Faculty

CI Webinar: Richard Gold, James ��Թ� Professor, Faculty of Law, ��Թ�

lisa.walker@mcgill.ca — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 18:23:36 +0000

Tiered Governance of Food Convergent Innovation Platforms: Challenges and Possibilities in Private and Public Creation and Capture of Economic and Social Value in Complex Science, Technology, and Innovation Collaboration

Men and women respond to work incentives in very different ways

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 14:16:50 +0000

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reviews hundreds of thousands of applications each year, making efficiency a challenge. When managers introduced cash incentives for meeting quotas, men and women reacted differently. Men tended to increase their output to secure the bonus, but the quality of their reviews declined. Women, by contrast, often prioritized maintaining high-quality work, even if it meant missing out on the financial reward.

Olayinka Oni named non-executive director of Sterling Bank

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 14:17:57 +0000

Olayinka Oni (IMPM’26), has been appointed non-executive director of Sterling Bank in Nigeria, effective June 2026.

Oni has spent more than two decades working at the intersection of technology, operations and financial services. His earlier career includes senior roles at Sterling Bank, Wema Bank, Microsoft and First City Monument Bank.

Making plant‑based eating easy: Why visibility and affordability matter

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:27:52 +0000

Shifting diets toward more plant-based foods could significantly benefit both human and planetary health, yet progress remains slow. Food choices are not simply personal—they are shaped by price, convenience and what stands out in everyday shopping environments.

Rethinking pension design for Canada’s changing workforce

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:22:19 +0000

More than nine million Canadians lack access to a workplace retirement plan, underscoring the need for pension design that better reflects how people work and live today.

Sébastien Betermier, Associate Professor of Finance at ��Թ� Desautels, says expanding access is only part of the solution. “Anything that increases access is good, but then there’s the quality of that retirement package and making sure we have cost-efficient solutions that actually close the gap,” he says.

Recap of the 2026 Dobson International Fundraising Tour

admin — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 15:48:56 +0000

The Dobson International Fundraising Tour, in partnership with Investissement Québec and the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie, provides unique opportunities for our most promising startups to raise capital, form partnerships, and connect with government and industry leaders across key international markets.

This year, we are proud to have supported 24 ventures as they travelled across nine cities in North America, the UAE, and Europe.

Attractive assets key to bringing pension capital home

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:34:13 +0000

Governments across several countries are urging pension funds to increase domestic investments, but success hinges on offering sufficiently attractive, well-governed opportunities.

MIF Evolution II

admin — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:59:09 +0000

Back for a 2nd year! Details to follow...

Patrick Augustin on European finance, talent and the case for financial literacy

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 15:18:37 +0000

Patrick Augustin, Associate Professor of Finance at Desautels and Director of the ��Թ� Luxembourg Centre for Finance (MLCF), recently joined Serge Weyland, CEO of the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry (ALFI), on the RTL Luxembourg podcast The Lisa Burke Show to discuss the future of European finance, talent and financial literacy.

Canada’s AI strategy targets growth but raises concerns on accountability and equity

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:48:44 +0000

Canada’s “AI for All” strategy, unveiled June 4, pairs over $2 billion in spending with ambitious targets for economic growth and job creation by 2031. Built on pillars like infrastructure, skills and responsible AI, it aims to boost adoption and close Canada’s gap with G7 peers.

But as faculty lecturer Simon Blanchette writes in The Conversation, the plan emphasizes growth more than accountability. Key gaps remain around job displacement, worker protections and oversight of workplace AI, with entry-level roles and equity-seeking groups particularly vulnerable.

Governing AI: why the public must set the moral limits

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:46:49 +0000

Who should decide what artificial intelligence is allowed to do to us?

Increasingly, choices about fairness, risk, and harm are made not by the public, but by the companies building these systems. Even industry leaders admit this is a problem.

As Emmanuelle Vaast, professor at the Desautels Faculty of Management at ��Թ� puts it, “When corporations alone decide how AI shapes our lives, we risk outsourcing our moral responsibility.”

Rethinking remote work beyond the productivity debate

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:44:12 +0000

As debates over remote work persist, Jean‑Nicolas Reyt, a professor at ��Թ�’s Desautels Faculty of Management, argues the issue is often misunderstood.

Remote work’s success is not inherent—it hinges on preparation and the quality of management. Reyt notes that early evidence of lower performance may reflect outdated practices rather than the limits of remote work itself.

The Anthropic shock: Why Canada must rethink AI control

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:42:29 +0000

Who controls access to the artificial intelligence systems shaping our economies and institutions?

As Simon Blanchette, a faculty lecturer at ��Թ� Desautels, underscores, the U.S.-ordered suspension of Anthropic’s advanced models—cutting off global users overnight—shows how quickly a routine commercial relationship can turn into a strategic vulnerability.

Organizations in Canada and elsewhere lost critical tools without warning or recourse, revealing the risks of relying on foreign-owned AI governed by external laws and priorities.

Nkabom Africa Case Competition: Breaking silos to improve nutritional outcomes in Ghana

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 14:59:09 +0000

The Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI) Office of Sustainable Africa hosted the inaugural Nkabom Africa Case Competition, bringing together students, researchers, poli

Oliver Abrams BCom’26 named Management Valedictorian

jessica.paduano@mcgill.ca — Thu, 28 May 2026 19:56:47 +0000

This year, we are proud to celebrate Oliver Abrams BCom'26, as Management valedictorian for the Class of 2026. Reflecting on his time at Desautels, Oliver found that the people around him played a defining role in his experience.

For Abrams, ��Թ� was more than academics; it was a community that broadened his perspective and grounded him throughout his studies. “My peers have shown me what’s possible, my professors have shown me new ways of thinking, and my family has kept me grounded,” he said. In moments of uncertainty, their support remained constant.