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The Telfer School of Management represents a long-standing history of shared vision and collaboration shaped by generations of people working together to propel the school to where it is today. These are our community builders; they generously give their time, expertise, and financial support to improve access to education, drive innovation and foster excellence.
This year, in part three of our award series, we recognize the achievements of Telfer’s 2026 community builders through the Spirit of Giving, Donor of the Year and Volunteer of the Year awards.
Murray Kronick: Spirit of Giving
Do you identify as a community builder, and if so, what does community mean to you?
Community to me means any organization, whether public, private, non-profit or academic, from startup to maturity and beyond, that our Telfer student teams can help support and positively impact. In a sense, after my own long consulting career, I get to live vicariously through the students as I guide them through their consulting projects. I get to see first hand the impact on their client’s organization, and how much the clients appreciate what the student teams do for them. That is community building to me.
What inspires you to give back to the School and to the broader community?
I have been teaching management consulting at the MBA level for 10 years now, and I helped create the Microprogram Management Consulting for third- and fourth-year undergraduates. At both levels, there is a management consulting project, where students work on projects for clients in the community, which has a real impact on these organizations. I see the enthusiasm in the students, the teamwork that thrives, and the clients’ reaction as the students exceed their expectations. To me, that’s exactly what experiential learning is about: it’s a win-win-win-win for the students, future employers, client organizations and the School.
Was there a specific experience that made you realize it was the right time for you to support Telfer students?
The start of the bursary coincided with a milestone birthday for me. Rather than receiving gifts, I invited friends, family and colleagues to support one of two charities that are especially meaningful to me. One of those causes was the Telfer Emerging Leaders in Management Consulting Bursary, which I had recently established. Their generosity helped bring the bursary to life, and this year, I was fortunate to contribute additional funding so that a student in the Microprogram can benefit from it beginning in Fall 2026. Today, the bursary is fully endowed and will continue supporting students for generations to come, which is pretty incredible.
What do you hope to see through your gift of time and resources?
The obvious result of a bursary is to help relieve some of the financial burden a student carries while completing their studies. But more than that, through my teaching and coaching, I am privileged to be able to share my knowledge and experience, and to help students ignite their passion for management consulting and launch their careers in the industry. It’s incredibly rewarding to have alumni come back and tell me that I had a significant influence on their career choice and helped to set them off in the right direction with the right tools for the job.
We often refer to “giving” as “giving back” but I prefer to think of it as “giving forward” for the many generations ahead of us to benefit from.
Mathieu Lupien (BCom ’94): Volunteer of the Year
Mathieu Lupien was president and co-founder of Simfiny Solutions, a financial planning and reporting automation software company that he helped build from the ground up. As a graduate of the Faculty of Administration (BCom ’94), Mathieu built a distinguished three-decade career in finance and technology. He held senior leadership roles across several organizations and worked internationally in Canada, France and South Korea.
Could you share a bit about Mathieu as a person—what brought him joy in daily life, and what passions or activities did he enjoy outside of his professional work?
Mathieu lived a life rich with adventure, connection and personal growth. His career took him across the globe, with extended stays in France and South Korea, where he built lasting relationships and made meaningful contributions. Beyond his professional life, Mathieu pursued many passions. He enjoyed going to the gym, cycling and downhill skiing, and he loved cooking and refining recipes to master each dish. He was a passionate photographer and had a gift for capturing the beauty of everyday life. Mathieu was fascinated by technology and its potential to improve our lives and as an avid reader, he found books a constant source of learning and inspiration. Above all, Mathieu had an extraordinary gift for bringing people together. Whether organizing family celebrations or simply being present for those he cared about, Mathieu created traditions of warmth that will stand the test of time.
Mathieu’s first instinct was always to help others. He believed in people and their potential, and that conviction guided him. He acknowledged how much he had benefited from his mentors and understood that to remain a good leader he could never stop learning. Equally important was his commitment to sharing his experiences and knowledge with colleagues and employees. Within the family, he was always the first to show up, whether that meant rolling up his sleeves for a renovation project or ensuring our parents got to their appointments. He gave his time just as generously as his counsel and was available when any of us needed guidance. Whether mentoring students, engaging with the alumni community, or volunteering, his mission was to uplift others. Our parents and grandparents raised us to believe that when you’re given an opportunity, you have a responsibility to create them for others. Mathieu embodied those values in everything he did.
