Each year, the University of Ottawa invites associated entrepreneurs to participate in a competition that results in up to 5 companies being selected for an exclusive and curated trip to Silicon Valley. Winners of this challenge are awarded the phenomenal opportunity of a trip to Silicon Valley. Selected start-ups receive $4,000 to fund their trip, which coincides with the annual Executive MBA trip to the Valley, this year scheduled in May 2019. The five companies selected this year were Incuvers, Thawrih, Alpha Kinetic Inc., Desk Nibbles (now re-named Hoppier), and App 8.
1. Incuvers
Incuvers is a manufacturing and software company that offers biological incubators with an integrated time-lapse imaging system, allowing researchers to grow and subsequently visualize their cells on their mobile and desktop platforms. This captured data is collected, stored, and then analytically compared between research groups around the world to provide feedback of experimental results, in real time. Users can share their results, creating a library of cellular experimentation that can be explored by others. Now, Incuvers is looking to create its own market, which incorporates time-lapse imaging systems, incubators, and scientific big data. Since inception, they have designed their incubation system and sold 5 units locally and internationally, as well as elaborated an equity-based partnership with an engineering firm to help them incorporate and develop a manufacturable system. Incuvers has 5 founding members: Dr. Sebastian Hadjiantoniou, Dr. Charles Cuerrier, Dr. Andrew Pelling, Maxime Leblanc Latour, Dan Modulevski, and Mark Kerskey. While in Silicon Valley, they worked to further their discussions with Indie Bio, met with various players in the life science space, built connections with U.S. distribution channels, increased product awareness, and fostered relationships with American academic institutions..
2. Thawrih
Thawrih, a local manufacturer of sports turbans, sports hijabs, inclusive and modest activewear, was founded by Sarah Abood and Sami Dabliz. Thawrih is a social enterprise whose mission is to revolutionize activewear for those that have religious and cultural obligations and to make sports accessible to all. Every headgear item is handmade by newcomer women, providing income and employment to disadvantaged communities. The team has already sold in excess of 1000 products to 22 countries around the world in just over a year, and have won or placed in over 6 UOttawa competitions. On the trip, they worked on digitizing their supply chain and logistics, met with police forces in California to present their uniform headgear, met with current California customers, and launched a pop-up shop at UCLA.
3. Alpha Kinetic Inc.
Alpha Kinetic’s Q-Grade is a data-driven concussion recovery tool. With Q-Grade's neuro-analytics, its mobile application, and its wearable EEG headset, concussed individuals will be able to navigate their recovery process and return to their life, sport and work in a safe and efficient way. Alpha Kinetic has created an MVP prototype and is in the process of developing the Beta version of the Q-Grade to be trialled this summer with the Ottawa Red Blacks football team as well as with several youth associations in Ontario. The company’s founders are two University of Ottawa PhD Human Kinetics students: Ashleigh Kennedy (Stanford University alumna) and Coren Walters-Stewart. These entrepreneurs benefitted from the trip to the Silicon Valley, as it allowed them to meet face-to-face with American venture capitalists to raise seed financing, recruit concussion experts from Stanford University to their advisory board, and worked towards recruiting a senior software developer. In addition, Alpha Kinetic’s co-founders were looking for more professional sports teams for beta testing on their Q-Grade device.
4. Hoppier
Desk Nibbles (now re-named Hoppier) makes it easy for offices to order snacks, beverages, fruit and more to their workplace. The company was founded in late 2016, by Cassy and Emil Aite, on a mission to make offices happier and healthier. They built a software like the Nibbler Slackbot that integrates with a company’s Slack. Employees can make requests and give feedback directly to the Nibbler Slackbot. This information is interpreted using machine learning and translated into a personalized e-commerce dashboard that curates a list of items to be delivered to the office on a weekly basis. This means employees feel heard, are happier, and the company’s budget is used efficiently. Hoppier is a marketplace that creates smarter software tools for offices to procure goods. Hoppier currently has over 100 customers in Canada including Trip Advisor, Uber, and Indeed. The Hoppier team enjoyed their trip where they met in person with one of their investors and created a co-marketing campaign, met with current customers with offices in Silicon Valley, and met venture capitalists that have previously expressed interest in the company.
5. App 8
App8 is a FinTech startup working on the next generation payment paradigm. App8 offers a turnkey solution to sit-down restaurants, allowing guests to pay from their phone without waiting for the printed bill or credit card machine. App8 is focused on the Full-Service Restaurant (FSR) industry, which processes over $330 billion in annual sales transactions across Canada and the U.S. App8 has selected 4 North American cities as the near-term target. App8 has been live in Ottawa since July 2018 in places like El Camino, The Clocktower Brew Pubs and more. Since beginning sales and marketing efforts in October 2018, the company has grown to over 1,000 active users and over 2,000 registered accounts with just over 10 Ottawa restaurant locations. App8 was founded by two uOttawa alumni: Elias Hage, Telfer BCom in Finance and Hani, uOttawa Computer Engineering. App8 is in the process of searching for the right financial backing to join the company's journey. The trip to Silicon Valley was invaluable to the App8 co-founders as they were able to learn from the past journeys of other successful SaaS entrepreneurs, specifically those who have experience approaching dual-ended marketplaces in e-commerce and FinTech, and interacted with Silicon Valley investment firms interested in their business.
Once a year, the Ottawa Business Journal (OBJ) recognizes accomplished and rising business leaders in the National Capital Region by naming them to their Forty under 40 list. These pioneers reflect the economic diversity, entrepreneurial spirit, and future of the city’s dynamic business community.
Among this year’s recipients, five are alumni of the University of Ottawa, one of which studied at the Telfer School of Management. The Telfer School would like to congratulate Kelly Medora Elliott for this astounding accomplishment.
After her studies at the Telfer School of Management, Kelly went on to study Law. She now is a partner in Dentons' Real Estate, Project Development, and Banking and Finance Practice groups. Her ability to think and act strategically as well as her amazing leadership skills have led to her new role as Director of Practice Support and Optimization for the Dentons Canada Region. Those who know her agree her organizational skills and work ethic have contributed greatly to her success, and have enabled her to become of the best lawyers in Canada.
The Telfer School would also like to congratulate Amy Lynn Friesen, Christina Kathelyn Black, Ian Duff Bingeman, and François de Bellefeuille who all graduated from the University of Ottawa and also made it on the coveted list.
This year's Forty Under 40 awards gala will take place at the Hilton Lac-Leamy Hotel on June 21, 2019. The event will feature cocktails, fine food, music and dancing and is in part sponsored by the Telfer Executive MBA.
Last Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in our Desmarais building, more than 200 sharply dressed guests gathered merrily to eat, drink, and most importantly, to celebrate! The occasion: the annual Telfer Career Centre Celebration, a carefully crafted reception meant to highlight the invaluable contribution of the many Career Centre collaborators. Once again this year, it was an evening to remember!
Saying “Thank You”
Created 15 years ago to empower undergraduate students, MBA students and alumni in their career development, the Career Centre has built over the years an astounding network of partners, within and outside the Telfer walls. “Our success would not be possible without the creativity, initiative, and support of our countless collaborators, explains Career Centre Manager, Amanda Richardson. This very special evening is our way to say "thank you" to all these people, especially the students, who are the reason we go to work every day.”
Celebrating Diversity
For this year’s theme, the Telfer Career Centre had chosen diversity. And what an appropriate theme it was. “Whether it’s through its services, events, or numerous collaborating partners, including students, alumni, professors, staff, and industry professionals, from all walks of life and all corners of the world, the Career Centre truly embraces a variety of perspectives,” adds M. Richardson. Guests were invited to share their vision of diversity through quotes displayed on giant screens around the room. A beautiful touch that certainly enlightened many of us.
Finishing Strong
As a former student collaborator – and user – of the Career Centre, Gaëlle Faye was always looking forward to this event. “It’s the perfect way to kick back a little and chat with friends before the exam period”, says this Telfer alumna, who now works as a Career Engagement Coordinator at the Career Centre. “I have benefitted immensely from the Career Centre support as a student, and now I get to work behind the scenes of this fantastic evening! It’s truly amazing.”
Want to join this happy crowd next year? Get to know the Telfer Career Centre now!
We are proud of our #TelferNation student-athletes for their personal accomplishments and at the USPORTS National Championships. We are excited to celebrate four undergraduate Telfer students, for their remarkable accomplishments at the National level:
Brendan Jacome, Gee-Gees Men’s Hockey, specializing in in Finance with a complementary option in Entrepreneurship
Hannah Temple, Gee-Gees Women’s Basketball, specializing in Management
Amelie Hachey, Gee-Gees Women’s Basketball, specializing in Accounting (not pictured)
Montana Champagne, Gee-Gees Men’s Swim team, graduating from a Specialization in Human Resources this summer
On March 26th, these four Telfer students were honoured at the University Centre (UCU) building on campus for their impressive sports accomplishments this year for a celebration gathering teams and athletes. Awards were handed out to the athletes to recognize their sportsmanship on both provincial and national levels. Roger Archambault, Assistant Director of High-Performance Athletics for the Gee-Gees, was thrilled with the performance from all teams for their outstanding success.
Montana Champagne has now been awarded 8 medals during his Gee-Gees Swimming career, including 4 gold medals. Champagne collected 2 gold medals at the 2019 U SPORTS National Championship held at the University of British Columbia this year. During the championship, Montana Champagne finished first in the 200m individual medley (IM) setting a new U SPORTS record by more than a second and a new team record, while also finishing first in the 400m IM for another team record. He completed the weekend with a fourth-place finish in the 200m butterfly final. Montana’s journey as a Telfer student and Gee-Gee athlete is coming to an end as he will be graduating, but we wish him best of luck in training for the Olympics, we will definitely be cheering him on!
Brendan Jacome was named the 2018-2019 winner of the R.W. Pugh Award (U SPORTS Most Sportsmanlike Player). He exceeded his career-high, recording a total of 13 goals and 16 assists in 27 games without taking a penalty throughout the season. During the playoffs, Jacome added 8 points in 5 games. The Gee-Gees Men’s Hockey team finished first in the OUA East competition, with an impressive 22-2-4 record. Unfortunately, the Gee-Gees were eliminated by the Queen's U Gaels in the third game of a best-of-three series in the second round.
The Gee-Gees Women’s Basketball won the Bronze Medal at the 2019 U SPORTS National Championship hosted by Ryerson University. The team finished the regular season with the best record in the OUA, with 21 wins and 2 loses, setting a program record. During the playoffs, the Gee-Gees made it to the finals and won the OUA Silver Medal. Their season also included the team's first Capital Hoops win since 2015 versus Carleton University.
We are proud of our Telfer student-athletes and wish them luck in the coming year in both their academic and athletic accomplishments.
Three MBA and one MHA student from the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa teamed up to place first in the 3rd annual Diversity and Inclusion MBA Case Competition co-hosted by Telfer, EDC, and Deloitte.
Students Anya Marion, Daman Preet Singh, Nazmus Saqib Tasin, and Sidharth Mahajan claimed the top prize of $5,000 while their colleagues from John Molson School of Business and Rowe School of Business placed 2nd and 3rd, respectively winning cash prizes of $2,500 and $1,500.
The competition took place at EDC, where eight teams from universities across Canada converged for a full day of case cracking on the theme of Diversity and Inclusion.
Beedie School of Business — Simon Fraser University
DeGroote School of Business — McMaster University
John Molson School of Business — Concordia University
Lazaridis School of Business and Economics — Wilfrid Laurier University
Rotman School of Management — University of Toronto
Rowe School of Business — Dalhousie University
Ted Rogers School of Management — Ryerson University
Telfer School of Management — University of Ottawa
Without access to the internet, the teams were asked to find human resources solutions and strategies for AGNICO EAGLE, a gold mine located in Meadowbank, Nunavut, Canada. The gold mine has been experiencing absenteeism and turnover within the Inuit workforce. Each team had to develop a plan in order to retain and increase the number of Inuit employees. Once the time was over, each team got to present to our panel of judges comprised of EDC and Deloitte members. Four finalists were then selected to participate in the second round of the case, where they were presented with a challenge to recruit a minimum of 500 new Agnico Eagle employees who would be working in two new operations while having the same culture, respect, and mentality that had made them successful in the past.
The four finalists gave a final presentation in front of the judges and their peers, volunteers, and community members who came to attend before heading back to the Telfer School of Management where a reception was held to announce the winners.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the participants who travelled to Ottawa to compete, our judges who provided the students with valuable insights and feedback, our amazing volunteers who were instrumental in the coordination of the day, as well as our two amazing co-sponsors, EDC and Deloitte who went above and beyond to make this competition a success.
(Judges from left to right):
Kat Lee (Deloitte) Senior Manager, Human Capital Consulting
Raj Mudhar (Deloitte) - National Director, Agile & DevOps Consulting
Emily Boudreau (Deloitte) - Senior Manager, Human Capital Consulting
Liane Nickerson (EDC) - Director, Workforce Strategy and Culture
Patricia Vincent (EDC) - Vice President, Talent, Learning & Culture
Michael Machabee (EDC) - Director, Portfolio Management and one of EDC’s 2018 D&I Ambassador Award nominees
Joe Rios (EDC) - Manager, Exporter Outreach and one of EDC’s 2018 D&I Ambassador Award recipients
Not pictured: Stephen Harrington (Deloitte), Senior Manager, Human Capital Consulting
The next Entrepreneurship Bridges event will take place on April 9, 2019, featuring a guest speaker and the announcement of the 2019 Startup Garage cohort. This year's guest speaker is Corey Ellis, Co-Founder and CEO at The Growcer Inc. and alumnus of the Startup Garage. The event will take place in the evening from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in Desmarais room 12102.
Corey will discuss his experience launching The Growcer Inc. and how they have grown their company into the success that it is today.
Corey, along with his co-founder and fellow Telfer classmate, Alida Burke saw the lack of available locally-grown fresh produce in Northern Canada. They identified the need to remove the resulting high cost Northern Canadians have to pay just to be able to eat healthy food. They determined a way for Canadians to have affordable and sustainable access to fresh foods, which led them to the creation of their stand-alone growing systems.
The Growcer is a social enterprise that empowers remote Canadian regions to grow fresh produce locally using modular hydroponic systems. Growcer systems are specifically designed for Arctic regions, enabling local food production with a steady stream of affordable fresh produce grown in outdoor temperatures as cold as -52°C. They also provide ongoing services to allow local entrepreneurs to own & operate their own systems, and additional supports to enable better nutrition for communities.
The Startup Garage is an initiative of the University of Ottawa’s Entrepreneurship Hub to foster and support youth entrepreneurship in the Ottawa region. The program offers youth-led ventures the opportunity to accelerate their business by working full-time over the course of four months during the summer. Startup Garage provides each participating company with four essential tools: cash, office space, mentorship, and support. The program is delivered through the generous support of the University of Ottawa, BMO, Logan Katz LLP and Gowling WLG.
Congratulations to Enactus uOttawa for their success at Enactus Canada's Regional Competition last week, bringing them on to compete at Nationals! Enactus is a global non-profit with chapters in countries across the globe that aims to empower students to use entrepreneurial action to create a better world for us all. Enactus builds student leaders, creates impactful projects, and teaches students valuable entrepreneurial skills.
These results mean that they will be presenting in the Youth Empowerment category at the National Competition. The team will also participate at the overall National Presentation held in Vancouver in May.
We wish the team best of luck at Nationals and are proud to see them represent the University of Ottawa on the national stage, and hope to see their success take them to the Enactus World Competition.
The Legacy Conference 2019 organized and hosted by a group of University of Ottawa students is Canada's largest entrepreneur conference. On March 29 and 30th, 2019, the Legacy Conference will bring together over 800 entrepreneurially-minded students in Ottawa at the Shaw Centre. In collaboration with high-growth startup companies and top-tier speakers, the Legacy Conference is the only event in Canada dedicated to hosting the nation’s top student entrepreneurs.
Over the course of two days, the conference will feature keynote speeches delivered by entrepreneurs and industry pioneers, expert panel discussions, mentorship sessions, a startup exposition showcasing some of the nation’s hottest startups, and interactive workshops for startups and attendees. Run by a group of student volunteers at the University of Ottawa, 800 + students from 30 campuses across Canada will get a chance to connect throughout the conference. With a fun and welcoming environment, attendees will learn tactical and actionable advice and join an amazing community of hustlers, innovators and doers.
As we are celebrating Telfer’s 50th Anniversary this year, we would like to showcase some of our outstanding female alumni that have had an impact in our community for International Women’s Day - March 8. There are so many accomplished and influential women that have left Telfer to create phenomenal businesses and lead successful careers.
There are so many more, that we have certainly missed many of our accomplished female alumni, and would like to hear from you as to who you feel should be recognized. Feel free to send us a message, and/or connect with us on our social media channels. You could also post a tweet including a mention regarding an accomplishment from a woman who has graduated from Telfer using the hashtag #telfernation, and we will be sure to share or retweet.
Lina Arseneault completed her MBA in Strategic Marketing in 1996 and holds a Certificate of Business Administration from the University of Ottawa. She has gone on to impact the tech industry in her variety of Director positions at Bell Canada, Nortel Networks, Cisco Systems, and AirTight Networks. She is currently in California, as the Chief Social Alchemist in Digital Communications, Content Marketing, Social Media at Cafelina Consulting providing actionable advice for large tech corporations regarding the creation and implementation of effective social media strategies.
Justine Hendricks is an MBA 2004 graduate, and has received a Trudeau Medal from the Telfer School at the 2017 Gala of Excellence. She is now the VP of Working Capital Solutions at Export Development Canada (EDC) with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry, and has been a critical member to the Canadian export community since the start of her career at EDC in 2010. She has worked closely with EDC’s banking partners and a key component to the business development group.
Mimi Lowi-Young attended the University of Ottawa to obtain her Master's in Health Adminstration in 1981 and her Diploma in Business Administration in 1988, and has gone on to be a recipient of the Dean’s Philos Award in 2009 for her outstanding philanthropic achievement and social commitment. She has made a big impact in her work for non-profits and the Canadian healthcare system including her previous roles of former CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Canada, and founding Chief Executive Officer of the Central West Local Health Integration Network. She now holds governance positions on a number of not-for-profit boards including the Chair of the board of directors of AGEWELL NCE Inc. She continues to contribute to both the Canadian College of Health Leaders and American College of Health Care Executives as a Life Fellow. She is a Senior Fellow of the University of Toronto Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation.
Anie Rouleau was the President of the Games of Commerce in 1992 during her BCom which she completed that year, and has gone on to make an impact in the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainability. She has redefined the notion of clean at Baléco Inc. with the creation of her Montreal-based environmentally-conscious retail brand: The Unscented Company that significantly reduces our collective plastic footprint through its packaging. Since its inception in 2016, the company is a B Corp certified business, becoming the first Canadian home and body care product company to be certified, and has recently been endorsed by Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand Goop.
Bernadette Sarazin completed her BCom degree in 1999, and was actively involved in Telfer’s Jeux du Commerce (JDC) team in 1997 as well as Telfer Entrepreneurs’ Club (TECDE) and their annual ELLE Gala celebrating the success of women in business. She is known as an active Francophone rights leader, and received the medal of the Order of the Pleiade of the Ontario Chapter of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF) recognizing her outstanding contribution to Ontario's Francophonie. In 2018, she was named "Female Personality of the Year" by the Fondation franco-Ontarienne (FFO) at La Soirée Saphir. She is Co-owner of Brio Stratégies which provides strategic advice, professional communications and marketing services, and project management.
Darlene Dasent completed her BCom in 1990, and is now the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for University Health Network (UHN). Darlene has over 20 years of leadership experience. UHN is an integrated healthcare, research, and education network of four hospitals: Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, as well as a college of applied health sciences, The Michener Institute of Education at UHN. She is currently leading UHN’s Finance Transformation and has been instrumental in developing financial governance models. She was named one of Women’s Executive Network’s (WXN) most powerful women in the PwC Public Sector Leaders category.
Annie-Marie Hubert finished her Business Administration degree with Cum Laude in 1985 at the University of Ottawa, and earned her CPA designation in 1987 and a fellowship from the Ordre des comptables professionnels du Québec in 2004. She currently works at Earnst and Young (EY) as Québec Managing Partner since 2017. She was named to the Order of Canada for her commitment to parity and inclusion in business and for her skill in corporate governance. In December 2011, she was recognized for the fourth time as one of Canada’s 100 Top Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network and in June 2012, she was selected as one of three Champions of Women in Business leaders chosen by Catalyst Canada. Anne-Marie has received a WXN Hall of Fame Award for winning a spot as a Top 100 most powerful woman three times. In June 2015, Hubert was the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Concordia University in recognition of her exceptional contribution to the advancement of women in business.
Mona Fortier holds a master’s of business administration (MBA 1998) from the Telfer School of Management. She was elected to the House of Commons in April 2017, Mona Fortier is the first female Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Vanier. This marks a historic moment, as it is the first time residents have elected a woman to represent them in the federal riding's history. She currently serves as a member on the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics and the Standing Committee on Official Language. She has served on several non-profit Board of Directors including the Montfort Hospital, the Provincial Advisory Committee on Francophone Affairs (Ontario), and the Shaw Centre. In addition, Mona has received numerous awards for her community involvement, including the Queen Elizabeth II - Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
Jacline Nyman took office as Vice-President, External Relations at the University of Ottawa in August 2018. Jacline received an adjunct professor appointment at the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa in 2012 and upon her appointment as vice-president becomes associate professor. She completed her BCom at Telfer in 1990. Prior to joining the university, Jacline was the President and CEO of United Way Centraide Canada, where she led a national movement for social change. She engaged with stakeholders through donor, government and media relations, participating in public policy development and driving the United Way mission forward. As a non-profit sector leader, she engages frequently in public speaking on a wide range of topics, including organizational leadership, philanthropy and fundraising, transformational change and modernization.She currently volunteers on a number of advisory boards, and actively mentors young professionals as they navigate their careers.
Lynda Partner completed her BCom in 1983, and was awarded the Trudeau Medal from the Telfer School in 2010 for her outstanding contributions to the world of business and the community. Today, Lynda is Vice President, Marketing and Analytics as a Service at Pythian. As Vice President of Analytics, Lynda has been instrumental in growing and defining Pythian’s analytics practice and is the driving force behind its new Kick Analytics as a Service solution. As Vice President of Marketing at Pythian, Lynda makes data-informed decisions every day, empowering the team to achieve greater results with measurable outcomes. Before joining Pythian, Lynda was Chief Communications Officer at Redline Communications where she and her team helped return the company to profitability after 15 straight years of losses. Lynda has led and founded several successful start-ups, including In-Touch Insights and GotMarketing (Campaigner.com).
Linda Eagen completed her Executive MBA at the Telfer School in 2002. In 2018, she received an award in recognition of her entrepreneurial and professional achievements at Ottawa’s Businesswoman of the Year Awards (BYAs). Today, Linda is President and CEO of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, and ensures that cancer remains a priority year-round in our community. Through support of research and clinical trials and through the delivery of Cancer Coaching, the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation is changing the cancer experience and giving families in our community access to the best, personalized cancer treatment and care right here at home. Linda has had a lifelong career in the not-for-profit industry combined with her entrepreneurial spirit and business education.
A huge congratulations to five of our Bachelor of Commerce students who finished fifth at the Rotman International Trade Competition, the highest placing by a Telfer team.
Dmitry Shorikov, Shang Wu, Maxime Gosselin, Jack Lau, and Ben Burk went toe to toe with fellow undergraduate AND postgraduate students from 52 of the top schools in the world. This event is one of the most competitive quantitative trading competitions, and these students put in countless hours of hard work to prove they were up to the task. The passion and effort you put in translated into the school's best finish.
I am a third-year student currently in my first coop term at the Costco Canada Head Office. I come from Montreal (Sec 5). I started university at 17 years old. From my first week at school, I was able to get a job as a student ambassador. It contributed immensely to my professional development. In second year, I had the pleasure of joining Telfer Finance as Marketing Director, which gave me the opportunity to widen my social media knowledge from a new perspective. Thanks to my maturity and my skills in management, I was promoted to supervisor on the student ambassador team even though I am the youngest member of the team.
At Costco, after a week of work, I am already trusted to plan very large orders and I am able to write marketing contracts with suppliers, being an inventory control specialist.
I am part of an extremely motivated team of 7 people who trust me in my day-to-day operations. We manage an entire department of the Costco.ca branch, and each day brings a new challenge. I already feel at home after a few days at work and I am considered an important member of the team.
In short, thanks to the School of Management, I was able to quickly launch my professional career.
What are you currently studying at uOttawa’s Telfer School of Management?
I am currently studying in B. Com option in marketing with coop.
Can you tell us about your involvement at the Telfer School?
I have a huge sense of belonging to the Business School (That guy with the Telfer Shoes) and I am involved in all kinds of events. Whether it's case competitions as a participant or coach (mentor) I like to take on new challenges while helping my community (the Telfer school). I was a mentor for Perfect Pitch with Enactus, I participated and won TICC with my team. I taught twice in front of young people as part of “Destination Réussite” on how to start a business. I participated in a promotional video with over 15,000 views on the university's YouTube channel. I was a guide for 101 week.
What do you love the most about the Telfer School and/or uOttawa? (profs, courses, clubs, social network, etc.)
People who know me well know that I like to put on my suits. In Telfer, there are enough networking events relevant to my program so I can wear my suits almost every week. In other words, it's possible to network and get to know a lot of people from different places and fields. I like it to be simple to progress and develop, but it is also only those who make the necessary effort that will get there. In a word, it's a very rewarding school.
Do you have a fun fact about yourself? If so, what is it?
Eight months after I started learning English, I found myself in front of a group of 50 English-speaking people on a 1h30 campus tour. Evidence that the university gives us the chance to get out of his comfort zone...
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time in Ottawa?
Coming from Montreal, I knew absolutely nothing about Ottawa. My pleasure recently is to discover what the city offers restaurant wise. I'm always available for a coffee in one of the many local coffee shops for a little networking session!
Whom or what inspires you the most?
A great source of inspiration for me is the students who rub shoulders with me. I realize that we are many to work hard to succeed and to break into the realm of our dreams. With that in mind I think that I am able to go ahead, and I am motivated to give everything to stand out. But this motivation comes from my surroundings. Whether it's my parents who encourage me at every step of the way, my friends and co-workers on campus inspire me a lot.
What are your career aspirations?
I would love to work in the marketing field for a company that trusts me to represent it externally. I like talking with people and I like to present / sell my ideas and beliefs.
If you are a bursary or scholarship recipient, how has the additional financial aid impacted your student experience?
I am the lucky recipient of several awards
Legico-CHP Fleur de Lys
Ethics of the new millennium
Roger Guindon
Admission scholarship
These scholarships allowed me to take a huge amount of stress off my shoulders so that I could focus on my studies and my professional career. They allowed me to pay a large part of my tuition and encouraged and motivated me to continue my studies.
Optional: What would you like to say to donors who give to enhance the Telfer student experience?
A huge thank you. These scholarships are more than just money for students. It's an incredible source of motivation when you realize that a person / organization believes in us and encourages us to continue.
Please join your LinkedIn to this questionnaire. www.linkedin.com/in/tristanlanglais
“What do you think?” This question, posed in a third-year Organizational Behaviour course, may seem arbitrary at first glance but it was a significant moment in Caroline Leblanc’s career path (B. Admin 1983). Caroline says, “It was the first time that I can recall that I was asked what I thought.” This is the point in her academic career where education transformed from theory to practice. Caroline continue to say, “It signified the melding formal learning with intuition, ethical beliefs and practicality. This for me illustrated the distinct difference between Management and Leadership.” This new perspective of the business world propelled her towards a successful career at BMO Private Banking.
On the other hand, despite Caroline’s impressive progression, she admits to not being “the most academically gifted student” during her schooling. As a result, she attributes her success to two values: grit and determination. Caroline gained an insight into the business world through these critical learning blocks, helping her stand out as a professional.
Caroline’s professional journey began in the depth of a recession with a major bank on a contract. Eventually, she move to Toronto where she joined BMO Financial Group as a Lending Specialist, which then evolved into various roles. Enjoying both the investment and credit aspects of the business, Caroline looked for an opportunity that would marry both sets of skills—leading her to the Private Bank. This choice was a risk as Caroline mentions, “at the time, we were small boutique operation that no one really knew about. I am glad to say that we have consistently experienced double digit growth and are leaders in providing customized Wealth Solutions to Affluent and High Net Worth families in Canada.”
Caroline concludes by expressing her pride in being part of an organization that supports a cause that is close to her heart: the advancement of women in the workplace. More than twenty years ago, she read a paper by Felice Schwartz, discussing the disparities at work between men and women. So, when asked about her inspiration, Caroline lists women such as Michele Obama, Sheryl Sandberg and Malala Yousafzai, stating that those women “are brave and that have chosen non-traditional paths, which have made significant contributions to everyday lives.” These women inspire Caroline and the next generation of women to take their rightful place at the metaphorical table.
The Telfer School of Management, in partnership with EDC and Deloitte, is proud to announce the university teams participating in the third annual Diversity and Inclusion MBA Case Competition.
On March 1 and 2, eight teams of MBA students from universities across the country will be converging on our nation’s capital to compete in Canada’s only MBA case competition of this type:
Beedie School of Business — Simon Fraser University
DeGroote School of Business — McMaster University
John Molson School of Business — Concordia University
Lazaridis School of Business and Economics — Wilfrid Laurier University
Rotman School of Management — University of Toronto
Rowe School of Business — Dalhousie University
Ted Rogers School of Management — Ryerson University
Telfer School of Management — University of Ottawa
During the competition, the teams will examine emerging issues and propose solutions related to the topics of diversity and inclusion in organizations.
Co-sponsors EDC and Deloitte hope to shed light on the importance and benefits of a diverse, inclusive workforce. “Our research shows that highly inclusive companies achieve superior results and are more innovative, more adaptable and faster-growing than less inclusive ones,” says Kate Morican, partner and national lead for strategic transformation and change services at Deloitte.
“Our broader goal is developing a culture open to diversity of thought, where thinking is shaped by our culture, background, experiences and personalities,” says Justine Hendricks, vice president of working capital solutions at EDC. “Only then can our customers and employees alike can reach their fullest potential.”
Through the competition, participants will gain a better appreciation of the strategic advantages of having a diverse workforce. We wish our students good luck and look forward to seeing everyone on our campus.
Media Inquiries:
Karyne Vienneau
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We are extremely proud to report that our Telfer student-athlete Maude Lévesque-Ryan has been selected to represent Team Canada for women’s university hockey at the Winter Universiade taking place in Krasnoyarsk, Russia from March 2 to 12. She will compete against other student-athletes from around the globe along with two University of Ottawa Gee-Gees from her team, Mélodie Bouchard and Christine Deaudelin.
The 29th annual Winter Universiade will draw over 3,000 student-athletes from over 50 countries competing in 11 different sports, making it the largest university winter multi-sport competition in the world. The competition will get more than 1.5 billion TV viewers, and attract over 100,000 attendees to the games, with a total of 5,000 volunteers.
Maude is currently in her second year of her Master of Science in Health Systems (MSc HS) at the Telfer School of Management working on her thesis. Her interest in information and data collection has fostered her passion for studying and conducting research in the health sector. Currently, Maude is completing her thesis project on better understanding seniors’ opinions about technologies that could be beneficial for them. She also wants to clarify which characteristics seniors give more importance to, and in which context they would be using these technologies.
Through exploratory research and focus groups, she has identified a need for seniors to use technology in their daily lives, which she is hoping will lead to reducing waiting times for access to treatments and lessening the burden of their personal care. Maude joined the MSc in HS to better understand health systems particularly for the senior population in Canada and wants to help identify seniors’ needs for these technologies and better understand their behaviours in relation to these technologies.
Maude feels that the MSc HS program is great for students who want to take action and make a difference in the health world. The program has enabled her to have a better understanding of the health services available in Canada, and she has been able to work closely with her professors for a more personal experience. Maude is working hard to ensure she is proud of her work on her thesis and hopes her research can help develop health systems solutions.
Like many student-athletes, Maude has to balance time for her school work with her hockey commitments. She considers herself very fortunate to attend the University of Ottawa and having the opportunity to compete in her favourite sport on the world stage.
We are proud to congratulate the DECA uOttawa team for their first place wins in the Start-up Pitch and Marketing Management competitions at this year’s DECA U Ontario Provincials. The team also placed second in the Project Management Institute (PMI) competition, third in the Advertising Campaign Challenge, and top 5 in Accounting.
The weekend-long Provincials event is held annually by DECA U, with 17 participating schools and 18 different competition categories. Delegates not only compete, but have the opportunity to network with several other student leaders and industry professionals throughout the weekend events. This year, the conference was held at the Sheraton Centre in downtown Toronto, with over 1,300 students present and eager to #MakeTheirMark.
DECA uOttawa delegates had the opportunity to demonstrate their months of case study preparation on a national stage. On top of the case competitions, delegates were given the opportunity to engage with Toronto-based professionals from a multitude of business fields during networking functions. This networking opportunity provided a unique experience for University of Ottawa students to expand their connections in the GTA.
Delegates from uOttawa displayed their skills acquired through both academia and case practice to benefit from all opportunities provided by the conference. They demonstrated these skills in both their case presentations and their networking experiences, resulting in a fantastic overall performance by the University of Ottawa.
In categories ranging from a jeopardy style battle to Individual, Team and Special Cases, DECA uOttawa placed top three in 5 of 18 categories. With a quarter of the competing delegates returning to Ottawa with a medal, the list of decorated competitors is as follows:
William King – Startup Pitch Competition – 1st Place
Arya Ghaeli and Luke Lu – Marketing Management – 1st Place
Austin Marques, Rula Al-Halbouni and Justin Walker – Project Management Institute – 2nd Place
Abinaya Sivanthanu, Vanessa Kelly and Shoshana Matheson – Advertising Campaign Challenge – 3rd Place
Jason Lum – Accounting – Top 5
The Chapter Executive Team and the Telfer School is very proud of each and every individual that contributed to the overall success of the uOttawa team for the 2018-2019 season.
This year, we are proud to announce that our Telfer MBA students won first place in the Innovation and Technology case competition and placed third in the Spirit case competition on cannabis and harm reduction (sponsored by Health Canada) at the 2019 MBA Games.
Congratulations to the Innovation and Technology team: Steven Legault, Nazmus Saqib, Alexander Campbell, and Anya Marion, and to the Spirit team: Ian Rintoul, William (Qiwei) Jia, Marianne Pelletier, and Anya Marion.
Overall, against 19 other school, the University of Ottawa came in 9th place.
Each year, the MBA Games attracts the largest gathering of MBA students in Canada. Taking place at the beginning of January, 20 schools and approximately 600 students will compete against each other for the prestigious Queen’s Cup by taking part in academic, athletic, and spirit challenges.
This is a great opportunity for students to represent their school and showcase their talents. We look forward to the future success of the MBA Games delegations from Telfer.
Telfer's undergraduate marketing club, the Telfer Marketing Association (TMA), recently hosted Mad Marketing, a speed networking event to connect undergraduate students and marketing professionals in the Ottawa community. This year, TMA held their 9th annual Mad Marketing event on Wednesday, January 23, 2019 with over 40 students and 13 companies in attendance.
This event is designed to provide an opportunity for students in all specializations to network with industry professionals from major Canadian companies on a personal level, with an application process to keep the event exclusive. Each student had the chance to ask each professional about their marketing experience and expertise in a one-on-one setting.
The main goal of Mad Marketing is for students to learn about the many types of marketing work and strategies of the various companies in Ottawa, to help them decide on a career path.
Thank you to the company representatives who came out to speak with our Bachelor of Commerce students this year:
On behalf of the Telfer School of Management, I am deeply saddened to announce Professor Emeritus and our former Dean, Gilles Paquet, passed away at age 82 on January 17th, 2019.
Professor Paquet, member of the Order of Canada, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and of the Royal Society of Arts of London, was the Dean of the Faculty of Administration (now Telfer School of Management) from 1981 to 1988. He had a clear vision for the School and understood the importance of strengthening our relationships in the community and the value of research and the impact it can have on the world of business and management.
We will remember Professor Paquet as a one of a kind character who wasn’t afraid to take risks and speak his mind. He was a prolific economist, communicator, researcher and journalist who impacted not only this school but our community on a local and national level. His legacy will be forever linked to the excellence of this school and the University of Ottawa as a whole.
His research here at the Telfer School of Management focused on industrial economics, governance, and public policy and management. Throughout his career he has authored or edited over 60 books and written over 500 reports, scientific papers or chapters in books on issues pertaining to the economic history of Canada, urban and regional studies, industrial organization, public management, knowledge management, and governance.
As we celebrate the life of this incredible academic icon, the Telfer School of Management Staff, Professors, Students, and Alumni join the family in mourning this truly impactful individual.
Please keep the family of Professor Paquet in your thoughts during this difficult time.
Dean François Julien, PhD
Telfer School of Management
From January 3 to 7, 2019, nearly 130 students represented the Telfer School of Management at the two largest undergraduate case competitions in Canada.
During the 31st edition of JDC hosted at l’Université du Québec à Rimouski – Campus Lévis, the Telfer School of Management’s delegation stood out by placing in the top three in six categories. Their performance in the academic segment of the competition allowed them to bring back more trophies than they have for the past 4 years.
1st place – Marketing Case: Fiona Doomasia, Christine Seguin and Rebecca Stiletto
1st place – Accounting Case: Maxine Beaumier, Paulina Karwowski and Ziye Zhang
2nd place – Organizational Information Systems Case: David Gallo, Jean-Martin Twagirimana and Josh Powers
2nd place – Tax System Case: Joel Emond, Andre Caissie and Adib Hosain
3rd place – Operations Management Case: Beau Goehrum, Christopher Flores-Lyons and Archana Manek
3rd place – Ultimate Frisbee: Charlotte Winton, Jessica Nesrallah, Maxine MacKinnon, Damian Samuel, Paul Michel, Keagan Ross, Matt Fong, Noah De Abreu and Anton Père
Additionally, the nine following students were selected as VIPs by academic judges for standing out in their category: Anna Abraham, Audrey-Anne Delage, Fiona Doomasia, Beau Goehrum, Sarah Pétrin-Perron, Maxine Beaumier, David Gallo, Odile Burume and Tran Truong.
At JDCC in Guelph, Ontario, two academic teams wearing the Telfer colours left their mark by winning the gold.
1st place – Business Strategy Case: Matthew Fernandez, Jonathan Khov and Maxim Goldenberg
1st place – Entrepreneurship Case: Daniel Beech, Mishal Butt and Julia Simon
The Telfer Competitions Committee (TCCT), the student association that selects and prepares undergraduate delegations for JDC and JDCC, thanks all the coaches who played a key role in the teams’ success. Audrey-Anne Delage, President of TCCT, said: "We would also like to highlight the continuous support from the Telfer faculty, who recognizes the importance of these competitions both in the academic and professional development of its students."
We look forward to next year's JDC and JDCC competitions, and wish the next delegation great success!
2018 was a year filled with great accomplishments and powerful achievements. See what the Telfer School of Management picked as the best of 2018. Take a look back at the news and stories that shaped an extraordinary year. 2019 has a ton of surprises with the 50 years of Telfer School of Management celebrations.
MBA teams can now register to participate in the 3rd annual Telfer Diversity and Inclusion MBA Case competition taking place from Friday, March 1 to Saturday, March 2, 2019. The Telfer School of Management has partnered with Export Development Canada and Deloitte for this competition.
The prizes range from $5,000 for First Place to $1,250 for Third Place. All details regarding the competition schedule, fees, and accomodation details will be provided soon.
