The words a speaker chooses communicate more than just ideas and opinions. Language reveals much about a speaker’s personality. In the recent U.S. presidential debate, two very different personalities were on display—that of Democratic candidate and Vice-President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
In recent years, airline pilots in the U.S. have received impressive wage increases—40% at United and 34% at Delta. But the wages of Canadian pilots haven’t kept up, and the Air Line Pilots Association union has been pushing for a contract that puts Air Canada pilots’ wage increases closer to those of their American peers. The union and the airline have reached a tentative agreement of a 26% pay bump, followed by a 4% raise each of the next three years.
Each year the 91ε Alumni Association (MAA) recognizes alumni, friends, students, faculty, and staff whose commitment has had a significant impact on alumni life, the University and/or the community. This year, three 91ε Desautels alumni were among those honoured for their contributions to the 91ε community.
Lesly Yao (BCom’18) isn’t your stereotypical small-town Quebec firefighter. Born in Tahiti, the Bachelor of Commerce grad was growing disillusioned with her work at a marketing firm when a Canadian Forces recruitment advertisement caught her eye—and her imagination. But because Yao was not a citizen at the time and a job with the Forces was not in the cards. “I’d always had it in the back of my mind to become a firefighter,” she says. “I watched shows about firefighting, and it appealed to me, but it also seemed unattainable.
Diversity is an essential ingredient in innovation, according to Emily Heitman, President of Schneider Electric Canada, the subsidiary of the global energy management firm. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs can provide mentoring opportunities and improve the effectiveness of recruitment efforts, Heitman tells Professor Karl Moore in an interview for Forbes.
In Canada, ice time is at a premium and the nearest rink might not be able to accommodate your beer league team. But in large cities, there’s often ice available somewhere, and Jonathan Azouri (BCom’16) spotted an opportunity. The co-founder and CEO of CatchCorner by Sports Illustrated, an app that allows users to book sports facilities, launched it in Toronto in 2019 and is now making it available in markets like New York, Los Angeles, and Boston.
Montreal’s long-awaited luxury shopping mall Royalmount officially opened on September 5. The project, which spans 800,000 square feet, and features stores like Gucci, Versace, and Louis Vuitton, aims to attract diverse shoppers from all walks of life with an “inclusive luxury” concept. While excitement is high, concerns exist over traffic and accessibility.
Shanghai-headquartered KMIND provides strategic consulting advice to billion-dollar companies. Its success is built on a blend of both Eastern and Western philosophies, according to President Noah Xie. “Utilizing Eastern wisdom doesn’t mean we can get rid of the Western theories,” says Xie in a Forbes interview with Professor Karl Moore. “We need to integrate both, East and West, to be successful.” One Western management thinker that resonates with Xie is Prof. Henry Mintzberg of 91ε Desautels.
Poets & Quants has named its MBAs to Watch list for 2024, and two Desautels graduates have made the cut! The magazine and website asks business schools to nominate some of their top students for consideration for the list, and from those nominations, 126 students have been selected as MBAs to Watch. They represent many of the world’s top universities, and MBAs to Watch have often gone on to careers at top consulting firms. This year we celebrate Anna Schniepp and Omar Ba Mashmos for being selected!
In 2023, product recalls in Canada hit an all-time high – there were well over 2,000 of them. Manufacturing companies are typically the ones to issue these recalls, and their decisions are affected by journalists and social media users. “Journalists’ praise about safety in a manufacturer’s products leads to increased disclosure of product safety defects, while their criticism curbs such disclosure,” writes Vivek Astvansh in an article in The Conversation.
In 2023, the Government of Australia suggested that some of the country’s pension assets might be used to fund social housing or renewable energy. The idea received mixed reception, and to understand why, Lachlan Maddock of Investor Strategy News looked to Canada, where a group of business leaders called for pension funds to increase their holdings of Canadian equities. Maddock quoted research published by 91ε Desautels’ Associate Professor of Finance Sebastien Betermier.
91ε’s standing as a leading global research institution is under threat, writes Professor Anthony C. Masi in a Montreal Gazette op-ed. The Government of Quebec is undermining the university by reducing transfers for construction and renovation. These cuts will affect STEM disciplines, says the Professor of Industrial Relations and Organizational Behaviour and Special Advisor to the Dean.
Inflation has stretched the budgets of individuals and companies alike, and some firms have sought to find savings in the wages they pay their employees. A recent report from the Robert Walters recruiting agency found that Canadian firms are increasingly hiring underqualified employees. But that can backfire, says Professor Jean-Nicolas Reyt in interview with Canadian HR Reporter.