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Category: Alumni in the Lead

Published: 03 May 2016

Find a Path to Giving

Patrice Marceau - Fundraising Volunteer of the Year

Giving can take many forms. Contributing money to an organization or cause is the most obvious, but giving time and talent can be just as valuable. When Alain Doucet—the Telfer School’s vice dean—asked me as a Telfer alumnus how I could help the school achieve a number of goals in Hong Kong, I was happy to volunteer my professional expertise to devise a structure for a presence for our school in Hong Kong.

Alain and I had many discussions leading to the idea of the Friends of uOttawa Hong Kong Foundation. The thinking was: a foundation would provide a platform for the university in Hong Kong, as well as give a way to thank donors through tax-deductible receipts. In our view, the tax advantage would encourage not only alumni but also others to contribute money to support the Telfer School and uOttawa.

For the last several months, my office and I have been in discussions with the tax authorities in Hong Kong to ensure the structure and governance of the proposed foundation complies with the legal requirements for charitable organizations in Hong Kong. Our efforts are bearing fruit: the Friends of uOttawa Hong Kong Foundation should receive its official designation as a charitable organization by the end of June.

I am grateful for the recognition the school is extending to me for my work in helping set up the foundation. Hopefully, my contribution can show others there are different ways of giving back to the Telfer School. Focused time and targeted effort can sometime do just as well as a monetary contribution. Think about it next time Alain or another member of the Telfer External Relations team comes calling.

We invite you to read other examples of the positive impact that our other Donor Award recipients have made:

“Winning Giving” - James Yersh, BCom 1996
Donor of the Year

“A Culture of Giving” - Gabriel Bouchard-Phillips, BCom 2005
Young Donor of the Year

“The Power of Modesty” - André Cardinal, BCom 1969
Loyal Donor of the Year

Find out how you can donate to the programs and projects that matter most to you.

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Category: Alumni in the Lead

Published: 03 May 2016

The Power of Modesty

André Cardinal - Loyal Donor of the Year

I give to the Telfer School for two simple reasons. First, I consider myself privileged. I come from humble beginnings and I appreciate having had the opportunity to attend university. It’s made a real difference in my life and therefore it’s only right for me to give a little back and share with the less fortunate and others from humble beginnings. It’s become a habit and I’m glad I can do it.

My second reason for giving is equally straightforward. Imagine the difference we as alumni could make if every one of us gave just a little bit to our school? My giving to the Telfer School is modest compared to the big corporate gifts the school receives. For many years, I have made a financial contribution each month via regular deductions from my bank account. It’s easy, convenient and becomes a routine I hardly ever notice. Now just think of the great things our school and its students could achieve if every Telfer School alumnus did the same?

I started giving to the Telfer School many years ago while I worked at RBC. I’m retired now after working some 40 years with the bank. I held many positions there, including executive responsible for employment and training. That’s when I became acutely conscious of the needs of schools and started making my loyal contribution to the Telfer School and the University of Ottawa. Again, my giving is modest, but it’s also consistent. And just imagine the powerful difference we alumni could make together if each of us gave just a little bit each month?

We invite you to read other examples of the positive impact that our other Donor Award recipients have made:

“Winning Giving” - James Yersh, BCom 1996
Donor of the Year

“A Culture of Giving” - Gabriel Bouchard-Phillips, BCom 2005
Young Donor of the Year

“Find a Path to Giving” - Patrice Marceau, BSc 1981, MBA 1985, LLL 1985
Fundraising Volunteer of the Year

Find out how you can donate to the programs and projects that matter most to you.

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Category: Alumni in the Lead

Published: 03 May 2016

A Culture of Giving

Gabriel Bouchard-Phillips - Young Donor of the Year

I believe in paying it forward. While a Telfer BCom student, I relied on several scholarships. This support not only helped ease the financial burden of a university education, but it also made me a better student by enabling me to focus on my studies and experience the fullness of life at the Telfer School—the classes, clubs, competitions, community and comradeship. Now that I’ve graduated and enjoyed some professional success, I want to ensure other Telfer students can benefit from those same experiences.

The scholarship I set up in my name goes to the incoming student who demonstrates financial need and has a track record of community involvement. I stress being involved in the community because it plays such a significant role not only in improving the lives of those around you, but also making superior students. I’m living proof. The scholarships I received made it possible for me to contribute to the Telfer community and Ottawa, and this contribution made me a better student and person.