Register your team today to participate in the competition.
In order to complete their undergraduate studies, the Bachelor of Commerce students take their respective Capstone courses in their final year of study. A capstone is an academic experience where students conduct a research assignment on a subject that connects to community issues and present their conclusions in front of a panel of judges and stakeholders.
Intopia Simulation
All of our undergraduate students take Strategic Management (ADM4311), and depending on their specialization, will take additional capstone courses (i.e. marketing, finance, and accounting). The Strategic Management course integrates knowledge attained from prior courses combined with the latest strategy frameworks and analytical concepts. Students must examine and resolve the complex decisions top managers face in today's globally competitive world. The emphasis is placed on the fundamental tools of strategic formulation, competitive and market analysis, developing resource and organizational capabilities, and shaping strategic fit through the use of the weekend-long Intopia Business Simulation.
Michel Cloutier Marketing Competition
Fourth-year Marketing students complete their studies with the Promotional Planning Practicum (PPP) course (ADM4325). The Michel Cloutier Marketing Competition was originally introduced by the late professor and Associate Dean, Michel Cloutier, in 1986. The competition was renamed in his honour in 1991. This year, the students worked on a fresh promotional strategy for Wesley Clover Parks, and the first place team won $1,500 dollars.
Finance Capstone
All Finance students must take Equity Valuation (ADM 4350) which consists of a case competition where students estimate the value of a real-life company, which this year was the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), and propose a course of action that the company should take to solve its problems; this year’s prize was $1,500 dollars for first place. The students also had to create posters to explain their financial valuation, with two teams who tied for best poster.
Accounting Capstone
Each semester, students in Case Studies in Accounting (ADM 4340 and ADM4740) course participate in a case competition in which they analyze a real company and report on accounting issues being faced by the company. This year’s organization for the English Accounting class was Biovali Corporation, and La Ferme à Mathurin for the French Accounting class. The winning teams from each section (English and French) each received a $2,000 cheque.
View the complete list of the students who won each respective competition on our Telfer Capstone page.
In less than a month, 25 of our Telfer MBA students along with close to 600 MBA students from over 20 schools across the country will meet up at Ryerson University in Toronto to compete in the 2019 MBA Games.
The MBA Games is a 3-day annual event, organized entirely by students, that brings participants together to network and build relationships while competing in a series of academic, athletic and spirit competitions.
This year, the MBA Games has partnered with the Canadian Council for Refugees, a national non-profit umbrella organization committed to the rights and protection of refugees and other vulnerable migrants in Canada and around the world.
Find out more about the games on the 2019 MBA Games website.
On Thursday, November 29, 2018, Telfer International and the Student Services Centre hosted the International Exchange Fair in the Desmarais building. This event is designed for undergraduate students to have an opportunity to meet with other Telfer students who are interested in going on an exchange, students who have completed their exchange experience, and visiting international students who are currently on exchange in Ottawa.
This event had over 60 volunteers in attendance, and approximately 140 students interested in going on exchange next year. It also provided a chance to learn more about the different universities and countries that are part of our exchange program, as well as a chance to discover more details about the experiences of Telfer students who have studied abroad. It was a great opportunity to learn more about our partners and their cities from local students.
Thank you to our partner schools for your representation at the event for our students:
There is still time to apply to go on exchange. Start the process by attending a mandatory information session in January to learn more about the program, application process, partners, and more. Every student thinking of going on an exchange must attend at least one information session before applying for an exchange. An international exchange is mandatory for students in the International Management option.
Register for the English Information Session, taking place on Wednesday, January 16, 2019, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Register for the French Information Session, taking place on Tuesday, January 8, 2019, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
We are proud of our #TelferNation student-athletes for their National Championship wins this year. The Gee-Gees Women’s Soccer and Rugby Teams competed in U SPORTS Canada’s annual National Championships.
We are proud to celebrate five of our female Telfer students, four undergraduate and one graduate student, for their remarkable accomplishments on the field:
Katerine Delev, Soccer player in Management
Cooper Lee, Soccer player in Management Information Systems and Analytics
Taylor Donato, Rugby player in Accounting
Katie Geddes, Rugby player in Management Information Systems and Analytics
Paulina Karwowski, Rugby player taking her Graduate Diploma in CPA (not pictured)
On December 5, both teams were honoured in the University Centre building at a celebration for their accomplishments this year. The Associate Vice-President of Student Life, Michel Guilbeault, described the teams as “amazing, fierce leaders” and “magical to watch”.
The rugby team had a fantastic season going undefeated in the regular season to capture their fifth consecutive RSEQ championship banner. The team moved on to play three exciting and hard games at the U SPORTS National Championship, held at Wolfville, Nova Scotia, and captured the Bronze Medal. No team has as many national championship medals over the last 5 years as uOttawa Women’s Rugby.
The soccer team finished the regular season with the best record in the OUA, and they followed that up in the playoffs by winning the OUA title. Come time for the Nationals, held right here at the Gee-Gees Field, the team defeated the Calgary Dinos, the McMaster Marauders in the semis, and then defeated the Trinity Western Spartans (the first seeded team in Canada), to capture the U SPORTS GOLD medal and the Gunn Baldursson Memorial Trophy.
The Gee-Gees Women’s Soccer Team attended the City Council meeting in the morning on December 5, where Mayor Jim Watson officially declared the day University of Ottawa Gee-Gees Women’s Soccer Team Day. The Head Coach of the Soccer team, Steve Johnston, said “it has been so rewarding working alongside them for the last 6 years” and described his team as positive role models on campus who “kick all the time!”. Head Coach Johnston has just been hired a full-time position to spend even more time with the athletes, and help to further move women's sports forward at the University of Ottawa.
We look forward to watching the team in the new year, and we are excited that the University of Ottawa is hosting the 2019 USPORTS Women’s Rugby Championships.
With your support, The Telfer School of Management was able to have a succesful Giving Tuesday Campaign.
With over 100 donors who contributed, more than $40,000 was raised to support our students, who participate in various activities. Along with the matching contribution from uOttawa, this overwhelming generosity will have a huge impact on our Telfer student experience.
On behalf of all of us here at the Telfer School of Management, Thank you!
In recognition of Telfer’s 50th Jubilee celebration, the Student Services Centre organized a special surprise for a handful of high-achieving students.
On Thursday morning, November 29th, five first-year students in the Bachelor of Commerce program were invited to a meeting with Dean Julien. These students were surprised to be awarded the Dean’s Leadership Scholarship with a value of $2000 each, for their excellent academic standing. Congratulations to Marie Chloé Andréa Nadon Sabourin, Victoria Sullivan, Collin Murphy, Toleen Taimah, and Naomi Kixmoller-Gosley.
As First Years, students have to navigate through classes, clubs, networking events, extracurriculars, and jobs all while adapting to university life. These young adults are hardworking, intelligent individuals who benefit from the mentorship and career development opportunities offered throughout their undergraduate studies at the Telfer School of Management.
These students received some advice from Dean Julien on how best to navigate through their remaining years of study - he advised them on the importance of networking and being active on campus in order to build up their resumes and enhance their professional portfolios.
Congratulations, and we look forward to seeing what our students will continue to accomplish while at the Telfer School.
The CASCO Charity Organization at Telfer is hosting their 19th annual Gala and Premiere Night to raise money for the kids at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). Over the past almost 20 years CASCO has raised over $500,000 for the CHEO Foundation, inspiring the Ottawa community to give back and positively impacting CHEO families.
The CASCO team works hard each fall semester every Sunday leading up to their two-night fundraiser. Each year, the Gala night is an exciting night for the team when they reveal the grand total of donation funds they have raised for the CHEO Foundation. These funds go directly to the hospital to enhance the quality of care given to the children at CHEO.
19th Annual Gala: The Moment
This year’s theme will be “The Moment”, exhibited through their carefully selected mix of singing, dancing, and modeling performance. The students modelling will wear creations by local designers Zargara, Eiman Abouzeina, and L’Hexagon. This year’s title sponsors are Fahel & Co., The Infinity Convention Centre, and the Telfer School of Management.
Premiere Night: Sunday, November 25
Preview of Gala night
Cocktail hour
Silent auction
Network with sponsor companies recruiting students
Showtime
Gala Night: Monday, November 26
Purchase raffle tickets
Bid on prizes at the silent auction
Participate in the live auction
Network with sponsor companies recruiting students
Cocktails and three course dinner
Showtime
Reveal of the big cheque for the CHEO Foundation!
Join CASCO for “The Moment” and buy your tickets to attend Premiere Night on Sunday, November 25 or Gala Night on Monday, November 26.
Complete your course evaluations online for the fall semester from November 19 to 30 to improve the quality of teaching and learning in your classes. Each term, we ask for your feedback in order to enhance your student experience. It is the perfect opportunity to tell us what you think, so we know exactly what YOU need to succeed in the classroom.
Reasons to Evaluate your Courses
It’s 100% anonymous! It is impossible for your professor to see your name or student number. Your answers and comments are therefore confidential.
You can make a better choice of courses! Look at past evaluations for a course or a professor to make your decision.
You can drive change! Your opinion can make the difference in the structure and the content of the course and, foremost, it can enhance student experience.
You can help other students! Your feedback will benefit the new cohort just like you already benefit from the evaluations of students that came before you
In applications, click on “Evaluation of teaching and courses (Blue platform)”.
It is simple and accessible since uOttawa has implemented online course evaluations. You can complete the evaluation forms anywhere and at any time during the evaluation period through uOzone.
Choose a course to evaluate.
Complete the evaluation form.
It is simple and accessible since uOttawa has implemented online course evaluations. You can complete the evaluation forms anywhere and at any time during the evaluation period through uOzone.
Beginning as a model on the runaway at her first CASCO event, Chelsea has worked her way up to her position now as the President of the CASCO Charity Organization. Chelsea Parker is a fourth year BCom student with a specialization in accounting with co-op. Chelsea has been actively involved in the Telfer community, participating in extracurricular activities such as JDC, JDCC, the Telfer Accounting Club and CASCO. Chelsea started her first co-op with Welch in January 2017 and hopes to get her CPA once she graduates in December 2019. With the help of your donations, Chelsea has been empowered and has flourished professionally and personally.
Born and raised in Ottawa, Chelsea chose to study at Telfer for the many student opportunities Telfer provides. When asked about her involvement with Telfer and why she loves the school she responded, “The courses and academics are great but what really enhanced my experience within Telfer were the extracurricular activities”. CASCO is a student run charity organization that has raised more than $560,000 over the past 19 years for the CHEO Foundation.Chelsea says, “Most families in Ottawa have used the CHEO facilities, so being a part of CASCO was a unique and fulfilling opportunity.
CASCO is composed of all students doing what we love and it has been an incredible opportunity to be a part of the team. We are more than a club, we learn through our roles more than school can teach through courses, and it has been an all-around great opportunity.” Chelsea also spoke about her gratitude and appreciation for JDC. She said, “JDC allows you to apply and enhance your academic skills by utilizing what you learned in class in case competitions. Being involved in CASCO and JDC allowed me the opportunity to be in a leadership role which is highly transferable for when I graduate and enter the working world.” Chelsea is one of many dedicated hard working young students who have tremendously benefited from donations.
Chelsea demonstrates her ambition through her commitment to CASCO, JDC, co-op at a top end accounting firm all while balancing her classes. Her tenacity and motivation stems from her family who inspire her in different ways. Chelsea said, “My mom inspires me with her kindness and selflessness. My dad for his drive and tenacity. We tell people who make donations to CASCO that every penny counts, even if you feel it is small, it adds to the total amount that we donate to CHEO.” Chelsea acknowledges and appreciates the impact of your donations as any amount of generosity goes a long way. Chelsea can speak on behalf of many Telfer students of her gratitude for donors like yourself who allowed Chelsea the opportunity to become philanthropic leader at Telfer.
Thank you for being a part of the 2018 Giving Tuesday movement at the Telfer School of Management. With the help of generous donors like yourself, the Telfer School is able to host, and have students compete in a variety of different f inance competitions on a yearly basis.
The huge impact of donations is not possible to articulate without the help of students. Bithanya Lemma is one of many students who can speak to the extraordinary opportunities that would not be possible without the immense support the school receives. Bithanya has been involved with the Telfer Finance Society for the past three years, holding the positions of VP Academic, VP Events and President. Bithanya is a prime example of how integral case competitions are for students.
"Finance competitions have changed my undergraduate experience because they provide opportunities for students that we other wise wouldn't be getting in lectures. These competitions allow students to not only apply what they're learning, but get feedback and networking opportunities with professionals well recognized in this industry. The opportunity to learn from them is extremely valuable and appreciated."
Bithanya can speak to the need and appreciation for donations to the Finance Competition fund, as she has been heavily involved in planning and leading finance competitions. "Donations are important to the students that compete in finance competitions because they enable us to continue to grow these competitions, allowing more students to participate, provide more incentives to attract students, and supply the Telfer Finance Society with the recourses and materials necessary to execute successful competitions. Without donors, the competitions would not operate at the caliber they currently do."
"The opportunities that case competitions provide are like non-other. In 2016, I served as VP Academic for the Telfer Finance Society which meant I was responsible for working with the title sponsor Jean R. Desgagne (at the time President and CEO, Global Enterprise Services at TMX Group) to plan the competition. Having the opportunity to work with and host Mr. Desgagne, a donor who continuously makes a difference as a Telfer alum and is an esteemed professional in the f inance field, was an amazing opportunity and something that Icould not have experienced without case competitions."
Once again, thank you for helping students like Bithanya experience and learn as much as possible during their time at Telfer!
TELFER MERIT ADMISSION SCHOLARSHIP FOR QUEBEC STUDENTS
Thank you for your participation in the 2018 Giving Tuesday movement at the Telfer School of Management. Your donation towards the Telfer Merit Admission Scholarship for Quebec Students was greatly appreciated. With the help of generous donors like yourself, students from Quebec are able to excel in their studies at the Telfer School, be involved in clubs and organizations, and make the most of their time at university.
Steve Rutikara is a Quebecois student scholarship recipient who exemplifies the important impacts of donations like yours. When asked why he chose to study outside of Quebec and specifically at the Telfer School, Steve answered, "I chose the Telfer School of Management because I've always had an interest in entrepreneurship and I knew that picking a good institution and building a strong network would allow me to thrive in the business field. As well, unlike universities in Quebec, the University of Ottawa did not require first going to CEGEP."
However, for Steve, choosing to study outside of Quebec means having to cope with tuition that is more expensive. "Admission scholarships mean being able to see all a school has to offer its students; like clubs, renowned professors, sports, opportunities, rather than just the financial burden side of things. I have been able to participate in the Management Information Systems Association, the Finance Society, AfriqCan and Hillel Ottawa during my undergrad, all made possible by generous donors who continue to support these scholarships."
Steve hopes to use all that Telfer has to offer in his future to create his own business. Thank you for investing in current and future students from Quebec attending or who will be attending the Telfer School!
What do Nicholas Tesla and Elon Musk have in common? Both are inventors who have demonstrated that hard work and a passion for making the world a better place can lead to great success. To Mark Fraser, a first year student pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce with a specialization in International Management, these people are his inspiration. Mark sees himself as a leader, role model and communicator, and hopes that Telfer will allow him to reach his full potential and develop the skills needed to dominate in the business world. With donations like yours, Mark was given the opportunity to learn more about the business world and develop his personal strengths so that one day, he may become the new Elon Musk or Nicholas Tesla.
Since High School, Mark has had an interest in starting his own company and says, “I like to find things I can tinker with and make better.” He enjoys working on small start-ups, and has recently launched his own line of clothing. When he is not working on these small initiatives, he enjoys reading in his spare time. Mark is passionate about doing new things and is eager to start learning more about the business world. Mark believes that the most important part of every business is the people and states that; “every person has a story and has something you can learn from them.”
Mark is one of many eager young Telfer students who have benefitted from donations like yours. Mark said that the scholarship “made me feel inspired to do my best and succeed when I knew I had people on my side and backing me. It motivated me to choose the Telfer School of Management and had a large impact on my life here in Ottawa.” Mark speaks on behalf of the many scholarship recipients as he expresses his appreciation for donations such as yours.
Once again, thank you for supporting students like Mark, who, because of your donations, was given the opportunity to develop his personal goals and further his career plan.
"My ultimate goal is to become a financial planner and be able to open my own financial planning firm in my hometown where I could make a difference in the community that raised me.” From a small town with a high school of 300 people, Julia Despres has recently joined the Telfer School of Management where she has been given the opportunity to develop her personal and professional life. Julia was initially attracted to the Telfer School of Management due to the location, bilingualism, reputation among peers and the strong reputation Telfer has on a global scale. Julia is a student with many passions including an immense affection for flying. Julia has been a part of the Air Cadets for six years and “will do anything to get in the air.” After spending a summer in Ottawa staffing the Advanced Aviation Course at the Connaught Cadet Training Centre, she fell in love with Ottawa and continues to walk around and explore Ottawa’s many wonders. Through Telfer, Julia has been able to share her passion of movies with other students, spending many nights in residence watching films and bonding with what are now close friends.
With a dream of becoming a financial planner on the horizon, Julia additionally expressed her ambition to become a leader in her community. “I would like to be able to be successful enough to donate funds… specifically to Cadets Canada, my high school and local sports teams in my community. Air Cadets was such a big part of my life and I would like to be able to give back to a program that (greatly) benefitted me. The reason I would like to donate to my high school is to spark the interest of young people in my community about the world of business. Because the school is so small, (it has limited resources therefore,) it is very difficult to offer any type of business classes, and I want to change that. My aspirations are essentially to influence younger generations in a positive way and be able to support those who are struggling.” For Julia, your donations reinforced the importance of giving back to the community.
When asked about who inspires her Julia stated, “People like you who have donated their hard earned money to students like me. You are the ones who inspire us to be better people, the ones who enable us to become better people. I will ALWAYS aspire to be in the position to give back to this world. The amount of bursaries available to students is unbelievable and I will always strive to be like the numerous donors who have envisioned a brighter future for others.” Your donations inspired Julia and enabled her to fulfill her full potential while making the most of her experience at the Telfer School of Management.
Julia can speak on behalf of many scholarship recipients of her immense gratitude for donors like yourself. Once again thank you for your donations, which drove Julia’s passion to become a philanthropist in her community and allowed her the opportunity to attend and thrive at the Telfer School of Management.
This year marks the 15th edition of Place à la jeunesse, which takes place on Saturday, November 10, 2018, at the Desmarais Building of the University of Ottawa. Place à la jeunesse is an annual business case competition that brings together over 90 students from French high schools across the province of Ontario. For the members of the organizing committee, the ultimate goal of this competition is to foster Francophone pride in the next generation and to help them develop their business acumen.
The day of the competition unfolds as follows: participants are given 3 hours to read, analyze and solve complex business cases in the following four areas: marketing, entrepreneurship, accounting and debate. They then present their innovative solutions to a panel of judges made up of business professionals in Ottawa, as well as alumni, students and professors from the Telfer School of Management.
This year, we have the honour to welcome MP Mona Fortier and Senator Lucie Moncion. In addition, professionals from accounting firms such as Deloitte and Marcil Lavallée will judge the entrepreneurship and accounting disciplines. The marketing component will welcome alumni of the Telfer School of Management. In addition to the opportunity to interact with these expert judges from the Francophone business community, Place à la jeunesse offers several scholarships to the winners. To date, more than $1 million has been awarded in scholarships!
“Kassandra [Tannouri] and I met in high school at a Franco-Ontarian gathering. We both ended up at the Telfer School of Management, because we decided to pursue our university studies in French. We quickly jumped at the opportunity to get involved in the great initiative that is Place à la jeunesse! For both of us, it is important to promote our Francophone pride and the opportunity to express ourselves in French at all times. We are back for a third year as co-presidents to organize the 15th edition of the competition!” - Camille Sigouin, Co-President, Place à la jeunesse 2018.
Closing gala and awards ceremony at the 14th edition of the competition, in November 2017.
Two students part of the debate team, during their preparation period.
In conclusion, Place à la jeunesse offers students much more than a case competition and scholarships. It is really a chance to acquire and develop skills in an entirely French environment while fostering a passion for commerce!
This competition and opportunity for academic development offered to young Francophones across Ontario would not be possible without our dedicated sponsors and partners. We are very grateful to:
When Anna Dopico reflects on her fondest memories at the University of Ottawa, convocation immediately comes to her mind. Although she enjoyed her student experience, the conclusion of her University career, meant the beginning of a new one. "For me, this was the starting point of my journey to a career in the business world.” Anna explains
As a result, Anna has had many career successes, including her position as Director of Corporate Transformation and Control for CIBC and now President of Endeavor Volunteer Consulting for Non- profits. Anna is also the author of ‘To Make Riders Faster’, a self-published book that tells the inside story of Cervélo Cycles, a company co-founded by Gerard Vroomen and Phil White an alumnus of the University.
To Make Riders Faster is an inspirational and cautionary tale of two entrepreneurs who took their company, Cervélo Cycles, from a school basement project in Montreal, Canada, to their bikes winning in the Tour de France, the Olympics and Ironman. Vroomen and White built the most sought-after brand in the cycling world in less than a decade and faced the fight of their lives to keep their company alive.
“The book begins with Vroomen and White meeting at McGill University in 1995 and takes you on a wild ride of success and setback with laughter and tears all the while sharing cycling stories and engineering insights. The story is woven with words, images and quotes. It is a unique combination of a beautiful book and a biography of the company that reflects the aesthetic values of the Cervélo brand."
This 256-page hardcover book is available for purchase at www.ToMakeRidersFaster.com. A percentage of the net proceeds goes to CAN Fund, a Canadian non-profit athlete club.
The years I spent as a Telfer BCom student were among the best of my life. Not only did I get a thorough grounding in business theory, but I also took non-business courses that both broadened my intellectual horizon and enabled me to view business from varying perspectives. For example, I recall English professor Paul Marcotte fondly. I’m still inspired by his enthusiasm and use his Essays in Speculative Literary Criticism to spur discussions with friends. Speaking of friends, I made many at the Telfer School: it took us 565 steps to walk from the doors of the former Arts Building, now Simard Hall, to the Albion Hotel. I also was active in student affairs, serving as the managing editor of The Fulcrum and director of the central advertising committee. Scholarship, friendship, leadership—mine was a true university education.
I left with a degree and a keen sense of possibility, and used both as a springboard to my future. Ultimately, as a Deloitte partner, I enjoyed working with some of the brightest and most helpful people one could hope for. Looking back, the rewarding experience I enjoyed at the Telfer School was an essential part of my foundation for a wonderful personal and professional life.
I’m also aware that my Telfer School experience was made possible, in part, by the financial support provided by countless donors. My decision to be a steadfast donor stems from my ongoing gratitude for the foundation the school and its backers gave me. My message to Telfer School graduates: as you experience success in your lives, take your turn in contributing to champion those who follow you. Be thankful and show it; contribute so others can enjoy enriching experiences; never take a good thing for granted; and never take this good thing for granted.
We’re Ottawa people. We grew up here, went to the University of Ottawa, built careers in our hometown after graduating and raised a family together. We owe much of our subsequent success and happiness to the rich learning experiences we enjoyed at uOttawa. We’re by no means alone. The university means a great deal to our hometown, especially its core. uOttawa is the academic, cultural and athletic heartbeat of downtown. It’s only natural to give back to an institution that has been vital to our lives and to the city we call home.
We’re also entrepreneurial people—Rob especially. He has spent some 30 years in lead roles in the local high-tech industry. While we’ve seen this sector grow steadily, we’ve also seen it falter at times. Its missing link has been a lack of management expertise for companies founded by entrepreneurs and fuelled by disruptive technologies. It’s tough enough to bring an idea to market successfully; it’s even harder to make an innovative company sustainable. The donation we made to the Telfer School is our way of forging that crucial link.
The Dom Herrick Entrepreneur in Residence at the Telfer School is designed to propel young entrepreneurs to create and lead groundbreaking businesses. The residency also spurs people from traditional business environments to infuse these settings with the entrepreneurial qualities of ambition, experimentation and resilience. The fact that the Telfer School has made entrepreneurship a strategic area of expertise only adds to the wisdom of our financial donation. To make our contribution complete, we dedicated the residency to Sandra’s late father. Dom Herrick had those key qualities of an entrepreneur. He was also keen to learn what new companies were emerging in his hometown, why some of these enterprises prospered and what aspects of their success he could apply in his job in the service industry. We’re thrilled that a residency in his name is a force for entrepreneurship in Ottawa. We think he would be too.
The Entrepreneurship Foundry course (ADM3396) is a cross-campus initiative that leverages University and community resources to help you grow your business venture in a for-credit 13-week long course. This course lets you earn credits while working on your existing business or social enterprise (not just an idea), acting as an accelerator for your entrepreneurial venture.
You will have access to external mentors at themed sessions as well as frequent access to “lab” time to allow you to focus on your business. Course deliverables are designed to be relevant to your venture and each week you will have dedicated work time to help meet your milestones.
This course is open to all University of Ottawa students.
Interviews and Application
An interview and acceptance process will ensure only those most committed to real entrepreneurship will be accepted. Student teams are eligible, and not all members need to be registered for the course to participate. Space is limited to 25 students.
Venture Assessment
Your venture will be evaluated by using a pre-survey and interview to determine where you are at with your venture and set goals.
At the end of the course, you will be interviewed to measure the progress.
Frequent pitches will allow you to develop your pitch skills, as well as gain valuable feedback from professors, mentors and peers.
Below you can watch Andres Tovar talking about his experience taking the Entrepreneurship Foundry course and building his business Noetic Marketer.
The course will run Fall 2020, Thursdays from 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
To learn more and to apply for the course, please contact Stephen Daze.
Thank you to all of those who attended the 2019 Gala of Excellence on October 19. With over 330 guests in attendance, we celebrated the achievements and outstanding contributions that our alumni make to the world of business, health-care, the community and their alma mater. It was also a chance for us to celebrate the milestone anniversaries of the graduates of 1969, 1979, 1994 and 2009.
You can find photos from the evening on our Flickr page. Feel free to download and share with your friends!
Did you graduate in 1970, 1980, 1995 or 2010? We are looking for class champions for the 2020 Gala of Excellence that will be held on October 17, 2020. Please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you are interested in being a class champion and helping your classmates reconnect after all these years!
Thank you to all of those who attended the 2018 Gala of Excellence on October 20. With over 330 guests in attendance, we celebrated the achievements and outstanding contributions that our alumni make to the world of business, health-care, the community and their alma mater. It was also a chance for us to celebrate the milestone anniversaries of the graduates of 1968, 1978, 1993 and 2008.
You can find photos from the evening on our Flickr page. Feel free to download and share with your friends!
To help us improve the event, please fill out a quick survey. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
Did you graduate in 1969, 1979, 1994 or 2009? We are looking for class champions for Gala of Excellence 2019 that will be held on October 19, 2019. Please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you are interested in being a class champion and helping your classmates reconnect after all these years!
The University of Ottawa is part of the Ontario postsecondary system. It became a public university on July 1, 1965 with enactment by the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario (Canada) of the University of Ottawa Act, 1965. Degree programs in business at the University of Ottawa are offered by the Telfer School of Management.
Ontario universities are authorized to offer Undergraduate Programs leading to a bachelor degree, Graduate Programs leading to master's and doctorate degrees, Continuing Education programs and certificates, including distance and part-time programs. Degree programs must be approved and are periodically appraised by the Ministry of Education. The Ministry does not impose specific admissions criteria: universities themselves have specific requirements for admission. The province funds universities and dictates conditions for tuition fees and increases.
The University of Ottawa is a member of the Council of Ontario Universities (COU), an association of all authorized academic institutions in the Province of Ontario. It also belongs to the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), which is usually considered in Canada as the equivalent of an accrediting body.
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual institution offering programs in English and in French. The Telfer School of Management adheres to the university’s linguistic mission: students can complete their Honors Bachelor’s of Commerce in English or in French, and can take courses in either language. The School also offers its MBA program in both official languages. The EMBA, MHA and M.Sc. programs are offered in English. Student services are offered in both languages and active knowledge of either French or English, with passive knowledge of the second official language is a tenure condition for faculty members. While the bilingual nature of the School provides a rich cultural environment for students, it does impose additional constraints compared to other competing business schools.
THE TELFER SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
Our Purpose
To develop influential leaders and create relevant management knowledge that transform lives, organizations and communities.
Our Vision
The Telfer School is the space in which you create your future through the competencies, confidence and convictions we help you develop and the knowledge, connections and support we provide.
Our Mission
To launch and accelerate management careers and influence sustainable organizational performance through the leadership of our graduates and the impact of our researchers.
The Telfer School of Management is a member of the Canadian Federation of Business School Deans (CFBSD) which is a lobby group for Canadian Schools of Business. There are 61 university-based business schools in Canada that are members of the Canadian Federation of Business School Deans. Eighteen are in the province of Ontario and they all offer graduate and undergraduate programs; nine of them currently offer Ph.D. programs.
All of the Telfer School programs are subsidized by the Province of Ontario, except the EMBA and Master of Business in Complex Project Leadership programs which are funded by tuition fees.
The Telfer School is one of only three schools in Canada with the triple accreditation. It is one of twenty-two AACSB accredited business schools and one of three that has received AMBA accreditation. Nine other Canadian business schools currently (October 2017) have EQUIS accreditation.
While it attracts students from across Canada and around the world, the Telfer School largely competes in two regional markets: Ontario and Quebec. In the Quebec market, its major competitors are HEC Montreal and Laval for French programs and McGill and Concordia for programs in English. In the Ontario market, the major competitors are Queens, McMaster, Laurier and Carleton.
Over the past decade, the Telfer School invested time, energy and resources in establishing solid foundations. We have hired research intensive new professors and developed our research capacity and profile. Our program revisions have focused on learning outcomes and improvement of the student learning experience. We have invested in external relations and fundraising, generated significant engagement with alumni and numerous corporations, and raised the School’s endowment to $43M. We have expanded our Executive Education portfolio. During our most recent strategic planning exercise, we realized that the next stage in the School’s evolution is to consolidate its activities and become more visible internationally. As such, the School’s strategy has been centered on the idea of building reputation and this will drive our strategic initiatives.
The Telfer School has seen a dramatic increase in its competitive position and reputation. Its new name, new building and its fundraising success have increased applications to its programmes from students locally, regionally and nationally. The School has seen a marked rise in the quality of incoming undergraduate students. Having increased entrance requirements and put forward programs to enhance program success, the school is also observing an increase in 1st year student success and retention. The School has also seen a marked improvement in the quality and productivity of the faculty’s research. It has also been making major efforts to increase its international student recruitment through participation in various international recruitment fairs and has been seeing success in this area.
As the School look ahead to the next decade, our direction will be to continue to focus on building the Telfer brand and reputation, nationally and globally, by promoting the leadership and influence of our graduates, the relevance and impact of our research, the quality of the School’s work and the value it creates for others. Such a focus was consistent with much of the input received by the Strategic Planning Team during the consultative phase of the process.
Furthermore, considering how competitive the business school landscape has become, it became even more imperative to differentiate the School, both nationally and globally. To do this, we will continue to build the Telfer brand around a strong student experience, our distinctive competencies (for example, our Strategic Areas of Expertise (SAEs) and our various research communities of interest), our unique location in a G7 Capital and the benefits of our location in Canada, our association with The University of Ottawa, our bilingual heritage and our broad, multi-cultural heritage.
The Telfer MBA Program
The Telfer MBA is designed to provide participants with grounded knowledge and skills related to management of business, with a focus on preparing graduates to lead high-performing organizations. This concept of leading high performance organizations represents a differentiating theme of the program in comparison with its competitors. The MBA program structure provides participants with increased knowledge of their own personal, interpersonal and professional skill profiles as well as knowledge and skills related to the world of business practice.
Position Description
Under the general direction of the Vice-Dean Programs, the Director of the MBA Program is responsible for providing strategic leadership, management and oversight for Telfer MBA Program. Responsibilities include community engagement, recruiting, admissions, program management and delivery.
Lead the School’s MBA Program in line with its mission and goals.
Represent the Telfer School of Management in interactions with other UOttawa campus units, the corporate community, alumni and to current and prospective MBA students.
Drive program recruitment and enrollment of qualified students for the program to achieve annual goals as established by the Vice-Dean's office.
Collaborate with the Administrator Graduate Office on the recruitment and admission of MBA students. Conduct open houses, meet with prospective students and serve as spokesperson for recruitment activities.
Oversee faculty, budgets, operations, and manage financial performance of the program.
Administer of the MBA program; lead efforts in policy development and execution that enrich the MBA experience.
Collaborate with the School’s Accreditation Officer in the provincial assessment and external accreditation processes of the MBA Program. Support the officer in all rankings activities and work to strategically identify and use those metrics that will enhance our program’s reputation.
Oversee and direct program management and deliver an outstanding MBA-level student experience from orientation through graduation.
Collaborate with the Vice-Dean Programs and MBA faculty to facilitate curriculum and course development in the MBA program.
Collaborate with Vice-Dean Programs, Graduate Office Administrator, directors of the School's other Masters Programs, faculty, members of the marketing group, Career Center staff to identify, develop and implement key initiatives and programs.
Develop and lead the delivery of a comprehensive academic advising strategy that supports all MBA students’ personal and professional goals
Lead collaborative efforts to provide experiential learning and international programs for MBA students
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Knowledge of MBA markets, rankings, leading practices, and accreditation standards.
Highly effective communicator, both in writing and speaking in English and French, with an ability to inspire students, faculty, and business partners.
Proven marketing and networking ability.
Ability to work collaboratively in teams with faculty, and staff, as well as with colleagues across the campus community and business community.
Financial management knowledge desirable, as is experience in a highly dynamic and competitive environment.
Ability to focus on actions and outcomes, with a strong level of energy and drive.
Ability to work independently, multi‐task, and prioritize responsibilities.
Minimum Qualifications
Master’s Degree required. Minimum of three (3) years of related MBA program experience with an AACSB‐accredited program –OR—five (5) years of business experience in senior management or consulting positions.
Preferred Qualifications
MBA or other relevant post graduate degree and/or a combination of academic and senior program management experience such that the individual will have recognition and credibility with students, faculty, alumni, and the general business community.
A minimum of three (3) years of experience in program development and administration preferably within a graduate business school/university environment.
A strategic thinker with evidence of successful implementation.
Proven marketing and networking talents.
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
Salary and Other Considerations
Commensurate with experience
Requires ability to work frequent weekends and evenings
Requires periodic regional, national and international travel.
THE PROCESS
The Telfer School welcomes those who are excited by the prospect of building a world-class MBA Program in Ottawa, based on the following ambitions:
To build the School’s competitive advantage around our most unique attributes: our location in a G7 Capital, our close proximity to Canadian decision makers, our association with uOttawa, our bilingual heritage and our broad, multi-cultural diversity
To be a business school that is known for the impact of our programs, research and community engagement
Our research drivers are truly strategic and drive the School - they provide distinctive, world class discovery and learning platforms, and they continue to strengthen the School’s international reputation;
Our programs deliver a world-class, real-life, hands-on and relevant learning experience that is inspired by the research we do and supported by our engagement with the community;
Our engagement with Canadian and International leaders drives our programs and research, and the relationships we have created with our community enable us to better understand the challenges they face and the value we can offer; and
We are commitment to global standards of quality and excellence, and we achieve this through the process of continuous organizational improvement.
The search committee will begin considering potential candidates immediately and will continue until the position is successfully filled. A complete application which includes a letter of introduction, no longer than two pages in length, outlining the reasons why this position is of interest to you, your vision for the School’s MBA program and any initiatives you would like to put forward and undertake should you be selected, your curriculum vitae, and the name of three references (who will not be contacted without your consent) should be submitted electronically to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The University Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management is an Equal Opportunity Employer advancing inclusive excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UOttawa non-discrimination policy.
“People always use the expression that travel changes you, but travelling didn’t change who I am, it made me grow and understand who I am.” Rachel Champagne is a fourth year student pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce with a specialization in International Management at the Telfer School of Management. Having had few opportunities for traveling while growing up, Rachel was attracted to the international aspect of the International Management stream and in the fall of 2017, completed one semester of her studies in Aarhus, Denmark. After visiting 11 countries throughout Europe, Rachel not only learned a lot about herself, but also was able to understand the cultures of others. Donations such as yours allowed Rachel the opportunity to develop herself and further advance her career aspirations.
When asked where she sees herself in five years Rachel stated that: “I cannot tell you exactly what position I will have in five years, but what I can tell you is that I intend on pursuing a career that will make a difference in the lives of others. Whether it be in trade, diplomacy or international affairs, I aspire to obtain a job where I am challenged and where I can learn about and help others. My experience abroad changed my perspective, gave me a global mindset while understanding the importance of multiculturalism.” With the help of your donations, Rachel was given the opportunity to learn both inside and outside the classroom and to better understand what type of career she wants.
“The experience I had was a dream come true, and staying in a shared housing facility with eight other people was one of the best decision I ever made. These friends became family creating a home away from home feeling, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to meet such knowledgeable and inspiring individuals. From Brazil to France, Australia to Germany, I met people from around the globe and I learned something unique and special from each person. I learned to be resilient and resourceful during my travels and also I learned that knowledge is powerful and a privilege.
“I never thought that I would experience something so profound and incredible. Your donations empowered me and enabled me to fulfill my dream of traveling, learning and meeting new people.” For Rachel, this scholarship enabled her to experience what a global career may look like and provided her with friendships that will last a lifetime.
Once again thank you for helping students like Rachel aspire for greatness, and reach for more and her personal and professional life.
The 19th annual CASCO Gala took place on Monday November 26th at the Infinity Centre to a sold out crowd. This year, They were able to raise their largest total in CASCO history with a sum of $71,000.00. For more information about CASCO and the 19th edition of their gala, click on the links below:
Have you been considering pursuing a Telfer MBA or MHA degree? The Telfer School of Management is holding an information session for each Masters program this month. If you would like to learn more about the programs, attend an upcoming session to interact with professors and ask one-on-one questions about the program.
What is the value of a Master’s Degree?
Both the MBA and MHA programs provide value through a personalized, hands-on, and connected learning experience. Each of the classes are small and engaging, which provides the opportunity to work closely with your peers, and learn from your professors in a multicultural environment. Our masters programs can enable you to build competencies, grow your career, and establish valuable, long-lasting connections, all while being located in the heart of the Canadian G7 capital.
Why take your MBA at the Telfer School of Management?
That’s not a typo. As an experienced healthcare executive, I’ve always had a strong commitment to improve healthcare delivery at organizational and system levels—to lead a legacy today rather than leave one tomorrow. My career has been a continuing effort to live up to this commitment. I’ve engaged not only in healthcare transformation, but also in human resources planning, organizational culture, system partnerships and other matters that underpin the business of healthcare delivery. On top of that, I teach leadership development programs, mentor current and budding healthcare professionals, and work with healthcare professionals to make their organizations increasingly efficient, resilient and successful in delivering better outcomes for patients.
Leading a legacy is vitally needed in the healthcare sector. After all, ours is no ordinary business. At its heart is the wellbeing of our fellow citizens and society as a whole. That’s the reason I’ve always wanted to devote my career to healthcare from my early days. I worked at hospitals as a teenager and earned an undergraduate degree in biology and life sciences. Yet it wasn’t until I joined the Telfer Master of Health Administration program back in the late 1970s that I received instruction in business management and healthcare policy and economics. This training enabled me to connect with what matters to me—becoming a leader and mentor in a sector I’m passionate about.
