting with the student body at the Fireside Conversation: “I enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the students”, he said. “With the lockdown, it is difficult for me to get the pulse of the School and this meeting allowed me to do so. Some of the questions were direct and I appreciate the fact that the students had the courage to ask me.’'
The conversation occurred Monday morning, March 15th, on Zoom with students in various programs and our staff.
Do You Know Your Dean?
Hosted by Isabelle Décarie, Student Experience Manager at the Student Services Centre, the Fireside Conversation event was a great opportunity for any students to ask questions to the Dean and get his honest opinion on important topics at Telfer.
To start the event, Stéphane Brutus had prepared a special video entitled “Do You Know Your Dean?” where he was put to the test and answered general questions about his vision for the School, and even some trivia questions about Telfer and uOttawa. His performance on the latter section was nothing to be shy about. He also had the chance to tell us a bit more about himself through rapid-fire questions about his hobbies and interests.
Getting to Know Dean Brutus’ Vision
Prior to the Q&A portion of the event with the students, Dean Brutus had the chance to talk a bit more about his objectives for the School in the short and long-term: “I want to augment visibility of the School by reinforcing the Better Canada pillars as mentioned in the video (Editor’s note: Greener, Healthier, Happier, Wealthier) through continued support of our research,” he stated. “I want to improve the student experience, that is already excellent, and focus on engagement with Alumni as their involvement is really important just as for any business school.”
Dean Brutus had the chance to talk more about his plan regarding student experience: “The Case competitions are really important for the overall student experience. Having worked for 23 years at John Molson School of Business (JMSB), the case competition was a big part of the student experience and I’m a big fan.” He added on the subject by describing the ‘win-win' value he sees in the case competition: “It gives a chance to the students to perform when ‘put on hot fire.’ The Faculty also benefits from the visibility by participating, but also by hosting. The Telfer community can also benefit by being involved as judges or sponsors. It’s a good way to involve everybody,” he explained.
Questions from Telfer Nation Students
Within the last third of the event, Dean Brutus had the chance to answer the questions received through the registration form and some additional ones asked directly in the session chat.
Many subjects were brought up by the participating students, including global recognition of our School, online teaching, the presence of equity, diversity and inclusion in the vision of the Dean, as well as the future of research opportunities for students at the School.
Dean Brutus showed quickly that he is open to listening to any feedback, suggestions and comments from the student population: “The Dean seemed very motivated and excited to join Telfer,” noted Saida Sambour, a third-year BCom Marketing student. “His answers were always well thought out, and it sounds like he has done his research on the School! Hearing about his experiences at JMSB and his skills, the Dean seemed more than ready to take on his role at Telfer. During the conversation, he had no trouble answering questions. Some were more difficult than others, but he always found a way to answer honestly and conscientiously,” she concluded.
We look forward to the next years with Dean Brutus, and his development of our Vision for a Better Canada.
You can still watch the recorded “Fireside conversation with the Dean” session, in case you missed it. (MS Stream links are available to the uOttawa community only)
Nowadays, it’s no secret that the path to entrepreneurship is far from being a walk in the park, and more so for women, who face many more challenges compared to their male counterparts. That being said, there is a growing number of women around the world who are leaving their traditional jobs to work on their own businesses.
So I decided to look into it, and I interviewed several business women to understand their motivations for entrepreneurship. Here’s what I found:
Common Motivations
After conversations with these women, it soon became apparent that they shared common reasons for choosing entrepreneurship:
1. Desire for Independence
Many women see entrepreneurship as a source of empowerment and autonomy. For freelance photographer-journalist Ama Ouattara, it is the need to distance herself from hierarchical institutions that has led her to entrepreneurship, as well as the flexibility to work on projects she is interested in and in the way she wants.
For Marcelle Goran, who leads a business support structure for hiring and retaining immigrant workers in Quebec, this desire for independence resulted in wanting to “control what she represented and its results”, but also because she wanted to manage her own time and schedule.
2. Willingness to Do Something Meaningful
Entrepreneurship is seen by many women as a way to engage in something that makes sense to them. Most of the time, it is about helping society or filling an unmet need in their environment. This is the case for Christen Konan, who started her financial coaching firm, KC Consultings in Canada, to address the lack of education in the field.
In that same spirit, Binta Kanté, co-founder of Spirits Chocolats, an online gift shop and retail sale of chocolate-based treats in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, uses entrepreneurship to “share with others and make them happy.” Meanwhile, Marcelle Goran’s choice of specialization is closely linked to her own career path in Quebec.
3. Seeking a Better Work-Life Balance
This reason is perhaps the most prevalent among entrepreneurial moms. They find that entrepreneurship allows for greater flexibility in their schedule and in turn, for their family constraints and obligations. This is the case for Ms. Goran, for whom entrepreneurship makes it possible to work while still having time to spend with her children.
4. Looking for a Better Income
Less prevalent than some of the other reasons, but just as important, one motivation for women to pursue a career in entrepreneurship is the desire for better economic opportunities. This motivation usually occurs when they are either unemployed or looking for another source of income.
Contextual Differences
While these motivations apply to the majority of female entrepreneurs, there are still subtleties, depending on the cultural contexts and territories, in which they operate. So from one part of the world to another, you can find differing key reasons.
Bottom line, in terms of women’s motivations for entrepreneurship, although they have a lot in common, they have different motivations from one part of the world to another. So we can understand that female entrepreneurs have very different backgrounds, and in order to better understand them, it is important to consider them in their environment.
Today’s article is written by team member Stephanie Thompson. Stephanie is a program officer at Telfer Executive Programs. She manages logistics and administration for a wide portfolio of programs, ensuring high-touch client service and maintaining a standard of excellence in program delivery. Among her portfolio of programs, she is responsible for the Boundless Leadership: A Breakthrough Program for Women.
International Women's Day has a long history and, like other holidays related to social movements, it has shifted in part from its original political meaning. When I was obtaining my Gender Studies degree at Queen’s University, International Women's Day was a day of protest to recognize the injustice that women – particularly poor, working-class, racialized, immigrant, trans, and Indigenous women – still face. As I flash-forward to the present day, my background as a social scientist helps me advocate for social justice in my work at Telfer Executive Programs and to maintain a balanced opinion and perspective.
As a Program Officer at Telfer Executive Programs, I was given the opportunity to take on Boundless Leadership: A Breakthrough Program for Women, a program we designed specifically to address the needs of current and emerging women leaders. It has been a great experience being involved in a program where I am surrounded by such accomplished women I can learn from and who motivate me to grow my leadership skills.
In my role, I have been supporting the program’s delivery, which allows me to sit in on program sessions. A few weeks ago, in one of the sessions, one of our guest speakers used a phrase that has been bouncing around in my mind ever since: the “tyranny of the day-to-day”.