My decision to set up the scholarship was also inspired by the example of Ian Telfer’s gift and major contributions from the Desmarais family and other prominent Telfer School alumni. These donations are helping build a culture of giving at our school. Giving should be a natural part of alumni life because each of us has something to give—whether it’s our time, our money or our skills, or all three. I want to be part of that culture, and do even more in the years to come to help it grow. I have an obligation to contribute to it—to pay it forward so today’s students can experience the full richness of life at the Telfer School just as I did.

We invite you to read other examples of the positive impact that our other Donor Award recipients have made:

“Winning Giving” - James Yersh, BCom 1996
Donor of the Year

“The Power of Modesty” - André Cardinal, BCom 1969 
Loyal Donor of the Year

“Find a Path to Giving” - Patrice Marceau, BSc 1981, MBA 1985, LLL 1985 
Fundraising Volunteer of the Year

Find out how you can donate to the programs and projects that matter most to you.

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Category: Alumni in the Lead

Published: 03 May 2016

Winning Giving

James Yersh - Donor of the Year

Giving makes sense to me for many reasons. Most of all, I have the means to give; and when anyone does, they should give to help others. It doesn’t necessarily mean financially. You can also contribute your time, your expertise, or whatever else you have that people can benefit from. Giving to the Telfer School is especially sensible and important to me: the school gave me the tools I needed to get where I am now.

At the same time, when we at BlackBerry see new employees come in fresh from university, we recognize a knowledge void. Most graduating students have plenty of what I call book smarts. Yet they need more practical business smarts. The donation to the Telfer School that my family has made through the Yersh Family Pedagogical Innovation Fund is essential in helping narrow that gap between the theoretical and applied. By putting money toward developing new teaching techniques and programs, as well as revamping some existing ones, my family’s giving will equip Telfer School students with more practical business knowledge and make these students more workplace-ready.

I think of this giving as a win-win-win. Companies win by getting graduating Telfer students armed with book smarts and practical smarts. Students win because the programs and techniques will give them a leg up on others in getting the kinds of jobs and careers they want. And the Telfer School itself wins because these new teaching techniques and programs will differentiate the school from others when competing for top talent. This kind of winning giving is also a lesson for other Telfer School alumni: Find something worthwhile from your own real-life experience and translate it into a donation that moves everyone ahead—especially the Telfer School and its students.

We invite you to read other examples of the positive impact that our other Donor Award recipients have made:

“A Culture of Giving” - Gabriel Bouchard-Phillips, BCom 2005
Young Donor of the Year

“The Power of Modesty” - André Cardinal, BCom 1969
Loyal Donor of the Year

“Find a Path to Giving” - Patrice Marceau, BSc 1981, MBA 1985, LLL 1985
Fundraising Volunteer of the Year

Find out how you can donate to the programs and projects that matter most to you.

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Category: Latest News

Published: 08 March 2016

On Thursday, March 3, we hosted our annual leadership discussion with the Ottawa Business Journal CEO of the year, Bernie Ashe (BAdm 1978), Chief Executive Officer of the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG).

Bernie Ashe was awarded the CEO of the Year award, a joint initiative of the Ottawa Business Journal and the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, on November 18, 2015.

“Bernie Ashe is most deserving of this honor as CEO of the Year – and, as a Telfer alumnus, a great example for our students,” said François Julien, Dean of the Telfer School of Management. “Thanks to his incredible leadership, OSEG has remarkable momentum following the successful development of Lansdowne Park and TD Place. The changes he initiated and implemented have and will continue to have a lasting impact on the socio-economic development of our city.”

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Category: Telfer Announcements

Published: 11 January 2016

The University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management has received EQUIS re-accreditation from the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD). The Telfer School remains one of only two business school in Canada to achieve the triple crown of business school accreditations. There are only 73 schools worldwide, as of September 2015, that have obtained this prestigious recognition.

The Telfer School of Management was initially awarded the accreditation in November 2009 and it was renewed in December 2015 for a period of 5 years.

“As Dean of the Telfer School of Management, I am delighted and proud that our School has been conferred the EQUIS accreditation label for a further period of five years. This is a remarkable achievement which confirms that our triple-accredited School meets the highest international standards of excellence,” said François Julien, Dean of the Telfer School. “I am grateful to EFMD for the advice and guidance they have provided since we were first accredited in 2009 and which allowed us to develop and improve.”