The Telfer School prepared me to serve as an executive at an academic research hospital, an assistant deputy minister in our province’s Ministry Health and Long-term Care, an executive-in-residence at a business school, and a leader at global consulting firms. Forty years into my career, I’m still learning. There’s a continuous newness to the healthcare sector because it’s changing all the time. Especially now. The transformation underway inspires me to redouble my efforts to maximize the leadership potential of healthcare professionals and make our sector’s organizations and overall system better than ever—to lead a legacy and not merely leave one.
I liken success to an ever-widening circle. Opening yourself to a range of experiences expands your knowledge and empathy. When these qualities grow, you not only advance personally and professionally, but also help others flourish. I first realized this truth while a student at the Telfer School. The school was a stimulating academic environment that I made even richer by taking advantage of learning opportunities outside my classrooms and lecture halls. I played basketball for uOttawa, joined the business consultancy group on campus, and continued to look for other ways to widen my circle of experience.
I’ve followed this same approach since I graduated in 1983. An accountant by training, I was instrumental in making my firm more inclusive, its employees more skilled and its brand more powerful. So much so that I became managing partner of Ernst & Young in Ottawa. I also sought out ways to contribute to my community. I have served for several years on the boards of the local United Way campaign, the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health and the uOttawa board of governors, as well as chairing its audit committee.
Broadening my experiences in all these ways has made me a stronger leader, made my firm and its people more successful, and made my community an even better place to live. Seeing my firm and community grow is very important to me. I encourage current and prospective Telfer School students to follow my lead. Our school holds open plenty of opportunities to learn and give. Seize them. Widen your circle of experience and then reap and share the rewards.
CEOx1Day is on the Hunt for Canada’s Top Students!
The CEO x1 Day program, run by executive recruiting firm, Odgers Berndtson, matches Canada’s top students with CEOs from across the country. Today’s students are the leaders of tomorrow and the yearly program aims to uncover some of Canada’s most promising future talent by giving them an unforgettable real-world experience.
The program has matched over 80 third and fourth year undergraduate students from across the country with leading Canadian CEOs from organizations like IKEA, PayPal, De Beers Canada, Purolator, the CFL, Manulife Financial, Kellogg, CBC/Radio-Canada, Amnesty International and the Canadian Red Cross. This year, we have another fantastic line-up of 19 CEOs from organizations in the private, public and not-for profit sectors including Toronto Pearson International Airport, Cirque du Soleil, IKEA, Mindbrige AI, Servus Credit Union, WSP Canada, Broadband TV, ArcelorMittal and more!
Past CEOx1Day students who have taken part in the program say that they received valuable experience that equips them with the tools to start building their careers. Because the selection process has several stages, there is an opportunity for students to get feedback on their leadership and interview skills that are instrumental to their career development. The different phases of the selection process include an online leadership assessment, as well as phone and in-person interviews and a half day with Odgers Berndtson recruiters.
The application process kicks off September 27th until October 26th and the actual day spent with the CEO occurs in February 2019.
Why Should You Apply?
The program gives third and fourth-year students an opportunity to take in-class learning and apply it to real-world situations while providing you with the tools and skills needed to start building your career.
What Are the Benefits?
There are many benefits of going through the CEOx1Day application process – even if you don’t reach the finalist round:
2 out of 3 applicants will have the opportunity to receive a personalized leadership report from Hogan Assessments
Semi-finalists will be considered for an interview with McKinsey & Company for a summer internship or full-time job
Semi-finalists will spend a half day participating in group exercises and one-on-one interviewing which will strengthen their presentation and interviewing skills
And ultimately, the winners will spend a full day shadowing a CEO (including one-on-one time), learning about his/her background, career path, and leadership approach
The Telfer School of Management’s undergraduate office is thrilled to announce the official launch of its second year of the Telfer Workshop Initiative! This initiative offers an overview of post-secondary education in management, as well as professional development training to students in grades 10 to 12, in secondary 4 and 5, and in cégep.
Offered free of charge during the school year (October – June), this initiative is organized in collaboration with our School’s dynamic professors, our current Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) students and alumni, our industry partners, and our Student Services Centre. The workshops have been designed to complement students’ curriculum, while allowing them to experience a taste of university studies.
We are convinced that these workshops offer an unparalleled opportunity for students to discover commerce, and for teachers to enrich their course content. If you are a teacher or guidance counselor and would like your class or school to participate in this innovative program, please contact the Telfer School of Management at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., for further information!
Name: Marisha Sesto Program (and Option, if applicable): Bachelor of Commerce, Marketing, with Coop Year: 4th Year Fun fact: I have a twin brother… who loves marketing almost as much as I do!
Link to Linkedin profile (optional): www.linkedin.com/in/marishasesto
Why did you choose the Telfer School of Management? Why did you choose your program?
I chose Telfer because it was in the core of the capital city. Coming from London, Ontario, I knew it’d be an exciting change and something that could allow me to experience independence and opportunities that I wouldn’t find in London. I chose my program, Marketing with the Coop option, because I’ve always been a creative at heart, I knew business degrees provided unique opportunities, and the Coop experiences would give me an edge, to differentiate myself from my peers when it came down to knowledge, skills, and relevant work.
Do you participate in any student clubs or associations at Telfer/uOttawa? If so, what motivates you to do so?
I do! Throughout the years, I’ve been involved as a 101 Week Guide, 101 Week Captain, VP Internal for The Entrepreneurs’ Club (TECDE), a sports delegate for JDC for 2 years, and an academic delegate for Happening Marketing. I just finished up my largest position this year as the President (Co) of the Entrepreneurs’ Club (TECDE) with my bestfriend Aveen!
I was motivated to get involved after seeing the high-spirited, like-minded students in the lounge looking like they were having the time of their lives – even if they were just hanging out, studying. This same level of spirit and community or “family” as we called it at TECDE, runs through all club events, teams, and competitions.
I wanted to meet new people, make new connections, and to find a group of friends that I really jived with – inside and outside of school.
Getting involved made my university experience. When I think about my favourite moments and memories, most of them involve one of the clubs I was involved in, or one of the events I attended. The friends I truly believe I will have throughout my life, are people I met through being active in the Telfer community.
What do you love most about the Telfer School and/or uOttawa?
The people and opportunities is what I love most about Telfer.
Being involved, definitely. See question 2!
Also, the opportunities that Telfer provides. I’ve had an amazing experience hands-on learning the real-world skills I need through coop, gaining many valuable connections through networking, the faculty members and advisors, who go out of their way to share advice and provide mentorship, even when it’s not course-related. I could go on…
Which class (or classes) have you taken to date that has left a particular impression with you, and why?
Digital Marketing with Jonathan Simon. We’re in a digital era, and in a marketer’s world, we need to be adaptive to the fast ever-changing environment. Jonathan gave his class a crash course on “everything” digital marketing, giving us the brief on topics and skills we need to know when we graduate. We also worked with him and PageCloud to develop our own personal brands, and build our own website and blog, using what we learn in class. This course, and Jonathan specifically, truly takes the time to set up marketing students for success in that first big interview, or first big work project.
I also loved Personal Leadership and Development with Matt Archibald. It pushed me outside of my comfort zone, I learned a lot about myself that I didn’t know before, and definitely grew as a person in my everyday life and in a professional setting.
Whom or what inspires you the most?
My parents definitely inspire me the most. They worked hard to get to where they are today and are successful in their careers, they are passionate about what they do everyday, and most importantly, they are happy. I look up to them everyday, they’ve set me up on my path to success and happiness, and I can’t thank them enough!
What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of?
-*Running the club that won Event of the Year, The Entrepreneurs’ Club’s Business Dinner, that was so successful that the Ottawa Business Journal even wrote about us!
-*Being an ADM2381 Presentations TA. Helping students minimize their fears of public speaking, getting them comfortable in front of an audience, and watching their confidence spike in only a few weeks of teaching made me feel great. I’ve had many students thank me and reach out to me privately about how much it positively impacted them.
-Completing my final coop term with Klipfolio as a Digital Marketing Specialist this summer.
-Getting first place for JDC snow volleyball in Moncton, New Brunswick.
What is your favourite Telfer memory/moment?
I have way too many to narrow it down to only one!
What are you most looking forward to after completing your program?
I’m most looking forward to the continued learning and challenges that lie ahead of me. The marketing world, trends, and tools are constantly changing. I’m excited to see what trend I need to learn about next! I’m looking forward to the freedom in choosing a career opportunity that excites me everyday, that makes me want to get out of bed in the morning! I’d also love to travel and volunteer outside of Canada!
Do you have any advice for students considering Telfer?
Get involved. Do coop. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone – you’ll learn that much more! Ask questions. Ask for help, advice or mentoring when you need it – from Telfer faculty members, advisors, ambassadors, club executives, that’s what they’re here for! Telfer is filled with amazing people and amazing opportunities. Telfer has something for anyone.
Are you a Telfer scholarship recipient? If so which one and what was the impact.
Yes, I received the Kevin Vollett Entrepreneurial Award/Scholarship. The money went towards my tuition, and the award went towards continuing my drive and passion for entrepreneurship and making a positive impact at Telfer and in the world.
Also – you can follow Telfer’s LinkedIn activities here!
Photos of Telfer Students Showing Pride at Panda Game
Show your school pride and we might send you to the 50th Panda Game between the @uottawageegees and the Carleton Ravens.
Here's how to win:
1. Post a picture of yourself and another Telfer student on Instagram wearing Telfer gear or showing school pride.
2. Use the hashtags #telfernation & #geegeesnation and tag the Telfer friend you would take with you.
Hurry up, contest ends September 25th at 4 pm. *Contest open to all current Telfer students. Student ID required when claiming prize.
I’ve always been an optimist. Yet even those who look on the bright side can sometimes puzzle over what their futures hold. When I graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Science degree, I was deeply uncertain about the career path I should take. Then I learned about the Telfer Master of Health Administration and my professional life started to fall into place.
The year was 1990 and big changes were afoot in Canadian healthcare. The Canada Health Act had been in place for less than a decade. New funding mechanisms were gaining traction. And politicians were pressuring organizations to merge in an effort to become more efficient. As a result, the sector was growing more complicated, its challenges more daunting, and its place in our national conversation increasingly important.
I loved it all. Yes, healthcare in Canada is a complex business. But it’s a business with a big heart and a generous soul—a business that runs on meaningful relationships and relies on them to make our country a healthier and better place. In short, it’s tailor-made for an eternal optimist like me.
Twenty-eight years later, I’ve not only made a professional home in healthcare, but also stayed connected to the place where it all started for me. I serve as president of the Toronto Regional Council for uOttawa alumni; and the organization I lead—Michael Garron Hospital (formerly Toronto East General Hospital)—confers an award each year to the Telfer MHA student who delivers the best final residency presentation. The students who do their placements at our hospital also make sure my knowledge is current and supply me with fresh ideas. I suggest Telfer grads keep that fact in mind: for every viable new approach you’ll learn in healthcare, you’ll have to unlearn an obsolete one. Take it from an eternal optimist: it’s the best way to operate in this complex, big-hearted business.
I arrived at the Telfer School almost 30 years ago as a young student, unsure of how I would perform. I needn’t have worried: my professors gave me all the tools I needed to succeed. Best of all, they nurtured in me a confidence I didn’t know I had—the self-assurance to see myself in a top job, to be a leader of a successful organization and to improve my community through giving.
So I made that vision a reality, becoming a top executive at one of Canada’s biggest banks and an active contributor to many charitable organizations. Yet the higher I climbed in my career, the more I realized that there were even fewer women in philanthropy than there were in high leadership positions. Generations of men had looked to other men as mentors and guides in their professional lives, but we women didn’t have that luxury—either as executives or as philanthropists.
I decided to change that. To supply rising career women with the role models they needed, I started acting as a giving mentor. As these younger women became increasingly engaged as philanthropists, they became mentors themselves. We created a community of women that encouraged other women to cultivate generosity alongside their career successes. Steadily but surely, this growing group of women blazed a trail of giving.
Our work is far from done. We must make certain that women continue to have powerful examples of giving that they can emulate. We need to foster a culture of giving and, in doing so, leave a clearer, wider trail of generosity behind us to guide the way for others.
Philanthropy matters most to me. The importance of giving time, money and knowledge to others is one of the most valuable lessons I learned as a student of the Telfer School. My experiences as a member of our School’s Jeux du Commerce team, the Finance Society and the Entrepreneurs’ Club supplied and reinforced this truth.
My involvement in the Entrepreneurs’ Club was especially instructive. Not only did I come to understand the role philanthropy plays in a rewarding career, but I also discovered the value of a mentor to help steer my career in the right direction. Luckily for me, I’ve since found two advisors who, among other things, have stressed just how essential reconnecting with my alma mater is to being a professional. Simply put, everyone who thrives in business has a duty to share his or her success in meaningful ways.
As someone who has succeeded as a partner and portfolio manager in an investment firm, I give to the Telfer School in several ways—speaking at events, acting as a mentor and funding scholarships that stress academic achievement and community involvement. A few years back, I based my philanthropy on a simple principle: support two students per year and then build from there. I urge young Telfer School alumni and soon-to-be graduates to profit from my example. Find a mentor who is passionate about his or her business. Adopt a giving principle that works best for you. Start sharing your success.
There are over 250 student associations at the University of Ottawa, which encourage students to work with their peers while discovering their strengths and passions. One of the newest teams, Formula uOttawa, continues to evolve and promote experiential learning opportunities in the STEM fields through a collaboration of multiple faculties, including the Faculty of Engineering and the Telfer School of Management.
Formula uOttawa is the University of Ottawa’s student race car team. Each year, the team is required to design and build a brand new race car, which is judged at various international competitions and scored based on the overall design, cost, and performance of the car. The team’s third season has officially come to an end, after their most successful competition to date at Formula North 2018. The team placed 23rd out of 49 registered teams. By gaining this hands-on experience, the members of the Formula uOttawa team are able to highlight to employers that they can apply the knowledge and skills that they have learned in the classroom. As a result of the hard work of the students on this team, numerous members have secured internships at multinational companies including Tesla, Chrysler, and Continental Tire.
Not only were the racing events at Formula North a success, the talented group of students from the Telfer School of Management were able to capture 2nd place in the business presentation out of 27 teams. These outstanding students made this year’s car possible by securing 26 sponsors who provided over $30 000 in donations. The students from the Telfer School of Management are members of the Formula uOttawa Marketing Team, Accounting Team, and Administration Team.
Formula uOttawa could not have attended the international competition without the hard work and collaboration of students in both faculties.
For more information about Formula uOttawa and to learn how you can get involved, visit their website at www.formulauottawa.com
Telfer alumnus Cassy Aite (BCom 2015), and his co-founded company Desk Nibbles have landed pre-seed financing to fund U.S. expansion. Desk Nibbles uses Artificial Intelligence to make it easier for Office Managers to manage their office kitchens. With over 65 customers and a growing number of employees, Desk Nibbles is quickly expanding.
Telfer School of Management is delighted to announce that the recipients of this year’s MBA Student Leadership Award are Emily MacKay, Obinna Eze, Laurine Avallone and Sanane Guy Cédric Behi. These individuals are recognized for their leadership and for making exceptional contributions to the MBASA and/or the MBA program in general.
The award recipients elicited many comments, and the MBA class were effusive in their support for them.
The MBA class spoke to Emily MacKay’s non-stop contribution to the 2018 MBA cohort for all contingents, especially her “beyond expectations” involvement in the MBA Student Association, the MBA gala and the MBA games. Cited as an exemplary leader she elicited respect from classmates and professors, and was admired for her ability to excel in her academics while being highly involved.
Obinna Eze was commended for utilising his vast experience to ask the right questions to stimulate discussion and draw out information that was highly beneficial for the collective learning experience.
Students expressed their admiration for Obinna’s solid leadership and team player skills. He is referred to as a “hard worker with selfless intentions to help and motivate his peers”.
Laurine Avallone was recognized for “her strong will power and temperament to succeed facing lots of odds”. For her peers, she is an example on how a young international student can make the most of the program through her participation in events representing the Telfer School of Management, including at the MBA games and several other case competitions around Ontario and Quebec.
Sanane Guy Cédric Behi was applauded for his leadership as the French cohort representative in the MBASA, a leadership style described as “built on respect, humility and dedication”. His unifying spirit and his respect for his peers inspire everyone who works with him.
We expect great things from these individuals, and extend our warmest congratulations to each of them.
This year’s recipient for the Robert Wood Johnson Award for the University of Ottawa is Belinda Maciejewski. The criterion for this award is based on the student’s likelihood to make valuable contributions to health services management. The presentation of the Robert Wood Johnson Awards took place during the National Health Leadership Conference presented by HealthCareCAN and the Canadian College of Health Leaders held in St John’s, NL, from June 4-5, 2018.
Since its inception in 1956, the award has been presented to nearly 300 Canadian healthcare professionals. It is supported by Johnson & Johnson Medical Products in partnership with six leading Canadian universities, which offer a Masters’ program in healthcare administration, including: Dalhousie University, Université de Montréal, University of Ottawa, University of British Columbia, University of Alberta and University of Toronto.
After completing her CPA, CA designation with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Vancouver, Belinda Maciejewski decided to combine her business acumen with her lifelong passion for healthcare by moving to Edmonton to work for the then-newly formed Alberta Health Services. Through over half a decade as a Senior Financial Analyst in advisory services supporting high priority programs, Belinda learned that administrative leadership in Canadian healthcare organizations is dominated by clinicians with limited or no formal training in business concepts. She also observed a divide between administrators and clinicians which often became an obstacle which stalled or stopped progress.
Having enjoyed the role as the bridge between administration and clinicians as an analyst, Belinda desired to expand this bridging role beyond Finance by undertaking the Telfer School of Management Master of Health Administration program at the University of Ottawa. Belinda is a firm believer of the benefits of diverse perspectives and backgrounds which leads to more balanced and robust decision making. Her aspiration is to become an agent for change by marrying business practices and technology with clinical operations as well as breaking through silos which inhibit Canadian healthcare from truly innovating and transforming into a world-class 21st century system.
In December 2017, Belinda was also recognized as an award recipient of the Michael Garron award which recognizes a University of Ottawa MHA student who has demonstrated innovative health solutions to practical problems encountered during their residency placement. Belinda completed her residency at The Ottawa Hospital, and presented her project entitled “Mapping the Operational Process for the New TOH Home Dialysis Program”. Belinda is currently Operations Manager at the Ottawa Hospital.
The empirical report and action strategies will be of interest to policymakers, small business and innovation organizations, advocates, industry associations, and corporations that support supplier diversity.
A new Telfer study, conducted in collaboration with Public Services and Procurement Canada, identifies action strategies to increase federal SME supplier diversity and inclusive innovation. Showcased at the Chatham House International Policy Forum in the UK, the report provides important benchmarks about the progress of women entrepreneurs in Canada, and sets a standard of reporting in examining gender of firm ownership, breadth and types of innovation and federal SME contracting.
The empirical report and action strategies will be of interest to policymakers, small business and innovation organizations, advocates, industry associations, and corporations that support supplier diversity. The research, for example, helped to inform a key Chatham House conference resolution, one that the W20 adopt entrepreneurship, procurement, and trade as one of its three policy priorities.
Telfer report recommendations include:
Adopting sector-specific strategies to help achieve the Government of Canada's commitment to increase the participation of women business owners from 10 percent to 15 percent in federal contracting. Sector-specific strategies follow from the Telfer finding that gender differences in the likelihood of SMEs being federal contractors varied significantly by industry sector.
Improving SME procurement data and analytics, including large samples and detailed analyses to move beyond anecdotal evidence and to increase SME contracting opportunities.
Developing gender-sensitive procurement training in collaboration with industry organizations, such as Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC), WBE Canada, WEConnect International Canada, Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada (WEOC), among others.
All our grads would agree: internships and consulting projects are defining moments in their Telfer experience. Help us give the next cohort of students the same opportunity. Telfer is currently seeking organizations to engage MBA talent in real-life challenges.
There is no doubt that the experience will be valuable for both you and our students. All MBA interns and consulting teams are supported by a faculty member and have access to cutting edge data in order to resolve even the most complex problems that your organization may encounter. Equipped with, on average, 7 years of pre-MBA work experience, these future leaders will give you a fresh perspective thus helping you reach your goals. Sample projects include (but are not limited to), market development, process improvement, and strategic process review.
Beyond the scope of a specific project, if you are looking for new talent, this is your chance to find qualified individuals and evaluate their potential fit within your workplace without the hassle of painful interviews!
You think you might have a project for our students? Contact Nathalie Paré by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 613-562-5800 ext. 4714. She will walk you through the process and explore the many possibilities our experiential learning initiatives can offer.
People, planet, and profit. Otherwise better known as the "triple bottom line," this concept distinguishes itself by including certain spheres, namely social and environmental, in assessing the profitability of a business. It's from this same vision that The Unscented Company, a line of unscented home and body care products, was born. The brand was launched in 2016 on two founding principles that greatly inspired founder and CEO Anie Rouleau in her company's creative process. "Firstly, we had to redefine the notion of clean by offering exclusively unscented, all-natural products. Secondly, we had to design our packaging for conscious living, with the goal of significantly reducing our collective plastic footprint."
Anie's philosophy is based on a model combining transparency, inclusiveness and accountability. More specifically, "what inspires me are the men and women who hold on to their vision, while staying true to their own beliefs, even when it's hard."
It's thanks to this same innovative vision that Anie's company was awarded B Corp certification, making The Unscented Company the first Canadian home and body care product company to be certified.
"I find real joy in giving back. I want to contribute to a better world and I enjoy building the business of tomorrow." This same desire to give back is reflected in the Anie Rouleau International Exchange Scholarship. Established in 1999, this scholarship not only gives young people the opportunity to pursue their studies abroad, but also encourages young women to carve their own path to entrepreneurship. "Every thank-you letter I get from recipients reminds me how important it is to give back and be involved in the academic lives of young people."
For the 5th year in a row, Telfer is proud to sponsor the APEX Award of Excellence in Leadership that was presented at the APEX Leadership Symposium, held May 29-30, 2018 in Ottawa. The Leadership Award recognizes an executive in the Public Service that has demonstrated outstanding leadership and that presents a role model for leadership. This year’s recipient is Mr. Michel Doiron, Assistant Deputy Minister at Veterans Affairs Canada; Mr. Doiron received the award in front of over 800 attendees at the symposium. The award was presented by Mr. Michael Wernick, the Clerk of the Privy Council, Mr. Michel Vermette, CEO of APEX, and Glen Orsak, Director of Telfer Executive Programs.
“We are proud to work with public service executives and welcome over 200 participants from the public service into our leadership programs every year.” says Glen Orsak. “Telfer is mission-focused on providing learning and development that transforms the leadership capacity across the Federal Public Service and we are proud to sponsor an award that recognizes leadership excellence in the FPS”.
About Telfer Executive Programs
Telfer Executive Programs is the premiere provider of executive & leadership development programs across the National Capital Region, with a reach across Canada and internationally. More info: Telfer Executive Programs.
About APEX
Established in 1984, APEX is governed by a board of directors made up of fifteen executives representing the National Capital Region and every other region of Canada. The wide range of APEX activities and initiatives is designed to provide executives with opportunities to develop a strong community of practice, promote their physical and mental well-being, and support excellence in leadership.
We are pleased to announce the winners of the very first Telfer International Exchange Video Contest!
The Telfer International Exchange Video Contest was for Telfer students who had participated in an international exchange during the 2017-2018 academic year or before that. The competition’s objective was to promote our exchange destinations and to reward our students’ creative talent.
From left to right: Sarah E Downey, Debbie Fischer, Deanna Monaghan, Gabriel Bouchard-Phillips & Michelle Savoy
Five notable alumni will be recognized by the Telfer School of Management by receiving Trudeau medals, the Young Achiever's Award and the Dean's Philos Award for their outstanding contributions to the world of business, healthcare, community and their alma mater at the 2018 Gala of Excellence. The Gala will be held at the Shaw Centre on Saturday, October 20, 2018 and this event also serves as an opportunity to collectively celebrate the Telfer School and highlight the graduation anniversary of the classes of 1968, 1978, 1993 and 2008.
Trudeau Medals
Sarah E Downey, MHA 1992
Sarah Downey joined Michael Garron Hospital (formerly Toronto East General Hospital) as President and CEO in 2015. Prior to joining MGH, Sarah held senior leadership positions at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and at University Health Network’s Princess Margaret Hospital. She has worked in hospitals for 25 years since graduating with a Masters in Health Administration from The Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa. Sarah has been fortunate to lead clinical programs, support service operations, and major redevelopment projects in her career. Sarah is also the President of the uOttawa Toronto Regional Alumni Council.
Debbie Fischer, MHA 1979
Debbie Fischer has held senior leadership positions in professional consulting services, in health care and government. She is currently an Executive Associate with KPMG where she consults on organizational change and large-scale system transformation in health care and public sectors. Debbie serves on several boards including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Ontario Education Collaborative Marketplace, North York General Hospital, the Health Care Advisory Council of GS1, Prodemnity as well as Joule, a Canadian Medical Association subsidiary.
Deanna Monaghan, BCom 1983
Deanna Monaghan was admitted to EY’s partnership in 1994 and has served as Ottawa’s Managing Partner for over eleven years. She is also the firm’s National Leader for Government & Public Sector Assurance Services and the Market Leader for the Ottawa Assurance practice. Deanna is highly active in the volunteer community and serves as a member of the Board of Governors of the University of Ottawa and is Chair of the Audit Committee and as a member of the Board of Governors for the University of Ottawa. She is also the Chair of the Audit Committee for the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health.
The Young Achiever's Award
Gabriel Bouchard-Phillips, BCom 2005
Gabriel Bouchard-Phillips is a Partner and Portfolio Manager at Van Berkom and Associates, a Montreal-based investment firm focused exclusively on managing portfolios of small-capitalization (“small cap”) equities on behalf of large North American pension funds, corporations, foundations and endowment funds. As Portfolio Manager for the Canadian Small-Cap Equities Team he is responsible for conducting fundamental research on a broad spectrum of the Canadian small-cap market. Prior to joining Van Berkom and Associates in 2011, Gabriel was an Analyst, Canadian Equities for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (“CMHC”) Investments and Pension Fund Division (2008-2011)
The Dean's Philos Award
Michelle Savoy, BAdm 1982
Michelle Savoy is President of Quill Ridge Capital. She is an active philanthropist and has served on the Big Brother Big Sisters Council of Champions and on the Board of the Invest in Kids Foundation; she has also co-chaired several events raising money for teen mental health. Michelle is currently supporting Women’s Rights within Human Rights Watch (HRW) and is very active with United Way supporting 'Women United'. Michelle is a SheEO activator and is the founder of GROW (Giving Ring of Women), a group of women dedicated to learning about philanthropy, helping women across Canada gain economic self-sufficiency, and creating a community of givers.
Once a year, the Ottawa Business Journal (OBJ) honours professionals for their business achievements by naming them to their Forty Under 40 list. These award recipients represent the economic diversity, entrepreneurial spirit, and dynamism of Ottawa's business community. This year, more than 300 applications were submitted for the 21st edition of the awards and, for the first time ever, the majority of those who made the coveted final cut – 22 out of 40 – are women.
Among this year's recipients, ten are alumni of the University of Ottawa, of which six studied at the Telfer School of Management. The Telfer School would like to congratulate:
Priya Bhaloo, BCom 2003
TAG HR
After graduating from the Telfer School in 2003 with a Bachelor of Commerce with options in Finance and Management Information Systems, Priya joined The Associates Group as an HR assistant. Priya learned about every facet of the business over the next few years and eventually was named Vice-President of the consulting firm in 2013.
Annik is a Partner in the Ottawa office at BDO with more than 16 years of experience in the accounting profession. In 2004, she obtained her accounting designation and is a member of CPA Ontario. She is also a member of the assurance and accounting resource team of BDO’s Ottawa group of offices, a member of the task force on not-for-profit organizations in the Ontario Lakeland Region and a quality control reviewer.
Nadine has been a Deputy Chief Risk Officer at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and served as its Vice-President of Audit since 2016.
Scott McLaren, BCom 2006
Festival Promotions
Scott purchased Festival Promotions in 2009 and became Partner and President of the company. He and a fellow Telfer alumnus founded Baron Hockey in 2016, which provides high-end hockey sticks to consumers without the retail mark up.
Amy is Vice-President of Public Affairs, Planning and Family Medicine. In this capacity, she provides leadership and oversight for Bruyère’s planning process, partnerships development, cultivation of external relations and communications. She has over 12 years of experience working with senior leadership teams in the Ottawa area, at both Bruyère and the Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre.
Taylor is the Chief Administrative Officer and Vice-President of finance at downtown tech firm Fullscript. Since he joined the online system for prescribing and delivering natural health products in 2012, the company’s headcount has grown from five to 85, and the firm topped OBJ’s list of fastest-growing companies in both 2016 and 2017.
The Telfer School would also like to congratulate Jean-Michel Carrière, Samantha Iturregui, Anna Lambert, Sandra Sbrocchi who all graduated from the University of Ottawa and made it on the list.
This year's Forty Under 40 awards gala will take place at the Hilton Lac-Leamy Hotel on June 15, 2018. The event will feature cocktails, fine food, music and dancing and is sponsored by the Telfer Executive MBA. Click here to register for the 2018 Forty Under 40 Gala »
On May 24, 2018, three speakers delivered powerful presentations on three unique topics at the Telfer School’s collaborative learning alumni event focused on Emerging Trends in Leadership and Management. The three presentations - cybersecurity, emotional intelligence and diversity & inclusion - were followed by a panel discussion and Q&A for all participants.
Here is a recap of some of the lessons learned from each session.
Diversity and inclusion in the workplace
Justine Hendricks (MBA 2004), Vice-President, Working Capital Solutions Guarantee and Bonding Programs at Export Development Canada
“You can be invited to the party, but not invited to dance”
When understanding the concept of diversity and inclusion, Hendricks is quick to assure us that she is not only talking about gender and ethnicity, but organizational needs to employ a compliment of employees with different professional backgrounds and mindsets which will allow for innovation in the workplace.
Hendricks continued her talk advising that diversity without inclusion is not enough, that inclusion is needed to be successful and that it is tough to achieve within an organization. Companies with inclusion are twice as likely to meet or exceed their goals, six times more likely to be agile and innovative and eight times more likely to achieve a better business outcome.
Throughout her talk, Hendricks repeatedly used the line “You can be invited to the party, but not invited to dance” as a metaphor otherwise saying that there is value in not only listening to employee suggestions but implementing them as well, which a lot of organizations tend not to do. There is value in performing a culture reset, measuring outcomes, setting targets and seeing if change is occurring in key areas.
Cybersecurity and emerging trends: Is someone going to hack my pacemaker?
Mari Teitelbaum (MHA 2010), Vice-President, Tech. & Chief Information Officer, CHEO
Cybersecurity is a very real matter, and public and private organizations consider it to be a priority. Although in the past it was possible to hack a pacemaker, today our knowledge of these possibilities for intrusion makes things much more complicated. Hackers must be more agile and creative and know how to exploit users. After all, as Mari says, the problem is a human one, and it is humans that open the door. Therefore, the solution lies in staff education and awareness.
Although major financial transactions are not occurring at CHEO and in the health sector, the confidentiality of patients and their medical records involves sensitive data that must be protected at all costs. Mari explains that many attempts to access the databases occur every day, but thanks to a prevention and risk management strategy, no intrusion has been possible at her organization.
It is essential to keep the risk in perspective, but the key resides in the concept of shared risk. When she needs to make a decision, Mari says that teamwork is crucial in developing her prevention strategy, and guidelines are made with the board of directors.
Integrating emotional intelligence to navigate through workplace conflict
Manali Haridas Scott, Spiritual Wellness Coach
Emotional intelligence starts with our own self-awareness. That is how Manali begins to explain the difference between intelligence (IQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ). Although both contribute greatly to each person's development, emotional intelligence is what enables us to face multiple challenges each day.
Manali has said multiple times that having continuous negative thoughts will negatively affect a person to the point of inhibiting the brain and its capacity for rational thought. Thus, it is important that we condition ourselves to think positively to maintain a balance and better ability to handle the unexpected and situations that require emotional engagement.
Her advice? Be open and curious, forget old emotional patterns and learn new ones. When facing failure, practise self-discipline and compassion, live in the present moment and move forward, and so on. In short, there are many pieces of advice, but these lessons can be summed up in five factors of success: resolve, record, reconcile, regroup and rejoice.
With an ever increasing population and an aging workforce, the complexity of our healthcare system becomes all the more apparent. Margins for hospitals are under increasing scrutiny, whereby the incentive to perform at a higher level, to improve efficiencies, and to provide better quality care for patients is of the utmost importance.
Fortunately, the creation of our option in Healthcare Analytics seeks to fill that need, understanding that healthcare systems are undergoing unprecedented transformation fuelled by the digitization of services and investments in health information technologies.
Launching in September 2018, our BCom option in Healthcare Analytics is a field built on the crucial role that data, systems engineering, management, and organizational innovation play in improving the quality and timeliness of service delivery in a high performing healthcare system. This field answers a need to develop expertise to create the research and training capabilities required for transforming healthcare into a system that adheres to the principles of patient-centered care and participatory medicine.
According to Jonathan Patrick, Associate Professor and Program Director of the School’s MSc in Health Systems, this program is the perfect opportunity for high school students to pursue their undergraduate program in business and to forge a path toward making a social impact. While the program focuses on subjects such as quantitative analysis and data management, it introduces the challenges of applying these to the human factor of the healthcare field: patients with will and mind.
With the integration of a 4th year honours project, where students must solve a healthcare systems issue using business analytics tools, graduates of this option are left with a competitive advantage. Career opportunities are boundless, whether with local healthcare integration networks (LHIN), accrediting bodies, hospital administration, or analytics consulting firms. Alternatively, students interested in research can pursue their MSc in Health Systems.
As one of the only institutions in Canada to offer this type of program at the undergraduate level, our option in Healthcare Analytics is a differentiator at the School and one we see growing exponentially over the next few years.
After a 14 year tenure at the Telfer School of Management, Alain Doucet, Assistant Dean (External Relations), will be leaving his position at the University of Ottawa to pursue new challenges. He was appointed as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian College of Health Leaders.
Alain’s last day at Telfer with be on June 30 and he will commence his role with the College on August 20, 2018.
During his mandate at the Telfer School, Alain had a tremendous impact on marketing, engagement, fundraising and development. Among his many accomplishments, we should highlight the negotiation of Ian Telfer’s transformative gift and 80 other major gifts, over $70 million raised for the school’s priorities, and increased engagement with alumni across Canada and in several global markets.
“His commitment, dedication and outstanding contributions over the past 14 years speak for his passion for his alma mater, as well as his great talent and leadership,” said François Julien, Dean at the Telfer School. “We wish him good luck with his new challenges and look forward to working with him in his new role.”
The RBC Training Ground competition recently took place across multiple cities in Ontario in the search for the next Olympic hopefuls. One of the participants, David Ephraim Butumbi, a second year accounting student from Telfer impressed the top coaches and sports officials in the nation with his speed, power, strength and endurance during the competition. He was selected to participate in the RBC Training Ground Ontario finals taking place Saturday, June 2, 2018 at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Complex. Set to compete against the top 100 athletes in Ontario, David has been training full-time for the past five weeks and is aiming for nothing other than to win.
“I didn’t aspire to anything at the beginning but found a competitive drive early on during my training. I’m more than ambitious, being selected in the final wasn’t a coincidence. There’s talent to showcase and it’s not too late for me” explains the 21 year-old athlete.
The amateur athlete manages his Instagram page (@Dev_ephr) and offers tips for developing flexibility and mobility, strength and endurance. This passion was the beginning of David’s journey towards the RBC Training Ground final.
“The ad gave me a challenge and pushed me to see if I can measure up”.
Building on past experiences, such as competing in soccer championships and with support from friends and trainers, David is training with much gusto in the Gee-Gees High Performance Centre and is looking forward to the next step. With recruitment offers from varsity Gee-Gees teams, currently, he is focusing all his efforts on the RBC Training Ground competition. “I haven’t decided anything yet but I think everything will take shape after this weekend. All I can think about now is the final.”
Visit the RBC Training Ground website for more details about the competition.
Every year, we recognize outstanding Telfer School of Management donors in order to demonstrate our appreciation and create meaningful relationships with those in our community who choose us amongst a sea of giving opportunities. This year, the Telfer Donor of the Year awards will be presented at our annual Gala of Excellence on October 20, 2018, along with the celebration of our anniversary classes (1968, 1978, 1993 and 2008) and the presentation of our Alumni Awards.
Congratulations to our 2018 Donor of the Year awards recipients:
Donors of the Year:
Rob Ashe (BCom 1982) & Sandra Herrick (BCom 1984)
Rob and Sandra's generous support of the Dom Herrick Entrepreneur in Residence position has allowed us to hire Stephen Daze who has moved the School forward substantially in the entrepreneurship curriculum, student activities, support for start-ups and community engagement. Their renewal of their pledge for an additional 5-year term will drive even greater impact for our students. Rob has been a champion and supporter of the School for nearly 15 years, first through Cognos, then IBM, and now personally. He holds a Trudeau Medal and an Honorary Doctorate from the University.
Loyal Donor of the Year:
David Bishop (BCom 1967)
David graduated from the University of Ottawa with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce in 1967. He was chosen as the Loyal Donor of the Year for his contributions to the School spanning over 30 years.
Young Donor of the Year:
Alex Dettman (BCom 2008)
Alex has been supporting the Telfer School since 2012 and was one of the first donors to support the Telfer Capital Fund in 2014. Today, Alex is still involved with his alma mater, having participated in the 2017 Giving Tuesday campaign as a social media influencer.
Fundraising Volunteers of the Year:
George Khalife (BCom 2015)
Since graduation, George has remained very engaged with the School at different levels. George has committed his time to judging at different student financial activities and competitions, as well as becoming a coach and mentor for the Stock Simulation at the 2017 Financial Open, which was hosted at uOttawa. George was very active as a social media influencer during the 2017 Giving Tuesday campaign.
Diana Kolesarova (BCom 2016)
Still very much involved with the School since graduation, Diana is now President of the Telfer Alumni Association. As a student, Diana participated in numerous Telfer Student club events and activities. In addition to her role as TAA President, Diana was very active as a social media influencer during the 2017 Giving Tuesday campaign.
"Enactus uOttawa has been named both the 2018 TD Entrepreneurship Challenge National Champion as well as the Scotiabank EcoLiving Green Challenge National Champion for their business, The Growcer.
The Growcer’s core product is a state-of-the-art farming system that utilizes hydroponic technology to enable entrepreneurs to create their own businesses growing produce locally in northern food-insecure communities. Enactus uOttawa’s Growcer system has yielded 10,000 servings of vegetables in just 5 months.
Enactus uOttawa was also named a finalist in the Scotiabank Youth Empowerment Challenge, and the Hellman’s Food Security Challenge. These competitions were created to empower post-secondary students to develop and deliver projects that teach relevant entrepreneurship skills to aspiring and existing entrepreneurs.
Drew Stirling, VP External, mentions that “Enactus has been an incredible platform to develop personally and professionally, meet other driven students, and travel the world - all while learning to use business to change the world for the better”.
The Growcer was also named finalist in the Scotiabank Youth Empowerment Challenge, and the Hellman’s Food Security Challenge.
Not to be outdone, Alida Burke was named Project leader of the Year, while Holly Todd was also named the HSBC Woman Leader of Tomorrow runner up. uOttawa had a strong showing at nationals finishing 2nd overall amongst 70 other schools.
"It's always great to challenge ourselves at competition and see the growth of the team year after year - I could not be more proud to lead this team", says Holly Todd, President of Enactus uOttawa.