It seems to have resonated with the program’s participants as well as it continues to reverberate through this cohort. I think it’s because it cuts to a deep truth we’re all feeling right now. We’re all working longer hours, attending more meetings, writing more emails, cooking more meals, spending more time and mental energy keeping ourselves and our families safe from the virus… there’s simply no time to pause and reflect. There’s also no time to consider the hardships we and others are facing, if we’re moving in the right direction, or if we’re shaping the world in the way we’d like it to be for the next generation.
I hope this year, on International Women’s Day, we can take a moment away from the tyranny of the day-to-day to reflect. Reflect on the progress we’ve made, and the work still to be done. I am a part of the Support Staff union at the University of Ottawa, which is made up of over 75% women, and I see the invaluable work we do to support a massive institution like the University. As a Program Officer at Telfer Executive Programs, I have been fortunate to engage with many women in positions of leadership, learn about their career journeys, and even watch them progress to hold more senior roles. I have the opportunity to see women like Dr. Virginia Roth graduate from the Telfer Executive MBA and become the first female Chief of Staff of The Ottawa Hospital. I see so much to celebrate, to pause and reflect on, before taking a deep breath and tackling the work still to come.
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It is clear that as society evolves, entrepreneurship has emerged as a driving force of our modern economies. Following the various advances in women’s rights and liberation around the world, it was only a matter of time before women began to conquer the entrepreneurial world.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day in March and look back on their place in our societies, let me share with you my thoughts on female entrepreneurship as a business student at Telfer.
What Is Female Entrepreneurship?
In my opinion, entrepreneurship seems to be one of those terms that we often hear without really knowing what it means. For those who can relate to this, let me give you a little help. Entrepreneurship is defined as the creation of economic activity to achieve a goal, the primary result of which is the creation of value.
Now that we have a better understanding of the concept, what about female entrepreneurship? It can be defined as the creation and development of economic activities specifically by women. Whether it is for personal or professional reasons such as self-fulfillment, better work-life balance, or economic reasons such as seeking a higher income, more and more women are choosing to trade their 9 to 5 jobs to become an entrepreneur.
According to the World Bank’s data, it is recognized globally that one in three businesses is owned by a woman. In Canada, many women-owned businesses operate primarily in service sectors such as hospitality, tourism, retail, and food services.
Exploring Entrepreneurship
For as long as I can remember, entrepreneurship has always been something I have been aspiring to do even before I was able to define the concept. Having been raised by an ambitious, busy mother who has run several small businesses, I developed my personality from the example my mother set as a female role model who is entrepreneurial and an independent woman, which probably explains why I chose to study at a business school.
As a teenager, when I had my first project ideas, although I was far from imagining the issues of women in entrepreneurship, I was at ease with the idea of living in an ever-changing world. As I grew up and met female entrepreneurs along the way, including some friends who have chosen this path, I really became aware of the realities of female entrepreneurship. This allowed me to:
Discover a rapidly developing environment shaped by important issues. One example is financing, which is still difficult for many female entrepreneurs to access. This is because women are sometimes seen as lacking in credibility , according to socio-cultural stereotypes which hinders their productivity.
Understand the importance of female entrepreneurship not only in addressing gender inequality, but also in terms of the benefits it brings for economic growth in various countries.
What Does Female Entrepreneurship Mean to Me Today?
First of all, as a strong supporter of women in leadership, I see entrepreneurship as a way for women to assert themselves as leaders in order to prove their managerial abilities, and, therefore, to break down the clichés and stereotypes that have long influenced society.
Now that I am in the last year of my BCom program, I know that I am getting closer to the professional world, as well as my growing awareness of women’s issues in the business world, especially in the field of entrepreneurship, which I intend to pursue one day.
Each graduate student would like to be able to get a chance to apply what they’ve learned and succeed in their careers. It is important that career opportunities remain equal for each and every one of us.
I see women in entrepreneurship as a source of opportunity that women can largely benefit from if they are given the necessary tools to do so. This is a developing sector where women still face inequalities that need to be addressed in order for them to reach their full potential. With global awareness to foster change, and the increasing development of community groups that support female entrepreneurs, this may be the beginning of a promising change. At least, that is what we are hoping for!
Successful in her career, Maria McKay (Telfer MBA, 2012) is a caring mentor and a true agent of change for her clients in the public sector and for the Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) communities and beyond. Maria is a Senior Manager in KPMG's People & Change Advisory Services Practice. She grew up in an environment where differences of opinions and ideas were encouraged and seen as a strength. Throughout her life, she lived according to the values of promoting good, both for herself and others around her, by standing up for what’s right and supporting people to do the same.
Maria was adopted as a small child by two people she considers to be her original allies: “I am very lucky to have been raised by thoughtful, humanist parents,” shared Maria. Her late father was a United Church Minister who shared his beliefs about social justice and inclusion with her growing up: “My dad grew up in New Glasgow and told me about a teenage experience he had there when a Black woman refused to leave a Whites-only area of the local movie theatre, and the disgust he felt at the violence against her that ensued. I only figured out who this incredible woman was in 2016 when Tim Harper of the Toronto Star wrote a story about the heroine, whom he suggested should be put on our new $10 bill (Viola Desmond), which was the same story my dad had told me as a child. My dad would have been absolutely thrilled at the ultimate decision to put Ms. Desmond on our new currency! This early experience may have been part of the reason why Martin Luther King and the US Civil Rights Movement had such a profound influence on my father, and was why he chose to study in Boston, where my parents met me.” Despite hopes to the contrary, Maria’s parents were powerless when she was on the school ground, and she had many early, difficult personal experiences of exclusion and racism. However, this opened Maria’s eyes to observe human behaviour from many different angles and led to her interest in the study of groups and organizational values and norms, or cultural anthropology.
After completing her Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Cultural Anthropology and History, and later her Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) in Canada, Maria’s career took her back to the United States East Coast and the cities of Atlanta and Boston. She worked at McKinsey & Company as a Research Analyst and as a Strategic Market Intelligence Analyst at EY. Her strong strategic research and analysis capabilities combined with her interest in working with others made a career as a management consultant seem like a perfect fit. At least, that’s what Gregory Richards, Director of Telfer’s Executive MBA program, thought back in 2011 when Maria showed interest in pursuing an MBA.
Telfer MBA: A Life-Changing Decision
Maria decided to come back to Canada and pursue her Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Telfer. We have Gregory Richards, Cognos Professor of Performance Management at the time, to thank for it: “At the time, we interviewed everyone who applied to the MBA program. Maria had non-consulting experience at McKinsey and EY,” recalled Professor Richards. “After talking with her, it struck us that she had the analytical, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills to become an excellent consultant. I think we might have asked her why she hadn’t considered consulting before given her professional background.”