“We owe this success to the outstanding work of our professors, the dedication of our academic leaders and administrative personnel as well as the quality of our students and the commitment of our alumni and members of the community at large who have supported the School on its path towards continuous improvement and excellence,” he adds.  “Congratulations and thank you to all for this accomplishment!”

EQUIS is the leading international system of quality assessment, improvement and accreditation of higher education institutions in management and business administration. EQUIS is managed and run by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) and its fundamental objective, linked to the mission of the EFMD, is to raise the standard of management education worldwide.

Institutions that are accredited by EQUIS must demonstrate not only high general quality in all dimensions of their activities, but also a high degree of internationalisation. With companies recruiting worldwide, with students choosing to get their education outside their home countries, and with Schools building alliances across borders and continents, there is a rapidly growing need for them to be able to identify those institutions in other countries that deliver high quality education in international management.

See the official announcement by the EFMD

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Category: Alumni in the Lead

Published: 11 January 2016

Dr. Steve Pelletier, EMBA 1996 and co-founder of the Clarence-Rockland Family Health Team, was given the “Clinic of the Year” award by the Ontario College of Family Physicians. The bilingual family clinic, situated east of Ottawa, checks patients with their doctors within 10 minutes of arrival, books same-day appointments and has doctors working evenings and weekends to accommodate everyone.

The clinic was co-founded in 2008 by Dr. Steve Pelletier and Dr. Harry Jones, who have combined experience of over 60 years in the field. They recognized that there was a lack of health care centres between Ottawa and Hawkesbury and also a lack of efficiency with regular health care providers’ business model. “Providing top notch health care is not that complicated and requires three ingredients; well-designed space, the right people and the right technology.  If you are missing one ingredient the benefits of the other two cannot be realized,” he says.

Click here to view Dr. Steve Pelletier’s full profile

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Category: Alumni in the Lead

Published: 11 December 2015

Dominic Franchi and Emily Hsiung, both Telfer School of Management BCom 2015 alumni, have ranked amongst the highest 52 scores in the country on the Common Final Examination (CFE). The CFE is a three-day examination requiring candidates in accounting to demonstrate depth and breadth of competency development in accordance with the CPA Competency Map.

Dominic is currently a Tax Analyst at Deloitte. He says that there were three strategies that helped him achieve a high score on the exam: “Firstly, I am a strong believer of always understanding the underlying principles of any concept instead of learning concepts by heart. […] Secondly, it is important to know your strengths and weaknesses: take more time to work on your weaknesses and less time to brush up your strengths. Lastly, it is crucial to take time to enjoy yourself and keep your mind off studying!”

Emily also works at Deloitte, as a Senior Accountant. For her, being successful on the CFE meant to be prepare accordingly: “I attended a mock exam CPA set up, and this really helped me visualize what the real exam day would be like. […] When I made mistakes on practice exams (which I definitely did!) I focused a lot on identifying and understanding why it was that I made the mistake, rather than fixing the mistake itself. This ensured I wouldn't make the same mistake again.”

Dominic and Emily say they are good friends and would often study for the CFE together.

Click here to view the full Ontario honour roll list. Note: To view the national list, click on the “National Honour Roll” link at the end of the page.

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Category: Latest News

Published: 15 September 2015

Harley Finkelstein, JD-MBA 2009, will join the cast of the CBC’s Next Gen Den, as one of their new Dragons. Next Gen Den is an online show spun off from CBC’s Dragon’s Den, which looks to invest in young, up-and-coming entrepreneurs pitching start-ups and early-stage businesses. The new season that will feature Harley Finklestein premieres online on October 7 alongside the broadcast premiere of season 10 of Dragons’ Den.

Harley is an entrepreneur, lawyer, and the Chief Platform Officer (CPO) at Shopify. He started his first company when he was 17 and has been building startups ever since. Harley completed his law degree as well as his MBA at the University of Ottawa, where he co-founded the JD/MBA Student Society and the Canadian MBA Oath. Harley serves as a mentor and advisor to a number of accelerators of startup organizations, including FounderFuel, ExtremeStartups, InvestOttawa & CIPPIC.