Congratulations to Enactus uOttawa on a successful National Championship!
The Telfer Centre for Executive Leadership (CEL) at the University of Ottawa and Ryerson University’s Diversity Institute have collaborated to launch the Ontario Inclusive Innovation (I2) Action Strategy.
The Brookfield Institute of Entrepreneurship + Innovation has awarded Telfer CEL, in collaboration with Ryerson’s Diversity Institute, a $225,000 contract to report on the state of women’s enterprise support in Ontario, facilitate gender-sensitivity entrepreneurship workshops, develop a certification program, and host a conference to showcase evidence-based practices for empowering women entrepreneurs. Industry partners include: Women in Communication and Technology, WEConnect International Canada, Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council, WBE Canada, YWCA and Youth Employment Services.
Telfer and Diversity Institute research has shown the need for women-friendly culture and gender-sensitive entrepreneurship services. Community-based enterprise supports focus heavily on technology, in spite of the importance of other sectors in which entrepreneurial women operate in larger numbers. Women entrepreneurs are significantly less likely to secure capital and government contracts, resulting in lost business opportunities.
“It is an economic imperative to translate evidence-based insights into programs and tools that empower women entrepreneurs. Failure to support growth-oriented and diverse entrepreneurs wastes intellectual resources and contributes to economic and social inequality,” says Telfer faculty member and Project Lead Dr. Barbara Orser. “This 12 month action strategy is expected to transform Ontario into one of the most inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems in the world.”
Adds Diversity Institute Director Dr. Wendy Cukier, coauthor of Innovation Nation, “Women play a critical role in driving economic growth. We need to remove barriers to diverse women and ensuring that the processes and supports do not reflect conscious or unconscious bias. Our recent research has shown immigrant, racialized, and indigenous female entrepreneurs face additional challenges. Diversity drives innovation and we can leverage what we know about innovation to level the playing field.”
On April 19th, twelve Ottawa women were honoured for their entrepreneurial and professional achievements at the Ottawa’s Businesswoman of the Year Awards (BYAs). The BYAs presents a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the professional achievements of businesswomen working in organizations across the National Capital Region as well as to celebrate the recipients recognized within our business community.
Of those recipients, Linda Eagen (EMBA 2002), president and CEO of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, and alumna of the Telfer School, was named the winner in the ‘organization’ category. Over the past 13 years, Eagen and her team raised $60 million for cancer care and research in eastern Ontario. She is the founder of Cancer Coaching, an innovative community-based health and social care service for cancer patients. A mother of two, Eagen is an active volunteer with the Life Saving Therapies Network, BioCanRx and Arvizio Health Technologies.
We wish to congratulate all the finalists and recipients on their inspiring accomplishments.
For the last four years, the Fondation franco-Ontarienne (FFO) has been highlighting the commitment of women in the Ontario community and their achievements through the Sapphire Night. This year's theme was Diversity, and a total of seven women were recognized under four categories. Two women were recognized for each of the following categories; Community Engagement, Youth component, and two for the "Professional" component while one winner was named for the "Female Personality of the Year" category.
We would like to congratulate Bernadette Sarazin on being named "Female Personality of the Year" as well as all the other nominees who were highlighted during this evening.
On May 17, 2018, Ian Telfer was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame (CBHF). Each year, the CBHF recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of the country most distinguished business leaders and our very own Ian Telfer; Chairman of Goldcorp has been inducted into the class of 2018.
After completing his Masters in Business Administration at the University of Ottawa, Ian began a career in the resources sector eventually climbing the ranks to become CEO of Goldcorp from the years 2004 to 2006. Following a substantial donation in 2007, the University of Ottawa honoured Ian by naming their School of Management, now called the Telfer School of Management, after him.
Currently, Ian Telfer acts as chairman for Goldcorp. He manages and guides the company’s national and international projects and acquisitions. As one of the world’s top gold producers, Goldcorp and Ian are dedicated to sustained and meaningful growth.
Congratulations to Ian Telfer on being named to the Canadian Business Hall of Fame class of 2018!
“What can I do with my arts degree?” is a question that many Faculty of Arts students often ask. So much so that Elena Valenzuela, associate professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, decided to take action. With the support of Dean Kevin Kee and Vice-Dean Programs Sylvie Lamoureux, she designed the Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Social Innovation option: a thoughtfully crafted micro-program built for our makers, shakers and risk takers! This customized program for arts students was created in partnership with the Telfer School of Management.
The new Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Social Innovation option provides meaningful experiential opportunities for students to develop their entrepreneurial skills in a supportive and stimulating environment. The program provides many entrepreneurial paths, such as traditional business, social ventures or applying entrepreneurial skills in an existing organization.
Stephen Daze, Dom Herrick Entrepreneur in Residence and professor at the Telfer School of Management, teaches courses that are part of the option. “The strongest new ventures include a healthy blend of different skill sets,” says Daze. “Ensuring that students from multiple faculties are learning together and working on joint projects is encouraging and will foster a multidisciplinary spirit that leads to strong, healthy new ventures and entrepreneurial work settings.”
Students just need to enrol in the six designated courses during their program and the option will appear on their official transcript. Valenzuela is confident that taking these courses will help students diversify their skill set, but more importantly, it will allow them to use all of the skills they are learning in their program and apply them in group projects. “Professionally, it’s a great experience for students to learn how to work in groups, how to problem solve with people from different disciplines.”
“You have to find something that matters to you. Once you find out what that is, we will help give you the skills, mentoring and support to help you turn what you care about into a job,” adds Valenzuela, who will be teaching a brand new AHL3700 Creativity and Innovation course, one of the six making up the option, in the fall.
Whether students are looking to start their own business or to shake things up in an existing company, this new transdisciplinary option is ready to offer them what they need to become the successful entrepreneurs and social innovators of tomorrow.
Click here for more details on the Transdisciplinary option at the Faculty of Arts in conjunction with the Telfer School of Management.
On April 24, the Regroupement des gens d’affaires de la Capitale nationale (RGA) recognized two of our alumni with its announcement of the four award winners at the second edition of the Temple de la renommée des gens d’affaires (Business People’s Hall of Fame). The induction of Guy Laflamme, Managing Director of Ottawa 2017, and Bernard Marcil, Co-founder of Marcil Lavallée, will take place on May 30, during the 2018 Gala. The other two winners are Estelle Patenaude, Founder and CEO of Impressions inc., and Martin Paquette, Chief Executive Officer of Groupe Nordik.
In addition, the Hall of Fame wall was unveiled during the press conference to honour those business people who distinguished themselves by their leadership, innovative spirit and contribution to the prosperity of the region. The wall is located on the second floor of the Desmarais Pavilion at the Telfer School of Management.
About Bernard Marcil (BCom 1966)
In 1980, Bernard Marcil co-founded the accounting firm of Marcil Lavallée, with offices in Ottawa and Gatineau. It quickly became a committed partner that actively contributed to the success of its clients, as well as a major player on the francophone and philanthropic scenes in our area. In addition to sitting on several committees related to the practice of accounting, Bernard sat on the board of directors of the Fondation franco-ontarienne, of which he was co-founder and treasurer. He sat on the boards of the Deposit Insurance Corporation of Ontario and the Hôpital Montfort, and was a member of the steering committee on the regional study of services for francophone children and young people in the Ottawa-Carleton region.
About Guy Laflamme (MBA 1989)
With more than 25 years in the field, Guy is a specialist in creating, producing and marketing cultural, recreational and tourism products. He was managing director and producer of Ottawa 2017, the organization responsible for planning and implementing the capital's 150th anniversary celebrations of the Confederation of Canada. This program, which was staggered throughout 2017, targeted an audience of more than 11 million people with anticipated economic benefits exceeding 320 million dollars. He participated in the production of more than 200 major events consisting of large-scale cultural, sporting and social performance, thus leaving his fingerprints on the Ottawa region.
About the Business People's Hall of Fame
Through its Hall of Fame, the Regroupement des gens d’affaires de la Capitale nationale pays tribute to local business people who distinguish themselves by their leadership, innovative spirit and contribution to the prosperity of our region. The RGA recognizes these visionary women and men for their unwavering integrity and their inspirational achievements.
About the Regroupement des gens d’affaires de la Capitale nationale
Through its leadership, the RGA promotes the mobilization of economic partners on both sides of the Ottawa River, to ensure unparalleled economic prosperity and quality of life. By bringing regional business people together into a single francophone and francophile economic force, it creates a climate conducive to its members' welfare and contributes to the region's economic development.
TORONTO, May 7, 2018 - With its continued focus on maintaining the highest ethical standards, CFA Societies Canada has named a group of four students from Telfer School of Management as winners of the 2018 CFA Societies Canada Ethics Challenge at a reception at Terminal City Club in Vancouver, BC. The Ethics Challenge asked participants to analyze and evaluate a case study identifying ethical dilemmas based on the CFA Institute Code of Ethics & Standards of Professional Conduct with the goal of increasing knowledge and professionalism among future finance professionals.
Finalist teams were announced in March, and on May 3, 2018, they gathered in Vancouver for the final round of the competition. The winning team earned its title by providing the best analysis of a new case study to a judging panel of CFA charterholders and participating in a question and answer period. They, along with their competitors from four other schools, had three hours to complete the analysis.
"The CFA Societies Canada Ethics Challenge was a great opportunity to put what we've learned in school into practice," said Aamena Chatoo, part of the winning Telfer School of Management team along with James Beaudoin, Christian Cotroneo and Natalie Dokmajian. "Learning more about the CFA Institute mandate to uphold the highest ethical standards and accessing mentors helped our team accelerate our learning and make connections as we start our own careers in the finance industry. Winning was truly just the icing on the cake."
The winning team members each won $500 in addition to a commemorative award from CFA Societies Canada. All participants received a certificate of participation in the National Round. For more information about the CFA Societies Canada Ethics Challenge, please visit CFA Societies Canada online.
About CFA Societies Canada
CFA Societies Canada is a collaboration of CFA Institute and the 12 Canadian member societies, whose mission is to build brand awareness of the CFA designation and to advocate for the highest standards of integrity and ethics for the ultimate benefit of Canadian investors. For more information, please refer to www.cfasociety.org/canada.
The University of Ottawa Alumni Association has named Telfer alumnus Guy Laflamme (MBA 1989) as the recipient of the Alumnus of the Year Award. This award recognizes the outstanding achievement of a University of Ottawa alumni member within the last year.
Forget Sir John A and the Fathers of Confederation. What Guy Laflamme, just-retired Executive Director and Producer of the Ottawa 2017 Bureau, wanted to mark Canada’s sesquicentennial in the capital were giant robotic spiders, dragons, picnics on the bridge and underground sci-fi travel experiences.
Given free rein by Ottawa mayor Jim Watson when he took up the challenge of organizing a year of events that would rock Ottawa’s staid image, Laflamme let his imagination loose in a 300-page business plan, written from his summer home in the Magdalen Islands. “I had a chance to just go wild from an artistic standpoint and to apply all my knowledge as a business strategist,” he says.
Laflamme also drew from 25 years of experience in high-visibility marketing and production for the Department of Canadian Heritage, the National Capital Commission, and Casino du Lac-Leamy, among others.
His enthusiasm for the 2017 program “of things never before seen in Ottawa” was contagious: the $40M program of major events and festivities brought in $300M for the city. That success earned him a nomination to the Order of Ottawa and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario. RadioCanada and LeDroit named him “Personality of the Year” for his vision, boundless imagination, determination and energy — not to mention sheer guts.
“Of all the dazzling things I’ve done,” he says, “I’m most proud of having been able to influence thousands of students”. Part-time professor at the Telfer School of Management for 15 years, Laflamme left his mark through the “Le Niger, c’est notre affaire” charitable campaign. He also reoriented the strategic marketing student projects to focus on local not-for-profit organizations.
He received the Trudeau Medal, the highest honour given by the Telfer School of Management to its alumni, in 2005.
Laflamme is now set to tackle what may prove to be his most challenging project yet: retirement. “After running at 1000 km an hour for the past three years, all I want now is a simple, healthy, balanced life.”
About the awards
Since 2011, the University of Ottawa Alumni Association has recognized outstanding graduates through its annual Awards of Excellence. Meet this year’s six exceptional individuals who are giving back to the University and the community by reading their stories.
The University of Ottawa Alumni Association has named Telfer alumnus Jean Desgagné (BCom 1986) as the recipient of the Commitment to the University Award. This award recognizes an extraordinary alumnus who has made significant contributions to the advancement of uOttawa through their dedication, generosity and commitment to its values.
Jean Desgagné’s commitment to the advancement of youth, particularly students at the Telfer School of Management, is unwavering. “I’ve been very lucky and very successful in my career. When you have that kind of luck and success, part of the obligation is to pay a little bit back,” he says.
President and CEO, TMX Global Solutions, Insights and Analytics Strategies, Desgagné (BCom ‘86) has held increasingly senior positions at some of Canada's leading financial institutions.
When he established himself in Toronto some 25 years ago, he found that “uOttawa didn’t have a profile here.” He set out to change that.
“I’ve worked very hard with the school to improve the profile of the university so that graduates have a fighting chance at capital market jobs in Toronto,” he says. Those efforts have included creating associates programs most everywhere he has worked. At TMX, the Associates Program started with 5 students and within 3 years has grown to 20.
A member of the Regional Campaign Cabinet for the University of Ottawa and Regional Chair of the Telfer School’s Dean’s advisory board in Toronto, Desgagné also contributed to the creation of the Telfer Financial Research and Learning Lab and was the first donor to its capital fund. A mentor with the Telfer Capital Markets program, he has served as judge at finance competitions over many years and spoken at numerous events.
In 2009 Desgagné and his wife endowed the Desgagné/Soden Family Scholarship Fund for female commerce students. “While I applaud all the work that going 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 received the Trudeau Medal, the highest honour given by the Telfer School of Management to its alumni, in 2009.
About the awards
Since 2011, the University of Ottawa Alumni Association has recognized outstanding graduates through its annual Awards of Excellence. Meet this year’s six exceptional individuals who are giving back to the University and the community by reading their stories.
We are pleased to announce that the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa has maintained its accreditation by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
Along with having EQUIS and AMBA accreditations, the Telfer School remains one of only two business school in Canada, and one of only 80 worldwide, to have achieved the triple crown of business school accreditations.
"I am absolutely delighted with this most positive outcome for the School, and I am very proud of all the members of the greater Telfer community, our professors, administrative staff, Executives in Residence, but of course also our students, alumni, friends and supporters, for their sustained efforts that have allowed us to realize this accomplishment!" said François Julien, Dean of the Telfer School. "Through the engagement of these individuals, the Telfer School continues to innovate and to have a positive impact in our community. This is a remarkable recognition of our continuous improvement efforts and of our drive and commitment towards excellence in everything we do."
Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the world’s largest business education network and the longest-serving accrediting body for business schools with undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business and accounting. The AACSB Accreditation Standards challenge post-secondary educators to pursue excellence and continuous improvement throughout their business programs. Today, there are nearly 800 accredited business schools, about five percent of business schools worldwide.
The Telfer School of Management was initially awarded AACSB accreditation in 2003, AMBA accreditation in 2005 and EQUIS accreditation in 2009.
About international business school accreditations
International business school accreditations ensure that students are receiving a top quality education. An accredited institution attracts not only higher quality students but it also provides great research opportunities, and allows for global recognition.
Join us on Friday, September 14, 2018 for the 24th Annual Telfer Scholarship Golf Tournament at the Meadows Golf and Country Club.
Since its first edition in 1995, over $760,000 has been raised to create scholarships. This year’s proceeds will go directly to support the Harrison-Comtois Family Admission Scholarship. This scholarship will be awarded to a student from Northern Ontario who is newly admitted into an undergraduate program at the Telfer School of Management.
Meet your 2018 Tournament Co-Chairs:
Jodie Harrison, Phil Comtois,
BCom 1999 BEc 1993
Successful wife-husband duo Jodie Harrison and Phil Comtois are huge advocates of staying engaged with their alma mater and giving back to their community.
The player list consists of alumni, students, faculty, staff, as well as public and private sector business professionals. Shotgun start, best ball scramble format. For more information on the 24th Annual Telfer Scholarship Golf Tournament click here
Stephen Beamish, BCom graduate of 1990, chose the Telfer School of Management for a multitude of different reasons. As he says, his top three driving reasons would have to be the sense of collaboration that Telfer promotes between students and professors, the high caliber professors, and the students studying from all over the world.
Reflecting back on his time at Telfer, Stephen remembers fondly his group projects, one in particular that he worked on with five other students. The challenging nature of the project meant that him and his team spent many late nights working on the project, but the breaks taken in between work proved to be fun and made the project all the more enjoyable. Coming together with other students to work on a common goal meant a lot to Stephen as a committed student. As for his favorite class, Stephen speaks of his statistics course taught by Professor John Nash, as it was taught in an engaging manner and had great importance and relevance to the world of business.
A major tool learned in his time at Telfer is, according to Stephen, the ability to collaborate with people of any personality, view point or skill level. Just as in the business world, during class projects Stephen was not always able to choose whom he would like to work with. As he says: “Having learned from Telfer’s many group assignments about collaboration, compromise and shared responsibility proved to be a great lesson that helped tremendously throughout my business career”.
Throughout his career, it has been important to Stephen to work in a profession or company that does something to help others. Working in high tech marketing, he appreciates being able to being advanced communication solutions to remote communities. Also important to Stephen is giving his best to anything he is involved with, expressing that “I guess then you could easily say that the Telfer School played a big part in making sure I had the proper business education to be able to perform my job over the years – to the best of my ability”.
Upon graduating, after taking a few years off to travel and experience living in other parts of Canada, Stephen returned to Telfer to obtain his MBA. After finishing his second degree, Stephen began working in high tech marketing and advanced to the position of Vice President of Global marketing for Mitel, as well as the Vice President of Mitel’s Business Development team. Stephen eventually made the choice to leave Mitel after 10 years in order to be closer to his family and went on to open his own practice as a virtual Chief Marketing Officer for his company BlackTusk Business solutions. BlackTusk Business Solution’s mandate is to provide businesses with a one-stop-shop for both creating and executing client marketing strategies.
“Had Colonel By known all the difficulties he would have encountered, probably the Rideau Canal in Ottawa would have never been undertaken or completed,” says Telfer School Professor Ika.
Earlier in 2018, OC Transpo announced that the light rail Confederation line, currently the largest infrastructure project in Ottawa, won’t be completed within the initial time frame. Although not completely surprising, this new chapter of the O-Train construction made headlines and initiated vivid discussions on social media.
In reality, a large number of projects do not deliver on time, within budget, and to expectations, leading policy-makers to worry about under-estimation and over-optimism on the part of those who design and implement large projects in the public sector. Is over-optimism a boon or a bane?
A blessing in disguise
In a recent study published in World Development, a leading journal in the area of international development, Telfer School of Management Professor Lavagnon Ika suggests that underestimating the challenges of a large project can be a “blessing in disguise.”
Some pessimistic decision-makers believe that projects that face too many obstacles shouldn’t have been undertaken from the start. In contrast, the optimistic ones are more likely to undertake the project, call their underrated creativity to the rescue when needed, and even succeed despite the odds.
A lesson from history
The history of mega projects is full of such cases. The Rideau Canal in Ottawa may be today a UNESCO World Heritage site, but this engineering marvel almost became a project disaster. In 1826, Lieutenant Colonel John By, a member of the British Royal Engineers, started supervising the construction of a safe supply and communication route from Montreal to Kingston.
Believing he had chosen the fastest and most cost-efficient alternative, Colonel By proposed the construction of a slackwater canal system. Soon his team discovered an unexpected challenge: they not only had to build locks but also water control dams.
What followed may sound too familiar to project managers today: cost overruns and major delays turned the Rideau Canal project into a nightmare, but Colonel By succeeded after all. “Had he known all the difficulties they would have encountered, probably the project would have never been undertaken or completed,” says Professor Ika.
Be creative and take risks, but learn form your mistakes
An over-optimistic approach at the planning phase encourages people to take on the challenge and start a project. It is also an advantage later when project managers find out that a project is more difficult than expected: “they are so determined that they stick with the project, confront the issues, and unexpectedly stumble upon success,” explains Professor Ika.
Professor Ika thus advises project planners and managers to go beyond conservative approaches that currently dominate the project management practice. Here are a few tips for doing so in the right place at the right time:
Be entrepreneurial and creative: creativity can be an advantage in project management.
Don’t always be overly cautious: you may underestimate your creative potential and ability to overcome the obstacles you may encounter while implementing a project.
Learn to take risks as long as you are open to learn from your mistakes: you will be more prepared to deal with new risks and distinguish the acceptable from the impossible.
There’s an old saying that asserts: the greatest of virtues is courage, because it’s the one that makes all the other virtues possible. At the Telfer School, our greatest virtue is engagement, because it’s the one that makes all good things possible for us.
Join us and fellow alumni at our Social Night in Toronto! This will be an excellent opportunity for you to reconnect with your alma mater, network with fellow alumni in the Toronto area and learn about different ways to get engaged with the Telfer School. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served.
The 2018 Clubs Gala took place on March 25th at the National Arts Centre. The annual gala recaps the year that was for all of Telfer's clubs and associations, highlighting their achievements. With speeches from the master of ceremony and gala organizer Steve Cudnik, Dean Francois Julien and Keynote speaker Cassy Aite of Desk Nibbles, the 2018 Clubs Gala was one for the books.
The Award Winners were:
Most Improved Event of the Year : Legally Speaking
Community Service Award:
Enactus
Most Improved Executive Award:
Harvin Jassal
Rising Star Award:
Mike Makichuk
Faculty Member of the Year Award:
Matt Archibald
President of the Year Award Holly Todd
Event of the Year: Business Dinner
Club of the Year: Enactus
See some of the gala highlights and photo gallery below:
On March 23rd & 24th, the 8th edition of the Legacy Conference took place at the Delta Hotels Ottawa City Center. From Vancouver to Halifax, and everywhere in-between, Legacy 2018 brought together over 700 like-minded hackers, doers, and builders.
This year’s conference flew in speakers from San Francisco, New York and Nebraska, with the common goal of inspiring the next generation of hustlers. On the Legacy stage, these world-renown founders of America's fastest growing media company to Canadian godfather of weed shared their stories and inspired Legacy attendees to get the courage to start, seek new skills & tools, and find cofounders.
Throughout the duration of the conference, the entrepreneurial icons provided 15-minute mentorship sessions in which attendees could ask them about anything, and everything. Attendees had the rare opportunity to interact with talent acquisition leads in an organic setting - without the pressure and without the formality.
One of the most attractive features at this year's conference were the interactive workshops headed by top Canadian companies such as Microsoft and Shopify. “Why Should We Care about AI?” the workshop ran by Microsoft outlined the groundbreaking innovations in the field of artificial intelligence, and how it will shaped our society for years to come. Attendees were also able to join instructors from Soshal and the Telfer Digital Marketing Certificate to learn about personas, user journey mapping, digital marketing strategy, customer relationship management, design for marketers, writing for websites and apps, search engine optimization, and landing page design.
The Legacy Conference will be hosting "The Legacy Bootcamp: Coding 101" in June 2018, where attendees learn basic HTML and CSS skills in the span of 12-hours. Stay tuned for more details at facebook.com/legacycon/.
Join us and fellow alumnus Mathieu Cloutier (BCom 1991), Vice-President and General Manager of TANK for a Telfer School alumni social event. Come network with fellow alumni and gain valuable insight on TANK's success.
TANK is a leading Brand Performance Agency in Montreal who’s clients range from Pfizer to Corona.
Upon graduating from a private school in Bahrain, George Khalife set out to find a university that he could grow with, and help grow. After deciding on the Telfer School of Management, George graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2015. George came to the Telfer School because of the genuine professors, untapped opportunities, a strong and improving curriculum and a student and alumni base that was, and still is, very closely connected.
During his time at Telfer, George remembers certain classes and professors that stood out as making an impact on him, including MIS with Nour El-Kadri, the Financial Research and Learning Lab with Pouya Safi, and Equity Valuation with Miwako Nitani. George also mentions three classmates, with whom he helped found a student-run investment fund called T&V Capital Management, which is now known as Telfer Capital Fund. It was this initiative that introduced him to the fund’s first capital sponsor, and lead him to joining the TMX group.
George lists many things from his time at Telfer that helped get him to where he is today, including the connections he built with professors, the friends he made while studying, the clubs and extracurricular he took part in, the alumni network, networking events and academic workshops held by Telfer. George says: “these are the things that positively contributed to my success during university and post-graduation”.
As for his inspiration, George draws that from his parents. George’s parents moved from the Middle East in order to give him and his sister a chance at a better future. As George puts: “every time I feel challenged, I feel tired, or I feel like giving up, I go back to them and remember how much they struggled to help me get here – that’s all I need to keep going”.
Post-graduation, George immediately started working for the Toronto Stock Exchange (TMX Group), in their two-year rotational Associate Program. At the conclusion of this program, he signed to stay on full time and lead TMX’s sales efforts in Toronto and New York. While working at TMX, George had many projects being developed on the side, including BookBack, and app for university students to buy and sell books, hosting his podcast – “Let’s Grab Coffee”, and blogging on LinkedIn as well as his personal site.
Join us on April 3, 2018 for the next event in our Entrepreneurship Bridges Lecture Series. We will be hearing from guest speaker Cole Miller, Founder of Twelve Barrels, as well as announcing the 2018 Startup Garage cohort.
Cole will be offering guests of the event a free tasting* of his whiskey, Twelve Barrels. Cole Miller is currently launching Twelve Barrels, a whisky brand in Canada. An entrepreneur with experience as a Junior Marketer and as an Apprentice Whisky Distiller at the Lakes Distillery Company, Cole acquired a Bachelor of Cognitive Science and a Minor in Entrepreneurship from Carleton University. He is also an alumnus of uOttawa’s Startup Garage.
The Startup Garage is an initiative of the University of Ottawa’s Innovation Support Services to foster and support youth entrepreneurship in the Ottawa area. The program offers youth-led ventures the opportunity to accelerate their business by working full time over the course of three months during the summer. Startup Garage provides each participating company with four essential tools: cash, office space, mentorship and support. The program is delivered through the generous support of the University of Ottawa, Gowling WLG, BMO and Logan Katz LLP.
*Valid ID Required (19+). For those who are interested in the tasting, you will be required to present valid ID to obtain a ticket and may be asked again by the server to present your valid ID. One sample per person.
Aïcha Traoré – Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Finance)
Aïcha Traoré is in the fourth year of her honours BCom (Finance) degree. She worked at Elections Canada, where she was greatly appreciated. Aïcha’s supervisor, Annie de Bellefeuille, describes her as “outstanding in her work and in her ability to deal with both colleagues and clients on major and critical projects.” With a CGPA over 8.5 for three consecutive years, she was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma in April 2017.
CEO Magazine (London, UK) released its 2018 ranking of the top Global Executive MBA programs on Wednesday, March 21 and has ranked the Telfer Executive MBA program #1 in the world for a second consecutive year.
The ranking system used by CEO Magazine focuses directly on fact-based criteria about the programs and provides potential candidates with a performance benchmark for those schools under review.
“Our program is honoured to be recognized by CEO Magazine and we are determined at staying on top. The Telfer Executive MBA focuses on a 'Global, Practical, Relevant’ application-based learning platform for high potential candidates from all industries. We are in the business of developing executives that are strategic thinkers that can consistently execute to drive compelling value in an increasingly competitive global market”, said Sophia Leong, Executive Director of the Telfer Executive MBA. “To be ranked again by CEO Magazine as the premier Global Executive MBA program underlines key pillars of the program - moral compass, prepared leadership and extended network of communities.”
“Being recognized as the top ranked Global Executive MBA program for the second year in a row is an incredible achievement and a clear demonstration that we provide consistent excellence and superior learning experiences to our Executive MBA candidates year after year. Such international recognition is the result of the remarkable work and commitment of our professors and the excellent support of the staff of our Executive MBA program, led by Program Director Sophia Leong”, said François Julien, Dean of the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management. “I am also grateful for the support of our alumni and members of the business community who contribute to the leadership and professional development of our Executive MBA candidates by participating in the delivery of the program, and providing them exciting project opportunities which enrich their learning experience, allowing the graduates of our program to lead successful and impactful careers, thus building the Telfer School’s reputation.”
The Telfer Executive MBA Program accelerates value in three distinct ways: business leadership, organizational impact and value to the community. Our program offers professionals from all industries a ‘live’ and transformative application-based learning environment that focuses on international market and leadership experience to excel in today’s global economy. The curriculum is anchored by the unique Signature Series of Six Business Consulting Projects, of which two are global in focus and involve two international business trips.
ABOUT CEO MAGAZINE
CEO Magazine has been showcasing top business schools from around the globe since it first launched in 2008. In 2012, the publication launched its annual Global MBA Rankings, profiling MBA, Executive MBA and Online MBA programs.
This year CEO Magazine reached out to business schools across North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the BRICS, and received responses from over 270 institutions.
Almost every person knows of someone who has experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. It is not uncommon for the victims of sexual harassment to feel ashamed and afraid of social retaliation if they speak out. As a result, many people keep their experiences as a secret locked in a box.
But this is slowly changing. Following the recent wake of allegations of sexual harassment in the workplace, an increasing number of women from all over the world has found the courage to unlock these burdensome boxes.
As prominent Hollywood actors, golden-medal winning athletes, and female members of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have come forward to share their stories, we finally began to grasp the extent of the problem.
What seems to be different this time is that these women are finding the safe space to be heard.
“I believe the #metoomovement and the fact that more people are supporting and listening to the victims have really encouraged a lot of women to siege this opportunity to voice their own experiences of sexual harassment in their everyday lives, including at work,” explains Telfer School of Management Professor Jane O’Reilly. Professor O’Reilly is doing research on interpersonal mistreatment in organizations, including sexual harassment.
Click here if you would like to learn why organizations should take even subtle forms of sexual harassment seriously in order to create a respectful workplace environment.
We are proud to announce that the Telfer School of Management’s Executive Programs have been ranked within the Winners’ Circle of the 2018 Leadership Excellence and Development (LEAD) Awards. This global recognition was unveiled by HR.com at the 36th Annual LEAD Awards in Salt Lake City in February.
Telfer Executive Programs was ranked fifth in their category for “Custom Content Programming with Emphasis on Leadership / Organizational Development" in recognition of their Justice Canada Executive Leadership Program which engaged leaders of the organization in the transformation process that is underway in the department.
The curriculum for this custom program was designed to meet the specific context of the Canadian Federal Government, to meet the unique organizational requirements of the Department of Justice and to address the individual needs of each participant. Dr. Ingrid Richter, Executive in Residence at Telfer Executive Programs, was the lead designer and facilitator for the program which also profiled an inter-disciplinary team of Telfer faculty and associates as well as executives from the Department of Justice.
“We are particularly pleased that this award is very aligned with our mission and core focus: delivering custom programs that focus on leadership and organization development” said Glen Orsak, Executive Programs Director at the Telfer Centre for Executive Leadership.
The distinguished recipients of the Leadership Excellence and Development (LEAD) Awards for 2018 were named for outstanding achievements in leadership development and programs in the areas of Education, Corporate, and Individuals. These prestigious leadership awards salute the world's top leadership practitioners and programs and highlight their roles in developing their most important asset - their people.
For the past 35 years, the LEAD Awards have identified and recognized the top leadership programs and organizations and their strategies and solutions in their yearly ranking. This year's award winners were published in the February edition of the Leadership Excellence Essentials e-publication.
About Telfer Executive Programs
Telfer Executive Programs is the premiere provider of executive & leadership development programs across the National Capital Region, with a reach across Canada and internationally. More info: Telfer Executive Programs.
About LEAD
The Leadership Excellence & Development (LEAD) event is an annual 2-day inspirational leadership conference dedicated to helping organizations create an innovative, high potential, and passionate workforce. Participants learn how to take the world’s best corporate leadership practices and concepts and put them into practice, applying them to their organizations. The Awards Gala evening celebrates award winning leadership and development programs.
About HR.com HR.com strives to help create inspired workforces by making HR professionals smarter. Over 1,100,000 HR professionals turn to HR.com as the trusted resource for education, career development, and compliance.
As a renowned management school, Telfer prides itself on connecting students to what matters. One of the ways it does this is by outlining strategic goals to inspire continuous improvement and innovation. One of the main goals of the 2017-18 academic year is to encourage and stress the importance of a global mindset in all students. Eric Muellejans, a 2nd year BCom student has benefitted from being recently appointed to the position of Director of International Relations for AIESEC , the world’s largest student run organization that provides volunteer and career opportunities for students abroad in over 126 countries.
In the 2016-17 academic year, Eric served as the President for AIESEC Ottawa; one of many Telfer Clubs at the University. Eric reflected that, “Being President of a Telfer club gave me the skills and confidence I needed to incorporate a global mindset into every work environment. It’s fantastic to be at a school where professors are teaching lessons that are relevant and applicable on many scales. This equips students with the skills to thrive in ever-growing international business situations.” In April, 2017, Eric travelled to Peru to represent AIESEC Ottawa and AIESEC Canada for the Americas Congress which featured young leaders from over 20 countries in the Western Hemisphere. Eric noted, “AIESEC is run by youth, for youth. This enables participants to interact with people of many different nationalities, get new perspectives and hear about their respective ambitions for their home countries. It’s truly an inspiring atmosphere.”
As Director, Eric will be travelling to Colombia, Mexico, and a variety of other countries to negotiate and collaborate with other entities on creating job opportunities for Canadian youth abroad. His, and AIESEC Canada’s, ambition is to deliver over 1100 professional exchange opportunities for Canadians in the next 6 months. Eric stated, “This job is going to be very demanding with travel and meetings, but I am fortunate to be in Telfer where my classmates and Professors can support me in my role”.
If you are interested in going on an AIESEC experience this summer to gain much needed professional skills, you can visit aiesec.ca to learn more and begin applying.
Mathieu Cloutier, BCom graduate of 1991, chose the Telfer School of Management because of the opportunity that it presented him to study in both languages. Telfer’s strong standing as well as its reputable professors are what pushed Mathieu to make the decision to pursue his education at Telfer.
One of Mathieu’s fondest memories was being able to participate in the Jeux du Commerce. It was the first time Telfer was participating in this competition, and Mathieu was on the team that brought home the first place prize. The intensive training given to him and his teammates in preparation for this competition was a massive contributor to their success at the competition, according to Mathieu.
While at Telfer, Mathieu was a very involved student, participating in the Marketing Association in order to develop his network and take advantage of the group mentality. The Marketing Association was very active on campus, partaking in the Christmas Ball and the Michel Cloutier Marketing Competition. As for his fondest memories from his time at Telfer, Mathieu remembers his marketing class from his final year as it taught him essential skills he used upon his graduation.
After graduating, Mathieu moved on to a publicity agency in Montreal. Using the skills he acquired through participating in case competitions, Mathieu became an integral part of the development team. In 2007, Mathieu moved on to cofound the agency Tank, where he still occupies the position of vice-president, general manager.
Reflecting on what inspires him most, Mathieu mentioned the obstacles thrown at him by clients every day. Using his energy to find creative solutions and to achieve the results his clients need is what stimulates Mathieu in his work. Today, Mathieu continues to involve himself by offering his services as a mentor for aspiring entrepreneurs, being a member of the jury in the Michel Cloutier Marketing Competition, and recruiting students as interns in his agency.
Mathieu’s advice to students on life after graduation: do something you love, life is too short; don’t be afraid to fail, and throw yourself into business!
The Rotman International Trading Competition (RITC) is a one-of-a-kind event hosted annually at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, located in one of North America’s largest financial centres.
This year’s team consisted of six of our highest-performing finance students Ben Fudali, Jack Lau, Dmitry Shorikov, Shiza Shahzad, Ben Laulan Souilhac, Maxime Gosselin and was coached by Tarek Kassem, the Manager of the Financial Research and Learning Lab. The Telfer School team finished 12th overall. Our BCom students competed among Masters and PhD students, as the University of Ottawa was among the few schools to send undergraduate students. There were schools represented from 4 out of 5 continents with teams from Australia, Italy, China, Mexico, Ireland and Iceland.
RITC, now in its 15th anniversary, is the world’s largest simulated market challenge, bringing together teams of students and their faculty representing over 50 top universities across the world. Unlike remote electronic trading competitions, RITC offers students, faculty, and sponsors the invaluable experience of engaging in a stimulating face-to-face interaction, encouraged by our unique conference format.
Here are the highlights:
1st Overall - S&P Global Quantitative Outcry case
The S&P Global Quantitative Outcry case challenges participants to apply their understanding of macroeconomics to determine the effect of news releases on the world economy as captured by the Rotman Index (“RT100”). The RT100 Index is a composite index reflective of global political, economic, and market conditions. Participants will be required to interpret and react to both quantitative and qualitative news releases based on their analysis of the news’ impact on the index by trading futures.
Top 10 – Fixed Income Case
The Fixed Income Case will challenge participants to manage a bond portfolio and generate profits by taking advantage of any mispricing of bonds due to changes in the zero-coupon rates and/or credit spreads. This will require participants to accurately understand various types of news and evaluate their impact on the yield curve, credit ratings, and bond prices. Participants will then use the risk-free zero-coupon rates to price risk-free treasury bonds. They will also use the yield curve and the Altman Z-Score model to forecast potential changes to companies’ credit rating to price the risky corporate bonds.
Top 10 – BP Commodities Case
The BP Commodities Case challenges the ability of participants to trade in a closed supply and demand market for crude oil. Natural crude oil production and its consumption will form the framework for participants to engage in direct trade to meet each other’s objectives. The case will test each participant’s ability to understand sophisticated market dynamics and optimally perform his/her role, while stressing teamwork and communication. The case will involve crude oil production, refinement, storage, as well as the sale of its synthesized physical products.
"Regionals was when everything really clicked for me when it came to Enactus, and it was really nice to see that happening for the newer members. I'm so proud of our team and am extremely grateful to be working with such a hard-working, dedicated, talented, intelligent and fun group of people." Holly Todd, President, Enactus uOttawa
Hosted at the Hilton Meadowvale, the Enactus Canada Regional Exposition for the Central Canada category endorsed the entrepreneurial achievements of over 500 students across the region. With the additional help of professionals, academic advisors, and organizers, it was a two-day event filled with competitive spirit, collaboration, and celebration. Students competed in live presentations that demonstrated their positive outreach in both their local and international communities - all within the categories of entrepreneurship, environmental issues, youth empowerment, and financial education.
Enactus uOttawa, now a group of over 90 motivated young leaders from seven different faculties at the University of Ottawa, competed in all four categories.
The Enactus uOttawa team will now move on to compete in the Enactus Canada National Exposition taking place from May 14 to 16 in Toronto, Canada at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
As part of the Leadership, Strategy and Sustainability course, nearly 150 Telfer School of Management students in courses ADM 4717, ADM 4317 and MBA 5211participated in an interactive online simulation called Fishbanks.
It is a multiplayer web-based simulation during which each team of students plays the role of a company that owns and manages a fishing fleet. The teams compete to maximize their net worth during the simulation. They begin by defining their strategy for the next 10 years. They must plan their annual operations, mostly their fishing activities, by allocating their resources each year according to their initial strategy. They decide whether to buy, sell or build their ships, where to fish, and they negotiate with one another. Students focus on strategic thinking and decision making. The program automatically calculates all the annual financial results and indicators for each team. It simulates a real business system where marine natural resources are the main source of income for the companies. However, the goal of the simulation is not limited to merely raising students' awareness of the importance of strategic planning and the short- and long-term consequences of decisions. It is especially meant to expose them to the issues surrounding the dynamics of ecosystems and irrational exploitation of resources.