Maria shared how she chose to pursue her MBA at the University of Ottawa: “Greg Richards is a big part of the reason why I picked uOttawa. I wanted to study with an expert in strategy and performance management and my big brother strongly recommended Greg. I also did not have a long history of having had Black professors as I only had two as an undergraduate at U of T . In my MLIS I did not have any Black professors, but the school was incredibly supportive of my interests including my final project, a comprehensive bibliography that detailed the history and experiences of Black American librarians. I learned a great deal from all my professors at Telfer, and especially Gregory Richards and Gerard Brathwaite-Sturgeon, who is an expert in organizational behaviour and HR. And in the end, Greg was right, and I ended up doing very well in my consulting course.”
A proud mentor and teacher, Professor Richards saw Maria excel in the program: “Her work in the MBA program showed her capabilities to not only solve problems, but to work collaboratively even with people she found to be difficult sometimes. It is good to see that she has become an accomplished consultant post-graduation.”
Maria now has close to twenty years of professional experience. She helps people and organizations to identify desired outcomes and to determine how to realize value through structural cultural and operating model changes. She lives according to the spectrum of belonging that celebrates diversity and inclusion, and she also pushes for anti-racism, equity, and justice. Above all, Maria is passionate about serving clients and other people, and she’s been recognized for her ethics and support of students, professional peers, and newcomers to Canada. Her contribution to the Telfer MBA Mentorship program after graduating is no surprise to all.
A Passion for Mentorship and Coaching
Maria is a mentor in the Telfer MBA Mentorship program, providing useful advice to Telfer MBA students. The program allows current MBA students with the opportunity to interact with an accomplished professional to build their network and seek career advice. “A program like the Telfer MBA mentorship program couldn’t function without people like Maria,” exclaimed Caroline Hannah, Relationship Manager at the Telfer Career Centre. "Maria was a mentor before even joining the program. It all came naturally to her. Throughout her MBA, and following, she would welcome having coffee chats and meetings with students as she enjoyed those connections and guiding others. That’s passion for mentorship.”
Maria does indeed have a strong inclination for mentorship: “I am always on the lookout for somebody who needs my help as a mentor or coach: clients, colleagues, friends, strangers on planes, business school friends. If someone asks me for help, it may be just once or several times, I try to say yes if it makes sense and I have something of value to offer to them,” declares Maria. “I try to be a confidence lifter for others, and especially women and racialized people, as they build their feelings of self-efficacy and self-worth while also building a professional network.”
Mentees of Maria’s start with the end in mind by doing an exercise called ‘the life I want,’ and then they align their personal and career aspirations to their own desired future state. She helps to guide them on setting and achieving goals, and she engages in discussions with them about philosophies on management practices, work-life integration, and professional success. The mentor/mentee relationship might evolve from there, depending on the needs expressed by each mentee.
“A wise business leader shared with me her perspective on the difference between a mentor and a coach. When you are mentor, others learn by direct or indirect ‘osmosis’ when you share your own experiences and hope it inspires them. As a coach, you try to establish conditions for others to see what might be possible and what could be different through their own exertion of energy and effort and then support them as they build their own plan. What happens next is up to them in terms of how much they want to practice their craft and what actions they are willing to take, or which sacrifices they are willing to make to work toward their future life; so sometimes I am a mentor and sometimes I am a coach,” explains Maria.
She has enjoyed her experience as a mentor at Telfer, including helping students get started in their careers: “There is a component to my work at Telfer that involves communication training for newcomers related to learning how to do business in Canada and translating cross-cultural experiences. I have also been able to help some students make connections to employers and make decisions about job offers,” added Maria. “It’s an honour to help them with this, and to have others trust me enough to let me help them think about their future. I’m grateful for this experience, and I’m so glad Caroline Hannah brought me in with open arms.”
Standing Up for Herself to Help Others
With a successful career in consulting and dozens of mentees she has helped, it can be concluded that Maria has always found it easy to help others and advocate on their behalf. During her undergraduate degree she marched on campus and fought against discrimination in a group called ‘United Coalition Against Racism.’ However, it wasn’t until the tragic events surrounding the death of George Floyd in May 2020 that Maria rediscovered her activist roots and the courage to speak out more publicly again against racial injustice.
“One of the leaders at my firm told me last June: ‘You don't have to worry anymore about being labelled an ‘Angry Black Woman’ when you raise important issues – just be yourself,’" said Maria. “I honestly thought I would have to wait until I retired before I could voice strong opinions about racism, bigotry, misogyny, able-ism, and to loudly support Black Lives Matter, Indigenous Lives Matter, LGBTQIA2+, and Mental Health movements amongst others because I did not think the mainstream world would listen. What I realized in the last year is that there are so many people around the world who are as ready for change as I am and that if I speak from the principles of honesty, authenticity, integrity, and love for my fellow humans, there is nothing to fear from speaking the truth on any stage, private or public.”
Inside her firm, Maria is an active member of KPMG’s Black Professional Network and an ally in the National Indigenous People’s Network. She is also a change management leader who seeks to help organizations prepare for a future of work that is ‘inclusive by design.’ “The digital business transformations that were being planned or were underway before the pandemic are necessary to modernize how work is carried out to enable workers to do their jobs more safely and enable the large-scale shift to hybrid and remote work. However, when we introduce automation and AI to enable changes, many of the workers most at risk are women and BIPOC staff. If our guiding principle is to ‘leave no one behind,’ then we must use data and analytics to assess the impact of emerging technologies on workers by race, age, gender, and location before we change anything – and then build a people-centric path to the future for all, especially considering the differential impact of COVID by race and gender,” stated Maria.
According to Maria, without the support of others, it would not be possible to make changes in one’s personal life or career, and that is why she is so invested in being a mentor and coach to others. While she has experienced many challenging periods throughout her life, she has always had people who advocated on her behalf and helped her, so passing it forward comes naturally. It is also why she tries to live by the adage (exact origins unknown), ‘We are not put on earth to see through people – we are put on earth to see one another through,’ Maria concluded: “One of the greatest privileges in my life is to have mentees share their hopes and aspirations related to the life they want with me. It is fulfilling beyond words to serve others by helping them articulate their own vision, plan the required steps to get there, and then cheer them on as they make moves toward achieving their dreams.”
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.
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.
The Dean’s Philos Award recognized individuals who have demonstrated outstanding philanthropic achievement and social commitment. This award was established in 2004 on the Telfer School of Management’s 35th Anniversary.