Earlier this year, your family established the Lupien Family Scholarship. We know this was important not only to Mathieu, but also to each of you. Can you share why you felt compelled to give back to the next generation of leaders?
Mathieu believed deeply in the idea of paying it forward. The Lupien Family Scholarship was a natural extension of that belief, a way to ensure that his legacy would continue in perpetuity. The fund was established in the family name because the values it reflects — generosity, education, and opportunity — we all share. The University of Ottawa holds a special place in our family: all three brothers attended Telfer, and some of the next generation are following in their footsteps.
A permanent endowment that provides scholarships for future students felt like the most fitting tribute, not a one-time gesture, but something that continues to give, just as Mathieu did.
It was a way to ensure that his name endures within a community that meant so much to him. He would be proud to know that students he will never meet will benefit from his legacy.
Doğa Islek: Mathieu Lupien’s Mentee
What was the impact of Mathieu’s mentorship?
I was lucky to have Mathieu as my mentor. From the beginning, he took the time to get to know me, understand my goals, and offer advice tailored to where I was in my professional journey. One thing that really stood out to me was that he traveled from Montreal to Ottawa to attend the year-end mentorship event, which showed how much he valued the program and supported Telfer students. He also shared his experience of living and working abroad, which gave me the confidence to pursue international opportunities myself. His guidance gave me a better understanding of the industry and more confidence as I took my first steps. I’m truly grateful for the time and support he invested in me.
Why is it important for alumni to connect with students through experiential learning like the Executive Mentorship Program?
Experiential learning allows alumni to make a real difference by sharing their time and knowledge with students and giving back to the community that shaped them.
In second year, the Executive Mentorship Program gave me my first experience in building professional relationships and showed me the value of having a mentor. It helped me build meaningful connections, gain confidence and grow personally, academically and professionally.
Jeffrey R. Smith (BAdm ’78, BMgtSc ’79): Donor of the Year
Do you identify as a community builder, and if so, what does community mean to you?
I suppose I do, in the sense that the scholarship is creating a community of recipients who, thanks to their Telfer experience, will someday be able to join the Telfer donor community. That creates a multiplier effect.
What inspires you to give back to the School and to the broader community?
I have always thought that high-quality education is a key component to the success of a country and the communities within it.
Having benefitted from the educational system we enjoy in Canada, I feel motivated to contribute to maintaining and improving the educational opportunities available to today’s students.
Was there a specific experience that made you realize it was the right time for you to support Telfer students?
In the summer of 2007, I had been thinking about turning 50 later that year, and how it had been nearly 30 years since I’d graduated from Telfer. My dad passed away in 1999, so that 10-year anniversary was also approaching. While my mom was still in good health then, I was also thinking about my parents' sacrifices in trying to give their kids a better life. That included the financial sacrifices they made so that I could attend the University of Ottawa, far from our hometown. I also remembered a small monetary award I had received in third year and how much it helped eased the financial burden. I wanted to establish the Albert and Margery Smith Scholarship to honour my parents and support students coming to Telfer.
What do you hope to see through your gift of time and resources?
I hope that this scholarship, along with all the others offered by the Telfer School of Management and by the University, might encourage more students to choose Telfer. With this culture of student support, the recipients can experience a learning journey that feels a little smoother when the financial hurdles are easier to overcome.
Congratulations to the 2026 award winners! Your drive to give back and empower the next generation of leaders is inspiring. You represent the positive effect that alumni and donors can have on the lives of Telfer students. Your contributions fuel the passion, resilience and dedication of the Telfer community, and we can’t wait to see what comes next in your philanthropic journey.
The awards don’t end here. Read about the remarkable achievements of the R. Trudeau Medal recipients and Young Achiever’s award recipients.