"We are preparing the decision-makers of tomorrow who will be managing businesses directly or indirectly involved in exploiting living ecosystems," said Dorra Jlouli, professor of course ADM 4717. "The interdependence of the system's different parameters is the main challenge of system dynamics, such as those in the management of natural resources. This simulation is an excellent tool that simplifies for students this complex aspect of the tragedy of the commons," she added.
The debriefing following the simulation is as important, if not even more important than the simulation itself, as students realize and understand the consequences of their decisions. "The players all tend to exceed the maximum size of the fleet for rational and sustainable exploitation of resources, despite having learned about renewal dynamics of fish stocks before the simulation. This is typical behaviour in different contexts in which this simulation is used, regardless of the level of knowledge of the subject matter," said Dorra Jlouli.
"When designing the course, we deliberately sought a teaching method that allows students to experience a certain cognitive dissonance between the type of leader they think they are and the real impact of their business decisions on the planet's future," said Daina Mazutis, professor of courses ADM 4317 and MBA 5211. "The Fishbanks simulation provides a learning experience that allows for profound personal reflection on the connections among leadership, strategy and sustainability," she added.
Fishbanks is a simulation created by the MIT Sloan School of Management. Renowned international universities use it mainly for management and sustainable development programs. It is also used by international institutions, chiefly GIZ, for strategic planning workshops pertaining to sustainable development and to explain the Tragedy of the Commons phenomenon.
Jodie Harrison has been a planner. As a Telfer BCom student, Jodie set her sights on becoming an investment advisor. So she specialized in finance and took advantage of the school’s Connexions Program to intern with a national investment firm during her final year. Jodie also worked at the Career Centre and served as president of the Telfer BCom students’ association, roles that enabled her to gain several skills and many contacts that would prove especially valuable once she graduated.
“Everyone in the program earns the same degree,” she said. “It’s the things you do beyond your schoolwork that not only set you apart from other graduates, but also equip you to move closer to your goal.”
Jodie Harrison remains a planner. She does it professionally for BMO Nesbitt Burns, helping families and entrepreneurs achieve financial success. She also does it for our school. Jodie has served as president of the alumni association; she is a member of the executive mentorship program; and she was just named chair of the 2018 scholarship golf tournament.
“Heading up the tournament is a perfect fit for me as an investment advisor,” she said. “I want Telfer students to have access to many generous scholarships, so they can graduate with little or even no debt.”
Jodie Harrison is forever a planner: “My advice to Telfer students is to find your own path and then work hard—building networks, sharing experiences, finding mentors and supporting peers along the way.”
The Women in Management Network (WMN) is a newly founded initiative at the Telfer School of Management that aims to equip women to succeed in their personal and professional endeavors. The three-tiered initiative’s goal is to support females to excel in their careers through mentorship and increase female participation in the management sector; build a positive, supportive, inclusive community; and develop their skills to foster creativity and innovation.
The woman behind WMN is none other than Polly Leung. Polly Leung is a fourth year BCom student in International Management from Markham, Ontario and a recipiemt of the Merit Scholarship of the Telfer School of Management. She has become passionate about making a way for herself and other women alike in professional industries. Polly noted that she’s had many ideas over the years but commitment waned and they didn’t take off. Polly detailed how she envisioned the WMN network as a program where women built each other up in a community atmosphere and where they could celebrate their successes and acknowledge and learn from struggles. “You can have as many good ideas as you’d like, but without the demand, passion, and commitment from yourself and your support network, it won’t happen. This idea stuck and took off.” Polly herself acknowledged that without the support and encouragement from the Telfer School, particularly the Career Centre that the WMN network would not have been possible. Polly also notes that she has had many professors who have taught her to dig deeper, ask the tough questions in and outside the classroom, and to always strive for more.
“Transformational over informational,” is Polly’s mindset behind the WMN network. She aspires to host events that bring people together and allow them to share and learn from one another and create transformational relationships rather than strictly host informational sessions. Polly said that she works to mimic Oprah’s ability to connect with people, and inspire purpose and drive in everyone around her.
For Polly, the future is bright. She strives for a career in an executive level marketing position where she’s able to have a healthy balance between her commitments, her creativity and following her passions, hopefully, she notes, in a big city. But for now, Polly continues to work with an incredible team of people involved in the WMN network, to take inspiring, insightful classes, and on top of it all, she’s just submitted an application to do an international exchange.
WMN is launching a series of events in the upcoming three months, including a finance workshop series, and an entrepreneurship program. To register for an upcoming event: telfer.uOttawa.ca/careercal
Every year on March 8, International Women’s Day seeks to highlight and celebrate social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The accomplishments of the Telfer School of Management’s many prominent alumnae continue to inspire the next generation of students.
Polly Leung, Telfer BCom Student
This year we would like to highlight an exciting new student project, led by Telfer BCom student Polly Leung. The Women in Management Network (WMN) is a newly founded initiative at the Telfer School that aims to equip women to succeed in their personal and professional endeavors.
We would also like to take the opportunity to introduce you to Jodie Harrison (BCom 1999), the 2018 Scholarship Golf Tournament chair. Jodie is actively involved with the Telfer Mentorship Program and brings a wealth of knowledge from her nearly 20 year career with BMO Nesbitt Burns. Jodie was president of the Telfer School’s undergraduate students association and a former president of the Telfer Alumni Association.
Do you know an alumna of the Telfer School whose efforts deserve to be recognized? We invite you to nominate them for a Telfer alumni award. The nomination period closes on April 16, 2018. These recognitions will be awarded at the next Gala of Excellence, in Ottawa, on October 20, 2018.
During the Winter Study Week (February 20th - 23rd, 2018), the Telfer School offered a four-day intensive course entitled Global Marketing & Innovation Strategy: Learning about and from China, taught by Amy Karam, a Telfer alumnus, who is the author of the book, The China Factor. The course addressed the topic of whether: “There is a global economic power shift and whether Western-based businesses are being challenged in different ways by the rapid growth of China and other emerging entrants and what can they do about it?”
The course offering served as a guide for Western companies to understand how their Chinese competitors do business and how they can change their strategy to be more successful in international markets. A third of the class were BCom students from China who shared their expertise regarding the Chinese emerging market with other Canadian BCom students.
With the emergence of China, the rules of the global business and trade game have changed. Innovation and product superiority are no longer enough to win business in international markets – especially in emerging markets. Western companies need to re-evaluate their sales and marketing strategies and reposition themselves in the context of a new genre of competition and different customer demands. This course explored how China and other emerging entrants do business using the 5Ps of Global Marketing Framework while studying how a Western-based company can learn from them and adapt their strategy, all while incorporating competitive dynamics into their plan. Maintaining an innovation advantage is also a key success factor in the new global economy and students learned ways to become innovative at innovation by learning about new models.
Amy Karam, who is a speaker, consultant, author and corporate instructor of Stanford University professional development courses, taught this intensive seminar. She has advised and trained sales teams, executives and managers across North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa and at companies such as Cisco, Apple, Visa, Nationwide, Capital One, SAP, Bell Canada and AT&T. Notably, she led a CEO-sponsored global competitive sales support program at Cisco Systems, the catalyst for her current practice. She has also led business development initiatives with the World Bank, ITU-D, government Ministers of emerging countries and high-technology companies, to foster public and private sector collaboration.
Cassy Aite chose the Telfer School of Management after visiting its new facilities and after making the decision to attend university in his hometown. As an engaged student, Cassy participated in Enactus, uOSIC, the Telfer Financial Laboratory, was a member of the Gee-Gees men’s soccer team and competed in several competitions. As Cassy says, “these opportunities made my experience at uOttawa”.
Immediately after graduating, Cassy began working at EY in the ITRA Advisory Practice where he gained a lot of valuable experience. About a year after graduating, Cassy was presented with the opportunity to live and work in Vienna and Munich. He began working as a Business Developer with BTO research, a multi-national IT consulting company. In January 2018, Cassy moved back to Canada to become the CEO of Desk Nibbles, a company that he co-founded with his brother, Emil Aite and Eric Kys in late 2016. Desk Nibbles uses Artificial Intelligence to make it easier for Office Managers to manage their office kitchens. With over 65 customers and a growing number of employees, Desk Nibbles is quickly expanding.
Thinking back on his time at Telfer, Cassy has fond memories of the classmates, professors and mentors that he met during his studies. Cassy still remains in contact with all of those who influenced his studies at Telfer, and explains that he is “constantly reminded by the positive impact Telfer has had”. Reflecting on what inspires him, Cassy thinks of his parents and the hard work that they accomplished in order to give his family better opportunities.
Cassy is excited about his career path so far, and looking towards what the future will offer.
From the moment Gabriel Chapman toured the Telfer School he knew it would be a unique place to study. Gabriel mentioned, “Telfer’s diverse opportunities for student involvement, its CO-OP program, and many scholarships were what drew me in. The student guides were genuine and passionate about their experience and I felt a sense of connection and belonging since Day 1.”
The Telfer School is proud to have so many exemplary students like Gabriel who take advantage of the many offered opportunities and make the most of their undergrad. As a fourth year BCom student with a specialization in Management Information Systems & Analytics (MISA) with the CO-OP option, Gabriel has been the recipient of the Chancellor’s Scholarship, the Peter and Ann Koppel Scholarship for Excellence, the StoneShare Scholarship, and the Kevin Vollett Entrepreneurial Award. Gabriel gratefully acknowledged how without these scholarships he would not be able to dedicate the same time and energy to his extracurricular and academics.
Taking the ADM 2302 Business Decision Models course was a turning point in Gabriel’s undergrad as it inspired him to add the specialization in MISA. In this course, Gabriel was introduced to problem solving through algorithms and saw the potential that this could have in real life business scenarios, thus, influencing him to narrow his scope of study.
Continuing to make the most of his undergrad, Gabriel has been incredibly involved in a number or organizations and initiatives. To name a few, Gabriel has been involved with the Telfer Management Competitions de gestion Telfer (TMCGT), the Entrepreneurs’ Clubs (TECDE), and Telfer Student Council (CéTSC). On top of his club involvement, Gabriel has incredible philanthropic drive that has allowed him to fundraise over $25,000 for Cystic Fibrosis Canada, Special Olympics Canada and the Government of Canada’s Workplace Charitable Campaign.
When asked about a fond memory of Telfer, Gabriel reflected on his CO-OP term at BDO Canada LLP where he had the opportunity to fly to PEI in the middle of a snowstorm to work on Renewable Innovation Strategies. During this trip, he mentions, “I got to conduct stakeholder interviews for our economic development projects. It was an amazing experience meeting people from diverse business sectors who were really engaged in the process and would benefit directly from our team’s recommendations.” He emphasized the trips were also a great way to develop foundations for professional networking with colleagues.
Gabriel advises future students to take advantage of all that Telfer has to offer, including financial assistance, clubs that provide relevant experience and skills, the CO-OP program, the French immersion opportunities because they will take your undergrad, to a life changing and fulfilling four years.
On February 8, 2018 4th year Telfer BCom students James Beaudoin, Aamena Chatoo, Christian Cotroneo, Natalie Dokmajian, and Nicholas Pelchat were named winners of the 2018 CFA Society Toronto Ethics Challenge. Led by Faculty Advisor Pouya Safi, this is the 3rd time that the Telfer School has participated, and our very first win! This year's winning team demonstrated their ability to expertly negotiate ethical dilemmas in a real-life investment scenario and presented their case to a panel of seasoned investment professionals. They will be heading to the Canadian Ethics Challenge on May 3, 2018, which will be held in Vancouver, BC.
The uOttawa Top Start-ups initiative recognizes and celebrates the culmination of each annual cycle of teaching, competitions, workshops and hard work that lead to exciting start-ups.
Already in its 4th year, this annual search for the top start-ups on campus is a collaborative effort between the Telfer School of Management, the Faculty of Engineering, Startup Garage and the uOttawa e-hub.
The 2018 Top uOttawa start-ups, in alphabetical order, are:
GameStrat
GameStrat is a sports software company that specializes in sideline instant replay and real-time analytics. GameStrat currently provides solutions for a number of different sports such as football, basketball and volleyball, with plans to branch out to other sports in the future.
Co-Founders: Tunch Akkaya, CEO & Co-Founder, BASc 2015, Diploma 2016, MEng 2017 and Elijah Wu, Lead Developer & Co-Founder, BASc 2015.
Transparent Kitchen
Transparent Kitchen leverages technology to empower independent restaurants and local food entrepreneurs to sell better, so that we can all eat better. Powered by our Interactive Menu Application, our online platform improves customer engagement, resulting in higher online conversions, while connecting our B2B partners to new B2C revenue channels.
Co-Founders: Frazer Nagy, CEO, BSocSc 2015, Andrej Sakic, CDO, BSocSc 2014 and Jérôme St-Hilaire, CTO.
ZoomMate
ZoomMate is an online platform that helps people find roommates/housing. ZoomMate has found a way to solve the issues of roommate seeking that makes sense. ZoomMate allows people to find homes that they like and fill it with people that are compatible with them. ZoomMate also helps landlords fill their homes with individuals that are compatible.
Co-Founders: Moktar Yusuf, CEO & Co-Founder, Telfer BCom 2017 and Himanish Kaushal, CTO & Co-Founder.
“Each year the quality of start-ups on campus is improving” says Stephen Daze, the Dom Herrick Entrepreneur in Residence at the Telfer School. “Student interest, faculty programming and an increasing culture of entrepreneurship is contributing to this rise in quality and it’s encouraging to see our next generation of leaders creating their own opportunities”.
HOW WERE THE TOP START-UPS ON CAMPUS SELECTED?
A public web-based call for nominations allowed start-ups to show their interest. The nominees were then evaluated by a campus entrepreneurship committee and an initial long list of top start-ups was selected.
Feedback from various alumni and entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley was obtained before a final list of “Top Start-ups” is selected. These Top start-ups will be invited to visit Silicon Valley for a learning and business development experience in May 2018, a trip which coincides with the annual Telfer Executive MBA trip to the Valley.
“The trip exposed me to some of the top entrepreneurial thinkers and companies in the world. The effect was to make me think bigger. It also made me realize that I (and Canadians in general) have no shortage of amazing ideas. We can, however, learn a lot from ‘the Valley’ on how to execute on those ideas and impact more people than we could have previously imagined.” - Jeff Perron, Co-Founder of TruReach and Top Start-up recipient in 2016.
For Scott McLaren, Telfer was an opportunity to learn, develop his skills and meet the people with whom he would later build professional and personal relationships. After choosing Telfer because of the school’s reputation and his desire to be in a big city with a small-town feel, Scott completed his Bachelors in Commerce in 2006.
After purchasing Festival Promotions in 2009 and becoming Partner and President of the company, Scott and a fellow Telfer alumnus founded Baron Hockey in 2016, which provides high-end hockey sticks to consumers without the retail mark up.
Reflecting on his time at Telfer, Scott recalls several professors and courses that had a profound impact on his future. “He put such a strong focus on doing business the right way and that has stuck with me all of these years” Scott says about the late Professor Koppel, former professor in management at Telfer. Some of Scott’s fondest memories at Telfer are from his latter year courses, where he worked on group projects with classmates that he describes as “brilliant”; Scott has enjoyed the opportunity to watch their success over the years.
Scott credits his alma mater for the broad professional and personal network he has built since his graduation, as well as introducing the people into his life that inspire him the most, such as his wife Lindsay. After having the chance to create deep and meaningful relationships while studying to build his career, Scott expresses that his alma mater has helped connect him to what matters in his life, such as his family, friends, and his ability to operate a business.
The 27th Annual Toast to Success Business Dinner, organized by the Entrepreneurs' Club (TECDE), is a networking event celebrating entrepreneurial success within uOttawa and the local community. The event, held at the Chateau Laurier on February 1, 2018, is one of the largest networking events organized by Telfer School students. As keynote speaker, Terry Davis, CEO of Home Hardware presented several key aspects of his career as well as tips for future entrepreneurs in the room.
DECA is a professional development club that transforms students into case cracking masters. Delegates participate in multiple case study competitions Canada-wide, particularly in Ontario, to showcase their expertise in a variety of fields such as accounting, finance, marketing, and business law. Held once yearly, the DECA provincial competition is a two-day event in downtown Toronto and consists of 17 different case categories, featuring over 1300 students from 23 participating universities and colleges across the country.
On January 20-21, 63 delegates went on to face the DECA challenge and won a total of ten awards:
William King – 1st place and won $1,000 in the Start-up pitch Competition;
Christina Wong and Kelsey Baguley – Overall 2nd place in Marketing Management;
Tingi Gurung – 1st place in case #1 and 3rd place overall in Corporate Finance;
Vanessa Kelly – 2nd place in case #1 and 1st place overall in Human Resource Management;
Jason Luo – 1st place in case #2 and 1st place overall in Management Consulting;
Michelle Tam and Rula Al Halbouni – won Leaders in diversity award.
The executive team would like to thank all its delegates for their tireless work and remarkable accomplishments to help make the uOttawa chapter shine!
[What’s next for DECA uOttawa?]
Next for DECA is hosting their inaugural invitational conference called Momentum, held February 9 – 11. Open to all Telfer students, this event will include several networking opportunities with companies such as Narcity, RBC, TMX, Burgers & Fries Forever, and more.
Thereafter, stay tuned for DECA’s year-end event, where they will have their last case study activity and introduce their new executive team and President.
The Women in Management Network (WMN), officially launched to a room of over 150 professionals, faculty and students on January 16th. WMN is a student-run initiative under the Telfer Career Centre that strives to empower and support women in the Telfer community to succeed by connecting them with female mentors, all while encouraging increased female participation in all areas of Telfer.
In the opening speeches of the WMN launch, Polly Leung [WMN network lead], stated that “Despite women being half of the student population at Telfer today, there is still so much room for potential for women to become leaders, achieve greater heights, and not be afraid to say ‘What if I am the best person for the job?’ in a world that might not always agree with us. Our network strives to empower women to own their talent and be a voice to drive them to be more confident in the world of business.”
The launch party was an interactive event, meant to facilitate the beginning of conversations and mentoring relationships. With this in mind, the event was thoughtfully organized down to the smallest detail- from conversation ‘bowls’ containing prompts to start meaningful discussion, to an interactive station meant to connect attendees with women-related resources in Ottawa.
WMN would like to thank everyone who attended the launch event. A special thank you to DavidsTea for providing refreshments, SnapLite for the LED signage seen throughout the event, and to the Telfer Career Centre for their continuous support.
You may have heard the name Montana Champagne recently if you follow local news. This winter semester, he won his first national title in the 400 IM in the winter semester of 2017 and the 5th fastest time in Canadian history. He was named Gee-Gees Athlete of the Year and First Team All Canadian. He was also given the Directors’ award and was name MVP of the swim team. As you can see, Telfer’s very own varsity swimmer has a lot to brag about.
Though his results at the U-sports championship may impressive, it should be noted that Champagne still manages to gracefully balance his academics with his sports. With regular A and B returns from his assignments, he is committed to coming out of University not only with an incredible reputation as a world-class swimmer, but also as a Telfer alumni with a well-rounded knowledge of Business.
Champagne credits a part of his success to the services offered at Telfer, saying, “I love the amount of resources and help that are offered to students. Telfer has a team of academic advisors that specialize in helping out students who may need some advice or guidance throughout their academic career.”
Currently enrolled in BCom (no option), Montana decided to switch to Human Resources Management option after taking the Human Resources Management and Organizational Behaviour class: “It left the biggest impression on me because it showed me the more personal and human side to the business world.”
As co-captain of the Varsity swim team, Montana is no stranger to leading people and helping people to improve, two of the characteristics that are often sought out in Business professionals. His future is looking bright, with plans to represent Canada on the international stage for swimming, and to benefit as much as possible from his time at Telfer to find a job after he graduates.
We are pleased to inform you of the recipients of the MHA Alumni Association (MHAAA) Health Leadership Award, the Michel Lalonde Award, and the Michael Garron Award.
MHA Alumni Association (MHAAA) Health Leadership Award
On Friday, December 8th, the Fall 2017 MHA residents completed their Field Project final presentations.
As part of this activity, a selection committee composed of Craig Kuziemsky, George Langill, Pat McCaron, Greg Fougère, and Sarah Downey evaluated the presentations to determine the recipient of the MHA Alumni Association Health Leadership Awards.
The MHAAA Health Leadership Award is given to an outstanding MHA student upon the presentation of the Health Care Management Field Project.
The qualities of the presentations were very high throughout. Each presenter was very articulate, clearly owned his/her project and demonstrated significant initiatives that will impact organizations and the health care system.
That being said, we are pleased to inform you that Anne-Marie Parent is this year’s recipient of the MHAAA Health Leadership Award. Anne-Marie completed her field project, “Coordinated Access to Home and Community Services” at the Champlain LHIN. Her presentation clearly demonstrated her leadership abilities and how her project was an innovative contribution to the health care system. The presentation also demonstrated her ability to plan and implement a complex concept. For these reasons, the committee is pleased to give Anne-Marie this award.
Michael Garron Award
The Michael Garron Hospital, formerly known as Toronto East General Hospital, and the University of Ottawa Master of Health Administration program have a deep and longstanding relationship that has extended over a decade.
The Michael Garron Award recognizes a University of Ottawa MHA student who has demonstrated innovative health solutions to practical problems encountered during their residency placement. This year’s recipient of the award is Belinda Maciejewski. Belinda completed her residency at The Ottawa Hospital, and presented her project entitled “Mapping the Operational Process for the New TOH Home Dialysis Program”.
Michel Lalonde Award
The goal of the Michel Lalonde scholarship is to recognize a student in the MHA program who exhibits exceptional leadership qualities manifested through academic excellence and engagement in extracurricular activities.
We are proud to report that several candidates displayed great leadership qualities. This is not only an attestation of the excellent students that enroll in the MHA program but also evidence of the leadership skills that are developed within the program.
We are pleased to inform you that Anne-Marie Parent is this year’s recipient of the Michel Lalonde MHA Scholarship for the 2016-2017 academic year.
Congratulations to Anne-Marie and Belinda - we wish you much success in your future careers.
The 2018 MBA Games have officially come to a close but the legacy of this 3-day event will live on with the 600 MBA candidates who travelled to Ottawa from coast-to-coast to participate from January 5th to 7th.
This year marked the 30th anniversary of the student-run MBA Games. For the first time ever, they were held in Ottawa, hosted by the Telfer School of Management.
“Meeting all of the passionate and talented competitors was so rewarding,” says Emma Azzi, Telfer MBA student and chair of the 2018 MBA Games. “It was amazing to see the months of planning come together.”
Despite the cold weather, all 17 participating schools brought a warm display of energy and skills to the academic, athletic and spirit events. Participants even braved an outdoor scavenger hunt in -20°C weather.
In total, $45,311 was raised in support of the Moose Hide Campaign, a grassroots Indigenous-led movement of men standing up against violence towards women and children.
Paul and Raven Lacerte, co-founders of the Moose Hide Campaign, said they were so grateful for all the efforts of the MBA delegations in raising funds for their organization and in spreading the message across university campuses.
Competition results:
Schulich School of Business (York University) was awarded the Queen’s Cup as the overall MBA Games winner.
Our own Telfer School of Management (University of Ottawa) took home the Schulich Cup for their top scores in Academics which included Finance, Marketing, Strategy, and Diversity & Inclusion case competitions.
Beedie School of Business (Simon Fraser University) was the Titi Watul Spirit Overall Winner for their strong showing in the spirit components which included fundraising, social media, a video competition, a scavenger hunt and a case developed with the Moose Hide Campaign.
DeGroote School of Business (McMaster University) took home the newly minted Telfer Cup for their top overall scores in Athletics which included volleyball, basketball, dodgeball and curling tournaments.
In addition, four teams took home $10,000 grants from the Moose Hide Campaign to fund the on-campus initiatives they presented to address violence towards women.
Here are Telfer’s academic rankings:
1st place Strategy case: Shariq Akhlaq, Akil Manasia, Kyle Ferguson and Laurine Avallone.
1st place Finance case: Rohan Vaidya, Kuntal Shah, Peter Narbaitz and Eric Goneau.
2nd place Diversity and Inclusion case: Tanya Roy, Jujhar Singh, John Wins-Purdy and Chinmaya Mohapatro.
In addition, a special mention to our coaches Germain Aoun and Hantz Prosper who helped to drive these students to success.
The Right Honourable David Johnson, former Governor General and Executive Advisor to Deloitte Canada helped launch the event as the keynote speaker at the Opening Ceremonies Gala.
Congratulations to all participants! The 2018 MBA Games proved yet again that we really are #MoreTogether!
From January 5th to 7th, 2018, nearly 130 students represented the Telfer School of Management at two of Canada's largest inter-university competitions. The teams participated in academic, sporting and social events.
The first competition, Jeux du commerce (JDC), brought together 13 universities at Concordia University in Montreal, home of the John Molson School of Business, as the bilingual competition celebrated its 30th year.
Unfortunately, the second competition, Jeux du Commerce Central (JDCC) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, was cancelled due to extreme weather conditions.
Congratulations to Telfer BCom students for winning the following in academic and sporting events:
1st place – Finance Case: Dmitry Shorikov, Katya Berez and Xing Zang.
Coaches: Michael Reynolds and Professor Allan Riding.
1st place – Tax Case: Dominic Piscopo, Julie-Anne Given and Nikita Gupta
Coach: Dominic Franchi
2nd place – Netball: Sean Lumney, Curtis Lu, Santiago Pinzo, Tamara Roy-Stang, Emily Potvin, Jordan Earls, Marisha Sesto, Michael Shaheen and Maxime Frost
Coaches: Fadi Azzi and Emily Ryan
3rd place - Human Ressources Case: Marie-Claude Monette, Isabelle D'Aoust and Deanna Carter.
Coaches: Maral Elliot and Matt Archibald.
3rd place – Project Operation Management Case: Austin St. Pierre, Dylan Budimir-Hussey and Cherise Naidu.
Coaches: Professor Jasmin Manseau and Aghilas Chebini.
“Coming to the Telfer School of Management gave me the opportunity to have a fresh start; I knew very few people, and really wanted to maximize my university experience. Becoming involved in the school community through a number of clubs and associations proved to be the perfect way to achieve this,” said Spencer Lee, a fourth year student pursuing his BCom with option in Finance. Spencer explains, “The Telfer School of Management has been incredibly instrumental in connecting me with unique learning experiences, professional contacts and lifelong friends. Through my coursework, club participation, and extracurricular activities, I have truly been connected to what matters to me time and time again, as I develop and grow as a student and a person.”
The Telfer School’s dynamic tagline “Connects you to what matters” has been especially true for Spencer, who has taken full advantage of the multitude of opportunities available to him by getting involved on campus with initiatives like the Capital Markets Mentorship Program (CMMP), the Telfer Capital Fund, being a Teaching Assistant, and being a uOttawa ambassador for the Montreal Exchange program. During the summer, Spencer worked as a Summer Associate at the TMX Group and he will be Telfer Peer Mentor for the 2017-2018 school year. He was also recently accepted into the Telfer Executive Mentorship Program, which will allow him to be mentored by an industry executive, receiving career guidance, one-on-one learning, and networking opportunities.
Always eager to learn new things, Spencer says that being involved in clubs and initiatives that interest him has allowed him to share his passions, while also learning from his peers and industry professionals. “I am constantly motivated by upper year Telfer students who have taught me a great deal and have shown me the countless opportunities available through participating in these clubs and associations, which has been a truly invaluable experience.”
Through his studies at Telfer, Spencer has been able to network, gain practical experience, and travel. He credits much of his success to the initiative he took to get involved. Outside of Telfer, Spencer plays intramural hockey, which he says “provides a great opportunity to stay in shape and socialize with other classmates.”
Spencer concludes that, “One should never stop learning and growing, and it is this concept that really inspires me to get involved and try to gain new knowledge and understanding from any opportunity available to me.”
Polycycle, an initiative by the Telfer student club Enactus uOttawa, has been named the recipient of the $150,000 Community Legacy award through Aviva Canada’s Community Fund Program. The Community Legacy Award targets young social entrepreneurs who have ideas focused on the theme of creating a community legacy.
Aviva’s Community Legacy Fund targets individuals between the ages of 18 and 25 years old with a unique solution to tackling climate change or an idea that benefits Canada’s environmental legacy. Polycycle was one of five Community Legacy Finalists that received the most votes during the initial voting round. In the end, Polycycle was chosen as the winner of the Community Legacy Fund and were awarded $150,000 in funding to implement their idea within a two-year period.
Polycycle’s project focuses on reducing plastic waste through the collection, and up cycling of post-consumer plastic goods. The project utilizes special machines to shred, melt down, and remould plastic waste into a variety of consumer goods. The project also works with community members to ensure that social employment is an integral part of each system’s operation.
For the 18th edition, the annual CASCO Gala brought together wonderful musical, fashion and dance performances, raising an impressive $63,506.67 for The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). “The success of the event comes from great collaboration, and we would like to particularly thank our title sponsor Fahel & CO, the Infinity Convention Centre for hosting our gala for the first time, Co-Founder Tuan Nguyen, and Amanda Richardson, our Faculty advisor at the Telfer School of Management” said Conor O’Doherty, President of CASCO, the Telfer School’s Student Charity Organisation.
“I am extremely proud of all the work everyone on CASCO has put into our 18th Annual Gala. Our cast managed to put together an incredibly impressive show at a brand new venue and our Executive team has worked for over 11 months to make sure this was one of our highest donations to CHEO”, added Conor.
For the past 17 years, CASCO has been a major event for the Telfer School of Management, which has raised more than $500,000 in funds to date. CASCO is entirely choreographed, organized and executed by like-minded Telfer School students. In recent years, students from other faculties have joined, as performers, in what became a spectacular show of talent and philanthropy that brings together over 500 people including prominent community leaders and ambassadors for CHEO.
In preparation for this event, CASCO students spent countless hours auditioning, choreographing, and organizing this annual gala show to raise money for CHEO. The Telfer School of Management and the wider University of Ottawa community remain very proud of students who decide to commit time and energy on this event every year for the positive impacts that they leave on our community
You can find photos from the evening on our Flickr page. Feel free to download and share with your friends!
It was another great success for our Entrepreneurship Bridges Lecture Series, which brought together the co-founders and co-CEOs of Surmesur, François and Vincent Thériault, and the Elevator Pitch Competition presented by the National Bank.
The annual Elevator Pitch Competition showcases some of the University of Ottawa’s top talent. As a part of Global Entrepreneurship week, this competition allows young entrepreneurs to present their business ideas that are still in the early stages of development to a panel of judges and Rise to the Top. The winners are awarded with a generous cash prize that they can put towards furthering their business idea. “The competition is a great preview into what students are working on and what is to come. Entrepreneurs create jobs and grow economies and it’s encouraging to see that our students are building the next generation of businesses, both traditional for-profits and social enterprises”, mentions Stephen Daze.
The competition has two categories: validation and traction. Each category can make a big contribution to the development of a start-up, with prizes of $5,000 and $10,000 respectively.
Results:
Validation Competition: Swich
Swich is a carbon air filter company utilized for odor elimination across many industries. It’s the world’s first reusable and biodegradable can-styled carbon filter and is the most economic, efficient and environmentally sustainable option on the market.
“We are in the beginning of a Green rush, and when everyone in mining for gold you want to be the one selling them shovels and pickaxes. Or in our case Carbon filters”, said Adam Czach, Co-founder of Swich.
Traction Competition: Desk Nibbles
Desk Nibbles is a local uOttawa startup serving snacks across the country. They Strive to create the best customer experience and ensure providing their clients with the best snacks in Canada.
“Anyone can agree the work they do deserves to be treated with a snack once in a while. Desk Nibbles is a service that prides itself on delivering that treat straight to the employees of any office. Desk Nibbles delivers the best snacks to your office, so it can glow with varieties of taste tested, proven, premium healthy snacks. These snacks will energize the minds and bodies of the workplace. It’s also a simple, painless process, no need to lift a finger. Simply signup online or call a representative to place an order. Then receive bundles of the best healthy snacks for to any office hassle free.”
Visit their website at https://desknibbles.com/
In less than two months, close to 600 MBA students from over 20 schools across the country will descend on the Telfer School of Management to compete for the glory of the MBA Games 2018 Queens Cup.
The single largest gathering of MBA students in Canada, the MBA Games is a 3-day annual event, organized entirely by students, that brings participants together to network and build relationships while competing in series of academic, athletic and spirit competitions. The Student Association at Telfer is proud to host the 30th annual MBA Games over the weekend of January 5-7th 2018, for the first time ever in our nation’s capital.
The MBA Games is more than a competition. It is an opportunity for students with diverse backgrounds to come together to create lasting memories and innovate for a better future. To highlight how much more can be achieved in business when we create space for diversity, the 2018 Organizing Committee has chosen to mark this year’s games with the theme, More Together.
This year, the MBA Games has partnered with the Moose Hide Campaign, a grassroots, Indigenous-led initiative of men standing up against violence towards women and children. Participating teams have found creative ways to raise funds in their communities for this worthy cause: from bake sales and trivia nights to professional headshots. All funds raised will be donated to the Moose Hide Campaign’s Safe Spaces, Safe Places Initiative, which works to end violence towards women on university campuses across the country.
At the MBA Games, participating students will compete in academic cases sponsored by prominent organizations: platinum event sponsor Deloitte, platinum case sponsor, Export Development Canada (EDC) and Gold Case sponsor, Canada Post.
Athletic events will include volleyball, basketball, dodgeball, and for the first time, participants will get to try their hands at Canada’s other national sport, Curling at the Rideau Curling Club.
The spirit competitions will blend fun team-building with activities to get students thinking about social responsibility and the future.
The MBA Games 2018 Organizing committee is counting down the days until MBA students from across the country become More Together!
With a successful year for the Telfer Alumni Association (TAA) in the books, the Annual General Meeting sparked interest from Telfer alumni to join the growing association. This year, the TAA Board broadened with Iskandar Alex Nasrallah (BCom 2017) as the Director of Marketing, and Nader Rustom (BCom 2016) as the Director of Communications.
Alex, a 2017 accounting graduate, obtained a gold medal for winning the CPA Ontario Case Competition and is the founder of a student tax prep start up company. He brings an entrepreneurial background to the board, as well as a large network to help grow the Telfer Alumni Association.
Nader has been an actively involved alumni since graduating in early 2016. He has been a judge for the Equity Valuation live case competition for 4th year Finance students and a volunteer for Junior Achievement Canada.
Returning members include Director of Events – Arianna Farley, Director of Finance & Strategic Partnerships – Lucas Ghosn, Director of Operations & Engagements – Sushil Dahiya, and President - Diana Kolesarova.
We also want to thank Alexandra Batchelor, Carl Lafleur and Aproov Chawla for serving on the 2016-2017 TAA Board.
“The growth of the TAA is not only very exciting for the Telfer alumni in the Ottawa region, but also those across the world. We’re looking forward to another year of connecting alumni to what matters.” - Diana Kolesarova, TAA President
To get in touch with with the TAA:
Email - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Facebook - facebook.com/telferalumni
Medium - medium.com/@telferalumn
On November 7, we had the honour of welcoming Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada and Chancellor of the University of Ottawa, to the Chancellor's Master Class. This class brought together all Telfer School MBA and Executive MBA candidates. Mr. Rovinescu shared his experience at Air Canada and discussed its turnaround in the global market.
As Telfer Executive MBA Director Sophia Leong explains, we have to learn from our successes, but especially from the successes of our Canadian companies.
“Air Canada’s transformation from near death to market success is a perfect example of active learning from M. Rovinescu” stated Ms. Leong. “He led the financial and commercial turnaround by making bold and risky moves to transform Air Canada to a global player. Air Canada is a live case of ‘The Art of the Possible’ and M. Rovinescu brought that reality to both the Executive MBA and MBA candidates.”
In his presentation, Mr. Rovinescu discussed the role of a president and CEO, who must make bold decisions when standard practices fail. He likened this approach to solving a Rubik's Cube. “To move to more sustainable business outcomes, Air Canada had to let go of former business strategies or practises despite the associated risks and difficulties” said Mr. Rovinescu.
“This created significant change management for Air Canada personnel and stakeholders. In addition to frequent and mindful communication, we had to emphasize on the importance of ‘symbols’ to instill pride in the workforce and stakeholders. By leveraging the maple leaf symbol, Air Canada is mindful it is branding ‘Canada’ by proxy.”
On November 2nd at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, the Fraser Institute held their annual Founder’s Award tribute dinner honouring Canada’s greatest business and philanthropic leaders. This year’s Award was presented to Ian Telfer, Chairman of the Board and Director of Goldcorp. That week Ian Telfer attended and networked with our alumni at the receptions in Calgary November 1st and in Vancouver November 2nd as a special guest but also to cap off the 10th anniversary of the Telfer School.
The Fraser Institute Founders’ Award, named after founders T. Patrick Boyle and Michael A. Walker, is the Institute’s highest honour. The award is presented annually to individuals in recognition of their exceptional entrepreneurial achievements, generous philanthropic endeavors and dedication to competitive markets. These individuals are role models for the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders.
Ian Telfer was also honoured along with his wife, Nancy Burke, as the recipients of the Children’s Charity Gold Heart Award at the annual Gold Heart Gala. The couple are well-known across British Columbia and beyond for their generous giving, including to Variety - the Children’s Charity of BC (Variety BC) through their family foundation.
The Gold Heart Award is Variety BC’s most prestigious mark of distinction, honouring exceptional philanthropic contributions throughout local communities. The Gala is chaired by Mary Zilba, and vice-chaired by Fiona Forbes, local television celebrities and longtime friends and supporters of Variety BC.
Ian Telfer will also be announced as one of the 2018 Canadian Business Hall of Fame inductees at the Gala Dinner and Induction Ceremony that will be held in Toronto at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on May 17, 2018.
The Telfer School of Management has once again been recognized as an outstanding business school by The Princeton Review. The organization has featured 267 leading business schools internationally. This recognition highlights the Telfer School’s international outreach and its strong world-wide reputation.
“I believe it is important to continue learning – learning never stops. I love that Telfer supports personal growth and development through learning. It also connects its students to experts in their field,” said Andrea Ghazzawi, a PhD candidate in the Management Program with a field of study in Health Systems.
Inspired by Dr. Craig Kuziemsky and driven by the opportunity to contribute to improving the Canadian healthcare system, Andrea chose to continue her studies at the University of Ottawa in the Telfer School of Management. She completed her masters and is now currently working on her PhD.
Andrea went on to mention that the many opportunities available at the Telfer School of Management attracted her to begin and continue her studies here. “Having the chance to learn from a multidisciplinary group of professors with varying areas of expertise was an incredible experience for me.”
When asked which classes left a strong impression on her, Andrea answered, “The health systems courses stood out to me, especially the classes that covered the use of information technology in healthcare and the application of quantitative health research methods.”
While fulfilling the duties of being a mother, fulfilling her passion for cooking, and spending time with family and friends, Andrea works to maintain her academic success and continues to think about improvements needed in the healthcare system to benefit all Canadians, and how she can contribute.
“Thinking back, I would never have thought that I would be doing a PhD—it just wasn’t on my radar—but I am thankful to be here and to be participating in this program,” concluded Andrea.
Thank you to all of those who attended the 2017 Gala of Excellence on October 21. With over 340 guests in attendance, we celebrated the achievements and outstanding contributions that our alumni make to the world of business, health-care, the community and their alma mater. It was also a chance for us to celebrate the milestone anniversaries of the graduates of 1967, 1977, 1992 and 2007.