We’re both grateful to have grown up in, been educated in and live in a bilingual and multicultural country that has a deep Indigenous heritage. Because of our good fortune, we’ve long believed we have an obligation to give back to our community. When Dan was a student at the Telfer School in the early 1980s, the concept of corporate social responsibility made a lifelong impression on him. Later on, the Jewish principle of tikkun olam, which in Hebrew means repairing the world, became a beacon to guide our life together.
The idea behind tikkun olam is to do something small every day to mend the damage you see around you. While we’re fortunate to be able to contribute financially to causes we value, we believe our society sometimes pays too much attention to big donations. A million-dollar gift may get the headlines, but Canadians should also be excited by the idea of a million working people parting with some of their hard-earned money to fund causes and charities important to them.
Here’s what we mean. The Royal Ottawa Centre for Mental Health gives out Inspiration Awards each year. One winner a few years ago was a woman who had been treated at the Royal and decided to give back. A new Canadian who worked as a cleaner, she managed to volunteer her time and contribute $500 a year to the organization. Her shining example shows us that the truest measure of giving is not size but giving in a manner that is most meaningful and appropriate to the giver at that stage in their life.
This way of looking at giving is especially relevant to Telfer School students and recent graduates. Yes, you’re just starting out on your business careers and, yes, the coronavirus pandemic is playing havoc with the economy; yet you still can give even though you don't have much, if any, extra money. At the same time, the pandemic has laid bare many breaks in our worlds—small and large, figurative and literal—that cry out for repair.
Start simply, and start now, by finding time in your day for acts of kindness. And if you have options about how to handle a difficult situation, choose the kindest one. Adopt this attitude as you enter and rise in the business world. Show your best personal qualities—fairness, generosity and empathy—in your workplaces. Use them to make your organization more inclusive, your company’s relationships with customers and partners more rewarding, and your business’s operations more sustainable and responsible socially. Tikkun olam.
This is a summary of the interview conducted on September 16th, 2020 with Dan Greenberg and Barbara Crook.
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.
Pouya Safi (MBA 2013), Associate Director - uOttawa Professional Development Institute, 2020 Young Achiever's Award Recipient.
The Young Achiever's award was created to honour the individuals (under 40) who have been able to achieve greatness in their lives within an exceptional period of time.
I’m being recognized as a young achiever, and I’m grateful for the honour. Yet I must admit that all I’ve accomplished has come about as a result of the opportunities presented to me. The Telfer School has provided many such openings. I’m astounded by the confidence it has placed in me.
Shortly after I graduated from the Telfer MBA, a school official asked me to help enhance the experiential learning component of the Telfer BCom finance curriculum, so that graduates are better prepared to take on any role in the financial world. Then the school offered me the chance to become a lecturer and part-time professor. I leveraged that learning and experience to become the associate director at uOttawa’s Professional Development Institute.
The undergraduate courses I teach focus on ethics, sustainability and social responsibility. They are vital to finance and to innovation. Innovation is as much a product of equality of opportunity as it is a function of technological acumen and scientific excellence. I believe Canada can have excellence and equality of opportunity, building on our country’s multicultural foundation.
In fact, our country can become a leader in innovation by ensuring new Canadians have opportunities to integrate successfully; by ensuring all Canadians have opportunities to re-skill and up-skill through continuing education; and by ensuring young Canadians have opportunities to stay in Canada to pursue their professional and business goals.
The coronavirus pandemic is an opening of a different kind. We didn't ask for it and yet it’s forcing change upon us rapidly and profoundly, especially in how we work. Many outlets for improvement will soon present themselves. Canada must seize them to become fairer, more equal and more sustainable. I encourage Telfer School students to do their part.
As you do so, follow five lessons I’ve learned. First, chase happiness and not money. Happiness will bring out your best qualities, and the money will come. Second, don’t compare yourself to others; you’ll be more successful if you follow your own path. Third, when the world opens up again, broaden your perspective by travelling. Fourth, keep learning after your undergraduate education is done. And fifth, find a charitable cause you believe in that could profit from your knowledge. Your opportunity is out there. Grab it.
This is a summary of the interview conducted on August 28th, 2020 with Pouya Safi, Associate Director - uOttawa Professional Development Institute
Lloyd Koch (MHA 1973), Former CEO, Pembroke Regional Hospital, 2020 Trudeau Award Medal Recipient.
Established in honour of Reverend Father Roland Trudeau, OMI, former director of the University's Commerce department from 1950 to 1965, the Trudeau Medal is the highest honour given by the Telfer School of Management to its alumni. It was first awarded in 1989 to recognize leadership, initiative and contributions to the business world, the community and their alma mater.
Sharing our country’s resources more equitably among our own people and with those in
poorer countries is the path to a better Canada. Sharing at home is an attitude. It involves
being inclusive and tolerant. It's also an action—supporting peaceful responses to our
disagreements and bringing the contributions of all kinds of people together to solve
problems.
Sharing abroad presents limitless opportunities. Following my retirement from administering
hospitals in Thunder Bay, Hamilton, Wingham and Pembroke, my wife and I began leading
teams of Canadian volunteers to improve the infrastructure of hospitals in Tanzania. Over
the past 15 years, in cooperation with Canada Africa Community Health Alliance (an affiliate
of the University of Ottawa), we’ve supervised 16 missions made up of 120 Canadian
volunteers. They have put in 500 weeks of work to complete 25 hospital improvement
projects worth more than $300,000 in donated money.
I’ve found helping others brings personal and professional satisfaction. You feel good as a
Canadian to be able to do this kind of work. It makes for a better Canada, too. People
abroad see us as a peace-seeking country that brings a non-partisan attitude to solving
problems. Our nation’s unbiased outlook—focused on sharing our knowledge with the most
affected and vulnerable—is a rare commodity these days.
The need for this approach is greater now than perhaps ever before. The coronavirus
pandemic has revealed how close-knit the world has become and therefore how vulnerable
we all are and how reliant on each other we must be. As Canadians, we have built a
healthcare system designed to serve all people’s needs and enable them to live healthier lives.
We must continue to support and improve that system.
The Telfer MHA was a leader in elevating the profession of health management when I
graduated from the program in 1973. It remains so to this day. Some of the tools and
methods I’ve used in my 50-year healthcare career have changed over time, but the bedrock
principles have endured—data use and strategic planning, leadership and teamwork, caring
and sharing.
The Telfer School also connected me to classmates who I’ve called on for advice and
support. I urge today’s Telfer MHA students to keep their classmates close. As you become
healthcare leaders, you’ll recognize you can't do it all yourself—neither personally nor
organizationally. As a leader, you must put yourself at the centre of a sharing environment
within your organization, between your organization and others, and between the healthcare
system and the people it serves.
This is a summary of the interview conducted by Telfer School of Management on August 21st, 2020 with Lloyd Koch, Former CEO, Pembroke Regional Hospital, 2020 Trudeau Award Medal Recipient.