You can find photos from the evening on our Flickr page. Feel free to download and share with your friends!
Did you graduate in 1968, 1978, 1993 or 2008? We are looking for class champions for Gala of Excellence 2018 that will be held on October 20, 2018. Please contact Kim Duthie if you are interested in being a class champion and helping your classmates reconnect after all these years!
Maybe you’ve seen her around campus, or was it her identical twin sister?
Fourth year BCom student Holly Todd has been extremely active in the Telfer School community, serving as President of Enactus and participating in Jeux du commerce central and Happening Marketing case competitions, as well as an international exchange to England.
Getting involved with Enactus has shaped Holly’s experience at Telfer. Enactus’ mission is to use the power of entrepreneurial action to better their community. One great example of this is Sprout, an Enactus uOttawa social enterprise that aims to address urban food security by stocking fresh produce and instructional meal kits in corner stores. Holly explains, “Enactus gives me the opportunity to gain real-world business skills and impact people in communities across Canada by running social enterprises, which I find very rewarding. I love the challenges that Enactus presents, as well as the ability to experiment and go outside my comfort zone”.
In fact, Holly enjoys working for Enactus so much that she applied, and was selected for, the RBC CO-OP Entrepreneurship Program, which allows her to work full-time on Enactus’ social enterprise, Sprout. The RBC CO-OP Entrepreneurship Program allows students to learn how to become successful entrepreneurs by doing a CO-OP placement either in an existing startup or working on their own startup to get it off the ground. Being selected for the program allowed Holly to work on Sprout full-time, focusing her time and energy on bringing Sprout to the next stage in its evolution and giving her valuable transferable skills that she can use in her career moving forward.
Holly was drawn to Enactus because of the drive she saw in other students. She states, “My fellow Enactus students continue to inspire me – they dedicate thousands of hours per year to causes that they’re passionate about, all while juggling classes, social obligations, part time jobs and other involvement. It always amazes me what a group of students can do when we put our heads together and work towards a common vision.”
Holly says that she initially chose Telfer because it had a good reputation as a top business school and says that she chose marketing because of her goal of working in advertising. Now, a few years since she first chose Telfer, Holly has travelled to eleven countries, grew as a person, explored her passions and got great work experience, all while helping communities in need.
Thank you to all the participants, sponsors and volunteers who joined us for the Telfer Scholarship Golf Tournament on September 22, 2017.
With your help, we raised over $20,000 to go towards the Bernadette Sarazin and Carl Nappert Merit Scholarship fund!
Congratulations to our winning team! Thomas Cox, John Wins-Purdy, Caolan Walsh (left to right) as well as Kevin Huynh (not present).
For information regarding sponsorship opportunities for future editions of the Telfer Scholarship Golf Tournament, please contact Susan Redmond at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 613-562-5800 x 4746.
You can find photos from the evening on our Flickr page. Feel free to download and share with your friends!
The Telfer School of Management’s undergraduate office is thrilled to announce the official launch of the Telfer Workshop Initiative! This initiative offers an overview of post-secondary education in management, as well as professional development training to students in grades 10 to 12, in secondary 4 and 5, and in cégep.
Offered free of charge during the school year (October – June), this initiative is organized in collaboration with our School’s dynamic professors, our current Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) students and alumni, our industry partners, and our Student Services Centre. The workshops have been designed to complement students’ curriculum, while allowing them to experience a taste of university studies.
We are convinced that these workshops offer an unparalleled opportunity for students to discover commerce, and for teachers to enrich their course content. If you are a teacher or guidance counselor and would like your class or school to participate in this innovative program, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Marketing and Liaison Coordinator, for further information!
Goldy Hyder, CEO of Hill+Knowlton Strategies Canada, with 2017 CEOX1Day finalist, Anna Halawa.
Goldy Hyder, CEO of Hill+Knowlton Strategies Canada, with 2017 CEOX1Day finalist, Anna Halawa.
The CEO1XDay program, run by executive recruiting firm Odgers Berndtson, matches Canada’s top students with CEOs from across the country. Today’s students are the leaders of tomorrow and the yearly program aims to uncover some of Canada’s most promising future talent by giving them an unforgettable real-world experience.
Launched in 2013, CEOx1Day has matched close to 70 third and fourth year undergraduate students from across Canada with leading Canadian CEOs from organizations like Purolator, IKEA, the CFL, Manulife Financial and Economic Development Canada. This year, there is another fantastic line-up of CEOs from organizations in the private, public and not-for profit sectors including the Ottawa Senators, PayPal, Edelman, Amnesty International, Kellogg’s, and Purolator.
Past CEOx1Day students who have taken part in the program say that they received valuable experience that equips them with the tools to start building their careers. Because the selection process has several stages, there is an opportunity for students to get feedback on their leadership and interview skills, even if they don’t make it to the final round. The different phases of the selection process include an online leadership assessment, as well as phone and in-person interviews and a half day with Odgers Berndtson recruiters.
The application process kicks off September 28th until October 27th and the actual day spent with the CEO occurs in February of 2018.
Why Should You Apply?
The program gives third and fourth-year students an opportunity to take in-class learning and apply it to a real-world situation while providing them with the tools and skills needed to start building their career.
What Are the Benefits?
There are many benefits of going through the CEOX1Day application process – even if you don’t reach the finals:
2 out of 3 applicants will have the opportunity to receive a personalized leadership report from Hogan Assessments
Semi-finalists will be considered for an interview with McKinsey & Company for a summer internship or full-time job
Semi-finalists will spend a half day participating in group exercises and one-on-one interviewing which will strengthen their presentation and interviewing skills
And ultimately, the winners will spend a full day shadowing a CEO (including one-on-one time), learning about his/her background, career path, and leadership approach
Big-data analytics investments don’t necessarily mean big impact. Two of our researchers from Telfer are exploring how to get more value from big data.
Telfer Professors Ajax Persaud and Sandra Schillo want to know if small and medium-sized enterprises (SMES) are ready to take advantage of the deluge of data at their disposal, in new research funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
Mastery of big-data insights was supposed to enable SMEs to punch above their weight. By acquiring the right deep data and analytical skills, SMEs will be well in their way to making better decisions in the new digital landscape. That at least, was the chant small-business leaders were hearing for years. But with more than half of big data projects failing to achieve their objectives, what are Canadian SMEs to do?
“A lot SMEs are proceeding with caution on big-data analytics (BDA), and you can hardly blame them,” professor Schillo contends. The path to achieving value from BDA initiatives is far from clear. “It’s a big concern right now because Canada needs these organizations to stay current on BDA in order to remain globally competitive.”
Professor Persaud observes that “BDA is fast becoming a major focus for corporate executives with the main concern being how to extract maximum value from big data. It will transform corporate governance and decision-making” The transformation is so rapid that Canada’s Big Data Consortium has predicted a massive shortage of employees with the right mix of big data skills. “In a few short years, the ability to store, capture, process, analyze this information became of strategic importance to firms,” explained Persaud. “Every firm today wonders, how can I use it to my advantage?”
But he adds that BDA is still a gamble for most small businesses, even for companies with an appetite to chase big-data insights and resources to put behind the effort. “Capturing and mining the data does not automatically lead to value or better decisions – the right people with the right skills are needed to generate valuable insights and management needs to act strategically to harness the value of the insights.”
With their research, the Telfer researchers will use quantitative and qualitative methods to gauge the readiness of SMEs to leverage big data. Where most of the research in this area focuses on the technologies of big data, professors Persaud and Schillo are interested in BDA management processes, strategies and resources. Along the way, they’ll also contribute towards the development of frameworks, scales and indicators which, again, would illuminate the managerial aspect of big data. They expect to generate practical insights for Canadian SMEs, the academic management field, and the entrepreneurship public-policy community.
The researchers say that, as with any initiative designed to prepare SMEs to exploit big data for competitive advantage, their study will venture into uncertain terrain. But this much appears certain: given SMEs role in the economy, and considering the promise of big data, now is the time to help them unlock the value of big data. “One side, there’s a lot of euphoria about how SMEs might benefit from BDA, and on the other, there are those who say that only a wait-and-see approach will avoid business losses,” says professor Schillo. “But neither extreme is probably very realistic,” professor Persaud adds. “Our hope with this research is to make it a lot more realistic.”
My internship through the Telfer MBA program allowed me to work in a completely different environment than my previous work experience and helped me grow as a professional while allowing me to directly apply the knowledge I was gaining in my MBA classes. I worked in a sales and marketing capacity with a tech company still in its first few years of operations, which really left the space wide open for me to make an impact. My initial objectives for the internship were to develop, implement and manage an email campaign to boost lead generation, develop and refine marketing material, and look at updating the website and search engine optimization.
While starting from scratch removes a lot of the limitations that can occur when trying to revamp a legacy firm’s marketing strategy, it also leads to many challenges as you need to find consensus on many items that seem trivial to a company focused on meeting its initial monthly recurring revenue targets. However, there are pre-requisites any new company needs to establish that are vital to the overarching strategy and alignment that will drive sales and marketing for years. For any of my projects to make a lasting impact, I first had to gain consensus on the mission, vision and values as well as the unique value proposition of the company. From this, existing sales and marketing collateral could be aligned, new material and templates created and the messaging in the email campaign could be refined.
As much of my work focused on marketing initiatives, the skills and knowledge I gained from my Strategic Marketing Management course were critical in helping me. Although I had previously worked in a marketing environment, my background is as an engineer and I had always focused more on the technical side of product development. To take on a pure marketing role, I needed to use the theory of marketing that I was taught at Telfer to be able to propose a marketing strategy to the company’s CEO. I was also able to use the skills I was learning in my Strategy course, which I was taking at the same time as the internship, to look at the strategic grouping of the company compared to its closest competitors. I was able to help position the company’s messaging to showcase it as being in a completely new market compared to existing products, which helped set the overall voice and tone of marketing material. As our product was an application of the industrial internet of things, having taken a course on Global Trends and the Business Intelligence & Big Data elective gave me the introduction to analytics and machine learning that helped me understand the data scientists to translate their work into a comprehensive marketing message.
This opportunity enabled me to grow as a professional in several areas. The first was the chance to work in a startup environment. Having previously only worked in large bureaucratic firms, it was a new experience to work in a company that had less than 20 employees. This enabled me to take on more responsibility and forced me to be flexible and change what I was working on to focus on the firm’s more pressing priorities. It was inspiring to work with the people who founded the company, whose passion was the driving force behind the company’s growth. I also learned a lot about a completely new industry, one that focused on software development and the application of prescriptive analytics in a manufacturing setting. While I had worked in several different engineering environments before, this was by far the most cutting edge, and focused on the applications of a still evolving technology.
For Shokoofeh Manesh, her BCom studies with option in Accounting at the Telfer School of Management have presented opportunities to get involved on campus, allowing her to grow her network and gain invaluable skills. “They say that your university experience will only be as good as what you make of it, and getting involved with clubs at Telfer has allowed me to make my experience truly great,” stated Shokoofeh. “My involvement with clubs and associations has allowed me to make the most of my time at Telfer: not only have I made amazing friendships by getting involved, but I have also grown as a leader in my community.”
Getting involved in the Telfer Accounting Club (TAC) is where Shokoofeh found her place to thrive. She’s been part of TAC since her first year of studies, slowly climbing up the executive ladder to now serve as Co-President for the 2017-2018 academic year. In addition to TAC, Shokoofeh has been involved with Enactus, the Telfer Internal Case Competition (TICC), Jeux du commerce (JDC), and 101 Week. As a recipient of the Peter and Ann Koppel Scholarship for Excellence, Shokoofeh was able to prioritize her involvement and academic success. The scholarship rewards students who exemplify academic achievement, social responsibility, and involvement in the Telfer community. In fact, Shokoofeh noted that the skills she gained by studying at Telfer and participating in these clubs have been integral in securing and excelling in her CO-OP work terms, and most notably, her placement as Analyst for Deloitte’s Risk Advisory department.
In addition to having the opportunity to get involved, Shokoofeh said one of her main reasons for choosing the Telfer School was its French Immersion stream, which allowed her to study what she loves, business and math, while also continuing to improve her French. For high school students who are going through the process of choosing a university themselves and are considering the Telfer School of Management, Shokoofeh says, “If you want to surround yourself with students who are resourceful, innovative, and passionate, the Telfer School of Management is the place for you.”
I’m an accountant, and my practice includes a specialization in fundraising. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that when you ask people to give money to a cause, you better be ready to give when they ask you for something in return. I approached fundraising for the Kevin Vollett Entrepreneurial Award with this insight in mind. The scholarship award is given each year to recognize a member of The Entrepreneurs’ Club for his or her participation and dedication to the club. The award is named for a friend, former fellow club executive and budding entrepreneur who died in an accident back in 1993, when we were both Telfer BCom students.
I was asked by the school to revive the award financially so it remains viable for years to come. Rather than simply putting the touch on a few club alumni with fat wallets, I asked the school and its students for something instead. I decided the school’s request would be a great opportunity for me to work with today’s executives of The Entrepreneurs’ Club and share my knowledge and experience with fundraising. What better way, I thought, to honour Kevin’s memory and further his legacy than not only to raise the necessary funds, but also mentor his successors at the club about this vital part of business life.
The fact that the Telfer School is honouring me is proof that my approach is a winning one. The Kevin Vollett Entrepreneurial Award is well on its way to becoming fully funded and sustainable for many years, and several students have gained important knowledge and valuable real-world experience in the process. Best of all, Kevin’s legacy at the school and the club is secure. That’s more than fulfilment enough for me.
If you don’t respect where you’ve come from, how are you going to respect where you are now? This rhetorical question has influenced me throughout my adult life and certainly does so as a loyal Telfer School donor. My time at the Telfer School, which started back in the 1970s, was made possible by money from scholarships and other generous support. As a woman from a hard-working farm family in southern Ontario, I care that young people from unremarkable backgrounds can get the financial support they need to reap the rewards that education and hard work bring. Opportunity is important to me.
So is inclusiveness. It matters that the Telfer School is bilingual and that it also welcomes students from across the country and around the world. When I was a Telfer BCom student, this spirit of inclusiveness enabled me to study with people who had much different backgrounds than mine. And this exposure helped make me a better student, person and, eventually, accountant and public servant. That inclusive institutions such as the Telfer School and the University of Ottawa exist in Canada’s capital city is of great significance—both as a symbol to everyone throughout the country and as a source of broad-minded professionals, especially for our public service.
These connected values—opportunity and inclusiveness—are why I’ve been a loyal Telfer School donor. I’ve given regularly to scholarship funds and to support the Dean’s strategic priorities. Opportunity and inclusiveness are also why I’ll continue to give. This place and its characteristics helped shape who I am. And if you don’t respect where you’ve come from, how are you going to respect where you are now?
Lack of money is a talent waster. I believe students should focus their time and energy on improving their skills, deepening their knowledge and expanding their experiences, not on trying to earn the money they need to pay their tuition and academic expenses. It’s the reason I give financially to the Telfer School every year. It matters to me that students—Telfer BCom students especially—get the financial support they need to take full advantage of the special student experience at the Telfer School.
As an accountant, I give mainly to Professor Sylvain Durocher’s accounting students. I act as a judge in their annual case competition and supply a portion of the prize money that goes to the winning team and finalist. That money is important to these students. It’s a tangible reward for their sharp thinking and hard work, and it helps ease their financial burden in a small way, enabling them to focus more fully on their student experience. Even a modest amount of money means a lot to these students. My financial contribution also gives something to me—mostly satisfaction in seeing the joy on the faces of the winners and in knowing that I’m helping them hone their professional talents.
I urge all recent Telfer BCom grads to think of their own creative ways to give financially to the program and the school. Opportunities to advance your profession or fulfill your academic passion while helping students are there to be found. And if you can’t give at the level of Ian Telfer, don’t let that stop you. Even a small financial contribution has a way of building momentum and attracting even more dollars. Trust me: you can turn a little into a lot—for Telfer School students and for you.
We have a strong connection to the Telfer School—Swee as a Telfer School professor for 30 years and now Emeritus Professor, and Lilian as an advisor to the Telfer CPA Accounting and Governance Research Centre for over 20 years since its inception. We also have experience as graduate students. We understand how important it is being taught by faculty in a business school that is focused on carrying out research that contributes to new knowledge in the field of management.
So we were excited when the Telfer School set up its PhD program. It sends an important message that the school is now spurring top-flight research. It sets a tone that a new mission of the school is to focus on fostering research that contributes to new knowledge in the field of management. We realized that we had to provide strong momentum for success in the launch of the new PhD program. Our donation is to support the first cohort of students, in all its five fields, to attract the best doctoral candidates to the school for this new program and to help them financially in the critical first two years of study. We know how crucial it is for this initial cohort to create strong momentum in the program from the very beginning.
It is our hope that this momentum will serve to propel the program by attracting more top students to attend. We also hope our donation encourages others to be a part of the growing excellence of the Telfer PhD and consider contributing as donors. This help will sustain the positive momentum for the future growth and success of the school as evidenced by the launch of this new, important and exciting program.
This page is for the 2018 Entrepreneurship Foundry Course. For information on the upcoming session, visit this year's page.
The Entrepreneurship Foundry is a cross-campus initiative that leverages University and community resources to help you grow your business venture in a for-credit 13-week long course.
The Entrepreneurship Foundry course will act as an accelerator for your entrepreneurial venture; you will have access to external mentors at themed sessions as well as frequent access to “lab” time to allow you to focus on your business.
Your venture will be evaluated by using a pre-survey and interview to determine where you are at with your venture and set goals.
At the end of the course you will be interviewed to measure the progress
Mandatory 3 slide check-ins on a bi-weekly basis; will allow you to develop your pitch skills, as well as gain valuable feedback from professors, mentors and peers.
An interview and acceptance process will ensure only those most committed to real entrepreneurship will be accepted.
The course will run this winter on Thursdays from 4-7 p.m. and space is limited to 25 students. Student teams are eligible and not all members need to be registered for the course to participate. The deadline to submit applications is December 12, 2017.
To learn more and to apply for the course, please contact Stephen Daze.
To view the official grand opening reception click here!
You can find photos from the evening on our Flickr page. Feel free to download and share with your friends!
After 25 years at the World Exchange Plaza, our dynamic and expanding Centre for Executive Leadership (CEL) has now moved to a brand new, world-class executive learning facility at 99 Bank Street.
The new CEL facilities overlook the renovated atrium and feature bright and spacious classrooms. In addition, participants and instructors will also be able to utilize several boardrooms as well as networking areas.
The CEL is home to Telfer’s growing executive leadership programs:
The Executive MBA, which was recently ranked #1 in the Tier One Global Executive MBA Ranking by CEO Magazine, accelerates value in three distinct ways: business leadership, organizational impact and value to community. A Global, Practical and Relevant program, anchored by the Signature Series of Six Business Consulting Projects, is for professionals focusing on international market and leadership experience to excel in today’s global economy.
Our Master of Business in Complex Project Leadership, which was launched in 2016, is a specialized program designed to equip participants with advanced skills and confidence to be an effective leader and deliver successful program outcomes. Broad areas of learning can be applied to fields such as complex capital procurement projects, program development, business transformation, information technology initiatives and R&D commercialization.
Our vast array of Executive Leadership Programs—developed with our accomplished faculty members, Telfer executives-in-residence, expert industry practitioners and global thought leaders from partner institutions—enable emerging leaders to gain advanced knowledge and skills they can apply immediately and directly to their own practice of leadership.
“From the staff to the exchange opportunities, the experience has been great. Take it from a student who has graduated twice from the School and just keeps coming back! I’ve really enjoyed my time here,” said Nicolas Legendre, a PhD candidate in Management with a field of study in Finance. Nicolas has shown true commitment to the Telfer family over the past 7 years, completing a Bachelor of Commerce with an option in Finance, a Master of Science in Management with an option in Finance and now a year into his PhD. He continued, “I wanted to continue my studies here because of all the great people I’ve met at Telfer and in other faculties at the University of Ottawa.”
Looking back on his experience as a Teaching Assistant for different statistics courses, completing his MSc, and now working on his PhD, Nicolas noted, “As PhD students, the relationship with faculty changes, becoming more collegial. With professors for example, the relationship is less student-teacher and more of a co-worker kind of relationship, where both parties bounce ideas off each other and learn from one another.”
Through hard work and dedication, Nicolas was the winner of the prestigious Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Doctoral Scholarship. He said, “As a recipient of the Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Doctoral Scholarship, I was able to apply for the Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement, which I was pleased to be granted. Through this scholarship, I am currently in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, investigating their loan guarantee program with Professor Jonathan Scott at Northumbria University. This gave me the opportunity to not only study abroad, but to research a topic that matters to me: as my PhD thesis investigates the Canadian loan guarantee program, this research period abroad is directly related to my PhD thesis. I’ve also had the opportunity to spend weekends traveling around Newcastle, visiting monuments such as Alnwick Castle from the Harry Potter films, and slowly learning the culture here in the Northeast of England. It has been quite the experience so far!”
Nicolas is also the recipient of the Lilian and Swee Chua Goh Doctoral Scholarship. Lilian and Swee Chua Goh will be recognized as Donors of the Year at the Telfer Gala of Excellence on October 21 2017.
Professor Daina Mazutis has received an Honorable Mention for the 2016 Page Prize for Excellence in Sustainable Business Education awarded by the Darla Moore School of Business. Professor Mazutis was recognized for her undergraduate course “Leadership, Strategy and Sustainability” (ADM 4317).
This fourth year Bachelor of Commerce course focuses on corporate social responsibility and sustainability at multiple levels – self, others, the organization and society. It covers topics such as social entrepreneurship, carbon-negative enterprises, regenerative business models and the circular economy, instilling within undergraduate students and business leaders a keen understanding of the importance of sustainability in business.
This recognition underlines Professor Mazutis’ expertise in the field of sustainability and CSR. She holds an endowed Professorship of Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability at the Telfer School, through which she focuses her research on the path to more socially and environmentally conscious organizations. Her research lies at the intersection of strategy, leadership and corporate responsibility, approaching environmental and social issues facing organizations today as critical strategic issues that require a broader understanding of business' role in society.
We would like to congratulate Professor Mazutis on this remarkable honour.
About the Page Prize
Now in its 10th year, the Dr. Alfred N. and Lynn Manos Page Prize for Sustainability Issues in Business Curricula is designed to encourage and support efforts to introduce or substantially upgrade sustainability courses or associated course work into the curriculum of business schools, both nationally and internationally.
The Page Prize is awarded annually for the best submission based on the integration of sustainability into business curricula. Submissions are welcomed from faculty, doctoral students and others related to innovative approaches to teaching sustainability to business students. Previous applications have covered a wide range of disciplines including accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, management, marketing, operations and supply chain management, and organizational behavior.
For more information on the Page Prize or on the recipients, please click here.
A first-of-its-kind Canada-wide survey of seniors’ health technology-related behavior.
Project Information
Project title
IT Innovation and the Elderly: Technology Acceptance and Use in the Community Researcher
Mirou Jaana, Telfer School Grant supporting this research
SSHRC Insight Period
2017-2020
Professor Mirou Jaana has launched a new study, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), which will provide national data on seniors’ attitudes and behaviors towards health information technology solutions.
Telemonitoring (aka telehomecare) technologies have been around for decades, but little is known empirically about the factors that lead to the acceptance and use of these solutions by seniors. Professor Mirou Jaana says having a better understanding of these factors would assist healthcare providers and policy-makers to develop guidelines that support the integration and optimal use of these solutions for the greatest benefit of patients.
In the first part of her study, she and her colleagues are conducting a Canada-wide survey of seniors that assesses their technology-related attitudes and behaviors. The survey will consider a variety of general e-health applications, as well as specific home-based technologies, that have gained increased attention in recent years, such as smart watches. In the second part of the study, professor Jaana and her team will investigate the factors that affect the acceptance and use of telemonitoring technologies by seniors.
While the features and convenience of these technologies continue to evolve, their basic telemonitoring functions actually haven’t changed all that much, says professor Jaana. “Their essential purpose is to connect a healthcare provider or case manager to a patient who lives in the community (e.g., at home or in a retirement home), and requires close attention and monitoring.” As an example, a patient being monitored for a heart failure condition may use telemonitoring to transmit information such as a change in her or his weight. The nurse could potentially consult with the patient’s physician, and adjust his/her medications accordingly. This early detection of deterioration in a patient’s condition presents important benefits by preventing risky complications and avoiding unnecessary time-consuming hospital visits. This is especially relevant in the case of elderly patients.
Professor Jaana’s new study, focusing on technology acceptance factors, will build on the findings of her previous research which revealed that telemonitoring had significant positive impacts on senior patients’ self-care skills and it benefited them in relation to their chronic disease management. “By focusing on acceptance factors related to these technologies, our research is uncovering potential barriers/facilitators that may enable more effective use of telemonitoring among senior patients with unstable conditions.’’ Identifying in their health status, which they often would not notice on their own, supports timely intervention before complications arise requiring a hospital visit.
“The field of telemonitoring is maturing, but what’s still missing is the empirical insight into how these technologies should be incorporated as part of care guidelines,” professor Jaana contends. “With the continuously growing population of elderly living in the community, it is our responsibility to understand their needs, and leverage existing tools and technologies, like telehomecare applications, to support them in the community.”
From left to right: Phillipe Lamothe, Matthew Chesser, Emma Azzi and Jean-Claude Mukanya Cibumba
The Telfer School of Management is delighted to announce the recipients of this year’s MBA Student Leadership Awards: Emma Azzi, Matthew Chesser, Philippe Lamothe and Jean-Claude Mukanya Cibumba. These made exceptional contributions to the MBASA as well as the MBA program in general.
The award recipients elicited many positive comments, and the MBA class were effusive in their support for them.
Emma Azzi
Emma was recognized for her role in organizing the Telfer School’s team at the 2017 MBA Games, as well as her hard work bringing the MBA Games to Ottawa in 2018. Her peers said that her contagious enthusiasm and drive inspire all those who work with her.
Matthew Chesser
MBA students expressed their admiration for Matthew’s organization of alumni panels and many extra-curricular MBA activities. He was described as having a “quiet but cheerful leadership style in everything he did.”
Phillipe Lamothe
Philippe was recognized for his leadership as the MBASA President, including his support for and promotion of various activities, as well as his participation in a number of events representing the Telfer School.
Jean-Claude Mukanya Cibumba
Jean-Claude was lauded as a talented, inspiring classmate who always strives to give his best. He was recognized for making outstanding contributions as a leader, and for always giving constructive comments in discussions and presentations.
We extend our warmest congratulations to each of these outstanding students and thank the MBA class for their participation.
Congratulations to Pierre Bourgie, C.M., O.Q. (BAdm 1980) on his appointment as a Member of the Order of Canada on June 30, 2017 for his inspiring philanthropic work and for his significant contributions to the arts, music and the promotion of culture.
While pursuing his Bachelor of Administration at the University of Ottawa, Mr. Bourgie took an elective course in Art History, which he credits for igniting a life-long passion for the arts. Since then, he has been recognized for his contributions to Montreal’s arts and culture community. Especially noteworthy, he is credited for transforming the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts' Erskine and American United Church into the Bourgie Hall, providing a concert space for chamber music featuring high-quality acoustics and a striking décor. This spring, he opened Catalogue, an exhibition space in downtown Montreal where he shares pieces from his private collection with the public at no cost.
Following his studies at the University of Ottawa, he took over the family funeral home business. After selling the 100 year old business in 1996, Pierre explored the worlds of finance and real estate. He founded the diversified investment company Société Financière Bourgie Inc, serving as President and Chief Executive Officer. He has also served on a number of corporate and not-for-profit boards.
On this momentous accolade, Dean François Julien said, “I am delighted that Mr. Bourgie has received this well-deserved honour recognizing the great impact and importance of his philanthropic work. We are proud to have an alumnus whose contributions to the arts and music have provided opportunities for artists to create, and for the public to appreciate visual and performing arts.”
About the Order of Canada
Created in 1967, the Order of Canada, one of our country’s highest civilian honours, recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. Close to 7,000 people from all sectors of society have been invested into the Order. Their contributions are varied, yet they have all enriched the lives of others and have taken to heart the motto of the Order: DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM (“They desire a better country”). Appointments are made by the governor general on the recommendation of the Advisory Council for the Order of Canada.
For more information about the Order of Canada, click here.
Jordan Samaroo is a BCom-JD student who benefitted from the Telfer School of Management’s First-Year Advising initiative and is now beginning his second year of study. According to Jordan, what’s unique about Telfer is that it "acknowledges the entrepreneurial spirit innate in all business students. Whether it is through the extensive list of clubs offered in every commerce discipline, the Telfer Capital Fund, challenging case competitions, or academic excellence, Telfer ignites ambition in all its students. In my opinion, such ambition breeds the type of healthy competition that drives the business world and pushes students to do their best.”
Involved in the Telfer Business Law Association (TBLA), Jordan says that as a student studying both commerce and common law, he has enjoyed being able to be a part of a club whose goal is to connect with undergraduate business students who are curious about the field of law and the prospect of going to law school. Through TBLA, Jordan has been able to participate in events like the TBLA Mock Trial, help coordinate the planning of the TBLA executive leadership retreat, and speak on behalf of TBLA at the Place à la jeunesse academic competition. Jordan says that he is motivated to participate in all of the opportunities that Telfer and uOttawa have to offer because he believes student engagement is an integral part of being involved in the university community.
Reflecting on the difficult decision of choosing the right university for him, Jordan explained, “My decision of choosing where to study was not easy, but Telfer has definitely proven to be the right choice. Being a bilingual student, Telfer offered an unparalleled bilingual experience. Having the opportunity to study in both French and English, coupled with the opportunity to study two fields that I’m passionate about - Commerce and Law - allowed me to enhance my language skills while being passionate about what I am learning. A bilingual university as a whole offers an enriched learning experience for all students.”
For high school students going through the process of choosing a university, Jordan advises, “Committing to a university is so much more than simply evaluating averages; it is about choosing the institution that can provide you with the best student experience. For me, Telfer offered it all: from intensive case studies and competitions, to high quality professors, to a great CO-OP program and career prospects. The School is actively working to connect each and every student to what matters to each of them. For these reasons and so many more, I recommend you choose Telfer; you won’t regret your choice!”
After a seven-year hiatus, the highly anticipated and revamped Canada’s Top 40 Under 40® gala is back to celebrate the exceptional achievements of 40 Canadians under the age of 40. Going hand in hand with the Canada 150 celebrations, the gala will highlight the new generation of leaders in Canadian organizations.
This year's honourees include three University of Ottawa alumni, two of whom are from the Telfer School of Management. We would like to congratulate the following alumni:
Alexandre Lefebvre (BAdm 2001): President, Lefebvre Group
We would also like to congratulate Katherine Telford, another University of Ottawa graduate who was also on the Canada’s Top 40 Under 40® list.
Click here to see the complete list of this year’s honourees on the Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 website. This year, the awards gala will be held on November 2, 2017, at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto.
Every year, we recognize outstanding Telfer School of Management donors in order to demonstrate our appreciation and create meaningful relationships with those in our community who choose us amongst a sea of giving opportunities. This year, the Telfer Donor of the Year awards will be presented at our annual Gala of Excellence on October 21, 2017, along with the celebration of our anniversary classes and the presentation of our Alumni Awards.
If you would like to learn more about giving to what matters to you at Telfer, please click here.
Congratulations to our 2017 Donor of the Year awards recipients:
Thanks to his leadership, commitment and dedication towards the Telfer Entrepreneur’s Club, the Kevin Vollett Entrepreneurial Award will be sustainable for future years.
The Lilian and Swee Chua Goh Doctoral Scholarships provided tremendous momentum to the fall 2016 launch of the PhD program by helping us recruit four of the eight top-notch candidates in 2016 and one in 2017. The couple has a long history at Telfer: Swee is an Emeritus Professor and Lilian is a founding advisor of the CPA Accounting and Governance Research Centre.
When it comes to sustainable development, small and medium-sized enterprises innovate in many subtle ways, says Martine Spence. (Photo: Andrea Campbell / University of Ottawa)
Be it for food, fashion or services, today’s consumers are leaning more and more toward products that are organic, locally produced, reusable and responsibly sourced. Sustainable development is no longer an abstract concept; it has infiltrated every area of daily life.
Is this just another fad or a genuine awakening? In any case, companies can’t ignore it, notes Martine Spence, a professor of marketing and entrepreneurship at the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management.
For the past 10 years, Spence has studied the structure and analyzed the social engagement and sustainable-development practices of small and medium-sized entreprises (SMEs). “These companies contribute heavily to national economies, and they create the majority of jobs out there, so their impact on the environment and on society in general is significant,” she explains. “I grew up in the south of France, where there were many small entrepreneurs. When I studied business, large corporations seemed too abstract to me, and too political. But SMEs are led by individuals who have a true passion for their craft, and that’s always intrigued me.”
So how do SMEs implement sustainable-development practices? What prompts them to do so, and what obstacles must they overcome? Martine Spence examines their behaviour on three fronts: respect for the environment, respect for individuals and respect for the community.
“We observed that the level of involvement depends on the entrepreneur’s own conviction. Those who lend importance to these issues in their private lives are the ones who take their business’s social and environmental responsibility to the highest level,” she says.
In fact, SMEs readily adopt green practices, from shutting down computers at night and installing energy-saving thermostats to choosing active transportation and opting for energy-efficient technologies. “SMEs are particularly innovative and flexible; they don’t have shareholders and can quickly adjust their strategy,” says Spence.
She points out that investing doesn’t frighten them either, and that when SMEs buy in, they innovate a lot because they know it will lead to a good return. She adds that for most of these entrepreneurs, making money isn’t the primary goal; it’s more a question of being part of the community and of pursuing their passion.
What is the situation in other countries? Are the same challenges at play? As a member of the Observatoire international du développement durable en PME (Université de Montpellier) in France, Spence also studies the internationalization of SMEs, and she recently compared those in Canada, in Cameroon and in Tunisia. She found that “sustainable development isn’t yet ingrained in the mindset of the South, even if some Tunisian entrepreneurs see in it an opportunity, as it can help them do business with European nations.”
That said, SMEs are nonetheless engaged in their communities, remarks Spence, with some donating a sheep to the community at Eid, for instance, because social engagement is an intrinsic part of their lives, mostly driven by religion.
In the era of globalization, Spence’s findings show that the widespread adoption of sustainable development will be achieved only if sociocultural contexts are considered, and that inspiration for that ideal can come from everywhere—from the North and the South.
Women have been making steady gains in the traditionally male-dominated health care field. They make up over 50% of medical school students across Canada and over 80% of the health care workforce. Yet gender disparities remain. Women lead fewer than 20% of hospitals, and hold relatively few leadership positions overall.
On June 12, efforts to shatter the glass ceiling and empower women leaders in the health care sector received a major thumbs up. The Canadian College of Health Leaders and the Canadian Health Leadership Network, working with University of Ottawa Telfer School of Management professors Ivy Lynn Bourgeault and Barbara Orser, the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvements and the Centre for Research and Education on Women and Work, received $400,000 to advance gender equality in health care, health sciences and indigenous health. The funding was awarded by Status of Women Minister Maryam Monsef as part of the Canada 150 project grants.
The team’s project, Empowering Women Leaders in Health (eWoLIH), aims to transform the health care, health sciences and indigenous health system by increasing participation, visibility and advancement of women in leadership positions. “Our goal is to build a strong and supportive community of established and emerging women leaders, helping them transform the health care system by drawing on women’s unique leadership skills, experiences and contributions,” says Bourgeault, the project lead. “This network will support community outreach initiatives, build partnerships and work to bring down the systemic barriers that contribute to gender inequity in health care, health sciences and indigenous health.”
The project, which will begin in Ottawa, Toronto and London, will first identify the unique systemic barriers limiting women’s participation in leadership roles. Working with partners, the team will develop and put in practice a set of action tools and resources and promote measures to remove these barriers.
By the end of the project, the team plans to have implemented these activities and evaluated their effectiveness. “Women’s leadership in health sciences is critical to advance research on issues specific to women, encourage female scientists and generate new knowledge to improve health and health care. It will also help shape the next generation of health workers and the leaders of tomorrow,” adds Bourgeault.
Apply today to participate in a 10-minute Thesis Competition organized by the Sprott School of Business, the Telfer School of Management, and the Université de Québec en Outaouais’s Département des sciences administratives! On September 29 at Sprott, you’ll have the opportunity to square off against your business-school peers for $6,000 in cash prizes.
To apply, write a one-page submission with your supervisor. Three submissions will be chosen by each institution to advance to the 10-minute Thesis Competition on September 29.
If your proposal does not make the shortlist, you are invited to use it to contribute to a poster session to be held just prior to the thesis competition.
Why a 10-minute Thesis Competition?
By this point in your academic career, you’re probably well acquainted with the traditional academic presentation structure: research problem, theoretical framework, methodology, results, and conclusions – in that order. That you would want to adhere to that structure for most presentations doesn’t surprise us. We get it. It’s a big part of your academic training.
But there’s another important skill for young researchers to have: communicating the impact and significance of their work right up front, and in plain language. So with the Telfer-Sprott-UQO 10-minute Thesis Competition, we’re asking presenters to abandon the traditional academic presentation structure. Instead, find an alternative way to present your project in a way that a lay person would understand. Explain what’s innovative about your project and the potential impact of the research. Tell a story. Look for creative ways to explain how and why your research matters.
Rules
Eligible students/programs
PhD in Management - Sprott School
Doctorat en administration, D.B.A. - gestion de projet, UQO
Information Systems (IS) / Information Technology Management (ITM) students active in the Doctorat en sciences et technologies de l'information, UQO
PhD in Management - Telfer School of Management
PhD in Electronic Business Technologies, or EBT - Telfer School
M.Sc. in Management, M.Sc. in Health Systems, M.Sc. in EBT - Telfer School
Students who presented at the May 2016 Telfer-Sprott-UQO forum are also eligible, provided they apply with a new submission/proposal.
How to apply
Prepare a one-page submission with your supervisor. Include the content that would typically be included in an academic-type presentation, but in a different format – one that highlights what’s innovative about your project and its potential impact. We’re looking for creative ways of explaining how and why the research matters.
Thesis competition - highlights
Each institution will select 3 students for the presentation competition.
Each presentation should be no more than 10 minutes in length.
Presenters will be evaluated on their ability to convey the significance of their research with clarity and impact
$6,000 in cash prizes will be awarded. 1st prize – $3,000; 2nd prize – $2,000$; 3rd prize – $1,000
Key dates
July 31 - Student submit their notice of intent to participate
August 18 - Due date for one-page submissions, jointly prepared by the student and his/her supervisor
Early September – Telfer School, Sprott School and UQO have each chosen their three presenters
September 29 – 10-minute Thesis Competition and poster session at the Sprott School of Business
“At Telfer, you won’t only gain knowledge; you’ll also acquire valuable skills and experience – that’s something I always say at Telfer open houses and I think it really sums up why I feel Telfer stands out. At any business school in Ontario, you will find great in-class learning opportunities. But Telfer excels at offering students a plethora of hands-on experiences like case competitions, CO-OP, and mentorship programs that will make them stand out against the 20,000 other business graduates each year,” stated Lawrence Quan, a student completing his Bachelor of Commerce with option in Marketing.
Throughout his undergraduate studies, Lawrence took advantage of the opportunities available to him and got involved with a variety of initiatives including CASCO, 101 Week, the CO-OP program, working as a Teaching Assistant, and participating in the Digital Marketing Development Program.
“Joining clubs is a great way to get to know people. I can look back and say that my involvement in the many clubs and activities available at Telfer made up about 80% of my university memories. If I just went to class, went to work, and went home, I would have missed out on the many other amazing opportunities and experiences that Telfer has to offer.”
Lawrence was able to combine his passion for hockey with his career goal of being a marketing strategist through a dream CO-OP placement at Telfer: “My final CO-OP term was at EA SPORTS NHL on the Global Brand Management team. Every Canadian hockey fan has grown up playing their video games. Getting this job was a dream come true and allowed me to get paid to think about hockey all day, every day.”
As Lawrence explained, it’s not just the hands-on experience that is valuable to students, but also the professional network they can build through their studies. “Telfer exists within the great business community in Ottawa. Professionals are happy to help students, share advice, and provide mentorship. Telfer helps students connect with these professionals, pick their brains, and take advantage of the knowledge in the community.”
Lawrence is now working at FarmLead, a Canadian AgTech Startup, as a Customer Acquisition Specialist. He is responsible for FarmLead’s digital advertising and search engine optimization strategy. He credits his success in the workplace to his involvement. “Your success in getting a job will rely on so much more than just grades. Your grades may get you the interview, but it is your other experience that will get you the job.”
From left to right: Billy Triantafilos, Bryan Belanger, Justine Hendricks, Wanda MacDonald, Christine Kincaid
Five notable alumni will be recognized by the Telfer School of Management by receiving Trudeau medals, the Young Achiever's Award and the Dean's Philos Award for their outstanding contributions to the world of business, healthcare, community and their alma mater at the 2017 Gala of Excellence. The Gala will be held at the Shaw Centre on Saturday, October 21, 2017 and this event also serves as an opportunity to collectively celebrate the Telfer School and highlight the graduation anniversary of the classes of 1967, 1977, 1992 and 2007.
Trudeau Medals
Bryan Belanger, EMBA 2007
As Vice President of Technology for Ideal Protein, Bryan is responsible for the Global IT strategy, support, and development of Ideal Protein’s IT infrastructure, business and consumer applications and web presence. He is also responsible for leading the product development of all cutting-edge technology that Ideal Protein delivers to their customers. Prior to joining Ideal Protein in 2016, Bryan spent two years leading the North American and European technology divisions of Club Assist. Before that, Bryan spent seven years with Techinsights as well as twelve years in increasingly senior technology roles at Telesat, Canada’s sole satellite telecommunications provider, and has also worked as a financial analyst and business development consultant for the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club. Bryan holds an Executive MBA from the Telfer School of Management and a Bachelor of Computer Science from Acadia University in Nova Scotia. When not hard at work driving technology initiatives, he enjoys playing (and watching) hockey, travelling, and spending time with his family.
Justine Hendricks, MBA 2004
Justine Hendricks joined Export Development Canada (EDC) in 2006 and was recently appointed Vice President of Working Capital Solutions (Guarantee and Bonding Programs). She is responsible for ensuring maximum market penetration in working capital needs of the Canadian export community through close partnerships with EDC’s banking partners and working closely with the business development group. Prior to this role, Justine led a transformation program of EDC’s Financing and Investment groups. Justine is a graduate of the Telfer MBA program and has a B.A. in Urban Studies from Carleton University. She also holds a Certified Financial Planner Designation. Justine is best known for her passion, her energy at work and as a driver of results. A recognized mentor, she has made her mark in differentiating herself not just on her accomplishments but most importantly on how she achieves them.
Wanda MacDonald, MHA 1981
Wanda MacDonald is the Chief Executive Officer of the Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre, a position she has held since 2003. After she completed her MHA from the Telfer School in 1981, Wanda held several management positions in health care, such as Assistant Executive Director of the Rideau Valley District Health Council, Assistant Executive Director of the Centretown Community Health Centre, as well as the founding Executive Director of Lanark Health and Community Services. The principles of health and social equity have guided Wanda’s work over her 36 years in health care management. Now, after a long a successful career, Wanda is looking forward to what retirement will bring as she steps into this new chapter of life in the summer of 2017.
The Young Achiever's Award
Billy Triantafilos, BCom 2007
Billy Triantafilos graduated from the Telfer School of Management with a BCom in 2007. During his time at uOttawa, he played on the Gee-Gees interuniversity men’s hockey team. In Billy’s third year, he resided in the University-owned ‘hockey house’, before it was later transformed into office space. Billy, who was also employed while pursuing his studies, decided to invest in a home one block from campus. He invited his teammates to room with him in order to make his investment feasible. After realizing his success renovating his first investment home, he went on to build more homes for University of Ottawa students. As the need for financing his construction projects became a priority, he joined the National Bank of Canada as a Mortgage Development Manager. This gave him a better understanding of financing, and the Canadian banking system. Soon thereafter, Billy and a former teammate and work colleague decided to leave National Bank, and laid out the framework for their company, TC UNITED GROUP.
The Dean's Philos Award
Christine Kincaid, BCom 1984
Christine Kincaid is the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Mediaplus Advertising. She joined the agency in 1988 from the technology sector, where she had worked in product management for six years after graduating with her Bachelor of Commerce. In 1990, Christine became a partner and principal owner of Mediaplus. She manages MediaPlus’ client services, media and administrative teams while also serving as the lead strategist on key accounts. She has helped build the company to be one of the most respected full-service advertising and marketing communications agencies in Eastern Ontario - servicing consumer and business-to-business clients across a range of sectors including tourism, culture, services, technology, sports and education. Throughout her career, Christine has been actively involved in the community, with a focus on health charities and initiatives targeted to youth.
Teams from the Class of 2018 are writing about their experiences on their Innovation and Entrepreneurship Consulting Project in Silicon Valley in a series of blogs.
“If I had to choose one thing I love most about Telfer, it’s the people,” stated Emma Azzi, MBA Candidate at the Telfer School.
After a remarkable undergraduate experience with Telfer, there was no question where Emma Azzi wanted to continue her studies. For her, Telfer’s commitment to excellence, their dedication to fostering a positive, friendly environment, and their strong sense of student community, were all key factors that influenced her decision to pursue her MBA at the University of Ottawa's Telfer School of Management.
Elected as the MBA Games Director in January 2017, Emma’s role was to organize a team of Telfer students to travel to Vancouver Island University to represent the University of Ottawa at the MBA Games. As a Canada wide competition that involves student competing in academics, sports, and spirit, Emma knew that her passion for challenges, adventure, and networking opportunities would be fulfilled.
After competing in the games with the small but mighty Telfer team of 16, Emma knew that she wanted to make her mark on the MBA games. “I just had to figure out how.”
The perfect opportunity arose when Vancouver Island University announced an open bid for the 2018 MBA Games Host. With the help of Professor Greg Richards, Emma submitted a proposal documenting why the Telfer School of Management would be the perfect candidate to host the next games.
“Ultimately, we won! I am now the MBA Games 2018 Chair, and am ready to take on this exciting responsibility of hosting over 20 universities in Ottawa this upcoming January for the 30th annual MBA Games. The Games have never been hosted in the capital city and knowing that I played a part in bringing them home is one of my proudest moments at Telfer,” said Emma.
Emma acknowledged that the challenges she faced throughout her undergrad led her to where she is today, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. She stated, “I know that every notion learnt during my Telfer training will make me a more confident professional, a stronger business advocate and a better team member. All these qualities and skills will be crucial in shaping my career.”
CASCO, a student-run charity organization, hosted its 2nd Annual Golf Tournament on Sunday, May 28th 2017. With a strong team effort made by CASCO executives, they managed to raise $5,414 towards their cheque to present to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) at their Annual Gala on November 29, 2017 at the Infinity Convention Centre.
CASCO President Conor O’Doherty discussed his fellow classmates’ involvement in this initiative: “I am extremely proud of all the work the CASCO executive team has put into organizing our Golf Tournament. Their dedication to our cause and willingness to get more involved never ceases to amaze me. Our mission to raise funds for CHEO would never be accomplished without their commitment and I cannot wait to see how they will keep impressing me throughout the year."
About CASCO
CASCO is a student-run charity organization at the University of Ottawa. Comprised mostly of students from the Telfer School of Management, the club allows students to apply business knowledge to raise both awareness and funds for charity causes and promote corporate social responsibility. Now entering its 18th year, CASCO has raised over $500,000 for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), helping to purchase new equipment and to provide assistance to families in need.
Once a year, the Ottawa Business Journal (OBJ) nominates professionals for their business achievements to be in their “Forty Under 40” list.
Among this year’s nominees, thirteen are alumni of the University of Ottawa, two of which studied at the Telfer School of Management. For this achievement, the Telfer School would like to congratulate:
Sebastien Dignard, BCom 2000
Sebastien Dignard is the President of Framos Technologies Inc. Sebastien has close to 15 years of senior-level experience in management and international business development. Sebastien graduated from the Telfer School in 2000, with a BCom in International Management.
Christian Bisson is Co-Founder of Escape Manor. His company has expanded beyond its two locations in Ottawa and now boasts escape rooms in Cornwall, Regina and Brisbane, Australia. Christian obtained a Certificate from the Telfer School of Management in 2011.
The Telfer School would also like to congratulate Rouhollah Alizadeh, Craig O’Brien, Christopher Pulfer, Gordon Cudney, Justin Tudor, Hedyeh Javidnia, Megan Wallace, Briana Kim, Caitlin Kealey, Stephanie Karlovits and Catherine Horvath - all University of Ottawa alumni who also made the “Forty Under 40” list.
This year's Forty Under 40 awards gala will take place at the Hilton Lac-Leamy Hotel on June 16, 2017. The event will feature cocktails, fine food, music and dancing and is in part sponsored by the Telfer Executive MBA. Click here to register for the 2017 Forty Under 40 Gala.
(clockwise from left): Carolyn Montague of Perfocus Management Inc.; professors Jonathan Calof and Stephane Tywoniak; Jake Jacobson of Babcock Canada Inc.; James Maloney, MP; Joe Armstrong of CAE; and Yasmin Ratansi, MP.
The Telfer School of Management continues to shape the future management of mega projects with forward-looking research and thought leadership. The latest example: an eye-opening panel discussion on complex project leadership, organized by the Pearson Centre for Progressive Policy and featuring professor Stephane Tywoniak as the keynote presenter.
With a cross-section of attendees from government, companies and industry associations present, Tywoniak said there is a global consensus about the need to reset traditional approaches to contracting for mega-projects and major procurements, as they have become ever-more-complex challenges for governments at home and abroad. He went on to present a report on a series of roundtables on complex project management with some 300 government and business leaders in Australia, Canada, the U.K. and the U.S.
Tywoniak’s talk set the table for a wide-ranging panel discussion involving MPs as well as executives from CAE, Babcock Canada Inc. and Perfocus Management Inc.
Held in the parliamentary precinct on May 18, this event was part of the Pearson Centre's Economy for Tomorrow Series, which is chaired by another professor at the Telfer School, Jonathan Calof, and by Yasmin Ratansi, M.P., the Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates.
Each semester, students in the final-year Equity Valuation classes (ADM 4350 and ADM4750) take part in a real-world, real-time project, competing with each other to advise a business that is facing a difficult situation. Led by Professor Nitani, students during the winter 2017 semester tackled a challenge being faced by Dragonwave Inc., a company that offers high capacity broadband wireless networking systems for network operations and service providers.
Scott, a member of the winning team, described his experience: “The competition challenged my team’s ability to separate the information that truly mattered from all of the noise. We also had to actively fight our own biases as we created our valuation and storyline for the company.” According to Scott, his team brought many different strengths to the table, which ultimately sold the judges on their investment recommendations. Scott has one semester left of his undergraduate studies before he graduates in December. He’s currently one of the Capital Fund’s Portfolio Manager Leaders and will be working in investment banking at BMO Capital Markets this summer.
For Roma, another member of the winning team, the Equity Valuation case competition was the most all-encompassing and fun competition of his undergraduate studies. He really enjoyed the challenges associated with valuating a small public company, exploring the possibility of an acquisition, and presenting his team's hard work to fellow classmates, faculty, and industry professionals. After his graduation in June, Roma will be working as a Private Equity Associate at an Ottawa-based firm while pursuing his CFA designation.
Enactus uOttawa was runner-up at the 2017 Enactus Canada National Exposition in Vancouver, where 40 universities and colleges presented business-minded approaches to solving social problems. The uOttawa team showcased food security and job creation initiatives in Canada’s North.
Through The Growcer, Enactus uOttawa hopes to combat food insecurity in isolated Inuit communities.The team has also launched Sprout, which aims to bring fresh, healthy options to low-income food deserts in Ottawa and other cities.The projects were presented by Enactus uOttawa president Corey Ellis, Alida Burke, Faraz Malik and Vivian Liu.
The uOttawa team also took home the BDC Entrepreneurs First Project Partnership Best Project award for the Iqaluit Innovation Hub, a co-working space and community initiative to encourage entrepreneurship. The project was presented by Brianna Fraser and Steven Bui.
A fourth project, Sanajit, is a social enterprise in Iqaluit that up-cycles discarded wood into quality furniture. It acts as a recycling program for the community and a mentorship program for high school students to learn about the trades. The project was presented by Parker Selman and McKinley Richards.
Congratulations to Enactus uOttawa. Best wishes, as well, to the Memorial University team that will represent Canada at the Enactus World Cup to be held London, England, in September.
On May 9, in commemoration of the 10th year anniversary of the naming of the Telfer School of Management, over 50 Telfer alumni, staff and friends will be teaming up with Junior Achievement Ottawa (JA) for JA Delivery Day, to promote financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness skills to Ottawa Grade 8 students.
“Youth who participate in our program go on to save more and borrow less than the average Canadian adult,” says Albert Wong, JA Ottawa director. “The real world skills they acquire through the program can be applied to their lives immediately. Budgeting, investing and aligning their financial choices with their goals are a few of the things our JA volunteers are able to teach youth through the program.”
JA graduates are also more likely to launch businesses and create jobs. According to recent research, JA graduates are 50% more likely to open a business. What’s more, 65% of graduates said that JA has had a significant impact on their decision to stay in school and enrol in postsecondary education. Simply put, students who participate in JA programs gain the skills and confidence they need to succeed in life. JA programs prepare them to innovate, take on leadership roles and pursue their dreams.
“We are proud that Telfer comprises 20% of the yearly volunteers that participate in the JA workshops,” says Alain Doucet, Assistant Dean (External Relations) at Telfer. “The May 9 Delivery Day will increase that amount to over 30% for this year. It is evident that our community understands the importance of teaching real-world skills to our youth.”
For more information on Junior Achievement Ottawa, email Albert Wong at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of our colleague Dr. Sadrudin Ahmed on April 21, 2017, following health complications.
Dr. Ahmed was a Professor Emeritus of the Telfer School who retired in 2001 after a prolific twenty-six year career as a Full-Time Professor at the Telfer School of Management. He leaves behind his wife, Bibiane, and family.
Dr. Ahmed will be remembered with deep respect and affection as a colleague who gave freely of his time, advice and expertise. His passing is a great loss to the Telfer School. Please keep the family of Dr. Ahmed in your thoughts during this difficult time.
In April 2017, students in the 4th year class Case Studies in Accounting (ADM4340) presented their final project in the context of the CPA Accounting Case Competition.
Congratulations to the winning team:
Jordano Gonzalez
Sarah Morin
Zachary Princi
Vaughn Asher Sapers
Iskandar Nasrallah
We asked the winning team to share their experience with us as well as their plans after graduation since most are graduating this term.
Jordano began by sharing a few tips for students who taking the class next year. He said that being confident in a presentation is key to having the audience agree with what you’re saying. He also suggested being prepared for the question period since it can be quite stressful. After graduation, Jordano will be joining RCGT (Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton) as a Consultant.
Like Jordano, Sarah will be graduating this semester and will be working for the government as well pursuing her CPA designation. This competition was her last as an undergraduate student. She explained “this presentation is not something I’m going to forget any time soon and quite honestly, it's pretty cool that this was the last presentation of my undergraduate degree”.
Zach has a strong passion for entrepreneurship and has co-founded a startup called Eephorea. Eephorea is an entertainment production company that produces and promotes live entertainment experiences. After graduation, he hopes to expand his startup and help pioneer the live entertainment and music industries here in Ottawa. In addition to that, he is being bridged in full-time at the House of Commons as an Accounting Officer.
As for Vaughn, he currently works for the Canada Revenue Agency and will be bridged into a full time position there after graduation. He strongly feels that he wants to use his degree and the knowledge and experience acquired during his studies to help fight those that abuse our taxation and financial systems.
Finally, Iskandar started his own tax prep company specializing in student taxes. His aim is to give accounting students the opportunity to gain experience by doing other students’ taxes at a very low cost. He and his partner won a government grant and have been featured in Glue magazine's business journal.
We would like to congratulate the winning team, and wish them the best of luck on their future endeavours!
Professor Samir Saadi will represent the Telfer School on a team of top researchers examining merger-and-acquisition (M&A) practices at a Joint Israeli-Canadian Research Workshop. Interdisciplinary and inter-university, this workshop will focus on the necessary elements for the success of M&As in Canada and Israel at a moment when both nations are looking to derive more value from these and other forms of corporate reorganization. It will be funded by the Halbert Centre for Canadian Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Professor Saadi, an Associate Professor of Finance, brings a background in research on M&A activities in the high-tech industry and on the role of CEO power on M&As. With this project, his expertise will contribute to a better understanding of the potential barriers to successful transactions within the Canadian and Israeli contexts. This initiative comes at a time when firms from both countries frequently find themselves as targets, and therefore, improving the outcomes associated with these deals has consequences for business productivity, for employees, and for the potential adoption of new technologies or expertise
On May 3, 2017, the Telfer Community joined Enactus uOttawa at the Annual National Showcase to highlight their key accomplishments and explain the high-level impact the team has had on the community.
The event also served to “send-off” the team, who will be attending the Enactus Canada National Exposition, happening in Vancouver on May 9-11. During this event, teams will present their projects, and demonstrate to panels of senior executives how they are making a real impact in their communities. Teams attending the National Exposition will be competing for the title of National Champion and a chance to represent Canada in English on the world stage in the fall of 2017.
This chance to represent the University at a national level comes after the Enactus uOttawa team competed in the Regional Exposition, and placed second in the Financial Literacy and Eco Living challenges as well as first place in the remaining two; Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship. The projects presented were judged based off specific impact criteria, unique to each particular category.
The projects presented by the team were all a result of the students’ hard work applying the skills they learn in and outside the classroom. Here is an example of the projects that will be presented at the National Exposition:
Sanajit is a social enterprise in Iqaluit, Nunavut that up-cycles discarded wood into quality furniture, also acts as a recycling program for the community and a mentorship program for high school students to learn about the trades. The project will be presented by Parker Selman and McKinley Richards.
The Iqaluit Innovation Hub is a co-working space and community initiative to encourage entrepreneurship as a viable career path and provide otherwise non-existent resources to individuals looking to start their own ventures in the north. The project will be presented by Brianna Fraser and Steven Bui.
Sprout is a local social enterprise looking to address Ottawa’s food deserts by using a consignment approach that enables convenience store owners to provide affordable fresh produce to families in need. Sprout will be one of the projects featured in the team’s National presentation by Corey Ellis, Alida Burke, Faraz Malik and Vivian Liu.
Join us in wishing them good luck for the National Exposition, and stay tuned for the results!
In an effort to help streamline the drive of entrepreneurial students, the Telfer School of Management in conjunction with the Faculty of Engineering and Arts, has recently meshed entrepreneurship projects with course credits. The Entrepreneurship Foundry Course is a cross-campus initiative that leverages University and community start-up resources to help students grow their business venture in a “for-credit” 13-week long course.
“The course, essentially an incubator with a course credit attached to it, offers immense opportunities to students who are looking to move their businesses along and benefit from both external and University resources,” stated Stephen Daze, Dom Herrick Entrepreneur in Residence. “Twice throughout the semester, participants even pitch their business to external judges for prize money.”
Students apply to be accepted into the program and their ventures are interviewed to evaluate where start-ups are at with their ventures and what they can accomplish over the course of the semester. At the end of the course, they make a final pitch and report on their progress to highlight their accomplishments throughout the semester. Mandatory check-ins on a bi-weekly basis allow students to develop their pitch skills, as well as gain valuable feedback from professors, external mentors and peers.
Microbright, for instance, is a start-up that uses microbes naturally found in the environment to remove toxic metals from water that comes from mining activities. “The entrepreneurship foundry helped me understand how to succeed with a start up from a business perspective. It provided me with tools and mentorship I would not have had access to otherwise,” indicated Daniel Grégoire, a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Science and one of the founders of Microbright.”
Eephorea, on the other hand, aims to cater to the entertainment industry by producing and promoting live entertainment experiences. “If people are going to be at an event for several hours, there might as well be some engaging activities for them to enjoy in addition to the headliner attractions. Simple activities like food sampling, acrobatic dancers, photo props and intriguing visual displays can really enhance a guest’s experience and make the event more memorable,” said Zachary Princi, a student at the Telfer School of Management. “The entrepreneurship foundry course allowed me to put more time into my business without taking me away from completing my studies.”
For more information on the program and to find out how to participate in the winter of 2018, please contact Stephen Daze.
As is done at the end of every term, the Telfer School of Management was pleased to organize the Intopia Simulation for 4th year students as part of their Strategic Management class. The competition starts on the Friday afternoon and ends late on Sunday. Students spend the three days at Desmarais Pavilion and often stay late into the night on Friday and Saturday night.
One of the winning teams shared their impressions with us. Team 38 includes Sogui Sylla, Mohamadou Barry, Philippe Langlois, Philippe Émond and Yazid Agougou, who are all 3rd and 4th year students. The majority of them are planning to finish their studies this term or in December 2017. Yazid explained that this weekend was extraordinary and memorable for all team members. They worked hard day and night, throughout the weekend. They were so committed that they even stayed overnight to negotiate sales contracts for their products with other teams. Surely, very few students slept during their Intopia weekend!
Intopia participants are required to make quick decisions before a predetermined time elapses. Students must negotiate with each other in order to grow their business over the weekend. Intopia participants get immediate feedback on their decisions and are given the opportunity to apply what they learned during their 4 years at the Telfer School.
For participating students, the simulation is very realistic. Some of the members of Team 38 even dressed up in suits to negotiate with the other teams found throughout Desmarais. In the early decisions, Team 38 did not rank among the top teams, but thanks to their hard work, perseverance and team spirit, they won first place in the category of Best Strategy – Finished Goods Producer.
Team 57, a small team comprised of three members, won first place in the category of Best Strategy – Component Producer, despite their small size. Members Alexandre Ranger, Benoit Guilbault and Francis Grenier, also said that they found the weekend beneficial. Alexandre, a student who hopes to get his CPA, shared that the Intopia simulation was not only a very rewarding and fun experience, but it helped him put into practice a lot of the knowledge he gained throughout his studies. In addition, participants apply skills learned outside of class, such as negotiation skills.
The three team members learned a lot from this simulation, but they said that the primary benefit of this experience was the networking aspect. For them, being able to network with students from the English classes was representative of the real job market and this experience will play a positive role in their professional lives.
Congratulations to Team 19 (Anita Mahava, Cody Miller, Mike Bowen, Miroslav Gacic and Mussie Hailu) on winning first place in the category of Best Strategy – Service Provider. Congratulations also to Team 53 (Matthew Monteith, Miranda Chan, Stefanie El-Beyourti and Isra Sabunju) on earning first place in the category of Best Strategy – Integrated Firm.
We are proud to announce the creation of the BDO Canada Telfer MBA Aboriginal Scholarship.
"BDO believes in cultivating the talent of tomorrow. We also understand that for many deserving students, a post-secondary education is simply beyond reach. To ensure more students get the opportunity to excel, we’ve established a scholarship in conjunction with the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management. Designed to inspire and support outstanding Aboriginal students in the Telfer MBA program, the scholarship includes monetary assistance in addition to a 4-month paid internship at select BDO offices. The goal of the scholarship is to provide an opportunity to an exceptional Aboriginal student interested in improving the economic well-being of Aboriginal communities." states BDO Partner, Harry Lake.
Since 2009, BDO has partnered with Telfer School to establish a public sector research fellowship, a public sector performance management research cluster and an MSc scholarship. BDO’s partnership with Telfer also includes scholarships and CO-OP placements for students in the undergraduate BCom accounting program.
When asked why this scholarship is so meaningful to the Telfer School, MBA Program Director Gregory Richards says, “We expect that our MBAs will have an impact once they graduate, and it’s great to be able to offer a scholarship that will provide assistance to students focused on working in our Aboriginal communities. We are so thankful to BDO for their leadership on this initiative”.
In order to be eligible for this $30,000 admission scholarship, students who apply to the MBA program at the Telfer School of Management must submit a 500-word letter explaining why they believe they are the ideal candidate for the scholarship. This letter is to be submitted with the program application. For more information, please contact the Graduate Studies Office by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 613-562-5884.
BDO Canada LLP is one of many organizations who continue to stay connected with and give back to the Telfer School to support the programs and projects that matter most to them, while helping the School achieve its goals.
Across a diverse range of projects and programs, the top priorities for the Telfer School’s fundraising campaign are to transform how we learn; invest in globalization; generate new knowledge; foster experiential learning; support scholarships and fund emerging strategic priorities.
“I believe you can accomplish much more when you focus on things you are naturally attracted towards,” stated Maxime, a 4th year at the Telfer School of Management.
His passions? Surfing, problem solving, and international management – his specialization. “I happen to be one of the few surfers at the University of Ottawa. I believe that having a hobby you are passionate about is essential, because it makes you go out of your way to do it and push your limits. It is only this way that you can accomplish great things.”
Going back in time to four years ago, Maxime was in high school, visiting the University of Ottawa during the Open House. “I was interested in management and was hoping to get specialized right away.”
Today, Maxime is the perfect example of an engaged, opportunistic student. Throughout the past four years, Maxime has attended many networking events, met with plenty of students and professionals in all fields and interests, and participated in a mentorship program as well as career counselling.
What’s more, Maxime went on two different exchanges in France and Australia. “I take pride in the two exchanges I had the opportunity to take part in during my third year of university. Adapting to a new environment personally, professionally and culturally should be mandatory. Adjusting to a small city in France, attending English immersion in Australia, leaving for a long period of time and going outside of my comfort zone was a challenge, but an amazing experience. I made friends from all around the world and developed my professional skills by taking part in seminars, very interesting projects and, of course, networking.”
When asked what advice he can provide to future students, he urges them to get involved in the mentorship program, to join student clubs, to go on exchange and to take each and every opportunity that Telfer has to offer.
“Today, I feel ready to take on the many challenges of the business world.”
CEO Magazine (London, UK) has just released its 2017 ranking of the top Global Executive MBA programs and has ranked the Telfer School of Management’s Executive MBA program #1 in the world.
Using a ranking system entirely geared and weighted to fact-based criteria, CEO Magazine aims to cut through the noise and provide potential students with a performance benchmark for those schools under review.
“Our program is honoured to be recognized by CEO Magazine. The Telfer Executive MBA focuses on a 'Global, Practical, Relevant' platform that accentuates 'Responsible and Effective’ leadership for optimal business impact in an increasingly competitive global market”, said Sophia Leong, Executive Director of the Telfer Executive MBA. “To be tapped by CEO Magazine as the premier Global Executive MBA program underlines the program’s value proposition and impact on the candidates’ transformation.”
“I would like to acknowledge the outstanding work of the entire Executive MBA team, led by Sophia Leong, and all the faculty members who have taught in this program”, said François Julien, Dean of the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management. “In addition, our EMBA candidates and alumni, through their professional successes and impact within their organizations and communities, are making a tremendous contribution to their program and to the Telfer School. I congratulate them sincerely on this remarkable achievement and encourage them to continue their excellent work.”
The Telfer Executive MBA Program accelerates value in three distinct ways: business leadership, organizational impact and value to the community. Our program offers professionals a ‘live’ and transformative learning environment, focusing on international market and leadership experience to excel in today’s global economy. The curriculum is anchored by the Signature Series of Six Business Consulting Projects, of which two are global in focus and involve two international business trips.
About CEO Magazine
CEO Magazine has been showcasing top business schools from around the globe since it first launched in 2008. In 2012, the publication launched its annual Global MBA Rankings, profiling MBA, Executive MBA and Online MBA programs.
This year CEO Magazine reached out to business schools across North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the BRICS, and received responses from over 160 institutions – a 20 per cent increase in submissions from 2016.
The Liberal candidate for Ottawa-Vanier, Mona Fortier (MBA 1998) won last night's byelection with 51.2% of the vote. This marks a historic moment, as it is the first time residents have elected a woman to represent them in the federal riding's history.
Mona Fortier holds a master’s of business administration (MBA 1998) from the Telfer School of Management, and a Bachelor of Social Sciences with Honours in Sociology, from the University of Ottawa.
A local businesswoman and skilled and passionate communicator, Mona Fortier is well known for her professional achievements and effective service to our community.
“While at Telfer, Mona was actively involved in student life, participating, for example, in a high tech case study competition and supporting the activities of the student council,” said François Julien, Dean of the Telfer School. “In recognition of her outstanding achievements, Mona received the Telfer School’s Young Achiever’s alumni award in 2011.”
Congratulations to Mona Fortier on her historic win!
Congratulations to Brenda Lam, winner of the CO-OP Student of the Year Award from the Telfer School of Management as well as the University of Ottawa!
Brenda is completing a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours), specializing in marketing in the French Immersion stream at the University of Ottawa. Brenda is passionate about learning and never shies away from a challenge. Over the past few years, she has participated in an international exchange to France and in the French Explore program in Moncton to hone her French-language skills. Her latest employer, Sun Life Financial, hired Brenda to be the company’s Campus Ambassador following her exceptional work as a marketing CO-OP student. Brenda is very involved in her community and has volunteered with a variety of organizations including CASCO, a university-based charity of which she is vice-president of sponsorship. She also volunteers at CHEO, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, where she has organized multiple fundraising events.
When Rebecca isn’t busy reading from Modern Library’s 100 Best Novels list (at last count, she had read 94 out of the 100), she takes advantage of any and all opportunities offered by the Telfer School of Management, namely the Profession of Management Consulting Program (PMCP), a two-year development program for students interested in consulting.
Every Thursday evening, the small cohort meets with consultants for workshops, mock interviews and case presentations based on real consulting projects. “I feel a stronger connection to the Telfer School of Management than ever thanks to the PMCP. In fact, I became a Peer Mentor in my fourth year because I wanted first year students to experience that connection too. It has been rewarding to encourage new students to get involved in associations, ambassadorships, special seminars, career development programs, events and panels, and to access the many support services available on campus.”
Following her own advice, Rebecca made it her personal goal during her time at Telfer to attend a networking event every month. “Though I chose the school for its location, what I love most are the experiential learning and networking opportunities. Most of my courses have a group project component and many of my classes have had an experiential learning component, such as a simulation or a business process like customer discovery.”
When asked which classes she recommends to future students, Rebecca highlighted two of them. The first, Change Management with Professor Samia Chreim, “was built on experiential learning through case studies, personal reflection, and an online simulation. I finished the class with a better understanding of the theory and practice of change management and a desire to learn more throughout my career.” The second class, the seminar on Leadership and Personal Development, enables students to build their own personal mission statement, develop and accomplish personal development goals, and coach another student to do the same. “Many students have told me that this seminar is a life-changing experience, so I knew that I could not miss out!”
Rebecca, who is in her last year at Telfer, will be working at Accenture starting in May, an opportunity she secured in part through her connections at PMCP. “This validated the work that I put into the PMCP and gave me an opportunity to explore the profession before graduating.”
On March 13th, Professor Greg Richards spoke at the conference, “Smart cities: Imagining the future National Capital Region,” held at Library and Archives Canada (LAC). Key figures from the academic, public and private sectors exchanged their views on the future of the National Capital Region at this unique event organized by LAC in collaboration with the University of Ottawa and Ottawa 2017, and in partnership with Invest Ottawa and the City of Gatineau.
Professor Richards took part in the opening panel discussion on the smart economy (“Innovation, Social Entrepreneurship, and Citizens’ Participation”). He commented that the National Capital Region, with its strong concentration of knowledge workers, high level of urbanization, and robust technology sector, was well-positioned to develop as a smart city and seize new opportunities to make life better for its citizens. Richards was joined on this panel by John Smit, Manager, Policy Development and Urban Design at the City of Ottawa; Martin Lajeunesse, City Councillor with the City of Gatineau; and Eme Onohua, Vice-President of Global Government Affairs, Xerox Canada.
The University of Toronto’s Rotman International Trading Competition (RITC), brings together some of the world's top business schools for a 3 day intensive simulation. Out of the 52 attending schools, The University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management performed exceptionally and emerged 13th. Telfer surpassed competition from schools such as McGill, Pennsylvania State University, Columbia, University of Chicago, Western, Queens, The Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance and University of Hong Kong.
This year’s team consisted of six of our highest-performing finance students: Evan Friend, Danika Fu, Jack Lau, Dmitry Shorikov, William Tu, and Patrick Winogron, and was coached by Pouya Safi, the Manager of the Financial Research and Learning Lab. The team was formed following their exceptional performance at the Telfer Trading Competition in October. Since then, the team had been meeting regularly to devise their strategies and practice on the RIT software. Anyone passing by the Financial Research and Learning Lab was likely to have seen these students preparing for the competition. The preparation only became more intense as the competition approached. By the time reading week had started, RITC team members could be found practicing round the clock, often spending more than 12 straight hours in the lab. Even on the train ride to Toronto, the team continued to fine-tune their strategies.
The events opened with a welcome ceremony and introduction to the event. There was also a social outcry round for competitors to practice outcry strategy, and Jack Lau placed 2nd in this event!
This year, the competition was broken down into six official events focusing on options, sales & trading, commodities, fixed income, algorithmic trading and quantitative outcry. The competition was largely made up of graduate students in programs such as finance, mathematics, financial engineering and quantitative financial modeling.
First among the events was the BP Commodities case. Here, team members were assigned roles as traders, producers or refiners. The team had to work together to interpret market signals and trade various petroleum commodities and futures contracts. This was an extremely strong case for the Telfer team, placing 6th in this event.
In the options case, teams had to analyze market data to trade different call options on a fictitious exchange-traded fund. Competitors devised a model that collected, interpreted and modeled this data and devised a strategy to successfully trade on this model’s data. The final strategy combined volatility measures, delta hedging and pricing arbitrage to result in a 6th place finish.
With two sixth place finishes on the first day, the Telfer team occupied 6th place going into day two. Day two included cases such as credit risk, algorithmic trading, sales & trading and quantitative outcry.
The S&P Global Credit Risk case involved pricing corporate fixed income products, and calculating their risks. Tools such as implied price difference, and Altman Z-scores were used to help predict the price path and if the company would default on their debt. After extremely high hopes for the case, Telfer was ranked in the top 20.
The sales and trading case, sponsored by Flow Traders, was another great event for the Telfer team, finising in 14th place. The case required participants to take on the role of a trader and make rapid evaluations of liquidity risk. Throughout the case, the traders had to assess the value and risk level of dozens of tender offers and execute trades on the positions gained through these tender offers. Success was determined by the team’s ability to manage its market exposure while exploiting market-making opportunities.
The Algorithmic Trading case, in which the Telfer team finished in the top 25, focused on the development of a trading algorithm that would analyze market data and trade on that data, all while avoiding market penalties. Requiring a tremendous amount of preparation, this case was carried out by a single team member, Dmitry Shorikov, sequestered in a closed room.
The most exciting competition was the Quantitative Outcry Case. This involved two team members acting as market analysts and incorporating market data into a model of numerous countries’ GDP in order to price a market index. This estimate was then transmitted via silent hand signals to two other team members working in an open-outcry trading pit. These players, dressed in bright costumes to make themselves more visible to the analysts, bought and sold based on the analysts’ instructions.
In the past four years of attending, it was clear that this was one of the most determined and prepared teams the Telfer School has ever sent. The team improved on the previous year's result, and considering all of the preparation and practice prior to the competition, it is easy to understand why. The RITC team had been meeting every Saturday since November practicing and creating strategies. The students returning to school next semester are already eager to improve on their excellent performance this year, and those graduating are wishing for one more chance. A special thanks goes to Mr. Pouya Safi, the Telfer Marketing Department, CETSC, and the Telfer Career Centre for their help in funding the expenses of attending the competition.
Every year, the team is looking to acquire new talent, and will be prospecting at the Telfer Trading Competition in October 2017. If you are interested in investing, trading, financial modeling or would just like to get more involved, do not hesitate to try out. The team encourages any interested students to try out or contact them for any information.
On March 3-4, 2017, the Telfer School of Management, in partnership with Export Development Canada and Deloitte, hosted the second annual Diversity and Inclusion MBA Case Competition.
During this case competition, teams examined emerging challenges and proposed solutions pertaining to the frequently overlooked issues of diversity and inclusion in organizations. This innovative competition gives future leaders a better appreciation of the opportunities for businesses to change and grow because of the Canadian workforce’s diverse nature.
“Diversity and Inclusion is a survival issue for organizations that needs to be owned by the CEO and no longer a check box exercise for HR,” stated Kate Morican, Partner Human Capital, Deloitte Canada. “At Deloitte, we focus on developing leaders who practice inclusive behaviors each and every day to help our clients and our people excel. We are delighted to support this important initiative, in partnership with Export Development Canada and the University of Ottawa.”
The Telfer School of Management’s delegation proved their skills in leadership by winning the case competition. The winning team included Matt Chesser, Vikas Kumar, Abhijit Doiphode, and Taro Abarbanel-Ueumura. Here are the overall results from the competition:
1st Place - Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa
2nd Place - Schulich School of Business, York University
3rd Place - John Molson School of Business, Concordia University
Honourable Mention 1 - HEC Montreal, Universite de Montreal
Honourable Mention 2 - Alberta School of Business, University of Alberta
“To harness the benefits of a diverse workforce, we are working to create a culture that is inclusive and welcoming to all employees”, says Robert Fosco, Vice President, Talent, Learning and Culture, EDC. “Sponsoring this competition for the second time provides us with an opportunity to demonstrate to future business leaders that diversity as well as inclusion are critical for the competitiveness of Canadian companies.”
“Beyond being the right thing to do, the business case for having a diverse and inclusive workforce is extremely compelling and backed by a growing body of research,” stated Matt Chesser, who was part of the winning delegation at the competition. “Reading recent research on inclusivity and sitting in on workshops by EDC and Deloitte - two leaders in diversity and inclusion - was fascinating. The fact that we won was just a pleasant surprise to end a great two days. We were fortunate to have a team with a diverse set of experiences that we could draw on for the case."
We thank all the schools for sending excellent representatives for this competition.
Written by Alexis Cawadias-McGeadie, assistant, Student Experience and Events
This year marks the 20th anniversary of EQUIS - EFMD Quality Improvement System, launched two decades ago at the Deans and Directors General Conference at Schloss Gracht, now part of the ESMT Berlin.
This international quality benchmark and improvement process was created to give European and, subsequently, business schools worldwide, a rigorous tool to assess, certify and improve their quality in 10 key areas, including governance, programmes, students, faculty, research and, foremost, internationalisation, ethics, responsibility and sustainability as well as corporate engagement.
For the last decade, Welch LLP has been a loyal partner of the Telfer School, with representation on the Dean’s Advisory Board, hiring coop students, interns and alumni, and supporting a number of initiatives on and off campus.
Welch has extended their financial support with a commitment worth $57,500 over the next five years. They will continue supporting the Welch LLP Accounting Scholarship, which recognizes an accounting student who is actively involved in the campus community. In addition they will sponsor five events, including the annual Top of the Tower Alumni reception in Toronto that is so instrumental to us in helping us connect alumni to each other in our largest market outside Ottawa and the Telfer Donor and Scholarship Reception that celebrates achievement and introduces scholarship recipients to those who fund their awards.