Caroline Xavier (BAdm 1990), Associate Deputy Minister Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 2020 Trudeau Award Medal Recipient.
Established in honour of Reverend Father Roland Trudeau, OMI, former director of the University's Commerce department from 1950 to 1965, the Trudeau Medal is the highest honour given by the Telfer School of Management to its alumni. It was first awarded in 1989 to recognize leadership, initiative and contributions to the business world, the community and their alma mater.
Canada is increasingly diverse. People come to our country from a wide range of places and with a variety of backgrounds, experiences and knowledge—wider and richer than ever before. That’s great to see and something we need to continue. Yet diversity is just half the equation.
We also must be a more inclusive country. A truly equitable Canada is a place in which our businesses, organizations and public institutions have an array of faces, and the people behind them are in positions at every level and play fundamental roles in decisions and actions.
A more inclusive public service is imperative. A public service that reflects the people it serves makes more informed policies, does a better job of delivering services and, because it’s smart and efficient, earns and keeps the trust of Canadians. Diversity and inclusion make for good business, period. Any workplace that’s diverse and inclusive is likely to be successful and resilient.
A more inclusive public service is also personal. I’m the child of Haitian immigrants and the first Black person—male or female—to reach the deputy-minister rank in the federal public service. I started as a student in an HR role over 30 years ago and just recently assumed the duties of Associate Deputy Minister at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. It’s an achievement I’m extremely proud of. Yet this milestone also raises the question: What took us so long?
We’re all asking similar questions these days. The coronavirus pandemic—which has affected so many, especially vulnerable populations disproportionately—and the urgent call for social justice are forcing a reckoning in Canada and in its public service. My colleagues and I are committed to make sure federal representation, policies, programs, services and organizations accurately reflect the changing makeup of our country and respond to its most pressing needs. It is my duty and privilege to ensure the door stays wide open for others who look like me to join.
The Telfer BCom taught me to look for opportunities in good times and especially in crisis. While on parental leave in 1995, I used my entrepreneurial knowledge and skills to co-found The Bagel Run, Inc.—the first Montreal-style, wood-burning oven bagel shop in Orleans, Ontario, which is still going strong 25 years later. Now, more than ever, it is important that all Telfer students apply their knowledge and skills in their communities. Assess the new reality. Spot opportunities. Then make a plan and take action to build a better Canada.
This is a summary of the interview conducted on August 14th, 2020 with Caroline Xavier, Associate Deputy Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Dan Moorcroft (EMBA 1997), Co-Founder, President/ CEO QMR Consulting & Professional Staffing, 2020 Trudeau Award Medal Recipient.
Established in honour of Reverend Father Roland Trudeau, OMI, former director of the University's Commerce department from 1950 to 1965, the Trudeau Medal is the highest honour given by the Telfer School of Management to its alumni. It was first awarded in 1989 to recognize leadership, initiative and contributions to the business world, the community and their alma mater.
A better Canada is a more empathetic Canada. At my business, QMR Consulting and
Professional Staffing, we bring empathy to life to create an upbeat workplace for our team
and to nurture successful relationships with our clients. First, we hire for empathy. When
considering new people, we value candidates who show willingness to listen to and learn
from the views and experiences of others.
Then we practice it daily. Empathy in everyday action starts with slowing down and paying
attention to colleagues and customers to understand their problems, situations and
circumstances. I’ve found when you listen to comprehend rather than merely to react, you
show respect, caring and kindness—all of which are hallmarks of empathy.
We also encourage employees to savour the positive moments of their days. When they
achieve something meaningful for clients, colleagues or themselves, we urge them to pause
awhile and soak in the feeling. Don't feel the need to rush on to the next task. On the flip
side, show gratitude to others when they’ve accomplished something big or small.
Expressing emotions effectively is another empathetic skill we stress. In our workplace, we
take the tone down: No problem is so severe we can't correct it. We ask each other to be
accountable and learn from mistakes, yet it’s amazing how conversations and relationships in
any organization improve when you make it possible for employees to channel their
emotions constructively.
The coronavirus pandemic has reinforced my appreciation of empathy. It’s revealed our
shared obligation to listen to and learn from the most vulnerable among us if we are to build
a better normal in Canada and not merely return to the old one.
My relationship with the Telfer School has also given me a fuller understanding of this vital
quality. The school has not only enabled me to gain essential knowledge through the Telfer
MBA, but also enhanced my life through my tenures as CEO-in-Residence and Dean’s
Advisory Board chair, and especially as executive mentor to students. I encourage them to
reap the personal and professional returns that come from slowing down and listening
closely, from being grateful and making kindness a habit, from emphasizing empathy to
build a better Canada.
This is a summary of the interview conducted by Telfer School of Management on August 7th, 2020 with Dan Moorcroft, Co-Founder, President/ CEO QMR Consulting & Professional Staffing.
This year’s CEO of the Year breakfast was hosted as a webinar, with Dan Goldberg, CEO of Telesat, as the guest speaker. The panel consisted of Catherine Elliott, Paul Marshall, and Michael Curran.
Explaining Telesat’s current state since the pandemic, Dan Goldbers says that Telesat, being a communication service, has remained steady.
The company has taken a hit in terms of providing telecoms to airplanes and cruise ships, but since employees have been working from home, there has been a huge increase in Broadband demands. He discusses the ways the internet has been a massive disruptor in the satellite industry, but how that can also be seen as a growth opportunity.
Telesat is embracing a new multibillion-dollar technological innovation of launching a constellation of satellites which communicate other through lasers, providing more affordable broadband connectivity all over the globe.
The Telfer School of Management held a webinar discussing the Future of IT Strategy Telfer Webinar. Moderating the webinar is Assistant Professor Lysanne Lessard, along with guest speakers Elizabeth Rhodenizer, Chief Information Officer at the Public Service Commission of Canada, and Paul Vallée, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tehama.
Elizabeth discusses how the public and private sectors have responded to the pandemic within the Government of Canada. Her presentation focuses on accessibility, security, and privacy in the new age of technology. Paul discusses the resources needed in order to send employees to work from home.
He also explains the advantages and disadvantages of enterprises issuing out personal laptops in comparison to allowing employees to gain access to work information through their own devices. Both speakers answered questions about data analytics, how they overcame COVID issues, and the importance of de-soiling data.
Telfer Talks hosted a webinar on opportunities and changes in consumer behaviors with professor Steven Daze as the moderator. Speakers on this webinar include Telfer Alumni Anie Rouleau, Founder of the Unscented Company; Dipalli Bhatt, Director of Marketing at Incognito Software; Professor Michael Mulvey at the Telfer school of Management; Moktar Yusuf, Cofounder and CEO of Relmogeo; and Karla Briones, Founder of Karla Briones Consulting and Immigrant Entrepreneur Academy.
These speakers all have different and unique outlooks into the current changing consumer market. They discuss the pivots in each of their respective fields, as well as trends in consumerism as a whole. Questions are answered about business opportunities during a pandemic, privacy concerns in a virtual world, adaptability, and hiring new employees in this environment.
On June 3rd, the Telfer School of Management hosted a webinar titled MHA CEO in Residence with Matthew Anderson, President and CEO of Ontario Health. The webinar discussed the reconstruction of the Ontario Government’s healthcare system in terms of management and delivery.
This transformation will occur based on the Peoples Health Care Act, and the new delivery system will be centered around Ontario Health Teams. The transformation will also include several provincial agencies who merged into Ontario Health, which will conduct their plans and operations similarly. Matthew Anderson, leader of this transformation, discusses this transition and the next key deliverables to be in the early evolution of the organization.
On May 29th, the Telfer School of Management held a webinar discussing Compensation Strategy and Performance Management: Dramatic Changes and Implications in Response to COVID-19. The Speakers, Ian Cullwick, Partner at Mercer Canada and Telfer EMBA Faculty member, and Manon Laliberté, HR manager at the Ottawa Hospital discussed strategic context, board compensation, executive and workforce compensation, and workforce support.
They also gave insight to an applied perspective approach using communication, collaboration, as well as agility and flexibility as guiding principles. They tackled issues from a practitioner’s point of view, emphasizing the phrases social responsibility vs survival know your workforce, and beware of the ripple effect. The speakers also analyzed performance management trends up to vs post-February 2020. Finally, they gave advice on making performance management work, and finished the webinar by emphasizing that one size does not fit all.
Tired of visiting the same old study spots on campus? Looking for some cool, new scenery to put in some long study hours? Seeking a place to enjoy either a smooth espresso, fresh bagel, vegetarian buffet or even a homemade pie while you are at it? Your search ends now.
Listed below are the definitive nine best places to study in Ottawa, perfectly crafted to inspire even the least motivated student. Let us begin.
The Green Door
198 Main Street
The Green Door is a great place to eat quality vegetarian food while you buckle down and study. There is only one location in Ottawa, and it is right beside Sandy Hill, so it is easily accessible for most uOttawa students. Although it is primarily a pay-by-weight style buffet consisting of mostly gluten-free, vegan, and organic foods, it is also a very relaxed and spacious environment to study in. It does get quite loud and busy at peak times, so in order to avoid distraction, bring some headphones, and listen to some of your favourite study music to get locked in.
Les Moulins Lafayette is a relatively new bakery to the city, which came to Hintonburg in just 2018. Albeit it is one of the best bakeries/cafés I’ve been to in Ottawa. Not only do they play great music and offer an aesthetic environment to work in, but they have some of the highest quality coffee and pastries I have had. As a bakery first, they sell a much better variety of croissants, muffins, and cookies than a typical café and they also happen to be directly in front of a craft brewery and LCBO for when the studying is over.
912 Bank St, 1365 Woodroffe Ave, 6-197 Trainyards Dr
This bagel shop is extremely well-known as it has been in business in the same location, the Glebe, for the last 25 years. It is on this list not because it is a quiet and chill spot to study in but since it is open 24/7 and offers free coffee refills. It is for these two reasons that it is one of the best options for a hardcore, long-lasting study session. It has windows all around with natural sunlight and a choice of viewing the bagel creation process or the hustle and bustle of Bank Street. They also have friendly staff. The only downside is they do play their music at an exceptionally high level, so just be sure to bring some quality headphones in order to get locked in.
229 Armstrong St, 538 Rochester St, 219 Laurier Ave W. and others
Morning Owl is a locally-based coffee chain here in Ottawa. They have 7 locations across Ottawa, and they have delicious and unique drinks and bites, such as the white rabbit latte. I can always count on Morning Owl for a great study environment, with its chic and comfortable interior design. Another thing that makes Morning Owl interesting to study in is that they each have a different vibe that matches the area it is in, so make sure to visit the different locations across the city.
Instead of settling with the super-loud, non-stop influx of people at the Desmarais Starbucks or any of the other cafés on campus, treat yourself with some coffee and a homemade pie. Life of Pie is an adorable, family-run place that offers housemade pies (that are to die for) in many flavours as well as quiches, soups, and salads. I recommend studying here because although it is small, it is very cozy, the staff are friendly, and the fantastic smell of freshly made pies makes you want to stay there all day.
The Art House Café is a cool, art-filled coffeehouse that offers espresso drinks, light fare and pastries, plus outdoor seating. It will give you a sense of inspiration and culture while you are at your most stressed. Exam season really taking its toll? Relax and gaze at some local art. If you are feeling particularly burnt out (this is a common occurrence) Art House Café offers $5.00 pints all day every day. Their menu also has an enticing variety of hot coffee cocktails such as their spiked Chai, Amaretto Latte, and Bourbon Hot Chocolate.
377 Rideau St, 120 Metcalfe St, 1049 Bank St, and others
Need more absolute silence in order to study? The Ottawa Public Library is a no-funny-business place go. They offer free Wi-Fi and numerous locations across the city. If really focused thinking and comprehension is required, as opposed to copying down slides, this is a great choice because there will be absolutely nothing to distract you.
Equator Coffee
1 Elgin St.
Need a spot to work other than the traditional cramped café? Equator Coffee at The National Arts Centre is the place for you. The café has very friendly staff, a cozy, but bright atmosphere, and great drinks and treats. They close at 4:00 p.m., but the NAC has an enormous amount of space open to the public from 6:00 a.m. to midnight with free Wi-Fi! Located in one of the prettiest and most aesthetically pleasing locations in downtown Ottawa, you really feel like you are studying with a purpose. The café and the NAC have a large variety of seats so if you get uncomfortable, there are tons of options to help you stay on your study grind.
This place is one of my all-time favourites. Although it is well-known, the recommendation to study amongst the tantalizing smell of freshly made doughnuts has to be made. I find that Suzy Q's Doughnuts is warm, both in temperature and temperament from the staff, their food and drink selection is fantastic, and their self-serve water makes it a little less awkward if you plan to stay there for a long time. It is definitely a busy location, but it is comfortable and makes a great place to study if you can tolerate indistinct chatter or have some headphones.
The locations listed above are some of my most cherished study spots, and I hope you get the chance to experience one of them like I have. Now that you have a list of the nine best places to study in Ottawa, go check them out, soak them in, and finish your degree in style!
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
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.
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.
In an effort to keep the Ottawa community as healthy as possible and the coronavirus (COVID-19) from rapidly spreading, the University of Ottawa has implemented measures to maintain “social distancing”.