The other activities they sponsor help Telfer offer the best possible student experience: the Entrepreneurs Club’s annual Toast to Success Business Dinner; the Telfer Academic Excellence Breakfast and the Telfer Internal Case Competition, a new interdisciplinary case competition which is open to all students but is aimed at engaging first- and second-year students.
From February 22nd to 26th, seven Telfer School of Management students took on the challenge of representing the University of Ottawa at the 2017 National Model African Union Conference at Howard University in Washington, DC.
The 2017 National Model African Union Conference involved Canadian, American and Korean Universities representing various African nations. The conference provided participants with the chance to learn about roles, structures and activities of the African Union including economic, social, security and political issues facing African countries. The negotiation simulation is completed in accordance with real-time information provided by African Union Diplomats at the embass of the respective countries.
The University of Ottawa represented the Kingdom of Swaziland, a small African nation bordered by Mozambique and South Africa. As diplomats of Swaziland, the students had to have a very thorough understanding of the country by studying a variety of current conflicts affecting Swaziland.
The six committees were represented by the students below, and each student was responsible for negotiating resolutions on behalf of Swaziland:
Executive Council: Gaëlle Faye
Committee on Peace & Security: Audrey Marie Traoré
Committee on Economic Matters: Marilyne Vidjanagni and Rainatou Ouedraogo
Committee on Democracy, Human Rights & Governance: Alexandrine Silga
Committee on Social Matters: Marie-Emmanuelle Kouadio
The simulation gave students an opportunity to practice skills that will be greatly beneficial in their careers going forward. In addition to the simulation, there were many networking opportunities with African Diplomats.
After months of preparation and fundraising events to finance the conference’s expenses, two Telfer students went the extra mile and brought home two Outstanding Performance Awards: Gaëlle Faye and Marie-Emmanuelle Kouadio.
“The delegation would like to thank everyone who supported and believed in us from the beginning,” says Gaëlle Faye on behalf of the delegation. “We are all proud to have represented our University as well as the colours of Swaziland. As international students, we have been waiting to take part in an activity that allows us to learn and contribute to our African communities. Through this program, our goal was to demonstrate how students can leverage various Telfer resources in coordination with cultural insight to better connect students to what matters. We were the first to participate in this simulation and we hope that this won’t be the last time.”
In preparation for the 2018 National Model African Union, any students interested in participating or learning more about this amazing opportunity are invited to contact this year's delegation.
Written by the 2017 National Model African Union delegation
Telfer Executive Programs is pleased to have sponsored the inaugural International Coaching Federation Ottawa Prism Awards hosted at the school’s downtown Centre for Executive Leadership on February 1, 2017.
Congratulations to MD Financial Management, Export Development Canada, Canadian Blood Services, Kongsberg Geospatial, Office of the Comptroller General - Treasury Board and Bruyère Continuing Care on their awards recognizing outstanding organizational coaching initiatives!
Organized by the Ottawa Chapter of the International Coach Federation (ICF), the Ottawa Prism Award honours organizations that have implemented coaching programs that fulfill rigorous professional standards, and exemplify how professional coaching can maximize individual potential, shape the culture of an organization and address key strategic goals leading directly to bottom line benefits.
Telfer Executive Programs offers coaching services to individuals seeking to maximize their professional potential or to organizations wishing to create a coaching culture amongst their employees. For more information on our coaching services, or to explore our leadership development programs, contact us at 613-562-5921 or visit our website at https://telfer.uottawa.ca/en/executiveprograms/
Photo caption: Prism Awards organizing committee - Jennifer MacLeod, Judy Mouland, and Denis Lévesque
The uOttawa Top 5 Start-ups initiative recognizes and celebrates the culmination of each annual cycle of teaching, competitions, workshops and hard work that lead to exciting start-ups.
Already in its 3rd year, this annual search for the top 5 start-ups on campus is a collaborative effort between the Telfer School of Management, the Faculty of Engineering, Startup Garage and the uOttawa e-hub.
“Each year the quality of start-ups on campus is improving” says Stephen Daze, the Dom Herrick Entrepreneur in Residence at the Telfer School. “Student interest, faculty programming and an increasing culture of entrepreneurship is contributing to this rise in quality and it’s encouraging to see our next generation of leaders creating their own opportunities”.
The Top 5 uOttawa start-ups, in alphabetical order, are:
Kegshoe
Cofounders: Torin Regier, CFO (Telfer BCom 2017), Mike Eagar, CMO (former student, uOttawa), and Adrian Pawliszko, CTO (Civil Engineering student, uOttawa).
Kegshoe Inc. is a software company for the beer industry that provides user-friendly, cloud-based solutions to manage the
complex business of running a brewery. With features like keg tracking and a brewery-specific
CRM, Kegshoe Inc. is helping breweries solve their biggest and most expensive problems.
Spiderwort
Cofounders: Dr. Charles M. Cuerrier, CEO (Postdoctoral fellow, uOttawa), Dr. Andrew E. Pelling, CTO (Associate Professor, Department of Physics, uOttawa) and Daniel J. Modulevsky, CBO (PhD candidate, Biology, uOttawa).
Spiderwort has developed innovative biomaterials for medical research, reconstructive surgery and regenerative medicine. Spiderwort’s strategy relies on the use of cellulose scaffolds for the regeneration and repair of damaged or diseased tissues.
Spivo Inc.
Cofounders: Andre Bellerive, CEO (BASc 2014 and currently completing a Master’s program in Engineering at uOttawa) and
Marc Bjerring, COO (BASc in Mechanical Engineering, 2014, uOttawa).
Spivo Inc. designs, manufactures and sells creative camera
accessories which capture life’s memories like never before. Their flagship product, the Spivo Stick is a patent pending rotating camera mount, which allows adventure seekers and travellers to instantly switch the view of their cameras. Videos created using the Spivo Stick are fun, creative, and feature built in scene transitions which create incredible, engaging footage.
Welbi
Cofounders: Elizabeth Audette-Bourdeau, CEO (Telfer BCom 2016), Felipe Izquierdo, COO (Telfer BCom 2016) and Nicholas Petryna, CTO, (former uOttawa Software Engineering student).
Welbi is an application that helps families take care of an older loved one. It uses Fitbit smartwatches to analyze sleep, activity, and heart rate patterns and then notifies you about changes in their habits. Our main objective is to provide families the visibility and information they need to support their loved one’s health and happiness at home.
YouCollab
Founder: Shaun Maclellan, CEO (former student, uOttawa).
YouCollab is a unique platform that provides frictionless communication and collaborations between YouTube creators. YouCollab connects users based on location, audience size and keywords.
How were the Top 5 start-ups on campus selected?
A public web-based call for nominations allowed start-ups to show their interest. The nominees were then evaluated by a campus entrepreneurship committee and an initial long list of top start-ups was selected.
Feedback from various alumni and entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley was obtained before a final list of five “Top Start-ups” is selected. These Top 5 start-ups will be invited to visit Silicon Valley for a learning and business development experience in May 2017, a trip which coincides with the annual Telfer Executive MBA trip to the Valley.
“Travelling to the Valley opens up a world of connections and possibilities that you can only find there” said Lee Silverstone, cofounder GymTrack and Top 5 Recipient 2016. “The opportunity to be there with the University of Ottawa and their network was incredible experience and one that I highly recommend start-up founders take advantage of.”
Ottawa stands poised to develop into an important player in healthcare innovation. And it can get closer to the goal by connecting the region’s clinical innovators to business acumen, and thereby drive better patient care.
That message was a key theme highlighted by Wojtek Michalowski, Vice-Dean of Research and professor of health informatics at the Telfer School of Management, in his presentation at the “I3” – Industry, Issues and Insights – lunchtime event at the Château Laurier on February 7.
Organized by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce and the Ottawa Business Journal with support from the Telfer School, the event featured a keynote presentation by Ontario chief health innovation strategist William Charnetski, who spoke about efforts by his office to champion the province as a leading centre for new and innovative health technology.
Professor Michalowski took the podium first, and commented that with its large talent pool in healthcare, abundant resources and strong high-tech ecosystem, Ottawa has strong potential to become a national leader in healthcare innovation, provided that other elements are also in place.
One of those elements, he said, is the need for an intrapraneurial mindset. “Innovation in healthcare is like a start-up that is being developed inside the organization or the system. Thus, people who lead it must have knowledge about intrapreneurship, or how to be an entrepreneur on the inside. This means knowing what are the forces that will drive innovation, what are the forces that will kill it, what kind of skills does it require, what are the best practices and processes to follow.”
Another important element, Michalowski said, is greater coordination among healthcare practitioners and health systems researchers. He gave as an example the Telfer Health Transformation Exchange (THTEX), a meeting point for dialogue and learning for healthcare innovators and management and engineering faculties.
“I really believe that Ottawa is in a unique position, with the right size in terms of human capital and scope and a really innovative and talented workforce. There is a lot of enthusiasm on the part of multiple players to innovate, but there is not always coordination, and our hope with the THTEX is to contribute to that coordination.”
We are proud to announce that the Logan Katz LLP accounting firm has renewed its loyal support to the Telfer School of Management with $100,000 to fund student activities and to help recruit and retain top accounting professors.
The funds will be invested equally between a student activity fund and the Logan Katz LLP Accounting Fellowship. Startup Garage, a 3-month program led by the University of Ottawa to foster and support youth entrepreneurship, was the first activity to receive funding.
The fellowship will be awarded to a professor in recognition of their commitment and dedication to the accounting profession, their excellence in teaching and their mentorship of students towards a career in accounting.
"I would like to extend my thanks on behalf of the Telfer School community to Logan Katz LLP for their renewed financial commitment”, stated Dean François Julien. "Logan Katz has been one of our best corporate partners for many years: hiring coop students and young alumni into permanent positions, supporting students and campus activities including the Logan Katz LLP Accounting Scholarship and the CASCO gala."
Two of the firm’s partners, David Logan (BCom 1980) and Denis Chainé (BCom 1989), are alumni of the Telfer School and have been involved for many years in various initiatives, such as the Executive Mentorship Program and the accounting capstone course competition.
"We are announcing this contribution to the university because it represents an investment, not only in the future of students, but in our society's collective future as a whole. It is where our future leaders are developing, and we feel a need to pitch in to ensure each one of these future leaders is positioned to seize every opportunity presented to them” stated David Logan and Denis Chainé. “The University of Ottawa Telfer School of Management, in our view, provides an ideal stage to allow for this."
Logan Katz LLP is one of many organisations who continue to stay connected with and give back to the Telfer School of Management to support the programs and projects that matter most to them, and to help the Telfer School achieve its goals.
Across a diverse range of projects and programs, the top priorities of the Telfer School’s fundraising campaign are to transform how we learn; invest in globalization; generate new knowledge; foster experiential learning; support scholarships and fund emerging strategic priorities.
About Logan Katz LLP
Logan Katz LLP was formed in 1994 and operates from premises in the Southwest area of Ottawa. While many of the clients operate internationally and the firm has a significant number of clients who are subsidiaries of foreign companies, the essence of the practice lies with small to medium size local family businesses. https://logankatz.com/
Photo Caption: Dean François Julien, Denis Chainé, partner, Logan Katz LLP, and Nolan Beanlands Coordinator, Startup Garage
In 1990, the three biggest companies in the US employed 1.2 million employees to generate a combined revenue of $250 million. In 2014, the 3 biggest companies in the US generated revenues of $247 billion with 137,000 employees[1]. These 3 companies, all from Silicon Valley in San Francisco, generate approximately the same amount of revenue as the 1990 companies with 1,163,000fewer employees. In case you hadn’t already guessed, the three biggest companies in 1990 were all in automotive manufacturing. While manufacturing will always be a significant part of the economy for both Canada and the US, with more technology being used to enhance human production, the types of skills needed by organizations will shift significantly in the future. Which jobs will grow and which will shrink? More importantly, what are educational institutions doing to prepare managers for the workplace of the future?
The World Economic Forum 2015 global survey of 371 Chief Human Resource Officers concluded that jobs in the following categories are likely to grow:
management
finance
computers
mathematics
engineering
architecture
sales
education and training.
By contrast, jobs in manufacturing, construction, extraction, administration, entertainment, and legal services are likely to shrink. Many of the jobs that are likely to grow, however, will still need to be rethought. This rethinking must consider the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Artificial intelligence algorithms for example, can process financial analysis faster and more accurately than most humans. Software advances for computer-aided design allow for virtual experimentation and simulation, thus reducing the time and effort needed for the design.
The good news is that this theme of technology substituting human labour is not new; therefore we should be able to anticipate the managerial skills needed in the future. For example, throughout history, new technologies have driven changes in the supply of labour. As Carl Frey and Michael Osborne[2] point out, deskilling was in fact the outcome of early inventions such as the assembly line and interchangeable parts. In other words, a production task that used be done by one craftsman could be done faster and more effectively by many workers each doing a small part of the job of the craftsman. Job specialization therefore required more workers with lower levels of skills.
The introduction of electricity, however, reversed the deskilling trend. Electricity permitted automation of some operations. Instead of many lower-skilled workers, fewer more highly-skilled workers were needed to ensure that the new machines did what they were supposed to do. This trend has continued with the growth of the digital economy. In fact, many see digitization as the “new electricity” because it is a general purpose asset that can be applied to many different types of tasks in an organization.
What happens to displaced workers? Well, in the past they would re-skill to fit into the new world of work. The same is happening now. But in addition, new jobs were created as technological shifts led to the creation of completely new businesses. Consider that companies such as Facebook, Google, Apple and Microsoft, were not possible before the computer age and the introduction of the Internet. With ongoing digitization, a similar process will occur: reskilling of labour and the growth of previously impossible new businesses.
The challenge for educational institutions is to anticipate and start to build skills now that will be needed in the future. MBA programs in particular, need to continually adjust courses to prepare managers for the digitized workplace of the future. What do these new managerial skills look like?
Consider leading the digital organization. What should a manager know about the use of data, machine learning and artificial intelligence? How should planning processes change to embrace a rapidly changing economy? How should a manager interact with employees who have “grown up digital”? What does the level of connectivity brought about by smartphones and social media channels mean for communication in organizations? What new opportunities for entrepreneurship exist given the mass connectivity of people and machines? While the basic functions of management (planning, leading, organizing) won’t change much in a digital world, the questions mentioned above suggest that the way in which many of the functions are carried out could change dramatically. The Telfer MBA program is aware of these changes and is continually adjusted to reflect this new world of work.
Telfer MBA Program
The Telfer MBA program is designed to connect you to course content that matters to employers in today’s competitive work environments. You can also personalize your learning to explore topics that matter uniquely to you. In addition, we share with you the close connections we’ve forged with the business community to help you build the networks you need to grow your career. Our out-of-class experiences hone the skills you’ve learned in class while creating lasting relationships with colleagues on whom you can count.
[1] Klaus Schwab, The Fourth Industrial Revolution. (New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2016)
[2] Carl Benedikt Frey† and Michael A. Osborne. The Future of Employment: How Susceptible are Jobs to Computerisation?, 2013.
"I chose to continue my doctoral studies with the Telfer School of Management based on the expertise at my disposal within the faculty and the school’s proven commitment to providing its graduate students with a comprehensive educational experience tailored to their research objectives. Telfer’s research programs are designed for flexibility, allowing candidates to align their coursework and assignments with their own field of research, and enabling them to explore their thesis topic from day one. The interdisciplinary nature of these programs and the diversity of topics that are being addressed by candidates and faculty members also encourage rich exchanges, and allow candidates to be sensitized to a variety of fields and methods that enrich their own projects.”
Caroline is a PhD student in Management, in the Health Systems specialization. She holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences in International Development and Globalization, and a Master of Science in Health Systems from the University of Ottawa.
While completing her MSc in Health Systems at the Telfer School of Management, Caroline focused her attention on human resources for maternal health in the context of development. Accordingly, her thesis research involved a case study of the obstacles and enablers to the professional development of skilled birth attendants providing perinatal care to migrants and refugees within a self-contained health system at the Thailand-Myanmar border.
Under the continued supervision of Professor Ivy Lynn Bourgeault, Caroline will utilize the PhD in Management to further develop her research skills and enrich her understanding of the complexities of maternal health workforce sustainability in the context of protracted displacement and fragility. Caroline has presented at the Canadian Association of Health Services and Policy Research Conference, the World Congress on Public Health, the Canadian Health Workforce Conference, and the Global Symposium for Health Systems Research, and will be presenting at the upcoming Triennial Congress of the International Confederation of Midwives.
Telfer PhD in Management
Today’s changing world demands creative, resourceful, and dedicated thinkers. The Telfer PhD program prepares a new generation of forward-looking scholars to confront complex management issues through research. Our PhD program is designed to shape visionary, influential thinkers who have a positive impact on the lives of people, organizations, and communities through their research. Above all, we have high expectations for our students. Whatever our students’ goals, we are always close by to help them reach them.
Download our brochure or learn more about our PhD Program and our five fields of study by visiting our website at telfer.uOttawa.ca/phd.
Do you ever wonder what a day in the life of a CEO looks like? The other day, I got to spend my 9 to 5 with Goldy Hyder, CEO of Hill+Knowlton Strategies Canada, a prominent public relations consulting company. Thanks to the CEOx1 Day program, organized by Odgers Berndtson, and after a rigorous multi-stage selection process, I had the opportunity to accompany Mr. Hyder throughout his whole work-day on February 1st.
My day began at the Hill+Knowlton Ottawa office. Mr. Hyder immediately made an impression on me. His intelligence, wit, and unparalleled political and economic knowledge could have made him quite intimidating but instead, I felt welcomed and engaged from the moment I stepped into the office. I was encouraged to speak up and ask questions during the internal meetings I attended. I also had the pleasure of meeting some of the key members of the Ottawa team, including Don Boudria, former federal cabinet minister and current senior counsellor at Hill+Knowlton.
Highlights of the day included lunch at Parliament, where I had the chance to speak with Jennifer Ditchburn, editor-in-chief of Policy Options at the Institute for Research on Public Policy. Another highlight included finishing off the day at a taping of On the Money at CBC, where I got to listen to Mr. Hyder speak on the impact of socioeconomic standing on one’s lifespan.
Overall, my CEOx1 Day experience was incredible. I was privy to the big picture view of a large organization from the CEO’s perspective. I learned about the company’s successes and the obstacles it is currently facing, as well as its impact in various industries. But perhaps most importantly, I had one-on-one time with its CEO, who readily answered my never-ending questions about his career path and offered valuable advice for me as a student just starting my professional journey.
To all 3rd and 4th year Telfer students: I highly encourage everyone to apply to the CEOx1 Day program next year – it is a learning opportunity unlike any other!
Professor Ivy Lynn Bourgeault of the Telfer School of Management, holder of the CIHR Chair in Gender, Work and Health Human Resources, has won the 2016-2017 Award for Excellence in Research from the Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa (APUO).
Policy-relevant and impactful research
Her research fosters a better understanding of the sociology of health professions. Her work has a particular focus on the impact of gender on work and the types of tasks assigned to different health professionals. Related to this, she also examines the need to modernize healthcare “scopes of practice” to support new models of care.
She studies the mobility of healthcare workers and the issue of regional workforce planning. Her studies in this area provide insight into the migration of health professionals to and from different countries, including Canada.
She also established a strong reputation for her research on women's health services. Her studies have delved into the healthcare provided to women in rural and remote locations; regional differences in maternity care systems; and the role of midwifery in the provision of primary maternity care.
Professor Bourgeault is an internationally recognized leader and champion in these areas and particularly in health human resources. Her innovative studies put Canada at the forefront of this relatively new field that has developed rapidly in response to critical health workforce challenges.
Leadership in health policy research
Professor Bourgeault has had considerable success working at the research – policy – practice interface. She has been a consultant to various provincial Ministries of Health, Health Canada, the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization. She also brings exemplary leadership to influential communities of practice such as the Ontario Health Human Resource Research Network and the Pan Canadian Health Human Resources Network.
Professor Bourgeault is a sought-after mentor and educator. She has supervised a large number of graduate and postdoctoral students and also mentored a number of younger colleagues, demonstrating a strong commitment to creating the next generation of academic health policy and health systems leaders.
Samia Chreim has been named the Ian Telfer Professor in Health Organization Studies. Her research provides new insights into the dynamics of organizational change, integration across organizations, and collaboration among professionals. Professor Chreim recently sat down to discuss the evolution of healthcare organizations and noted that transformation will increasingly require coalitions of professionals, with complementary skills and resources.
What sets healthcare organizations apart from other types of organizations?
SC: The healthcare system is currently under a lot of pressure to perform better. Healthcare professionals are frequently asked to adjust or modify the way they work in order to provide better care to patients. But healthcare professionals need to meet different professional goals; they have different roles, cultures and interests. Conflicts are inevitable.
Suppose a health authority grants one group responsibility for a particular procedure, and it was previously the sole responsibility of another group. Any side that perceives a loss of autonomy or authority is likely to strongly resist the change.
But other kinds of changes may encounter opposition simply because they disrupt the normal and accepted way of performing a given task. Take the example of incident reporting for patient safety. If the primary care unit in a hospital has implemented an effective incident reporting system, the hospital might wish to have another unit, for example the mental-health team, adopt that system. However, differences in the culture and professional practices may be incompatible with the new reporting system and prevent its adoption by the mental-health team.
What can managers do to ensure that the required change can be implemented?
SC: One of my studies concerned a collaboration across healthcare organizations in a primary care context. The study showed that to be successful in implementing the change, managers needed to build a winning coalition of professionals and staff who have complementary skills and resources. But to build such a coalition, time needs to be invested in finding common ground across professionals and staff, in putting together trust between professionals and staff involved, and in building the credibility of the change process.
Therefore, there needs to be somebody whose job is to manage the change process. That approach is ultimately going to bring more success than asking busy healthcare practitioners to take on additional change-management tasks. When you don’t have a person that owns and manages the change process, you are likely to see a dilution of change focus and a loss of momentum.
What type of management style or approach should be encouraged, given the need for professionals and staff to coalesce around significant change?
SC: The research provides evidence about the benefits of having a small number of individuals (e.g., managers, professionals) with complementary competencies and resources in bringing important organizational changes to fruition. But this approach might create a lack of clarity. There might be ambiguity about who is responsible for what, which can lead to duplication of efforts or to one or more tasks falling through the cracks. I have also studied situations in which intractable conflicts developed among the members of a management group, and the teams working under them deteriorated as a result.
The risks of these scenarios are at the heart of a big debate about how leadership should be organized. In particular, when and how to share or distribute leadership. Shared leadership happens at different levels, for example, within teams, organizations, and inter-organizational collaborations. Change-management processes, such as the need for integration between healthcare teams, sometimes point to the need for shared leadership. On the other hand, for the reasons I mentioned, shared leadership isn’t necessarily a panacea. Without doubt, understanding when and how leadership can be shared, and what type of collective leadership is appropriate in different change-management settings, will continue to be a hot topic for any healthcare organization for the foreseeable future.
The 26th annual Business Dinner ‘Toast to Success’, organized by the Entrepreneur’s Club (TECDE), is one of the most awaited events of the year. Bringing together Telfer faculty, professionals and sponsors with students at the Museum of Canadian History, this year’s dinner welcomed a total of 242 attendees, making it the best attended event to date.
During the event, a silent auction took place with various items donated by the local community in which the proceeds went to the Cam’s Kids Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing young people that suffer from anxiety, along with the Rwanda Craft Brewery Project, which helps the Rwanda community become better established.
As dinner rolled around, attendees had the pleasure of listening to a very special keynote speaker for this year, Steve Beauchesne, CEO of the very successful craft brewery Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company. During a very competitive time in the beer industry, Beau’s continues to be the top player in the market. Steve shared his story on the philosophy of starting a business but also, the secret to making great beer. To celebrate International Gruit Day coinciding with the Business Dinner, Beau’s provided attendees with 4 different samples of beer.
New for this year, TECDE incorporated the winners from the Elevator Pitch competition back in November, showing the Telfer community the incredible talent that comes out of uOttawa’s Telfer School of Management. A portion of the evening was also dedicated to award two hard working executive members on the TECDE team with the Carpe Diem Award and the Kevin Vollett Entrepreneurial Award.
This year marked a new milestone for both TECDE and Telfer, as a joint collaboration was announced to kick start a fundraising campaign for the Kevin Vollett award, created to honour Kevin, a Telfer student and TECDE executive member who passed away from a tragic accident. With the 25th anniversary of the award coming up in 2018, TECDE and Harry Mortimer, a Telfer alumni and dear friend to Kevin, have come together to raise $9,000 before the 27th annual Business Dinner in order to sustain the financing of the award. Help them reach their goal by donating now. For more information on this fundraising campaign, click here.
The 11th edition of the Financial Open took place on Friday, January 27 and Saturday, January 28, 2017. Hosted by the Telfer School of Management, the competition is the biggest of its kind in Canada and welcomes over 350 students and volunteers from eleven Canadian universities.
The Telfer School of Management sent a delegation of 28 students to compete in eight different cases in finance and accounting.
This year our students took home second place in the Stock Simulation. Congratulations to Anne Armstrong, Juan Franlin Karamoy, Alex Milosevic and Jack Lau (Coach: George Khalife).
The Telfer delegation would like to extend a special thank you to the organizing committee of this event. Their effort and commitment to planning and hosting the event was demonstrated by the incredible success of the weekend.
Written by Drew Morash, President, Telfer Management Competitions de Gestion Telfer (TMCGT)
Case competitions, as I’m sure you’ve heard, are highly recommended and beneficial. I have never met a university graduate who has regretted their decision to get involved. Aside from making you stand out from your peers once you enter the job market, being involved in case competitions (whether as a delegate or as a member of your school’s executive committee) has many more benefits:
Networking and friendships Not only will you become closer to those in your delegation, but you have an amazing chance to meet other like-minded students from other schools. Case competitions also provide many opportunities to meet employers and professionals.
Critical thinking under pressure This is the essence of a case competition – to solve a problem under a time limit and to present it to judges. Being able to think critically and clearly can help you become a respected decision maker in your career.
Presentation skills
What better way to practice your public speaking skills? Truth is, you will always have to sell your ideas, and the skills you acquire in your presentation class can be expanded in case competitions. Watch your confidence soar!
Application of class knowledge
We tend to remember things we’ve put into practice, right? Apply what you learn in your other classes to help you solve these cases. Using this knowledge reinforces what you learned and can make you a better student.
Teamwork
You are not only working closely in your category teams, but also as with an entire delegation. Having strong support from your peers in a common goal is encouraging and confidence-boosting. Teamwork skills are a soft skill sought-after by employers. What a great way to practice!
Fun and vacation
Usually, case competitions hosted at other universities require some travel. In the evening, case competition organizers will have planned fun activities, so you can even take the time to explore a new city.
School pride
Being a delegate means you represent your school in external case competitions. This is a great opportunity to show your school pride and increase your sense of belonging to uOttawa and the Telfer School.
WINNING YES WINNING! It’s a bit cheesy, but there are no losers at case competitions! Whether you win 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or nothing, you are still gaining valuable experience and all the benefits of case competitions listed above.
Students put their academic knowledge into action with DECA, a global professional development program for students who strive to compete and network with other like-minded young professionals. Delegates attend competitions with an oral presentation and a written component, featuring a wide variety of categories, such as Business Financial Services, Marketing Management, Travel Management, and Management Consulting.
This year, the University of Ottawa’s DECA Chapter had several triumphant victories during the annual DECA U Provincials competition, which took place on January 20-22 in downtown Toronto at the Sheraton Centre. With 68 delegates competing, uOttawa was one of the 20 universities and colleges with their eyes set on gold, and their hard work paid off! Here are their results:
Connor Giddens – 1st overall in Human Resource Management, Top 3 for Roleplay Anna Halawa and Sonia Alb – 2nd overall in Marketing Management, Top 3 for Roleplay Tingi Mulvihill – 2nd overall in Business Financial Services Jason Luo – 2nd overall in Retail Management Jingwen Lin - Top 3 for Roleplay in Retail Management SoniaAlb - Top 3 Written Tests
DECA uOttawa wishes to thank Matt Archibald, Kina Leclair, Emilie Kitchen, and the Telfer School of Management for giving the delegation the support, guidance, and academic training necessary to prepare for the competition. Additionally, it would like to highlight the efforts of Anna Halawa (President) and Bobbi Nguyen (Vice President) for the time, effort, and hard work they devoted to the club. Finally, DECA would also like to recognize the dedication of the Executive Committee of the club, as none of DECA’s successes would be possible without their countless hours of work (Maxim Goldenberg, Divya Mehta, Jordan Monaghan, Nikita Gupta, Sonia Alb, Michelle Tam, Rula Al Halbouni, Zach Zhang, Fiona Doomasia, and Connor Giddens).
What’s next for DECA uOttawa? Students from the delegation will be competing in various invitational competitions across universities in the province to carry on the uOttawa streak of success. It also will have the chance to participate in the International Career Development Conference (ICDC). Stay tuned!
Written by Nikita Gupta, VP of Internal Affairs, DECA uOttawa
If you happen to walk by the Desmarais building during the weekend of January 28-29, you’ll be surprised to find 400 motivated students from all over Eastern Canada. These students, hailing from 11 different universities, will be meeting at the Telfer School of Management for a case competition called Financial Open (OF).
This type of competition gives students the opportunity to work together to solve case competitions in a three-hour timeframe, and then present recommendations to a panel of expert judges. For the Financial Open, students will present finance and accounting cases. This year, the theme of #OF2017 is “From Coast to Coast” – participants will explore the history and values of Canada and celebrate its 150th anniversary of confederation!
Top row, from left to right: Samuel Soucy (VP Logistics), Joshua Ayer (VP Communications), Philippe Moore (Director of Logistics), Kevin Saumure (VP Sponsorship) and Ryan Rahman (VP Finance). Middle row: Katarina Mrkela (VP Academic - Finance) and Kassandra Tannouri (Director of Logistics). Front row: Miranda Taing (VP Marketing), Kim Angèle Vallières (President), Andrée-Anne Martel (VP Academic - Accounting) and Sarah Morin (Director of Translations).
The Telfer School of Management and the University of Ottawa would like to extend a warm welcome to all Financial Open participants. We look forward to welcoming you on campus on January 28 for what will surely be an unforgettable weekend. Hosting the Financial Open is a great addition to the many events we are holding in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Telfer naming gift!
From January 6 to 8, 2017, nearly 130 students represented the Telfer School of Management at two of Canada's biggest inter-university competitions. The teams participated in academic, sporting and social events.
The first competition, Jeux du commerce (JDC), gathered 13 universities at the Université de Moncton in New Brunswick, as the bilingual competition celebrated its 29th year.
The second competition took place back home in Ottawa, where more Telfer students competed at Carleton University for Jeux du commerce Central (JDCC), an annual event hosted by the Canadian Association of Business Students that brings together 14 universities across Ontario, Québec and the Maritimes.
Congratulations to students for winning the following in academic, sporting and social events:
Team Awards
JDC 3rd Place overall, Academic Cup
JDC Recognition Award : Liane Brière
1st Place Trophies
JDC Marketing Case: Amy Lam, Brenda Lam and Roma Stepanchenko
(Coach: Professor David Large)
JDC Surprise Case: Caroline Robertson, Sarai Castrejon and Kassandra Tannouri
JDC Sport - Volleyball: Mira Azzi, Michele Ancrum, Mathieu Brunet, Curtis Lu, Adam Wang, Marisha Sesto, Dylan Kostka, Jordan Earls and Yvan Ntivumbara
(Coaches: Fadi Azzi and Emily Ryan)
JDCC International Business: Paxton Mayer, Mussie Hailu and Mila Giray
(Coaches: Professor Tyler Chamberlin, Jesse Dunn and Richard Laberge)
JDCC Delegation MVP: Mila Giray
3rd Place Trophies
JDC Entrepreneurial Innovation Case: Emily Potvin, Chelsea Parker and Tarek Mansour
(Coach: Professor Stephen Daze)
JDC Project Management Case: Paul Eom, Eric Thomson and Sharanya Tharmarajan
(Coach: Aghilas Chebini)
JDC Finance Case: Rabbi Kazi, Scott Beiersdorfer, Margaret Omodu
(Coach: Professor Michael Reynolds)
JDCC Accounting Case: Nikita Gupta, Julie-Anne Given and Meaghan McMahon (Coaches: Professor Sylvain Durocher and Professor Sheldon Weatherstone)
Written by Amy Lam, VP Academic of the JDC Delegation
From right to left: Erickque Plante, Shayan Obaidullah, Yvette Nakouzi Aoun (Assistant Coach) James Wilson, Derek Ovadia, Taro Abarbanel-Uemura, Germain Aoun (Coach), Philippe Lamothe, James Robert, Camelia Dubic, Anali Christina Stewart, Greg Richards (MBA Program Director), Emma Azzi, Keith Asare, Matthew Chesser, Goldwin John Guiang, Jayakumar Jayamanian. Two 2017 MBA Games delegates were not present for this photo: Curtis Haché and Jeremy Pluym.
On January 2, 2017, 16 of Telfer’s finest MBA students kicked off the New Year by travelling to Vancouver Island University to compete in the MBA Games against 18 other Canadian universities. Despite being one of the smaller teams present, they managed to vigorously compete in both the academic and sports components and exceeded expectations by winning multiple titles.
Thanks to the combined efforts of all its teams, the Telfer School of Management has gained second place in the academic rankings.
The Finance Team landed second place in the competition. Members of the team are: Phil Lamothe, Shayan Obaidullah, Curtis Hache, and Jamie Wilson.
The HR Team landed third place. Members of the team are: Matt Chesser, Keith Asare, and Camelia Dubic.
Additionally, the Telfer MBA team would not have won second place if it wasn’t for the notable efforts of the Strategy Team (Jamie Wilson, Eric Plant, Camelia Dubic, and James Myers) and the Marketing Team (Taro Abarbanel-Uemura, Jayakumar Jayamanian, Goldwin Guiang, and Derek Ovadia).
The Dodgeball Team earned a well-deserved third place win. Members of the team are: Emma Azzi, Anali Stewart, Taro Abarbanel-Uemura, Jeremy Pluym, Jayakumar Jayamanian, Goldwin Guiang, Eric Plant, James Myers, and Derek Ovadia.
The Volleyball Team landed sixth place. Members of the team are: Emma Azzi, Shayan Obaidullah, Anali Stewart, Phil Lamothe, Matt Chesser, Curtis Hache, Jeremy Pluym, and Keith Asare.
Congratulations to the whole team for their outstanding effort and determination throughout the MBA Games!
Each semester, students in the final-year Equity Valuation classes (ADM 4350 and ADM4750) take part in a real-world, real-time project, competing with each other to advise a business that is facing a difficult situation. Led by Professors Nitani and Racicot, students during the fall semester tackled a challenge being faced by the management team of Imvescor Restaurant Group Inc. (IRG). Imvescor is a Quebec-based franchisor of four leading Canadian restaurant chains: Bâton Rouge, Trattoria Di Mikes, Scores, and Pizza Delight, as well as a manufacturer of packaged food sold by grocers.
Over the past few years, the market and financial performance of Imvescor improved substantially from previous periods. Led by its CEO, Frank Hennessey and CFO, Tania Clark and their team, the price of Imvescor’s shares had more than doubled, reflecting a clear improvement in its underlying profitability and prospects. However, in late summer, some institutional investors had written to Imvescor’s Board of Directors to encourage the firm to put itself “up for sale”, arguing that its shares were thinly traded. Meanwhile, Imvescor’s management team was planning for continued growth. In this context, students were challenged with providing Mr. Hennessey and his team with recommendations on how to proceed.
Final presentations of the best submissions were held on December 8th, 2016 with the top three submissions presenting their recommendations to the management team of Imvescor and a panel of finance professionals. Several student teams not only valued Imvescor, but also recommended and valued potential strategic acquisition targets.
The Telfer School was honoured to welcome Imvescor CEO, Frank Hennessey, and CFO, Tania Clarke, as active participants in this assignment. Both met with the students during the fall, directing students to key public-domain resources, and Mr. Hennessey was present during students’ presentations. The Telfer Scool is grateful for their involvement. Likewise, we acknowledge Hugh Johnston, CPA, CA, a strategic and financial architect who specializes in the restaurant business. Mr. Johnson travelled from Toronto to hear the students’ presentations and to provide valuable feedback.
Fourth year Finance student Nick Kazaka described his experience: “The live case represents a unique opportunity for students to present to the CEO and upper-management of a company worth hundreds of millions of dollars on the strengths of its business, its intrinsic value and even provide recommendations for management going forward. The class and this live case in particular, demands an incredible amount of work during a short time frame. However the transferrable skills and experience from the case gives students a great introduction to equity research and valuation, and a taste of investment banking”.
This year, two teams tied for first place. Congratulations to:
Eric Carmichael and Valerie Brault
Evan Kerr and Nick Kazaka
Third place was awarded to:
Tina Liusun and Andy Yu
Congratulations to the winning team for best poster:
Each year, students in the 4th year class Case Studies in Accounting (ADM 4340 and ADM 4740) participate in a case competition in which they analyze a real company and report on accounting issues being faced by the company.
Daniel, a student in the winning team, explained that this year, the case was on Toshiba’s accounting fraud and the factors that led to the accounting fraud between 2008 and 2015. The students spent many hours doing research and getting familiar with Toshiba’s finances. The best groups presented their cases in front of a panel of judges on December 8.
For many of the students, this was their last semester. For Daniel, “winning the case competition was a really great way to finish my undergrad at Telfer. The case competition was a great way to pull together everything we learnt in the past 4 and half years”. Anna, another student in the winning team, enjoyed the case studies in accounting class throughout the semester because it gave her the opportunity to begin preparing for the CPA exams in the future. Lastly, for Paul, “ADM 4340 was one of the classes I enjoyed the most in my undergrad since it focused on the application of concepts and provided me with an opportunity to apply these concepts to real situations”.
We would like to congratulate the winning team:
Paul Landry
Anna Chen
Daniel Aubry
Derek Dinardo
Thank you to CPA Ontario for sponsoring the event and to Professor Sheldon Weatherstone, as well as Matt Prime, Jennifer McLeod and Professor Brian Conheady who were all members of the judging panel.
On Thursday, November 24, a group of students participated in the finals of a case competition as part of their Case Studies in Accounting course. We asked two students of the winning team to share their experience with us. Melissa and Caroline explained that this class was very beneficial for all the students that participated. In Melissa’s words: “The case competition gave us the chance to test all of our acquired knowledge [and] really prepares us for our future CPA title”. For Caroline, another student in the winning team, a case competition is like a puzzle, the only difference is that when you’re completing a puzzle you know there’s a missing piece.
Caroline added that even if the class is a lot of work, it was one her favorite throughout her entire studies. The class gave her a chance to put in practice everything she learned during her time here at the Telfer School of Management.
The case competition tested the students’ knowledge, and they also had the chance to meet experts in the field. According to Melissa, these experts exposed the entire class to many aspects of the accounting world.
The judges of the competition were Denis Chainé, partner at Logan-Katz; Marie-Geneviève Bégin, Justice Canada and Jean-Philippe Aubé, SixaCapital, as well as Professor Sylvain Durocher.
The winning team and the team that ranked second were respectively awarded $2 000 and $1 000. These prizes are courtesy of CPA Canada and SixaCapital. In addition to that, each member of the two teams was awarded a 100 $ gift card at Best Buy, courtesy of Logan-Katz.
Congratulations to the winning teams, from left to right:
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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