Ottawa restaurant, Dreamland Cafe, located on Preston Street in Little Italy, has chosen to close their restaurant to the public. However, they stay open with special hours to make delicious meals ready for delivery or pickup at the back. Dreamland Cafe expanded their online menu (including homemade pasta sauce) and lowered their prices to help out during this financially difficult time. You can order from them using UberEATS, since Uber has decided to waive delivery fees to also assist the community during this time.
Like Dreamland, Luxe Bistro, located in the Byward Market, has taken a similar approach. They will be closed to the public, but are open for take-out by providing their food via UberEATS, DoorDash, and offering "drive-through" and personal home delivery service. They are even offering a few grocery staples to customers in order to keep grocery stores from getting too busy.
Although many food stores and restaurants made the difficult decision to close, La Bottega Nicastro did what they could before closing up shop. They donated over $1,000 worth of food to Operation Ramzieh, a crisis Relief team that has assembled to assist seniors and other vulnerable Canadians during the COVID-19 crisis.
Many other restaurants making an effort to serve the community with the availability of their food include:
As we are all advised to stay inside, many gyms and fitness studios have closed in the city to help reduce the spread of germs. One Ottawa dance studio has come up with an idea to help citizens stay active, while participating in online live video dance classes. Dance Fusion Studio has emailed their dancers providing virtual classes via Zoom to help you “dance away in your living room” while you are staying inside.
In addition, popular Ottawa yoga studio run by co-entrepreneurs Amber and Jen, Pure Yoga, is hosting yoga sessions on their online platform, where they have over 150 classes available. During this time, they are offering the first two weeks free, and a discounted price using specific promotional code.
Other Ottawa fitness and wellness businesses that are adapting to these new circumstances include:
Wallack’s Art Supplies is a store on the corner of Bank Street full of art supplies for those of you who are painters, sketch artists, and do-it-yourself enthusiasts. They too have closed their store due to advice from public health officials, but their online store remains open with both pick-up and delivery options available.
Local bookstore on Bank Street, Black Squirrel Books, is putting together and delivering packages of mystery books for their customers. According to the Ottawa Citizen, “Customers can select any genre they’re interested in — mysteries, fiction, history, self-help, children’s books, etc. — or simply order a surprise box. With either option, customers have no idea of what specific titles they’ll receive.”
Many other local businesses have modified their business models to serve the many needs and interests of the Ottawa community, such as:
4. Keeping Us Healthy and Protected from the Virus
Several local businesses are stepping up to the plate when it comes to staying healthy by using their existing resources. For example, Perth distillery, Top Shelf Distillers, has been producing hand sanitizer to combat the depleting amounts in stores. They launched a “crowdfunding campaign to fund the production, procurement and scale of batches of hand sanitizer as the already overwhelming demand grows,” which was extremely successful as they exceeded their fundraising goal in just one day, sharing their story on CTV News.
Another distiller contributing to sanitation efforts is Dairy Distillery in Almonte, located about an hour outside of Ottawa. The company is creating two products: a surface sanitizer, and a large format hand sanitizer with a pump. They wanted to share these products with members of the community, including health clinics, hospitals, veterinarian hospitals, and charities.
In addition, members of the University of Ottawa are finding a way to directly help healthcare workers stay protected from the virus. At Makerspace on campus, Midia Shikh Hassan, a manager at the university’s Centre for Entrepreneurship and Engineering Design (CEED), is using 3D printers and laser cutters to manufacture vital personal protective equipment. CEED can create 10 to 20 face shields every two hours, and plans to make even more equipment needed with feedback from physicians from The Ottawa Hospital.
You can support our local businesses by purchasing gift cards, shopping online, or ordering take-out or delivery items.
What local businesses have you noticed making a change during this time? Let us know some of your favourites and what they are doing to support the Ottawa community.
Job shadowing is cool, but in honour of Telfer’s 50th birthday, we thought it would be more fun to try a “reverse job shadow”.
Earlier in 2019, Telfer accounting alumna of 1980, Marlene Patrick spent a day with current finance student, Nourhan Mohamed. Throughout the day, they learned just how dramatically the school has changed in the 43 years since Marlene attended the university!
When Marlene walked through the doors of the Desmarais building, she immediately loved the bright sunlight shining through the large lobby windows. This was a pleasant surprise given the historical building on Wilbrod Street that used to be home to the Faculty of Commerce.
The ladies started their day by attending Nourhan’s Operations Management lecture. While many of the course names have changed - Operations Management was called Production back in the 1970s - they discovered that the first and second-year courses back then still exist in today’s Telfer curriculum. Marlene also noticed that female students made up over 50% of the class. Her graduating class only had 17 women out of 57 graduates.
Walking through campus after class, Marlene felt nostalgic seeing her old University of Ottawa buildings like Morisset and Montpetit, where Telfer students still have classes today. However, there was nothing nostalgic about exploring the new STEM and CRX buildings that opened in 2018. The bright colours and innovative design gave Marlene a warm welcome, but she was especially in awe of the Richard L’Abbé Makerspace in the STEM building, where students can design, build, or 3D print their creations.
At the end of their day, Marlene shared some of her photos from her time living in uOttawa’s Thompson residence, on campus, and at graduation with Nourhan. What they realized is that despite the immense changes in technology, appearance, and even school name that have happened at Telfer over the last 43 years, one thing certainly has not changed - the kind and innovative community that students contribute to #TelferNation every single day.
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!
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.
The Telfer Impact goes beyond the classroom. There are countless stories of students and alumni who have truly made a difference through their involvement, community engagement, entrepreneurial vision, and hard work. Over the last 6 weeks, we’ve shared some incredible stories of Telfer students developing into the next generation of leaders:
The CASCO Impact
20 years ago, two inspired Telfer students founded the non-profit organization, CASCO. Every year, Telfer students team up to host spectacular events that raise money for families at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). CASCO has donated over $560,000 to the cause ever since.
The Growcer Impact
After visiting communities challenged with food insecurity in Northern Canada, two Telfer BCom alumni, Alida Burke and Corey Ellis created a hydroponic system that grows produce in controlled shipping containers. From there, the business, The Growcer Inc. was born. Today, the company is part of Invest Ottawa’s accelerator program, and its systems are being sold across Canada, empowering communities around the globe to grow their own produce.
The PhD Impact
Telfer PhD candidate, Alex Chung researches the design of wearable technology that influences human behaviour change. As a result of the balanced program, Alex has been able to lead an active and fulfilling life, while impacting the future of wearable technology.
The Unscented Company Impact
BCom alumna, Anie Rouleau is living her dream, running her own eco-sustainable, B Corp certified cleaning product business, The Unscented Company (TUC). Through her innovative business model, Anie has caught the attention of the public with her Dragons’ Den deal to sell TUC products in 500 Canadian Tire stores across Canada.
The MBA Impact
After discovering the world of administration while working at Montfort Hospital, Mélanie Potvin decided to elevate her experience with an MBA in French at Telfer. Now she has the crucial knowledge and confidence in her leadership role as Project Manager for the Orléans Health Hub at the hospital.
These are just a few stories of the meaningful change that Telfer Students are creating. What will be YOUR impact?
The Telfer MBA was a huge catalyst for change in the career of our graduate Mélanie Potvin, who is now project manager of the Orléans Health Hub at Montfort Hospital.
After graduating from the University of Ottawa with a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy, Mélanie began her career in the health care system. Following several years working in clinical services at the Montfort Hospital and in the Ottawa community, she landed a job in the field of occupational health and safety. This position exposed her to the administrative side of the health care system, sparking a desire to learn more about management. That’s when she decided that an MBA was what she needed to boost her career.
During the application process, the Telfer School of Management contacted Mélanie to determine whether she was interested in completing her MBA in French. The opportunity to benefit from scholarships for this program, but especially to use her mother tongue, really appealed to her and she jumped at the opportunity to do her graduate degree in French.
Thanks to her experience in the healthcare system, and Telfer’s MBA and MHA (master’s degree in health administration) courses, Mélanie has learned how to work on the system and its various challenges. Her educational and practical experiences have provided her with the skills needed to manage complex projects.
Beyond project management, Mélanie has also developed her skills in oral presentation, leadership, human resources, and other management disciplines that are important in her new role.
Mélanie can now proudly say she has what it takes to make an impact at work and in her daily life.
Much more than just a company selling soaps and household products, TUC is trying to redefine the very concept of cleanliness by focusing on innovation and eco-design.
For Anie, sustainable development is not only a fundamental value, it is in the DNA of Unscented Co. From research and development, to minimalist, recyclable and plastic-free packaging, to re-filling stations at local retail partners, to the very furniture of its offices made from recycled materials, every decision is guided by this eco-responsible corporate philosophy.
Her innovative re-definition of the consumption model was not an immediate success, but her patience and strong convictions will have finally paid off in a market where until recently, the environment was not considered an issue."It will have taken a video of a turtle with a straw stuck in its nose for people to wake up," she told us during our interview. "Now we are seeing a real willingness on the part of people to change their consumption habits, and business is starting to move," Anie concluded.
On that note, her business is definitely moving. On October 10, 2019, Canadian Tire announced on a CBC episode of Dragons’ Den, that they would bring TUC products into their 500 stores across Canada. Although Anie was already seeing some craze for her products in local markets, a national distributor such as Canadian Tire will allow her to amplify her message, and together, they will have a real opportunity to change the country's consumption habits.
Her story is an inspiration for the business community that proves that when you have strong convictions, you can make your dreams come true. Once again Anie, congratulations, and we are very proud to have a graduate among us who has such a great impact on our world! #TELFERNATION
Alexander is a PhD candidate at the Telfer School of Management, in the Health Systems specialization. His research interests lie in applying analytics and management information systems methods to health-related issues, more specifically to the area of mobile health technologies.
He holds a Master’s degree in Systems Science with a specialization in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Ottawa, and an undergraduate degree in Biology from Carleton University. His master’s thesis focused on the formal definition, measurement, and simulation of coastal community preparedness for severe environmental events.
Following his Master’s degree, Alex worked as an independent management consultant and researcher while also teaching part-time at the Telfer School of Management. He has had the opportunity to work on topics that include: applying real-options analysis and financial modelling to the solar energy industry in Ontario and modelling how organizations use social media in order for them to anticipate problems that may arise later on. Alex also has an interest in fisheries management and has been involved in several projects with government and private industry on the management of Canadian fisheries and coastal areas.
Alex is a member of the Canadian Association of Management Consultants’ Eastern Ontario Chapter Council where he is responsible for marketing and social media. During his free time, he enjoys travelling, playing volleyball, and riding and restoring his many bicycles.
Alex holds the Lilian and Swee Chua Goh Doctoral Scholarship, the first admission scholarship created by donors for PhD candidates at the Telfer School of Management.
Find out more about the Telfer PhD program.
At the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa, we believe that it is through hands-on learning experiences and community support that we can help our students reach their goals, accelerate their careers and make a positive impact on our collective future.
This is the case for The Growcer Inc. - an Ottawa-based social enterprise co-founded by Corey Ellis and Alida Burke, two Telfer BCom Alumni. The pair came up with the idea for their modular hydroponic growing systems after having visited remote communities who face food insecurity in Northern Canada.
The plug-and-play hydroponic system gives produce everything it needs to grow in a controlled environment, built inside retrofitted shipping containers. These enable northern communities, schools, Indigenous and regional governments, as well as other businesses and non-profit organizations to develop more self-reliant and sustainable local food systems.
Through Telfer opportunities and extra-curricular activities such as the E-Foundry course and Enactus, Corey and Alida were able to travel the world, understand the challenges communities face, and build their business. Enactus is a student-led organization that uses the power of entrepreneurship and business, to help solve social problems. In 2017, the University of Ottawa became one of The Grower's first customers and acquired one of the systems to grow local food that’s now being served in our own cafeteria.
Now, The Growcer has over 15 employees and operates out of Invest Ottawa’s accelerator program at Bayview Yards.
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)
Over the past 20 years, CASCO, a Telfer student non-profit organization, has inspired the Ottawa community to give back to the families at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). Every year, a hundred students from the Telfer School of Management come together to host events to support and fundraise for CHEO. Through the hard work and dedication of the uOttawa CASCO team, over $500,000 has been raised for CHEO.
The CASCO non-profit organization was founded by two students in the BCom program at the Telfer School of Management in 1998. Their mission was to raise money for their friend who had passed away from Leukemia. Today, a fourth-year BCom student, Michaela McLoughlin, is running CASCO as this year’s president, with the help of 51 students on the executive team. Michaela joined CASCO three years ago when she discovered that the daughter of a family at work was being treated for brain cancer at CHEO. Since CASCO was an initiative that fundraises for CHEO, she decided to join so that she could make a direct impact.
CASCO’s mission for this year is to grow its presence in the Ottawa community. The executive team is working with CHEO to create more events to support the families at CHEO. The non-profit’s main event, the CASCO gala, features students from the Telfer School of Management in an evening of song, dance, and fashion. Telfer students, business professionals, and community members come together to support CHEO and see a year’s work come together on stage.
Find out more about the involvement of Telfer students in the student club CASCO, their impact on CHEO, and their pursuit of making an impact in the Ottawa community:
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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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